This Week's Episode: Faster Heart

[owlcroft]

Airdate: Sept. 30, 1985

After race car driver Kiki Cutter is injured during a race, Mark, knowing her
from his own racing days, decides to pay her a visit. Fortunately for Kiki, Mark
arrives just as someone tries to kill her. Although the killer manages to
escape, Mark does manage to get his license plate number. Believing that the
attempted assassination may be tied into Kiki's crash, Mark sneaks a look at the
car. Confirming his suspicions, Mark finds evidence that Kiki's car was
sabotaged. Meanwhile, Hardcastle traces the assassin's license plate to Hal
Jenkins, an insurance broker. Some of the pieces of the puzzle are tied together
when a recovering Kiki reveals that she has been secretly planning on divorcing
Sammy "Sidewinder" O'Connell, her race driver husband. Once, Hardcastle has
stopped Jake Thomas, the man who tried to kill Kiki, as well as arrested
Jenkins, Mark, with some financial backing from the judge, decides to challenge
O'Connell in a major car race. Thanks to his superior driving
skills, Mark defeats O'Connell and settles a longstanding rivalry between
them. Afterwards, O'Connell, who had selfishly acted out of fear of how the
divorce would impact his career, is arrested for his part in the attempts on his
wife's life.

Guest Cast
Barbara Horan as Kiki Cutter, John Sanderford as Sammy "Sidewinder" O'Connell,
Judd Omen as Jake Thomas, Robert Sampson as Hal Jenkins

Writer
Patrick Hasburgh

Director
Charles Picerni

[krokkie]

I don't care much for this episode. The plot is not bad and there were some good action scenes, but the ending is just too scandalous for my liking. That was the fly in the ointment.

[pauladouglas]

The ending just capped the worst episode in the series. Exactly what redeeming features did Kiki have? I mean, other than middling physical ones? Could she have been a bigger sleaze?

[Coyote X]

To answer your question, Kiki had no redeeming features at all. Patrick Hasburgh wrote some great episodes, but this was one of the worst in the whole series. It was an insult to Mark to even have him care about someone like her.

Barbara

[owlcroft]

It's just another in a long string of unlikeable Hasburgh-written women leads. What his problem is, I don't know, but he writes the most air-headed women I've ever seen on TV. Plus there are the gratuitous shots of snatily-clad female bodies in the opening and this feeling that all Kiki has to do is wink and McCormick will embezzle Hardcastle's money to buy her more mascara. The hospital vigil may have been necessary from a plot stand-point, but seriously guy -- get over her!

The only part I liked is the judge sitting in the truck, listening to a ballgame instead of watching the grudge match. And the epilogue -- Worst Ever! That's a Hasburgh woman -- no sense, no morals, and no way, Jose.

[Voyager Tip]

I agree with the rest of you. This episode is easy to forget.

[Deleted]

Yeah, if Mark is going to be that far gone on a gal, she ought to be likeable. When he says how much he hurt her, and that he's over her, that's pretty good stuff, I thought. If she can see how much she hurt our hero (and all to ride Sammy's coattails, no less!), that has potential. But when Mark shows he's ready to take her back in a second, it doesn't exactly endear her to the viewer.

There are some good scenes, however, as were mentioned above. But the tag...not for me.

[Deleted]

I must confess, however, that I think the name "Kiki" is adorable.