I always figured Jim’s got a “friends with benefits” situation going with Beth. They’re fundamentally mismatched as far as a relationship goes. They live very different lives and aren’t much interested in changing to the other’s way of living. But there’s definite chemistry there. There’s also a little jealousy whenever either of them is interacting with someone else in a way that implies a sexual or romantic relationship. But there’s a reference here to Beth’s looking forward to a Shostakovich concert, and I’m quite certain Jim doesn’t even know who Shostakovich is. This episode is the first and possibly only one that suggests that Beth ever considered more.
Jim is hired by Beth’s friend David Delaroux (John Saxon) to look into the books of the company he works for. He believes there’s some financial malfeasance there. Jim doesn’t trust David. It turns out to be just as well; someone comes after David when he’s at a dinner party with what turns out to be the guy’s not-quite-ex-wife. He assumes he’s being followed and leads the guy back to Jim’s trailer. Then he sets it up to make Jim look like a murderer. Then the feds get involved.
Frankly, I wouldn’t trust David, either. I’m suspicious of anyone who calls you by your first name that often. It seems as though every sentence he addresses to Jim has the word “Jim” in it somewhere, and that comes across as a little untrustworthy simply because it’s so clearly trying to be trustworthy. I think it’s one of those tricks they teach you in marketing school to get on a person’s good side. A lot of those things just irritate me.
One of the lessons this episode teaches us is that you need to be careful about putting things in obvious places and letting people see where you hide them. David gets into the trailer because he saw where Jim left his key. He found Jim’s gun because Jim hides his gun in his cookie jar. I don’t hide a spare key around my house, but if I did, I guarantee you I wouldn’t hide it near my door. Jim points out in another episode that most people hide it above the door jamb or under the mat. Likewise he finds the combination to a safe exactly where he expects it to be. Honestly, I wouldn’t hide a spare key to a trailer that near a public beach anyway.
One thing that’s absolutely crystal clear is that Beth is a damn fine lawyer. Oh, it helps that the assorted cops and feds and so forth underestimate her because she’s a pretty blonde, but we see enough of her at her job that we know she’s not relying on that. She’ll take advantage of it, because she’s not going to waste any opportunity to help her client, but if she’s got to play hardball, she’s going to play hardball. And she’s going to win.
Take Care of Rockford Files: Fight with John Saxon. Jumps on the hood of his car TJ Hooker-style.