Welcome to Late Night Retro Television Reviews, a feature where we review some of our favorite and least favorite shows of the past!  On Mondays, I will be reviewing CHiPs, which ran on NBC from 1977 to 1983.  The entire show is currently streaming on Freevee!

This week, Baker has a double!

Episode 1.13 “One Two Many”

(Dir by Paul Krasny, originally aired on January 5th, 1978)

This week’s episode of CHiPs opens with a member of the California Highway Patrol pulling over a woman on the highway.  From a distance, he looks a bit like Jon Baker.  However, it soon becomes obvious that he’s not Baker when the fake highway patrolman (played by William Whitaker) says something offensive to the woman in the car.  We don’t hear what he said but the woman announces that she’s never been spoken to so crudely and drives back into traffic.  She also causes a crash as another car swerves to avoid her.  Inside the car, a woman is about to give birth.  Her husband begs for the fake patrolman’s help.  Instead, the suddenly panicked faker drives away.

Fortunately, Baker and Ponch then roll up and they get their day started by helping to deliver a baby.  As usual, it’s Baker who actually knows what to do while Ponch stands around and flashes that blinding grin of his.

Back at headquarters, the woman from the car has filed a complaint against the obscene patrolman.  When she takes a look at the pictures of all of the patrolman who were on duty at the time, she selects Baker.  Knowing that Baker isn’t turned on by anything outside of memories of his life Montana, Sgt. Getraer figures out that there’s a fake cop out there, one who looks just like Jon Baker!

Appropriately enough, Baker and Ponch are the ones who finally arrest him.  Actually, they cross paths with the guy several times, suggesting that God himself means for them to meet.  At one point, Baker and Ponch see a woman named Jobina (Trish Stewart) who is struggling with the fake cop.  They assume that she’s resisting arrest and they grab her.  The fake cop runs off while another real cop — this one from the LAPD — shows up and demands to know what’s going on.  It’s all a bit messy but let’s give credit where credit is due.  William Whitaker is effectively creepy as the fake cop while Trish Stewart gives a strong and emotionally realistic performance as the most prominent of his victims.  After everything she’s been through, she doesn’t want to spend time with any cops, whether they’re real or fake.  The show seems to understand that she has a point.

While this is going on, Ponch is getting on Baker’s last nerve.  Ponch’s RV is being fixed for numerous electronic problems so Ponch moves into Baker’s tastefully decorated apartment.  It turns out that Ponch is not easy to live with, as he really likes to listen to music while he’s sleeping.  As well, Ponch keeps hitting on all of Baker’s neighbors.  In the end, Baker decided to say in Ponch’s damaged RV while Ponch stays in the apartment so let’s just hope the building manager doesn’t find out because next week, both Baker and Ponch might be homeless!

We’ll find out next Monday!