Episode Summaries

“I do not intend to go through the rest of
my life running away from shadows.”

(Targets Without a Badge: Part 2)

Links to Some Episode Summaries

• Starsky and Hutch Basics. These are good summaries and has some other tidbits.
• Starsky and Hutch: IMDB.com. These summaries are okay and certainly better than the ones on the DVDs.

DVD Summaries

The summaries below are taken directly from the DVDs released by Sony. The summaries are poorly written, full of typos, and full of inaccuracies. They, in fact, read like badly written fortune cookies. Use them as a rough guide.

Season One

• Pilot
  In this explosive pilot that introduced the world to Starsky and Hutch, Huggy Bear, and Captain Dobey, the duo are the targets of expert hit men who are trying to bring their crime-fighting career to an end.
• Savage Sunday
  To draw attention to the conditions of their retirement home, a senior-citizen couple plants a bomb in their car to blow up City Hall. When homicidal robbers steal their car, Starsky (sic) must track down the thieves before the time bomb goes off.
• Death Ride
  On assignment to protect the daughter of a crime czar who’s agreed to testify against mob bosses, Starsky and Hutch must drive her back home from San Francisco, pursued by ruthless killers along the way.
• Texas Longhorn
  When the wife of a used-car tycoon is raped and slain by a pair of crazed drug addicts, Starsky & Hutch race to catch the killers before the distraught widower takes vigilante justice into his own hands.
• The Fix
  While dating an ex-girlfriend of a vicious mafia boss, Hutch is abducted by the jealous mobster who gets him hooked on heroin to lead him to his former flame. Starsky must track down his partner and captors before Hutch winds up stone-cold dead.
• Snowstorm
  When $1 million worth of cocaine disappears after a huge narcotics bust, Starsky and Hutch are accused of foul play, forcing the duo undercover to recover the missing ‘snow’ and clear their own names.
• Death Notice
  When dancers are discovered dead at a strip club, Starsky and Hutch are called in to protect the girls. When they apprehend a timid man with a far-fetched story, the duo wonder if they’ve caught the killer.
• Pariah
  After shooting a homicidal teen during a holdup, Starsky is cleared of any wrong doing, but when fellow policemen are being murdered by a killer out to punish Starsky, he feels responsible and takes immediate action.
• Kill Huggy Bear
  Big pimping (sic) confidant Huggy Bear is marked for death after being robbed of a fortune owned to a ruthless racketeer. Starsky and Hutch must locate the stolen loot before their friend winds up murdered by the mob.
• The Bait
  Dressed as flashy hustlers and using a beautiful blonde as bait, Starsky and Hutch pose as a pair of high-rolling heroin dealers climbing up the underworld ladder to nail the city’s top dope distributor.
• Lady Blue
  The detective duo investigate the murder of Starsky’s ex-girlfriend, a beautiful policewoman who left the force to become a go-go dancer at a sleazy dive. The plot thickens when they learn she was actually working undercover to bust a gang of jewel thieves.
• Captain Dobey, You’re Dead
  When racist industrialist C.J. Woodfield puts out a contract on Captain Dobey and his family after the police chief investigates a civil rights leader’s assassination, Starsky and Hutch must infiltrate Woodfield’s organization before it is too late.
• Terror on the Docks
  Bent on tracking down a dock worker who killed an undercover police officer, Starsky and Hutch are shocked to discover Hutch’s ‘adopted kid sister’ is set to marry the cop-killing leader of a murderous gang involved in a series of waterfront heists.
• The Deadly Imposter
  When a long-lost buddy returns to town, Starsky and Hutch agree to help him locate his ex-wife and son—until they discover their friend is a hired assassin contracted to kill his alleged ex-wife’s current husband.
• Shootout
  When Starsky and Hutch drop by an all-night diner (sic) to unwind, they’re attacked by gangland hit men. After Starsky is critically wounded, Hutch must figure out how to stop the killers and get his partner to the hospital in time.
• The Hostages
  Starsky and Hutch battle against time to save a young armored car driver and his captive pregnant wife, who’ll both be killed by a merciless gang unless the driver turns over the money.
• Losing Streak
  Down-on-his-luck musician Vic runs into trouble when he steals money owed to him by a nightclub owner, not realizing the stolen case is fake. Starsky and Hutch discover the counterfeiter’s scheme and race to find Vic before mob hoodlums bump him off.
• Silence
  After Starsky and Hutch arrest a deaf mute for stealing candy, he is rescued by the ‘priest’ who runs the ex-con halfway house where he lives. All the clues in a rash of burglaries lead back to the candy-stealing culprit, but it’s the ‘priest’ who might be less than holy.
• Omaha Tiger
  When greedy squabbling over a prized pro-wrestler results in a triple murder, Starsky and Hutch enter the world of professional wrestling to hunt down the killers.
• Jojo
  Furious when a rapist gets an early-release deal with federal agents in exchange for assisting them on a drug bust, Starsky and Hutch mount their own case against him. When the rapist-turned-informer is killed, Starsky and Hutch wonder if one of his victims murdered him first.
• Running
  After an alcoholic ex-model, whom Starsky had a high-school (sic) crush on, fends off a brutal attack, she’s the only person alive to identify a notorious killer on the loose. But when Starsky hides her in his apartment to protect her, the murderer comes to visit.
• A Coffin for Starsky
  Bent on seeking revenge against Hutch, a mad chemist mistakenly (sic) injects Starsky with a lethal poison that will kill him in 24 hours unless he finds the antidote in time. Things get worse when Starsky kills the only prime suspect who can identify the poison.
• The Bounty Hunter
  When a convict jumps bail to avoid prison, a bail bondsman and a mercenary bounty hunter compete with police in pursuit of the escaped killer. Soon Starsky and Hutch join what appears to be a wild-goose chase.

Season Two

• The Las Vegas Strangler
  Part One: Starsky and Hutch are in Las Vegas to snare a serial killer who has strangled a string of chorus girls. What they don’t realize is the prime suspect is an old high-school friend of Hutch’s.
  Part Two: The duo close in on the serial killer who is singling out chorus girls. The investigation holds some unexpected, startling implications about several people linked to the case.
• Little Girl Lost
  The pair meet Molly, a twelve-year old tomboy who lives with her father, a recently released convict turned alcoholic. When the girl’s father is murdered by his former partners-in-crime over stolen diamonds, Hutch finds himself taking the youngster in for Christmas, but now the crooks are after Molly.
• Bust Amboy
  Starsky and Hutch are determined to bust a crafty narcotics dealer who is supplying young prostitutes and who always avoids arrest.
• Murder at Sea
  Part One: Investigating a murder, Starsky and Hutch go undercover as entertainment directors on a luxury cruise ship where the case leads them to drug smugglers.
  Part Two: The detective duo find that they have stumbled onto something much bigger than dope dealers. The ship is to be the meeting place for a group of leading syndicate figures.
• Vendetta
  A felon uses an unbalanced teenager to commit crimes, including brutal assaults and murder. But when Hutch unwittingly (sic) aggravates him, the felon goads (sic) his teenage henchman to stalk and terrorize Hutch and his girlfriend.
• Gillian
  Starsky finds that Hutch’s new love is a prostitute that wants out of the business (sic), but is being forced to continue by a cunning pimp and his mother.
• The Vampire
  When a dancer is murdered, with marks resembling fang bites on her neck and an unusually large quantity of blood missing, Starsky and Hutch investigate what appears to be the work of a vampire.
• The Specialist
  Starsky, Hutch, and two other officers respond to an armed robbery, only for a woman to accidentally get shot from the gunfire of one of the lawmen. The dead woman’s husband sets about exacting revenge on each of the cops involved in the death of his wife.
• The Psychic
  Huggy introduces Starsky and Hutch to a friend of his who has clairvoyant visions. The psychic’s predictions start to come true when his visions tie in to the whereabouts of a wealthy business man’s kidnapped teenage daughter.
• Tap Dancing Her Way Right Back into Your Heart
  Detectives Starsky and Hutch are working undercover at a plush Hollywood dance studio in order to investigate an extortion racket operating from the club.
• Nightmare
  A gang (sic) of rapists who attacked a mentally handicapped girl may go free because an ambitious district attorney thinks the victim’s testimony may be worthless in court.
• Bloodbath
  On the day of the trial of a murderous cult leader that Starsky and Hutch arrested, Starsky is snatched away by the cult leader’s followers just before judgment is passed.
• Huggy Bear and the Turkey
  Huggy Bear has hooked up with his friend ‘Turkey’ Turquet to set up a detective agency. While trying to find a missing husband, they themselves are pursued by several undesirable parties who have various concerns with the elusive man in question.
• The Set-Up
  Part One: The partners are working incognito as truckers in an operation to safely transport a man with mob connections who is promised protection in return for giving testimony. But when he’s shot dead by a lone gunman, Starsky and Hutch find themselves uncovering a complex plot of bizarre deception.
  Part Two: Determined to unlock the secrets about the gunman and to clear their names, the twisted tale of their investigation leads Starsky and Hutch to a complex operation in which innocent victims are brainwashed into murdering those that they believe to be their enemies.
• Survival
  After Hutch plays the key part in a successful undercover operation to nail a wanted racketeer, the captured felon hires a hit man to prevent Hutch from testifying in court.
• Starsky’s Lady
  A crazed killer returns to exact his revenge on Starsky, whom he blames for the death of his son while in police custody, by targeting Starsky’s beloved girlfriend, making sure she is shot in a supermarket heist.
• The Committee
  After the detectives capture a rapist, they are outraged when the thug is let off with a lenient court sentence. Starsky openly vents his disgust at such light punishment, attracting the interests of the vigilante police.
• The Velvet Jungle
  An illegal immigrant witnesses the murder of a co-worker (sic) who was threatening to expose the activities of crooked immigration officials. Starsky and Hutch step in to investigate and uncover an illegal alien smuggling operation.
• Long Walk Down a Short Dirt Road
  The detectives try to catch the stalker who is hounding a successful female country singer. When a murder occurs, Starsky and Hutch must piece together just who the extortionist is and capture him.
• Murder on Stage 17
  Starsky and Hutch work undercover as stunt men on the set of a new Western movie in order to investigate a series of fatal ‘accidents’ that has befallen several members of a long-standing group of actors known as the ‘Wolf Pack.’
• Starsky and Hutch Are Guilty
  When a police informant is brutally beaten, witnesses point the finger at Starsky and Hutch. Unbeknownst to them, they are being impersonated by two lookalikes out to give the genuine pair a bad name.

Season Three

• Murder on Voodoo Island (Starsky and Hutch on Voodoo Island)
  Part One: Starsky and Hutch go undercover on a luxurious private island resort in order to investigate a mystery surrounding the richest man in the world, whose friends are being murdered.
  Part Two: While undercover at the island resort, Starsky and Hutch find themselves battling the black magic of a powerful witch doctor.
• Fatal Charm
  When Hutch tries to end a romantic relationship with a beautiful nurse, she develops a fatal attraction.
• I Love You, Rosey Malone
  Two Senate Investigative Committee agents encourage Starsky to romance the beautiful daughter of a syndicate boss, but things get complicated when Starsky falls in love with her.
• Murder Ward
  Disguised as a patient and orderly, Starsky and Hutch go undercover at a mental hospital to investigate the mysterious deaths of patients.
• Death in a Different Place
  When Starsky’s childhood friend (sic) is found dead in a sleazy hotel, the detectives are shocked to discover that the murdered lieutenant was a closet homosexual.
• The Crying Child
  A teacher asks Starsky and Hutch to look into a suspected case of child abuse surrounding a six-year-old boy.
• The Heroes
  The detectives try to impress an attractive female reporter, but she misinterprets their unorthodox methods.
• The Plague
  Part One: Starsky and Hutch must race against time to stop an international assassin from spreading a deadly virus throughout the entire city.
  Part Two: With Hutch infected with the virus and hours from death, Starsky furiously tries to track down the carrier of the plague in order to obtain an anti-toxin and save his partner.
• The Collector
  A washed-up former child star, now a loan shark, hires a new collector who is a notorious killer with an ulterior motive.
• Manchild on the Streets
  The pair must do their best to steer a confused teenager away from a life of crime, as he grows intent on avenging his cop father’s (sic) needless death.
• The Action
  To investigate a slain friend’s murder (sic), Starsky and Hutch infiltrate an illegal gambling truck, which is being run from the back of an 18-wheeler.
• The Heavyweight
  A former boxing champ’s life is endangered after he refuses to throw a fight for a vicious racketeer.
• A Body Worth Guarding
  Starsky and Hutch are assigned to protect a Soviet ballerina whose life is threatened by political fanatics. But as Hutch spends time with her, he and the ballerina start to fall for each other.
• The Trap
  The detectives are unknowingly guided into an ambush at a desolate farm in a trap set by a ruthless criminal bent on revenge.
• Satan’s Witches
  While staying in Captain Dobey’s vacation cabin, Starsky and Hutch are met with a chilly reception from the local townsfolk, who are revealed to be a coven of devil-worshipping Satanists (sic).
• Class in Crime
  Hutch poses as a college student in order to investigate a brilliant professor who teaches a course on the ‘philosophy of crime.’
• Hutchinson for Murder One (Hutchinson For Murder One)
  Hutch’s ex-wife Vanessa suddenly contacts him, claiming she has cancer. The next day, she is murdered in his apartment with his gun and Hutch becomes the prime suspect.
• Foxy Lady
  The only witness to a murder happens to be a sexy female con artist who attempts to use her feminine wiles to charm Starsky and Hutch in order to keep the murdered man’s suitcase of cash for herself.
• Partners
  In this flashback episode, Starsky’s reckless driving lands Hutch in the hospital suffering from amnesia, causing Starsky to recount some of their past adventures in an attempt to revive his memory.
• Quadromania
  Starsky poses as a cab driver to investigate a series of murders performed by a crippled actor dressed in various disguises.
• Deckwatch
  A wounded serial killer holds Hutch’s friend and her wheelchair-bound mother (sic) hostage in their home, causing Hutch to pose as a paramedic in order to get inside the house.

Season Four

• Discomania
  Starsky and Hutch show some dance floor moves when they go undercover at a popular club where a serial killer is kidnapping and murdering young girls.
• The Game
  The two detectives devise a playful game of hide-and-seek, but when Hutch is exposed to deadly botulism without knowing it, Starsky must find his partner before it is too late.
• Blindfold
  Starsky is distraught when he accidentally shoots a pretty art student and causes her to lose her sight. But there’s more to the story than meets the eye.
• Photo Finish
  When the boys make the scene at a high-society party, an artist gets murdered and their sexy photographer friend captures it on film. Now everybody wants the photo…including the killer.
• Moonshine
  The detectives pose as good old boys in order to track down some hillbilly moonshiners who are trying to sell a lethal batch of bootleg whiskey.
• Strange Justice
  A veteran cop goes berserk when his daughter is raped at her sorority house, and it’s up to Starsky and Hutch to stop him from killing her attacker.
• The Avenger
  Starsky and Hutch become suspicious when an attractive blond (sic) claims that a jealous man is murdering her one-night stands.
• Dandruff
  The two macho detectives pose as hairdressers in order to stop a renowned thief from stealing diamonds at a private auction.
• Black and Blue
  When Hutch gets shot, Starsky reluctantly pairs with a new partner, a beautiful black female detective.
• The Groupie
  Starsky poses as a photographer and Hutch as a swimsuit buyer so they can investigate a racketeering ring (sic) in the fashion industry. When a female admirer offers her help with the case, things get more complicated.
• Cover Girl
  A gorgeous but terminally ill model puts out a hit on herself, but when her cancer goes into remission, she asks Hutch to stop the contract killer.
• Starsky’s Brother
  Starsky is thrilled that his younger brother, Nick, is visiting until Federal Agents tell Starsky they think his brother is mixed up with counterfeiters.
• The Golden Angel
  Starsky poses as a wrestler and Hutch as a referee when the detectives are assigned to protect a professional wrestler who has received death threats.
• Ballad for a Blue Lady
  Hutch dates a beautiful lounge singer and is unknowingly marked for death by her mobster brother (sic).
• Birds of a Feather
  When the wife of a veteran cop incurs heavy gambling debts, her husband, an old partner (sic) of Hutch’s, trades the life of a police informant to pay them off.
• Ninety Pounds of Trouble
  The pair go undercover as hit men (sic) in order to protect a union official, but Starsky’s cover is compromised by a young admirer.
• Huggy Can’t Go Home
  When Huggy Bear is caught at an illegal poker game (sic), he has to sidestep Starsky and Hutch in order to help a friend recover stolen money and start a new life.
• Targets Without a Badge
  Part One: The two detectives need Huggy’s help (sic) when one of his friends is willing to finger a judge supplying drugs.
  Part Two: When Huggy’s friend is killed before he can testify, Starsky and Hutch lose their case against the crooked judge and end up losing (sic) Huggy’s friendship.
  Part Three: With Huggy’s friend dead and their case lost, Starsky and Hutch retire voluntarily, but then become involved in a blackmail case.
• Starsky vs. Hutch
  While they are investigating the murder of girls at a dance hall, Starsky and Hutch compete for the affections of a female undercover officer.
• Sweet Revenge
  As Starsky lies in a hospital fighting for his life, Hutch goes after the political figure who tried to have the two detectives executed.