Peaks and Valleys

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## Briefing

After an accident, Jon and Ponch are accused of negligence when the driver in the accident is moved with a spinal injury. The situation puts Jon in an emotional valley and a friend from his past offers him a job alternative that's tempting.

## Report

Jon and Ponch are on patrol cruising along with the traffic. A woman with long blond hair in a cream convertible looks at Jon and smiles at him before driving off.

A woman wants to drive their new car, she wants him to pull over so she can change sides. He doesn't want to so she decides to do it while they're driving. As they change over his leg gets caught and she struggles to keep the car straight since he's still on top of her. Jon and Ponch notice the convertible weaving in and out of traffic.

Jon catches up to the car and ask what the problem is. They tell Jon that they're stuck in cruise control and he can't get his leg out. Jon directs traffic to stay behind the car. Jon asks if the man can reach the brake pedal and he tells Jon he thinks he can. Jon motions them to a shoulder and whilst he's doing this a driver of another vehicle which is a converted pickup with a camper attached to it, is watching them but not the road. His wife, Karen, screams at Bob since he's drifting towards the embankment, he loses control of the camper and rolls down the embankment, his wife is thrown from the vehicle and the camper attachment breaks off next to the truck. Ponch and Jon go to check it out.

Ponch spots the woman on the embankment and tells her not to move, Jon radio's it in. They then hear the screaming children, Ponch runs to the camper with Jon following after him. Two maintenance men near the area run to the accident and help Bob out of the truck. Jon and Ponch manage to free the children and reunite them with their father. Jon spots the mother trying to get up and runs over to her. The paramedics arrive and go to Bob, he cries out when one of them tries to move him. Ponch asks him if he needs a hand, the paramedic tells them off for moving him since he's got a spinal injury and they should have left him where he was.

Later, a car speeds past Jon and Ponch and they pull him over. The man already has his licence and his registration in his hand and Jon takes it. When the driver looks at Jon he recognises him from high school, he tells him he's Stan Bosca. Stan hands Jon his business card and tells Jon to write the ticket since he's got a quota to fill, Jon corrects him. Stan tells Jon he thought he would be a big winner and thinks he's wasting his time and believes he's worth a lot more. He tells Jon he's got his card and invites him to come over to see how it works. Jon looks at the business card and then looks at Ponch.

When Jon and Ponch arrive back at Central they notice that the maintenance bay is spotless, not a speck of dirt in sight. They notice the signs up around the room and then a dog walks out and slumps on the floor. A man enters the bay and calls the dog by the name of, Dave. Ponch figures out that he's the new mechanic and asks Harlen to look at his motor. Harlen rises off his seat, peers at the bike and tells him it's nice. Jon and Ponch look at him in bewilderment.

Inside, Grossie asks the pair if they've been to the motor pool yet, Jon asks what the problem with Harlen is. Jon and Ponch head to Getraers office to tell him about the camper accident but he's heard already, he hands them a form to complete. Ponch asks what the problem is, and Getraer tells him that the driver has a serious spine injury aggravated when they moved him. Jon denies it and so does Ponch. Getraer tells them he's hopes they can prove it, Jon doesn't see any reason why they should prove it. Getraer tells him it's a Category 1 complaint and there might be trouble.

In the break room Jon is questioning Ponch on what he put in the comments section. Ponch doesn't think there's a point since they can't prove anything. Jon tells him that puts the burden of proof on the complainant. Grossie interjects by telling Jon he had witnesses and then dispenses some depressing facts. Ponch asks if there's a cheerful side to it. Grossie confirms there won't be if they don't go for criminal negligence.

Outside, Harlen has fixed Ponch's issue with his bike and also corrected another on Jon's bike. Getraer comes out and as soon as he reaches them, Dave barks at him. Ponch hands Getraer the report they've written. Getraer scratches his arm.

The lawyer is going over the accident with Bob Niles. He describes he saw men in highway patrol outfits. The lawyer shows them photo's of Jon and Ponch and Karen Niles recognises them. Bob wonders what's going to happen to them, and the lawyer tells him to worry about himself, his wife and his children.

Jon is sullen, and Ponch asks him if he's worried about the hearing. Ponch asks him if he's thinking about the car job, Jon tells him he's been thinking about it. Jon spots the long blond haired woman again in the cream convertible, she smiles at him again whilst passing them by. Jon tells Ponch she drives a different car every day. Ponch tells him he should follow her and catch her and then he can talk to her, Jon's mood turns sour again thinking about the trial. Ponch tells him he's in an emotional valley and nothing looks right to him and tells him to think positive. Jon tells Ponch they'll get a defence for the hearing, check out the car sales job. Ponch adds another one, if they see the woman in the car again they follow her.

A truck is weaving in and out of traffic, he has a trailer attached with asphalt inside and it's on fire, it unhitches from the truck and is dragged along by a chain still attached. Jon and Ponch notice the trail of smoke and pursue it. The fire has caused the truck itself to catch on fire, Jon tells the driver to pull over. When the truck avoids a parked car he crashes. Jon runs to the truck to free the driver and Ponch joins him, they managed to free the driver before the truck explodes. The driver is given oxygen by the paramedics, Jon coughs and works his hand. The paramedic asks if he's okay, Jon tells him it happens when he opens hot doors.

Getraer arrives, and Jon and Ponch know the news isn't good, he hands Jon something to read. Ponch summises it's the hearing from the field operations. Getraer tells them to tell their story and any evidence and witnesses. Jon tells him they have no witnesses. Getraer tells him Niles's attorney wants to establish them for negligence. Jon gets sour again. Getraer tells them to get cleaned up and then tells them they have to go on a recruiting pitch in the morning. Jon tells Ponch he's going to investigate a new line of work.

Jon is talking to Stan about the car sales trade and Stan asks him when he can start. Jon tells him he wants to think about it. Stan asks if there's anyway to hide the ticket he received as his premium went up, Jon tells him he can't. Stan leaves them as he can see someone needs help in a sale.

Jon is giving a speech at the recruiting pitch. One of the students asks a question and Ponch, wants to show them why chose the patrol and what's best about it. Jon and Ponch perform a number of stunts on their bikes.

Two men in a truck are looking out over the freeway, his passenger spots Jon and Ponch riding on the freeway and nudges his friend. His friend tells him he's after a CHP sedan, he's loading a cartridge and then tells his friend it's time to make a call.

A call goes out about a report of some dirt bikes tearing up the reservoir. Baricza responds. Jon and Ponch have pulled over a car and Ponch responds that he'll take a look as well. Jon is left to give the citation to the driver.

Baricza arrives at the location and parks his car in the clearing. The two men in the truck are waiting in a ditch. Baricza radios in that he's going to look around; Ponch is on his way. When Baricza is far enough away the two men emerge and check on Baricza's position, when he's out of sight they immediately shoot at his patrol car. Baricza takes cover. Ponch hears the shooting and dismounts off his bike and reports in that shots have been fired. Jon hears the broadcast and quickly gets on his bike and rides off. Baricza runs back to his patrol car and hides in a storm drain, he spots Ponch and motions to him where he's going. Ponch hides behind a tree and Baricza watches helplessly as his patrol car is shot to pieces. The two men laugh as they run out of bullets and can't wait for the news to hit the papers. Baricza shouts at the men to freeze and raise their hands, they are arrested; Jon finally arrives and looks at the patrol car. Ponch tells him to radio it in since Baricza's radio's shot. Jon looks on at the patrol car, Ponch grabs his receiver and radio's it in.

Back at Central, Baricza's car is brought in. Dave barks at Getraer again. Ponch tells Getraer that they'll hold off on the reports since they have to visit a witness, Getraer asks who their witness is and Jon tells him it's their accuser, Niles. Getraer doesn't think it's a good idea. Dave barks at Getraer again, and Getraer scratches his chest.

Ponch tells Jon to turn right at the lights, Jon tells Ponch he thought they were going to the hospital. Ponch tells him it's in his horoscope, he'll find a pleasant answer to a nagging question. Jon doesn't understand, Ponch tells him to follow him since he did a little research the previous night.

Ponch takes him to a car dealership. The blond woman in the numerous cars is at reception. Jon tells her he's been wondering about the cars she's been seen in, and she tells him she runs errands in them. She introduces herself as Melanie Ingalls. Ponch spots a poster on the window for a disco contest. Melanie gives Jon a couple of tickets, complements of her company. However Jon tells her he can't except gifts, Melanie asks him if a friend can take him and he tells her they can. Melanie tells Jon if it's okay if she carries the passes for him and he tells her it would be okay. Jon introduces Ponch and tells her it was he who found her, Melanie tells him she'll have four passes. Jon's valley turns into a peak.

At the hospital, Ponch asks Niles if he remembers him, Karen tells Ponch she does. Bob apologises for getting them into trouble but tells them he was only telling the truth. Ponch tells him that it's impossible and that they never touched him. Jon tells him they came to him to see if he could remember anything more. Bob tells them he never saw their faces, just their helmets and uniforms. Nile's daughter tells then she saw them and it was Ponch who took her to her father; Ponch remembers and tells her that her father was already out of the truck by then. Karen asks her if she remembers who took her father out of the truck, she tells him Tommy knows and told her they were two men in gold hats. Bob questions the gold hats. Their daughter tells him they looked like power line guys. Bob remembers the hard hats and tells them he remembers and that Ponch told him not to move. Bob confirms that they never touched him. Relief spreads over Ponch and Jon's faces.

At the disco Jon and Ponch are dancing with their respective partners. Jon sits down with Melanie while Ponch enjoys a solo stint on the dance floor. A woman on the dance floor is in distress, Jon tells Ponch she's about to give birth. After a while she gives birth to a baby boy. The DJ comes down and tells everyone they're the doctors who delivered the baby, Ponch whispers in his ear and then tells everyone they're California Highway Patrol Officers. Everyone bursts out in a round of applause and cheers.

## Notes

* The aviator sunglasses this episode are clear with a yellow tint to them.
* This episode is clever in that it was made to make you believe Jon and Ponch moved Bob Niles from his truck if you weren't concentrating properly.
* Although you don't see it, Baricza pulls his gun out out of shot.
* When the rear light falls out of Baricza patrol car, you can see someone's reflection in the car doing something to make the light fall out.
* Jon never dances in the series, the closest we would get is probably a slow dance but never anything vigorous. Erik appeared on a dancing show and Larry was asked at a recent signing if he would dance, Larry responded by saying he never danced in the series and he'll leave it all to Erik.

### Quotes

* Stan/[Jon]: I always figured you as a big winner. I think you're wasting your time out here. I know what you make, you're worth a lot more. [Doing what? Selling cars?] Raise your standard of living I can guarantee you that. [Well, er, I wasn't aware that I look so deprived.]
* Ponch: Hey, partner. Loosen your chin strap, you're gonna cut the blood off to your brain.
* Ponch: You wanna call this in, his radio's a little shot.

### Codes Used

* 10-97 - Arrived at the scene.
* 11-80 - Traffic Accident; Major Injuries.
* 11-48 - Transportation Request.
* Code 4 - No further assistance needed.

## Cast

### Main Cast

* Larry Wilcox: Jon Baker
* Erik Estrada: Frank Poncherello
* Robert Pine: Joe Getraer

### Recurring

* Brodie Greer: Baricza
* Lew Saunders: Fritz
* Paul Linke: Grossman
* Lou Wagner: Harlen Arliss

### Others

* Troy Donahue: Bob Niles
* Kaye Stevens: Karen Niles
* Richard Gates: Stan Bosca
* Martin West: Lundsford
* Pam Norman: Melanie (Ingalls)
* Jack Rader: Carl
* Paul Mace: Bernie
* David Clover: Medic #2
* Peter Looney: Rogers
* Melody Queen-Engle: Pregnant Woman
* Annie Wharton: Corky
* M.G. Kelly: Himself