CHiPs (1977–1983): Season 2, Episode 11 - Supercycle - full transcript

Good food, huh?

Yeah, but why did you
have to insist on this place?

Aw, man, I get bored
with the same old streets...

same old cars
and lunch counters.

Never anything
new and different.

You were saying?

It's the cops, Mr. Gesslin.

The camera, keep filming.

Oh, beautiful.
Hoo-hoo! What a break.

Sure, if he doesn't get caught.

Are you kidding?



He takes his escape
route and, zappo, he's gone.

The Fabulous Phantom,
coming here soon.

Watch for the time.
Watch for the place.

The world's greatest daredevil
outrides California's finest.

See him ride through walls of flame.
See him jump without a landing ramp.

See his death-def ying
leap over speeding cars.

No other man alive
would dare to do it.

Don't miss him, the
Fabulous Phantom.

Well, you guys didn't
mention in your reports...

you were appearing
on prime-time television.

- They didn't capture the real me.
- Where'd you get the film?

It appeared on KPR-TV last
night, just in time to spoil my supper.

Okay, this character knew our
motorcycles couldn't follow him.

But there's no way he could
have known we'd be chasing him.



Oh, I think he had his
sucker play set up just in case.

And you guys fell into it.

Anyhow, we captured a
beautiful jumping ramp.

Maybe we can
figure out who built it.

Listen, Joe, where'd the
TV station get the film?

I don't know, but they
want the film back by 9:00.

Maybe you guys could
swing by and drop it off, huh?

Fine, we'll find out
where it came from, okay?

Look, guys.

If you're asking me, I have to remind you
that you're patrolmen, not investigators.

You had a rough day yesterday,
go have your motors checked.

Come on back and I'll have
the film ready for you, all right?

Harlan might be able
to help us out with this.

- Help us with what?
- Don't you get it?

Getraer can't order patrolmen
to go do detective work.

But he wants us to
go get the Phantom.

- Are you sure about that?
- No, but let's cooperate anyhow.

Hey! Caught your act on TV last
night. I didn't know you two did comedy.

Hear the critic
review an earthquake.

If you run into Dracula
or Frankenstein today...

would you get their
autograph for my niece?

Hi.

Could you take a look
at our motors, please?

I see them. They look fine.

Okay, the truth is,
we need your help.

Do you know anything about a super-cycle
the department is experimenting with?

- Super-cycle?
- Yeah, off-road suspension...

supercharger, goes
places our equipment can't.

Yes, the state bought those models.
I mean, we've all heard about them.

- Is there any way we can get us one?
- No.

Uh, Ponch, I think Dave's
trying to hide something from us.

- Come on, Dave.
- Dave, stay.

Dave, stay!

Well, a chop shop, right
in our own back yard.

- I'll be darned, it's here.
- No, it isn't. I mean...

- Getraer told me not to bring it here.
- From where?

Lean on him, Ponch. I mean, force
is the only thing he understands.

All right, I've been working on
it in the shop at the test track.

Every time it gets up to 50, it
tries to buck you off and kill you.

I think I found
the problem, but...

How soon will it be
ready? I wanna use it.

No, you couldn't. I can't. Look, you guys
aren't even supposed to know it's here.

Harlan, you help
us, we'll help you.

And we wouldn't think...

of letting Getraer know
you let the cat out of the bag.

Pardon me, but
isn't that blackmail?

Yes.

- Hello.
- Hello.

Morning. Hi, I'm Jon Baker.

Frank Poncherello.

- Would you be Miss Piermont?
- No, this is the Piermont agency, though.

I'm Mr. Piermont's secretary.

He's out of town.

You're both better-looking
without your helmets.

KPR-TV said that you'd be coming
by about the Phantom commercial.

We... The agency
did buy the time.

Well, do you know where
we can find the Phantom?

And what's his real name?

I don't know his real name
or where you can find him.

My real name is Sheila.

The film was delivered
by a messenger...

and then a deposit was
made to cover the billing.

So you had to talk to someone.

Oh, I guess Mr. Piermont did.
But he doesn't tell me everything.

How long will Mr. Piermont
be out of town?

I don't know. Um, he
calls for his messages.

Would you give him this message?

Tell him that his client is riding
around committing serious violations.

It had to be planned ahead of time.
If he was involved, he's an accessory.

If what they're doing
gets anyone hurt...

Mr. Piermont can find himself
mixed up in felony charges.

Ooh.

- That's pretty heavy.
- Yes, it is.

Oh, wow, Sheila.

Oh, you were just beautiful.
You handled those guys just great.

- Didn't she, Roy?
- You sure did, Miss Sheila.

Oh, yeah?

Why is it that I feel like
such a fugitive, Mr. Gesslin?

- How'd it go?
- Any wobble?

Oh, I think you
solved it, Harlan.

I took her up to 55,
she didn't even tremble.

Fantastic.

All right, we'll take her up to
60 and try out the supercharger.

- All right.
- So, uh...

Heads.

Tails.

Gotta be doing 60 now.

Yeah, supercharger's
gonna kick in.

You okay?

Yeah, I haven't had so much fun
since I had a parachute malfunction.

- Anything broken?
- No, I don't think so.

- But you better check the cycle.
- Forget the cycle, man, what happened?

I don't know, when I kicked in that
supercharger it started to shimmy.

I think you under-corrected the
wobble. I hope the cycle lived through it.

I've never really
watched you crash before.

You do it very well.

All right, her front
wheel and fork is bent.

But she's gonna make it.
She's gonna be just fine.

We got enough evidence
on this Fabulous Phantom...

to book him if we can find him.

So I'm assigning an
officer to do a little inquiry.

And I'm the one you can
spare from patrol duty, right?

What's that supposed to mean?

Well, you do have male officers that like
investigation better than I do, you know.

Oh, you think, because
you're a woman...

No, Cahill.

I'm assigning you because
you're sweet, you're discreet...

you're efficient and
I'm your sergeant.

Makes sense.

Now, the Phantom hasn't said
where he's gonna put on his thrill show.

I want you to find out.

He must have filed for a permit.

But you would have
thought of that and checked.

So, what you're
telling me what to do...

is to look for a place where
a permit isn't required. I got it.

Anything you dig up, you
give to Baker and Poncherello.

I want the men who this Phantom
victimized to be the ones who nail him.

It's their thing.
Can you dig it?

"It is their thing.
Can you dig it?"

Where did you learn
that kind of talk?

I study, Cahill.
I try to keep up.

- Sarge, you sent for us?
- Yeah. Cahill, that'll be all.

Sure, babe, no
biggie. I'm cool. Ha!

Ahem. Uh...

Harlan Arliss is out at the
track rehabbing some equipment.

I don't have time to get out there and
he needs this requisition for some parts.

Do you want to drop it out
there on your way to your beats?

- What Harlan is doing...
- You'll have to excuse me.

I got a meeting with the
captain. Take care, boys.

If we're not supposed to
know there's a super-cycle...

how come he's sending
us out to the test track?

Either Harlan's helping
us put one over on him...

or he's helping him
put one over on us.

And I thought we were
putting one over on them.

Just play the game, Ponch.
This time we can't lose.

I don't know, Mr. Gesslin.

I kind of worry about doing
this running jump on the freeway.

I've been thinking of what
Miss Sheila said, you know?

Somebody might get
hurt, thing like that.

Look, Sheila's getting a slice of
the pie for financing our buildup.

Okay? Now, that's all.

It's me you trust, kid, not her.

She'd have you
doing needlepoint.

I just wouldn't want nothing
happening to spoil the big show.

So we do the running jump
where it's safe, but we do it.

Because buildup is what
makes the show big, kid.

And the running jump is
the climax of the buildup.

Now go and change.

Get out. Be seen.

We'll take care of the ramp. We'll
have it ready for practice tomorrow.

Okay.

I'd kiss a walleyed ox...

before I'd try jumping
over a moving car like this.

That kid's got
some kind of guts.

Roy's just right.

He's too dumb to be scared.

Seems like he thinks more
of you than you do of him.

Are you kidding?

I own 65 percent of him for
the rest of his life, I love him.

If you ask me, you're
trying to get him killed.

Oh, we've got
backup riders waiting.

Not as good as
Roy, but they'll do.

The promotion
is what gets it, Al.

Without me, Roy is nothing.

Come on, let's load
up for the wall of fire.

L.A. 15, 7 Mary 5 and 7 Adam are
in pursuit of Phantom motorcycle.

L.A. 15, 7 Adam,
Code 4 on the pursuit.

Lost the suspect at
Barry, near Hammel Court.

Request transportation for one
small jumping ramp and one big, uh...

- Frame.
- Frame.

Who were you guys chasing?
Dracula or Frankenstein?

Did you get his autograph
for your niece, Grossie?

Hey, come on, guys. Ha, ha.

It was funny when it
happened to us, eh?

Well, let's wait and see
if they caught us on film.

Hi. How you doing? - Hi, fellas.

- Little windy, huh?
- Oh, little?

This is Roy, my friend. He
was kind enough to bring me out.

Roy, this is Jon Baker.

- Hello.
- And this is Frank Poncherello.

Uh, just Ponch.

That's our master mechanic,
Harlan Arliss. Sheila, Roy.

Nice to meet you.

- Hi.
- Hello.

You the, uh, two state troopers.

Highway patrolmen.
Yeah, that's right.

Gotta be a rough line of work.

Oh, it has its ups and downs.

Where you from, Roy?

- Alabama.
- What are you doing out here?

Just messing around.
Trying to get myself located.

Sounds a little
rough, doesn't she?

You into motorcycles?

Me?

That machine is
something special, right?

Yup, that's why we
wanted you to meet us here.

We were hoping to get permission
to use it against your client.

Phantom?

Well, what happens
when you get him?

He'll probably pay
his fine, get out on bail.

But he's not in that
much trouble yet.

We can get him as soon as they
announce a time and a place for the show.

But we don't know
when that's gonna be.

- Why not wait?
- We want him off the streets now, Sheila.

Maybe your Mr. Piermont
can reach him.

We're hoping he'll quit if he
knows we can match his machine.

I'm gonna check it out
right now. Excuse me.

The point we're trying to make is
he's endangering innocent lives.

I'm sure he doesn't
want to hurt anyone.

Oh, come on, Sheila. He's
good, maybe even the best...

but don't tell me he doesn't want to
hurt someone. He just doesn't care.

And we do. That's what
the uniforms mean, huh?

A high-speed turn will blow the carbon
out and she'll run smooth and easy.

Look, uh, you know anybody
who owns a two-tone brown pickup?

Why? You already have a pickup.

Yeah, I know. But the Phantom
pulled a stunt again today...

and the pickup
almost ran me down.

Oh, no.

Uh, I don't know if he was involved
anyway, there weren't any witnesses.

You heard from Mr. Piermont?

No, I haven't.

Well, if he is the brain behind the
Phantom, you gotta give him credit.

He's created a sensation
money couldn't buy.

Man, he is good.

Hey, man, you are good!
You are good, man, good!

Hey, lady, have I got
some pictures for you.

- Hey, Roy, what are you doing here?
- Look, Mr. Gesslin, I'm in the newspapers.

I brought Roy in and asked him
to wait for me. Have you seen this?

You didn't tell me
you'd do your wall of fire.

Hey, it got results, didn't it?

You almost ran over a highway
patrolman with my pickup truck.

Oh, honey, it wasn't even
close. Did you tell her about this?

No, sir. Oh, and, Mr. Gesslin, you
should have seen what I saw today.

Those two officers got a
motorcycle I purely wish I owned.

Wait a minute, wait a minute.
What's going on here behind my back?

I think the promotion
has to be changed.

And I wanted Roy to see
why and to make up his mind.

- His mind?
- He has one.

Hey, Roy being
seen is essential.

Now, don't tell me
how to run a promotion.

This is the biggest thing
that's happened to you.

I laid it in your lap only because Bud
Piermont, God rest him, was a pal of mine.

Mr. Gesslin, I worked
for Bud Piermont.

I own this company today
because the last year of his life...

he couldn't afford
to pay my salary.

He went broke, just like you.

And without my cash and
my credits, you've got nothing.

Look, Sheila, don't let a
couple of thickheaded cops...

scare you into dumping
a fortune down the drain.

They didn't scare
me, Mr. Gesslin.

They made me take a look
at myself and that scared me.

It's like they said, Mr. Gesslin.
We ain't in trouble yet.

Hey, sure.

Hey, come on. Ha-ha.

Hey, no friction
in the family, huh?

So say we change
the promotion, hm?

How's that sound to you, Roy?

Sounds just fine. I guess.

Well, you think about it.

And like the lady says,
you make up your mind.

Leap over speeding cars.

No other man alive
would dare to do it.

Don't miss him. The
Fabulous Phantom.

Okay, we saw him jump
without a landing ramp.

Saw him ride through
a wall of flame.

Next we'll probably see him leaping
over speeding cars, if he follows sequence.

Sarge, we know
about the super-cycle.

We know it's ready to be
field-tested on the street...

and want permission for
Ponch to do the testing.

I know what's going on in
that conniving mind of yours.

You're thinking with that
Phantom out there riding wild...

that this couldn't have
happened at a better time.

That's close.

How about you guys to take
that film back to the TV station.

Okay, mind reader,
is that a yes or a no?

It was a maybe.

Not for the record, though.

I can handle Sheila, Roy.
But don't hide behind her.

If you don't have the guts to
go through with this, say so.

You know it ain't that.

Okay.

Now, you were back in the hills jumping
creeks and fences when I found you, right?

Look what I've
done for you, kid.

You're in Glamour Town.

You're gonna be a
star if you listen to me.

The thing is that one officer said
that I don't care if somebody's hurt.

And I do. I don't
wanna see nobody hurt.

Nobody's gonna get hurt. You're
just gonna go out and have fun.

If the cops try to catch
you on their chaser...

zappo, we've got a great story.

It's her way or mine, Roy.

Make up your mind.

I see that dog is still here.

Sir, every time I see
Poncherello and Baker I feel awful.

And I have my best rider
street-testing the super-cycle...

and my most responsible man seeing
that the test rider doesn't kill himself.

What did we gain
by deceiving them?

No, no, Harlan, we
didn't deceive them.

We simply dangled a piece of raw
meat in front of a couple of hungry tigers.

Gets their attention every time.

Ohh...

Tallyho.

L.A. 15, 7 Mary 4 in pursuit
of the Phantom motorcycle.

Westbound on Baseline.

You all right?

I'll get help in a minute.

L.A. 15, 7 Mary 3...

7 Mary 4 is in pursuit
of Phantom motorcycle...

heading toward
old Griffith Park Zoo.

Better go back, Mr. Gesslin.

What for? Not my collision.

Yeah, 1978 van. Alabama plates.

I only got the last
two digits, two three.

Two three, yeah.

Okay, reckless driving and
a felony hit-and-run. Right.

Yeah, would you also check for any vehicles
registered in this area to Piermont?

No, that's Piermont
Advertising Agency.

Okay, thank you.

Won't get any answers
on that until morning.

- Excuse me, about the super-cycle.
- I cracked the frame?

You cracked the frame.

Oh, I knew it and I had the guy.

- Can you weld it, Harlan?
- It's being done.

Be ready to ride in the morning.

Harlan, you're beautiful.

- Thanks, pal.
- Just thought you'd like to know.

Sarge, I knew you knew
we were testing that machine.

And I think you know
we knew you knew.

Sure.

But every motor officer here would
have been on my back to do the testing.

So I avoided a
king-size hassle...

by letting them think that I didn't
know what you think you know I knew.

You know what he said?

Sure.

Hey, you guys. I wore out
a set of tires yesterday...

checking every facility in the
county for a motorcycle show.

- And guess what I found?
- What?

- Nothing.
- Swell, thanks.

But then I said to myself,
Sindy, why not an airfield?

- It's got plenty of room and all like that.
- Yeah, an airfield. Hey, Sindy, I love you.

I got inquires out
all over the place.

So as soon as I find out
anything, I'll let you know.

- Great, thank you.
- Jon, Ponch.

Want an answer from Vehicle Registration
on that information you were asking about?

Piermont Advertising
owns a 1968 pickup truck.

- Ring any bells?
- I guess we know who's coming.

Mm-hm. You guys
can skip briefing.

Just like they say, "Partners
share and share alike."

Let's go get her.

Before you say anything, I...

Before you say anything, you
better ask for advice of counsel.

You have the right to remain
silent. If you do not remain silent...

anything you say can and will be
held against you in a court of law.

Am I being arrested?

Not yet, but it's gone too far, now, to
pass it off as leveling between friends.

Ponch, I wanted to be friends
from the first. That's true.

Why didn't you tell me your company
owned that pickup when I asked you?

Because I...

Because you never give a
sucker an even break. Is that it?

You had us dancing
on a shoestring.

Yes, at first.

- I used you.
- You? Not Mr. Piermont?

There is no Mr. Piermont.

He died.

And I've been operating
on a shoestring.

And I saw the Phantom
as a great opportunity.

You know, just a
few little white lies.

A few traffic tickets
and it was fun.

Until I met you two.

And then you made
me see that it was wrong.

And I want you to know
that I quit the operation.

The kid we met at the track,
he's the Phantom, right?

Yes, Roy Yarnell. He, um...

I thought that I could
get him to see it my way.

Your way, but I didn't.

Then this.

Deep trouble, isn't it?

Excuse me.

Piermont Advertising,
Miss Marin.

Yes, they're both
here, just a moment.

It's for you.

- Hi, this is Baker.
- Jon, the Turner Airpark in the Valley...

it's booked for a rock concert
and a motorcycle show.

- Okay, Getraer says we'll meet you there.
- Okay, we're on our way.

That was Sindy.
She found the place.

Turner Airpark?
No, that's not right.

Gesslin called me
just before you came.

They left to do the car jump at Ventura
Frontage Road near Tully Avenue.

L.A. heading north on Tully. We
have the Phantom rider in sight.

- Roll cameras.
- Got it.

Hey, watch the truck.

I want the driver out first
with his hands in the open.

Reckon I'll be going to jail.

You'll go to the hospital
first, check on that ankle.

Ohh. I hope it ain't broke.

Can't ride in the big show
with my foot in a cast, can I?

I don't think there's
gonna be a big show, Roy.

You knew better than to take that
ramp. You could have stopped or gone off.

It wasn't me, it
was the super-cycle.

I was just along for the ride.

Fine, fine, the super-cycle
gets a commendation...

and you get a censurable-incident report
recommending four days off without pay.

Heck, shouldn't
nobody be mad at you.

Well, you done real
good. You're great.

I couldn't agree
with you more, Roy.

Come on.

Ponch, I want you to know how
grateful I am to you and Jon...

for getting those charges
against me dropped.

I learned my lesson.

How's Roy gonna pay you
back for paying his fines?

We'll work it out. You know, I'm
his manager now. Legit, straight.

Hey, great.

I'd say he has a fighting
chance to make it to the top.

Thanks.

Yeah, I'm pretty lucky, I guess.

Otherwise, I'd be in jail,
right where Mr. Gesslin is.

You make one mistake
while on probation...

that's exactly where you
will be. Remember that, huh?

Yeah.

- Are you ready to roll?
- Yes, ma'am.

What's gonna happen
to this machine now?

A little more testing here, then it
goes to the Mojave to test on a desert.

It's time to go.

Bye.

So long. BAKER: Bye.

Yeah, I'd sure like to
ride that thing one time.

Uh, listen, there's
something I gotta tell you, Jon.

I don't want your
feelings hurt...

but I got a date with
Sheila tomorrow night.

- Well, that's okay.
- It is?

Yeah. I mean, don't be
surprised if she cancels.

Ha. Why would she cancel?

Because she has a
date with me tonight.