The Rockford Files (TV Series) The Dog and Pony Show (1977) User Reviews

Can't live with Angel, can't live without him

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 19 January 2015]

Poor Jim Rockford gets busted along with Angel for having some stolen property in his vehicle. But the judge orders group counseling for both of them. In which they meet Joanne Nail who is a young who everyone dismisses as paranoid when she says she's being followed. When she was in another mental asylum, a high priced one she met Ed Lauter who is making all kinds of extravagant claims.

Before things are done both the National (Central) Intelligence Agency and a prominent Mafia crime family is involved due to the ravings of Ed Lauter and what kind of things he's spouting. Walter Brooke as the field office head of the NIA and George Loros of the crime family are an interesting pair of adversaries for Rockford. Loros especially, you feel sorry for him. Lauter is his brother-in-law and his father wants him killed, but his sister says spare him. That's why he's in the asylum in the first place.

Once again Stuart Margolin comes through for James Garner even though he has to be dragged kicking and screaming. It's the way it is for Rockford and Angel, can't live with him, can't live without him.

Sopranos Warm Up

[zsenorsock · 8/10 · 5 January 2007]

Jim and Angel are ordered by the court to undergo psychiatric counseling after they're busted with a trunk load of hotel items Angel stole and stashed in Jim's Firebird(If Beth had been there, I'm sure Rockford would have gotten off, but the fetching Gretchen Corbett is mysteriously absent in court and in this episode).

At group, Jim meets Mary Jo Flynn(Joanne Nail) who thinks she's being followed and wants Jim to check it out. At first Rockford thinks she's a loony tune, but then thinks otherwise when she catches someone breaking into her apartment. The trail then gets real twisty in this excellent script by David Chase, and Jim gets involved with the National Security Agency, a coupe in Chile, a mob enforcer and a bunch of wise guys who would prefer Rockford, Angel and Flynn just disappear.

George Loros returns, this time as mob boss Tommy Lorenz (what, not a member of the Minett family?). He's torn between a promise to his sister to keep his brother in law alive and his father, who wants him killed. This is as close to a "Soprano's" episode as "Rockford" ever gets. The mob families have problems too.

Reza Badnyi does a good job bringing Chase's script to life (there's a great stunt where Jim has the Firebird fly over through a construction site--where it gets a NASTY wheel wobble), and Stuart Margolin as Angel is well utilized in this one. I liked Joanne Nail as Mary Jo but she kind of disappears halfway through the episode and seems to have stopped acting a few years later (she did appear on "Young Maverick"). Gary Crosby appears as one of the patients, but really has little to do.

I just keep wondering, where was Beth?

Jim and Angel

[safenoe · 7/10 · 31 July 2020]

Iranian-American Reza Badiyi directs this episode of The Rockford Files. Also Italian-American David Chase is a co-producer. I like The Rockford Files and it's a pleasant way to spend a pandemic afternoon. Here Jim gets himself mixed up with intelligence services as he tries to help someone in therapy. Angel gets lots of screen time in this episode.

Rockford and Angel show

[stones78 · 31 December 2011]

This episode highlighted the quirky relationship between the men, and how they really need each other when trying to solve a case. The show begins with a judge sentencing them both to community service, and I don't recall the exact reason they're in court, but they somehow wind up in a group therapy session, and a reluctant Rockford is hired by a woman there to find out who's been following her; she(Joanne Nail)has a history of mental illness and others think she's only paranoid. I thought her performance was perhaps average, and could've added more to the show. George Loros, on the other hand, gives a great performance as the confused mobster Tommy, as the scenes with him and Rockford at the mobster's house is riveting, especially when Tommy smashes a table right in front of Jim before deciding to kill him. Ed Lauter makes a small appearance, but I wished he had more screen time as the delusional Joseph Bloomberg, plus I recognized Al Ruscio playing the part of Vic. There is a cool chase scene with the Firebird running from Tommy's car, and we also get to see Rockford driving Rocky's truck. Rocky and Dennis have important scenes, and I had to chuckle when Jim pinches Dennis' cheek at the station. The real star for me though is the performance of Angel by Stuart Margolin, as he gets the majority of screen time and has several memorable scenes, especially in Rocky's house for dinner, and when he helps Jim distract a security guard. I also really liked how Jim uses Vic's gun to hit a fire alarm in order for the authorities to rush to the factory where Jim and a few agents were being held. This was a terrific episode, and keep an eye on the performance of Angel, who gets the award this time around.