By Geno McGahee
The formula for the TV show “THE INCREDIBLE HULK” is a winner every time. David (Bill Bixby) comes to a new place, encounters a problem, turns into the Hulk, kicks ass, and then leaves. Although I enjoy THE AVENGERS, I have to say that there will always be only one Hulk and that Hulk is Lou Ferrigno. It’s fun to watch him throw the goons through doors, walls, and into boxes. In TERROR IN TIMES SQUARE, the Hulk comes to New York City and it’s a great setting for him but it wasn’t really utilized.
David is working at an arcade and has a romantic interest again. How sad. He has a girl that wants him in every episode and can never go any further than a smooch and maybe some spooning. He obviously fears Hulking up during intercourse and mauling his love interest. I’m not sure that should be a concern. Only when he gets angry does he turn into the Hulk, but David is a very nice guy and won’t chance another person’s life no matter what.
Carol (Pamela Susan Shoop) is becoming a doctor. Her studying with David has helped her and she starts to see that he is more than just a guy that collects quarters from the machines. He has a past that she becomes interested in. Her father Norm (Jack Kruschen) owns the arcade and has to give up forty percent of his profits to a mobster, Jason (Robert Alda), but it’s getting old and time for a revolt. Leo (Arny Freeman), Norm’s good friend and another business owner under the thumb of Jason, wants to break away and keep all of their money. When Jason hears of this, he demands that Norm kills Leo or Carol will die.
David overhears the deal and he’s picked up by the mobsters. They plan to kill him but they awaken the monster and pay the price. In the meantime, Norm goes to kill Leo, but can’t do it. The two agree to kill Jason instead even though they know that they are going to die in the process. David gets wind of this and goes to stop it but when an asshole cab driver refuses to rush, we once again get the Hulk, but he’s running through Times Square this time, which was a cool visual. He makes it to Norm, stops him from killing Jason, and kicks the hell out of the goons.
TERROR IN TIMES SQUARE is a good episode, but it would have been cooler to see the Hulk all around the city rather than just a brief glimpse of him running through Times Square. The budget wasn’t there, I’m sure, for putting him at the Empire State Building and other landmarks, but it would have been nice. NYC is such a character as a setting that had they brought the Hulk to notable locations, it would have really made this episode stand out and maybe that should have been the focus before producing this one. What would have been great turned into a routine episode, but it’s still worth a watch.
Rating: 7/10