Post by owlcroft on Mar 1, 2015 23:18:25 GMT -5
Sonny Daye, McCormick's casually-related father, has a sudden attack of parenthood after he wins the deed to a LA nightclub. He journeys, by way of musical montage, to Gull's Way to see his son, who's not all that keen about taking up where they left off a year-and-a-half earlier in Atlantic City.
Hardcastle argues for giving the guy another chance. Anyway, there's the deed to the club, see? And what red-blooded guy hasn't always wanted to own an Irish Pub/swanky supperclub/charming neighborhood spot?
A first sight, though, the place is a big disappointment. It looks as if it's been abandoned for years and is in a terrible state of disrepair. There's only one person who seems to want it, that's Doyle Madison, the mob hit man who's also the boss of Teddy Vestro (the low-level wise guy who lost the deed in the poker game).
Doyle sends Vestro around to the place to make Sonny an outrageously generous buy-back offer of $100,000. Of course, logic dictates that Sonny would accept the offer and give Mark the cash (or maybe even just half the cash) to use as he saw fit. It would be a win-win situation that would in no way put a damper on his parental reform.
Except then the episode would be over by the second commercial break. So Sonny, for once in his life, is a stand-up guy. He says no. He and his kid (and his kid's defacto parole officer) are going to clean the place up and reopen it.
So the three men pursue their slightly askew visions of the perfect joint. It's only a short montage before they've got the place spiffed up and ready for the grand opening. Sonny lingers behind to bask in the rare glow of having done something right for a change.
In the middle of his musical reverie, Doyle and his boys show up to make him a final offer he can't refuse. Surprisingly, he refuses it, and gets busted up for his troubles.
Back at Gull's Way, Sonny's a no-show and Mark is convinced he's split town. Never mind that he hung around for all the hard work (sort of) and it makes no sense that he'd leave before the party. Mark has just enough time to express his disgust before Sonny shows up, looking way the worse for wear.
The story of Doyle's misguided attempt to get the bar back is told. Hardcastle is beginning to get suspicious. They get some background from Frank (who wonders at the logic of letting Mark go into business with his notoriously unreliable father) and revisit the bar, this time with a more forensic attitude. They discover, to their grim satisfaction, that not all of Doyle's enemies swim with the fishes. There's a collection of dead guys in a hidden storage area there. A singularly unodoriferous bunch of guys, apparently.
Hey, but why let that spoil a party? Opening night proceeds with only a few minor changes. The place is hopping. Every table is filled. Doyle arrives, per earlier arrangement, to meet with Sonny (who's demanding a half-million dollar payoff to keep Doyle's secret). Naturally, Doyle's idea of a business meeting involves giving some guy the business. What he's not expecting is that every other guest in the bar is a member of the LAPD.
Doyle takes Sonny hostage, and makes his escape out the back. Mark, hauling cases of soda, intervenes with a timely distraction and a solid fast pitch, rescuing Sonny.
In the epilogue, the bar has been impounded by the police. Sonny takes off for parts unknown, but not before at least saying good-bye this time. He also leaves Mark and Milt each a little something to remember him by. It would be hard to top the silk Atlantic City tie he bestowed on Mark in season two, but this time it's even better: a silk-screened t-shirt bearing his likeness and the admonition to "Have a Sonny Daye!"
Written by: Jeff Ray Premiered Feb 26, 1986
Hardcastle argues for giving the guy another chance. Anyway, there's the deed to the club, see? And what red-blooded guy hasn't always wanted to own an Irish Pub/swanky supperclub/charming neighborhood spot?
A first sight, though, the place is a big disappointment. It looks as if it's been abandoned for years and is in a terrible state of disrepair. There's only one person who seems to want it, that's Doyle Madison, the mob hit man who's also the boss of Teddy Vestro (the low-level wise guy who lost the deed in the poker game).
Doyle sends Vestro around to the place to make Sonny an outrageously generous buy-back offer of $100,000. Of course, logic dictates that Sonny would accept the offer and give Mark the cash (or maybe even just half the cash) to use as he saw fit. It would be a win-win situation that would in no way put a damper on his parental reform.
Except then the episode would be over by the second commercial break. So Sonny, for once in his life, is a stand-up guy. He says no. He and his kid (and his kid's defacto parole officer) are going to clean the place up and reopen it.
So the three men pursue their slightly askew visions of the perfect joint. It's only a short montage before they've got the place spiffed up and ready for the grand opening. Sonny lingers behind to bask in the rare glow of having done something right for a change.
In the middle of his musical reverie, Doyle and his boys show up to make him a final offer he can't refuse. Surprisingly, he refuses it, and gets busted up for his troubles.
Back at Gull's Way, Sonny's a no-show and Mark is convinced he's split town. Never mind that he hung around for all the hard work (sort of) and it makes no sense that he'd leave before the party. Mark has just enough time to express his disgust before Sonny shows up, looking way the worse for wear.
The story of Doyle's misguided attempt to get the bar back is told. Hardcastle is beginning to get suspicious. They get some background from Frank (who wonders at the logic of letting Mark go into business with his notoriously unreliable father) and revisit the bar, this time with a more forensic attitude. They discover, to their grim satisfaction, that not all of Doyle's enemies swim with the fishes. There's a collection of dead guys in a hidden storage area there. A singularly unodoriferous bunch of guys, apparently.
Hey, but why let that spoil a party? Opening night proceeds with only a few minor changes. The place is hopping. Every table is filled. Doyle arrives, per earlier arrangement, to meet with Sonny (who's demanding a half-million dollar payoff to keep Doyle's secret). Naturally, Doyle's idea of a business meeting involves giving some guy the business. What he's not expecting is that every other guest in the bar is a member of the LAPD.
Doyle takes Sonny hostage, and makes his escape out the back. Mark, hauling cases of soda, intervenes with a timely distraction and a solid fast pitch, rescuing Sonny.
In the epilogue, the bar has been impounded by the police. Sonny takes off for parts unknown, but not before at least saying good-bye this time. He also leaves Mark and Milt each a little something to remember him by. It would be hard to top the silk Atlantic City tie he bestowed on Mark in season two, but this time it's even better: a silk-screened t-shirt bearing his likeness and the admonition to "Have a Sonny Daye!"
Written by: Jeff Ray Premiered Feb 26, 1986
