Technical Information

First Broadcast: Friday, February 12, 1988, 9:30 PM

Production Code:

Number of bullets fired by Sledge: 4

Critical Info

TV Guide summary: A reunion with an old chum takes Hammer back to a time when he wasn't so callous, until he learns that his buddy plans to marry the ex-Mrs. Hammer.

Ph episode rating on the Hammer scale (1 to 6 bullets): 5. A fitting end to the series with actual character development. One-bullet deduction for leaving us hanging for the rest of our lives.

Episode references:

Opening Credits

Produced by Thomas Kane
Supervising Producer: Ron Friedman
Executive Producer: Alan Spencer

Guest Stars:

• Heather Lupton (as Susan Hilton-Hammer)
• Michael Kaufman (as Scott Grabel)
• Chris Jackson (as Dominic Tauber)
• Leslie Morris (as Officer Mayjoy)
• Patti Tippo (as Officer Daley)

Created by Alan Spencer
Written by Mert Rich & Brian Pollack
Directed by Bill Bixby

Act One

In the interrogation room, Hammer is questioning the suspect, Dominic Tauber, about the "voodoo murders". The suspect refuses to speak until his lawyer arrives. Doreau displays a doll resembling Tauber that was found in the victim's apartment. When Hammer picks up the doll, Tauber acts as if everything happening to the doll (choking, shaking, punching, poking) is happening to him.

The lawyer who arrives turns out to be Scott Grabel, a old friend of Hammer's from high school. Grabel has arranged for Dominic's bail, but the two old friends decided to go out and have a drink.

Six-bullet gag: After the suspect exits the room, Doreau closes the door behind them. Hammer then throws the doll in the wastebasket.

When Hammer opens the door to leave with his old friend, we see the suspect's legs sticking out of the janitor's trash can.

At a bar, Hammer ends an air hockey game when he shoots a flying puck. [gunshot 1] Doreau listens as the two tell stories of how they helped each other in high school. When Hammer receives a call from his beeper-like police radio, he invites Scott on a police run, suggesting that they go to his place afterwards. As they leave, Trunk and Doreau are pleased to see an excited Hammer.

At his apartment, they are reminiscing over the high school yearbook. Scott looks at a picture of Hammer on the track team, firing the starting pistol.

Sledge was also involved in ROTC (Reserve Officers' Training Corps).

Hammer: (flipping the page) Whoa, big trouble... Susan Hilton. She was the most miserable, self-centered, nagging killer-witch in the whole school.
Scott: Why'd you marry her?
Hammer: Well, she was my high school sweetheart. It was expected of me, I think.

As they debate what marriage should be all about, Scott reveals that is getting married to someone he is in love with. Hammer sets aside his feelings about marriage, and they agree to all (including his fiancee and Doreau) meet tomorrow night. As Scott leaves, Hammer has trouble saying it was nice to see him again.

As Hammer drives, Doreau questions why his attitude toward lawyers hasn't changed even though his old friend is a lawyer. Hammer refuses to listen to her analysis. They then must respond to a robbery call over the radio. Chasing down a fleeing suspect, Hammer borrows a bowling ball from a passer-by to knock him down.

After removing his ski mask, Hammer recognizes the crook as Scott's client. He was robbing the store to pay his fees, so that he could bail him out again.

At the "Italian Restaurant", Hammer recognizes it as his ex-wife favorite joint. Scott then says that his fiancee chose it. When she finally arrives, Hammer immediately draws his weapon.

Doreau: Sledge! What is going on?
Scott: Dori, this is my lady.
Hammer: That's no lady. That's my ex-wife.

Hammer then flees the table, but Susan catches up with him. She appeals for him to be human, saying they should try to be friends.

Susan: You've heard of human, haven't you? It means warm, tender...
Hammer: You just described a good steak. Now, beat it, will you?

She asks him to be mature, at which point he fires his gun into the air twice. [gunshots 2 and 3]

Act Two

Hammer overhears Doreau gossipping with Trunk about him. They say Hammer should be happy for his friend and happy that he will no longer have to pay alimony.

Doreau: You should be celebrating.
Hammer: Celebrating? Now why didn't I think of that? Oh, that's right. 'Cause I don't feel like celebrating!
[81 KB WAV file]

Officer Daley tells Hammer the suspect he brought in is being released to his lawyer.

Hammer tries to drag the suspect Tauber back to jail. Hammer and Scott first argue about Tauber, then about Susan. When Hammer claims to have no problems with him marrying Susan, Scott asks him to be best man. After Trunk accepts Scott's invitation also, Trunk then yells for everyone to get back to work.

At Scott's bachelor party, Hammer sits in a chair claiming to be having a good time while all the others revel. Meanwhile, Susan talks to Doreau about changing Hammer. Doreau claims he will never change, but Susan asks her to try harder, saying Sledge thinks highly of her.

When a lady jumps out of Scott's stag party cake, Hammer aborts the celebration. [gunshot 4] He arrests everyone, including Trunk, and takes the whole party down to the station. An angry Susan storms in and accuses Hammer of abusing his authority to get back at Scott. After they argue, she punches Hammer before she leaves.

At his apartment, Hammer clutches his jaw.

IMHO, what follows is the most touching scene in the entire series.

Doreau: You're being really selfish. I think you should just be happy for them.
Hammer: I don't believe this. Two people who have been a major part of my life are ripping my guts out, and you want me to smile about it?
Doreau: That's not what I meant.
Hammer: Look, Doreau. Now with Scott and Susan gone, that's two more people who have found each other. All I ever find is... clues. For the first time in my life, I'm starting to think that maybe I'm going to spend the rest of my life alone. There I'll be a seventy-year-old man alone, uanble to shoot my gun, unable to... shoot my gun.
Doreau: You got me.
Hammer: Yeah, right. You'll leave too.
Doreau: (approaches) Not if you don't want me to. Sledge, let me into your life.
Hammer: C'mon. Beat it, Doreau.
Doreau: (frustrated) You know, the best thing you could do right now is to go to that wedding. It might give you a slice of your life.
Hammer: I'd rather be dead.
Doreau: I'm afraid you already are. (Doreau grabs her coat and leaves. As she looks back, she shakes her head.)
Hammer: (talking to his gun) Well, amigo, it's just you and me, huh? You'll never leave me. You're all I got. [166 KB WAV file]

Hammer then throws his gun across the room.

At the church, Hammer bursts into the wedding ceremony right after the minister's "hold your peace" line. After limping in, everyone breathes a sigh of relieve as he tells them to "get on with it". After he sits down next to her, Hammer tells a shocked Doreau that he decided to show a little respect for once by not wearing his gun into the church.

Tag

At the usual bar, Doreau tells Hammer he is lucky that Trunk understood what he was going through. Otherwise, he would have filed charges for the abuse of his authority.

Hammer: Doreau, since I went to that wedding, I've come a... kind of a... realization. I've given this a lot of thought. (turns to Doreau) I don't want to live my life alone. I want a living, breathing human being to share my life with -- the good times and the bad. So... um... this isn't... an easy thing for me to ask, so I'm just going to go ahead and say it. Will you marry me?
Doreau: (surprised, then giggles) Are you s... serious?
Hammer: No.
[266 KB WAV file]

Dori slumps onto to bar countertop.

This is the last frame of the series!

Closing Credits

Associate Producer: Robert Ewing
Creative Consultant: Leonard B. Stern
Executive Story Editors: Mert Rich & Brian Pollack
Story Editors: Mark Curtiss & Rod Ash
Story Editor: Chris Ruppenthal
Featuring: Walter Sylvest
Co-Producer: Jim Ragan
Director of Photography: Chuck Colwell
Production Designer: Gregory Melton
Music Composed by Lance Rubin
Theme by Danny Elfman
Unit Production Manager: Jim Ragan
1st Assistant Director: Candace Allen
2nd Assistant Director: Nancy King
Film Editor: Janet Ashikaga
Set Decorator: Michael Parker
Construction Coordinator: Raymond Camaioni
Property Master: Christopher Amy
Location Manager: Rene Botana
Stunt Coordinator: Ed Ulrich
Sound: Tom Koester
Camera Operator: Michael Levine
Key Grip: Dylan Shephard
Gaffer: Walter Stewart
Make-Up Artist: June Rudley Brickman
Hair Stylist: Robert Hallowell
Costume Designer: Nancy Fox
Script Supervisor: Nancy Friedman
Transportation Coordinator: Eddie Lee Voelker
Special Effects: Chuck Dolan
Casting: Cathy Henderson (C.S.A.), Barbara Hanley (C.S.A.)
Assistant to Alan Spencer: Tracy Yeager, Sherry Gamlin
Assistant to Thomas Kane: Nancy Edwards
Production Coordinator: Bonnie Jordan
Production Auditor: Erica Fox
Post Production Supervisor: Larry Levin