By Geno McGahee
I love the TV show “THE INCREDIBLE HULK,” but you always get that group of comic book geeks that get mad when you sing its praises. Why can’t they just leave me alone and let me enjoy the Hulk in my own way. What is with this debate anyway? I don’t care what the comic Hulk is about. Maybe we have two different Hulks here. One Hulk is Bruce Banner of the comics. Then we have David Banner of the show because they thought Bruce was too gay of a name. That’s what probably frosted Stan Lee’s wiener. He was unhappy that they said it was a gay name. Whatever. It was the 1970s and it was a strange time. Just accept it and move along.
One of the things I like about the TV show is when they put the Hulk in new and exciting locations like New York City or, in this case, Las Vegas. I love Vegas. It’s magical and when Hulk is there, it’s super magical. So, David Banner (Bill Bixby) has a new job as a shill at a casino, but most of his job is flirting with the hot dealer, Cathy (Simone Griffeth). I wish I had the game of Banner. Cathy wanted him to let it ride in the bedroom so badly, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t. He knows that if he Hulks up during sex, the girl is in big trouble. Some contend that the Hulk would not happen but do you remember when Banner was merely trying to change a tire on his car? It was difficult and he Hulked up and that car paid the price. This is why he has never worked for AAA in any episode of the series. So, if the guy can’t perform in the bedroom, he will get so frustrated that he will Hulk up and bam…poor girl pays the price.
As Banner works, a big story is brewing. Ed (Dean Santoro) and Wanda (Julie Gregg) are ready to take down some big names, including the boss of Banner, a casino owner and crime lord. Edler (John Crawford) tries to negotiate with Ed, but it’s a no-go and that won’t be tolerated. When Ed leaves a restaurant, a car zooms by and hits him full force. Bloodied and battered, he gets loaded into the ambulance and Banner runs over to see if he’s OK. Banner is given a tape recorder and asked to deliver it to Jack McGee (Jack Colvin) of all people. This guy has been up Banner’s ass for years and now he must cross paths with him again? Terrible.
Banner drops the recorder at the front desk of the hotel where McGee is staying and then hides behind a plant. It’s terrible. He can be clearly seen, but McGee still misses him. Banner slips out the door and this situation is all behind him, or so he thinks. Edler finds out what he did and insists that he meets him in his room and this is where it gets very interesting. Edler’s two goons, Lee (Don Marshall) and Charlie (Charlie Picerni), rough David up and try to scare him before leaving him alone with Edler. Edler makes a call and says he wants the new bouncer and emphasizes “the big one.” Banner tries to leave, but then Edler grabs him by the bunghole and screams “you want a fight. I’ll give you a fight.” He launches him down the stairs as if he was bowling with his finger in the bowling ball. That Edler is a sick man. Of course, if this doesn’t make Banner Hulk up, nothing will. That’s rape!
Hulk storms up the stairs with the “try that shit with my bunghole now” look and throws Edler down the hallway and takes off. The Hulk runs through Vegas but this was very disappointing. It was so obvious that he was running in front of a big screen with Vegas video in the background. When he was in New York, I think he was actually in New York, but here, they went the cheap route and the episode suffered for it. The screen is also used in the driving scenes frequently.
The bad guys capture Banner and McGee and plan to kill them at a landfill. They are burying them alive and now everyone is there, including Edler and the freshly kidnapped, Cathy. Banner Hulks up and starts kicking ass, throwing around the goons and screaming. Remarkably, Edler shoots the Hulk and hurts him. He pays for it, but that Edler is the only bad guy that I’ve seen in this series that has fought near evenly. Bunghole grab and bullet vs. rock and throw down hallway. You know what. I take that back. Edler wins. I give him three points for the bunghole grab.
THE HULK BREAKS LAS VEGAS is a great episode and very fun. I wish there was more Vegas charm and a little less hokey characters/extras placed into this, but it works in the end. I loved it.
Rating: 8/10
