Original Airdate: December 9, 1977
Written by: William R. Stratton
Directed by: Alexander Singer
Cutting edge startup Minerva has developed robot arms that could help in underwater oil exploration. Their chief engineer and vice president Susan Kenniston (Margie Impert) is an old friend of Beth’s (Gretchen Corbett) and Beth’s firm looks to invest with the company. Beth herself isn’t convinced, and especially doesn’t trust prospective co-investor Richard Lessing (Larry Hagman) and his imposing associate Virgil (Ron Masak). Jim agrees to investigate the other players under his alias of Oklahoma prospector Jimmy Joe Meeker.
Tropes present in this episode:
- The Con: Angel, of course. While “Jimmy Joe Meeker” is wining and dining Susan, Angel is at the same restaurant releasing silverfish onto his plate to scam a free meal.
- Friendly Rivalry: Beth and Susan are very competitive, despite being in completely different professions.
- How's Your British Accent?: Jim Rockford takes on the role of folksy Oklahoma investor Jimmy Joe Meeker. James Garner was actually from Oklahoma.
- Sacrificial Lamb: Chris Jenks (Denny Miller), the president of Susan’s company Minerva and a dreamier, more speculative scientist, gets blown up in his seaplane as part of Lessing’s insurance scam.
- Start My Own: Beth’s disagreements with her employers boil over and she decides to start her own practice.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Lessing, under a variety of names, has a pattern of making deals with developers and having them bumped off for insurance money. After Chris is killed, Susan is next on the list.
- You Owe Me: After Angel blows Jim’s cover with Susan, Jim guilts/threatens him into acting as lookout for him while he rifles through Lessing’s files.
