All language subtitles for CHiPs.S03E10.The.Watch.Commander.1080p.WEBRip.DDP2.0.H265-d3gQ.eng

Poncherello!

How did you know I was here?

You're on limited duty...

and I'm gonna revoke that if you
don't stop chasing the clerks around.

Can I help it if they're
delighted to see me back?

Now, listen.

We have a new watch
commander coming in,

Lieutenant Bates, and
first impressions count.

So I want you to summon up your dignity
and take the front desk for a while.

The front desk?
Oh, come on, sarge.

It's the first thing he sees
when he walks in the building.

I hate checking tail lights
and answering silly phone calls.

Can't he come in the back?

All right, I need somebody to clean
the shotguns and wash motorcycles.

I'll take the front desk, sarge.

All right. And remember,
it was your choice.

Seems to me that, uh, sitting beside
someone in a car would be limited duty.

- Right.
- They need me on the streets.

Mm-hm.

My intuition, my
keen observation.

My instinct for
things going wrong.

Mm.

Mel, the fuzz.

Oh, man, there's another
one. It's a stakeout.

Ah, stakeout, my elbow. They
wouldn't be out in plain sight.

What's the trouble, officer?

Ah, I got a loose tail light
bracket. You have a little wrench?

They don't want us.

Well, what are you going to do?

Well, sitting here
looks suspicious.

Hauling a trailer looks normal.

So I'm gonna haul a trailer.

Oh, man, I'm going
to have an ulcer.

That trailer's loaded with $80,000 worth
of nice new Japanese television sets.

- You wanna bid that sayonara?
- No.

Then get out and hook us up.

There we go.

That ought to do
it, Bar. Thanks.

Hey, Ponch and I had reservations
Sunday. Wanna take his place?

Uh, what? Where you going?

Holly Grove Skydiving Center for
freefalling. Ponch was gonna start lessons.

Thanks, but skydiving
doesn't interest me.

Hey, it feels great, Jon,
floating free through the air.

Yeah, well, let me tell
you, I've been thrown

off my horse enough
without a parachute.

- Thanks, anyway.
- See you later.

Okay.

Go, Mel. Go.

Hey, just be cool, man.

Ha! Banzai. Ha-ha!

We don't have...

that information, sir, but
we'll be glad to help you.

Um, if you hold just
a moment, please.

Thank you.

Number for the
Weather Bureau, please.

- Lieutenant Bates?
- Uh-huh.

Officer Poncherello, sir.

And the, uh, Rent-A-Crooks
have struck again.

Same MO.

They rent a tractor, drive
to a busy loading area...

and hitch up to
a loaded trailer...

and, uh, as two of you
crime-fighters can testify...

simply drive away
looking normal.

Since these trucks are
always found abandoned...

it's assumed that these Rent
A-Crooks transfer their loot.

So watch out for rented
trailers and large vans.

Let's get this pair.

Okay, as you all know, we
have a new watch commander.

It gives me pleasure to
introduce him to you at this time.

Lieutenant Harold A. Bates.

Lieutenant.

Thank you, sergeant.

Last assignment was in
public relations in Sacramento.

Let me just say that
my last assignment...

was in the public relations
office in Sacramento.

I know your opinion of PR men.

Unreal characters who
put all their emphasis

on image and none
on real police work.

Now, there is one
indisputable fact.

And to Mr. Average Citizen out
there, it's not enough to be a good cop...

you have to look
like a good cop.

Now that I've got that off my chest,
I'd just like to say that I'm honored...

to be here with such a
great bunch of people

at the highest-rated
station in the state.

However, there's always
room for improvement.

Item: coming in this morning...

I noticed that the motorcycles
were parked in a kind of letter S.

S for "sloppy."

Not that I'm gonna draw
a plumb line out there...

but I do expect a
reasonably neat row.

In fact, one motor was even
sitting there parked front-to-back.

Grossman, lieutenant. He never
knows whether he's coming or going.

Thank you, uh, officer...?

- Baricza.
- Ba...?

- Baricza.
- Baricza.

Your, uh, second shirt button
down is unfastened, Baricza.

I'm afraid I have twenty-twenty
vision. I don't miss much.

Item: your shirt, Poncherello.

I doubt that you bought it from
any of our authorized suppliers.

No, sir. This is from
Manny's Tailor Shop.

They're a few dollars more, but
Manny, uh, body-shapes them.

And I think they
look a little sharper.

Whoo-whoo.

Commendable, Poncherello.

If we all boycott our
authorized suppliers, we'll

lose our discount, which
none of us can afford.

Get some regulation shirts.

Hey, but, lieutenant...

I trust your accident
didn't impair your hearing.

Whew.

Now, a major project.

Fuel consumption.

It seems that we have
some hot dogs here

who are supporting
half the Arabs in Kuwait.

Let's, uh, face it, troops.

We're in an energy crunch, and it's up
to us to set an example for the public.

I want every officer's gas
consumption monitored from now on.

That's all I have. Carry on.

Man, did we draw a brass-nose.

Ah, cool it, Bar. Give
him some time, huh?

Well, what do you think,
sergeant? Did I get through to them?

Oh, uh... Yeah, I imagine so.

You seem to have
some reservations.

Well, uh...

Actually, I don't think Poncherello's
shirts are that much out of line.

Sarge, regulations mean what they
say or they don't mean anything at all.

All right, lieutenant.

And, uh, you don't have
to call me lieutenant.

Certainly not in private.

My name's Harold.

Oh, right. Uh, Harold.

Harold.

Ponch, you just crashed a motorcycle
and you weren't 3 feet off the ground.

How can you think of skydiving?

I'm not thinking about it for
me, I'm thinking about it for you.

You sure you weren't thinking about selling
me those lessons you bought in advance?

It's only 80 bucks.

Which you could use to pay for the shirts
you already bought that you can't wear.

Never entered my head. You'd
love it. You got me into hang-gliding.

I figured I'd get
you into skydiving.

Ah, yeah, well, uh, what if
the parachute doesn't open?

Oh, come on, Jon.

Ask Baricza. Parachute
failures are one in a million.

Hm. I'll tell you what, Poncho.
I'll put that on your tombstone.

"Here lies Ponch, uh,
one in a million." Heh.

Do me one favor, okay?
Talk to my instructor.

Find out how safe
and simple it is.

Ponch, the simple part
is, I'm just not interested.

Now, come on, let's get to work.

One thing puzzles me.

How did Lieutenant Whiz-Bang rate a
field command with no field experience?

Well, not no field experience,
Grossie. He must've had some.

He should've tried meeting us at the
briefing, instead of delivering a lecture.

Well, better late than never.

What is this? How do you think a
mob scene like this looks to the public?

Crime runs rampant while
cops hold a coffee klatch.

Jon and Grossie were
here first. It's our fault.

We're all 10-7 for lunch.

No congregation of
more than two officers.

You know the regulation.
Eat in different places.

Uh, we're done eating.
You guys go ahead and eat.

I'm surprised at you
two. You're senior officers.

Should've advised
the others to move on.

That would be pulling
rank we don't have.

And never will, if this is any
example of your judgment.

Fanaticism is the father of
persecution. Remember that.

I just can't see a lunch break
violation meriting an official reprimand.

And why include Baker and Grossman?
They were there legitimately, lieutenant.

- Harold.
- Uh, Harold.

Baker and Grossman
are senior men.

Senior men should
set good examples.

Oh, come on,
lieute... Uh, Harold.

Look, this isn't the Bounty
and you're not Captain Bligh.

Sarge, a higher authority
held Captain Bligh responsible...

for everything that
took place on his ship.

And you might recall that he
was completely exonerated...

by an admiralty court martial.

Well, you might recall that his crew
abandoned him at sea in an open boat.

You're adding gas to
Lieutenant Bates' tank?

For what reason?

The first report on
fuel conservation...

this will put Lieutenant
Whiz-Bang right at the top.

Oh, he will strut with
pride like a peacock.

However, pride goeth
before a fall, Harlan.

Wait for the payoff.

I have a feeling I
shouldn't participate.

Hey, Jon.

Grossie.

There's two unmarked trucks
with trailers. Let's have a look.

L.A. 15, Mary 3 and 5,
southbound 405 from Waterton.

We've got two unmarked
white Ford trucks, uh...

Hold it. The trucks are pulling
over on their own, 10-23.

- Get the one behind you, Ty.
- Right.

L.A. 15, Mary 3 and 5...

15 Mary 3 or Mary 5,
repeat your transmission.

All units, we have lost
reception from 15 Mary 3 and 5...

- southbound 405 from Waterton.
- Call it in.

- My radio is spaghetti. DISPATCHER:
Units responding, identify.

I think I can come up with a likeness of
the tractor driver. I got a glimpse of him.

The fact that he's black is
all you have on the suspect.

Suspects? I doubt they viewed
them as suspects, sergeant.

If they had, they would've
called for assistance

before the stop was
made. First rule in the book.

Lieutenant, stopping
was their idea, not ours.

And why did you suspect two
men who were so willing to stop?

Two tractor-trailers unmarked? Had to be a
good chance they were the Rent-A-Crooks.

Chance doesn't get it.

These things are
scrutinized in the DA's office.

The Supreme Court has forbidden
the random check of vehicles...

without probable cause.

If you had probable cause, you
should've called for assistance...

- and followed them until it caught up.
- We would have. They stopped.

See, uh, sometimes the bad
guys dictate the action out there.

And it takes two hands to stop a
motor. You can't be holding a microphone.

Then you should've ridden on
past, maintained visual contact...

and waited for some backup.

And let them abandon the
vehicle and escape on foot?

To be caught another day.

As it is, they escaped at the
cost of two $5000 motorcycles.

You consider that justifiable?

That depends on
whether you're out there to

protect motorcycles
or protect the public.

You're supposed to be on a desk.

I consider what you did
a censurable incident...

and I intend to enter it into your
permanent records one way or the other.

- One way or the other?
- If they had probable cause...

their tactics were rotten.

I don't buy the bad
guys forcing the action.

If they did not have probable
cause, they violated civil rights.

Sounds like a
Catch-22 proposition.

Butt out, Frank. Right now.

In all fairness, gentlemen...

I'm permitting you the
choice. Which way is it to be?

Whichever makes
you happy, lieutenant.

Lieutenant, in all fairness...

That's all, sergeant.

Mm.

Yes, ma'am, Department
of Motor Vehicles.

You're welcome.

Hey, Jon, look, I'm sorry, I
tried to help you out, but...

I know, Ponch. I just
came out to say thank you.

Excuse me for a second.

Look, Jon, uh...

the lieutenant is trying
too hard to do too well.

It's not uncommon.

Yeah, it's a little uncommon to have a
permanent black mark in my record book.

And you don't deserve it.

But I think I can make
him change his mind.

Foxy chick you got there, Ponch.

- Did you get her name?
- Oh, Marie?

- Yeah.
- Marie Crossetti.

It's about my skydiving lessons.

She's the instructor I wanted you to meet,
but I know skydiving doesn't interest you.

Oh, yeah, well, it never has...

but, of course, on the
other hand, I've never tried it.

Oh, you did it. You did it.
- Way to go.

- Ha-ha-ha-ha.
- Way to go, Jobina.

- That was great.
- Good girl. Ha-ha.

I learned what I
came out here for.

It looks safe and simple
just like Ponch and Bar said.

Jobina is the perfect witness.

- That was her first flat chute jump.
- Really?

I swear, it's... You're like a
different creature up there.

You're just soaring
like a feather.

Oh, yeah, that's
what Jon always says.

Skydiving is for the birds.

Uh, thanks, Bar.

I only have two
items this morning.

Item one: operation
fuel conservation.

How we doing so far,
sergeant? Just the top achievers.

For motorcycles,
uh, Artie Grossman.

Now, for cruisers, a superior
average, 26 miles per gallon...

Lieutenant Harold A. Bates.

That's a very good
start and we'll do better.

However, let's save our
ovations for real police work.

Item two: I have here an Ident-O-Kit
likeness of one of the Rent-A-Crooks.

There are copies for
all of you at the doors.

We have this ID thanks to
the excellent police work...

despite personal peril...

of Officers Baker and Grossman.

That's all I have.

Okay, pick up your sketches on
the way out and, uh, hit your beats.

What did the ovation mean?

Are you gonna cancel the
censure on, uh, Grossman and Jon?

Uh, not yet, but
these didn't hurt.

Yeah, but when he whispered
to you, he was looking at them.

No, no, at you.

He wanted to know when you're
gonna get your regulation shirts.

Adding 1 gallon is one thing, but
are you sure about taking 1 gallon out?

I mean, maybe 2
gallons might get it.

A gallon a day keeps
the average away.

Lieutenant Whiz-Bang
has had his pride.

Now cometh his fall.

L.A. 15, Mary 3. I'm 10-35
at Clover 44th filling station.

I have an ADW
suspect right here now.

Units in the vicinity
of Clover at 44th...

15 Mary 3 requests
backup at the service station.

ADW suspect there now.

Mary 3 in pursuit of white over green,
two-door sedan, 350-Boy-Adam-Robert...

eastbound Clover 44th.

Take it easy. I didn't
do anything wrong.

Lean against the car. Put
your hand on your head.

Anybody hurt?

Nope.

We're all fine.

Fool could've killed somebody.

Yes, sir, he's a real bad apple.

Remember, I'm not
involved, but here he comes.

After pride goeth,
then cometh shame.

Remember that.

Yeah.

And if you telleth who gave you
the siphon, I telleth who took the gas.

You remember that.

Well, what about tonight? Hm?

Good morning, Lieutenant Bates.

Listen, can I call you back?

Deal.

Deal... Dealer.
Authorized dealer.

I was trying to find
regulation shirts in my size, sir.

- Uh-huh.
- Mm-hm. Excuse me.

Now, you have a
defective brake light.

- You got a ticket for that, right, ma'am?
- Me?

Oh, right, uh, you're headlights
and you're brake lights.

For you, Ponch. A
nurse named Debbie.

Will you excuse me?

- Did you guys see this?
- Nice, huh?

- Oh.
- Whoa, lieutenant.

Morning.

- Good morning.
- Oh, good morning.

Oh, a note on that
ADW suspect...

- Melvin Joe Harley.
- Yeah?

Nothing to prove he's one of the
Rent-A-Crooks. He's out on bail.

The city attorney
is gonna file on him.

Well, we've got him for sure on
property damage and flight to avoid.

Right. That was a
good arrest, lieutenant.

You demoting me? I
thought I was Captain Bligh.

Heh. "Not Captain
Bligh" is what I said.

What is my nickname around here?

Uh...

Oh, come on, Joe, all watch
commanders have them.

Well, it used to be
Lieutenant Whiz-Bang. Heh.

- Mm.
- Now it's, uh, Apples.

Harold "A for Apples" Bates.

Hm.

Well, at least I
earned that one.

I didn't expect to be popular.
It doesn't go with the job.

Oh, Harold, that's not true.

Look, uh, try unwinding, huh?

Just a few turns of the screw.

Uh, by the way, where do we get
our uniforms cleaned around here?

Little fruit stain?

Heh-heh.

Reserve Officers banquet.

Yeah. Parnell's.
Couple of blocks east.

- Good morning.
- Good morning, sir.

Lieutenant, Grossman
and I came in early to

finish the reports on
the loss of our motors.

Also, there's a final on
Melvin Harley's arrest.

Yeah, put it in the inbox.

Ah. What do you know about that?

Well, for starters,
uh, it's an apple.

You're quite a sleuth.

Hey, you in the paratroops?

Reserve commission. Why?

Well, uh, a bunch of us are gonna be
skydiving this Sunday. You wanna join us?

What motivates the invitation?

What motivates it?

I let you off on the lunch break
violation, perhaps you can persuade me...

to, uh, do the same with the
censurable incident report.

I'd be naive not to wonder.

And maybe I was naive, lieutenant, to think
that a paratrooper might enjoy skydiving.

Thanks, Harlan.

If you get yourself
hurt sometime...

I'll drive you to work.

Gotta write a
mechanical violation, sir.

And the suspect,
Melvin Joe Harley...

he came up with bail and
he's got a lawyer to pay...

so he must be hard up for bread.

If he's one of the Rent-A-Crooks,
and we're sure he is...

they may be planning
another truck heist.

So watch out for them.

Okay, lieutenant.

My only item this morning will
be operation fuel conservation.

Now, how about it, sarge?

How are we doing? Just the
high and the low achievers.

See how the
mighty shall fall. Heh.

Okay, motor officers
are Grossman on top.

- Hey.
- Proud.

Jensen on the
bottom, but improving.

"Improving," that's the word.

How about patrol cars?

The high man is Barry Baricza, 22.7,
and, um, I'll check these other figures.

- Ah. Hey, there you go. All right.
- Thank you. Thank you.

Low man? No, no, no, let's
have it. We're all in this together.

Yeah, uh, it's 14.2, but, uh,
I'll take this up with you later.

Now, Joe, uh, not that there's
gonna be any firing squad...

but 14.2 is deplorable mileage.

Some hot dog in the group
is, uh, failing to cooperate.

The rest of us have a right to
know who it is. Now, out with it.

Um...

Lieutenant, it's you.

Sergeant, report to
me after the briefing.

Sergeant, your people
may think otherwise...

but I'm aware that CHP
officers are fallible human beings.

Ours is a grinding tough job.

A little fun and games help ease
the tension we all feel every day.

If it amuses them, they can
string my office with apples...

kid me about it till
the cows come home.

Playing cutesy with my
gasoline supply is another matter.

- Lieutenant, are you implying...?
- I don't imply, I say.

I just don't understand your
people's sense of humor.

Why, Harold?

Isn't it covered in the
book of regulations?

And just where do you think we'd
be without regulations, sergeant?

Nowhere.

But they look at the book the
way I do. As a guide, not a Bible.

Which puts you and the
troops on a different wavelength.

Well, since I'm the watch commander here,
suppose the troops get on my wavelength?

Look, Harold...

this is the top-rated
unit in the state.

- You said you were proud to be here.
- I am.

Well, it is not, it
has never been...

and I don't think a Spartan general
could make it be an uptight GI outfit.

I don't intend it that way.

My first priority here is
to run a smooth operation.

Look, lieutenant,
give some priority...

to getting acquainted with the
people that made it the way it is.

You keep calling them
my people. Wrong.

They're yours. Yours
to win and yours to lose.

I'm one of them.

Why am I unable to see
maturity and judgment

in a person who would
drain my gas tank?

And I hope you don't condone that, because
fuel conservation is serious business.

Your gas tank, lieutenant, is a tin
god, and they're punching holes in it.

Sergeant.

Look, I don't condone it.

And, uh, I will
find out who did it.

No, don't bother.
I'll do that myself.

Look, uh, about Poncherello...

first, can we do something
about his using the lobby...

as a social center?

And second, as I said
before, his sense of humor...

That shirt he's
wearing, is that a joke?

I don't know.

I know it doesn't fit
exactly, but it is regulation.

Well, it's awful.

Tell him to get rid of it.

That's all.

Right.

Uh, no. Wait, wait, wait.

Ever since I requested it, uh...

Grossman has been doing a
superior job of parking his motorcycle.

He's even coming in early, in fact,
to make sure that everything is right.

Um, do me a favor.

Give him this for me.

As a small award.

All right, lieutenant.

- I - don't understand this.

I'm not sure I want to either.

Hold it.

I think that's Latin.

Yeah, it is. I learned
it in high school.

It's an old proverb, Grossie.

"Beware. All the trouble in the
world began with one apple."

Why don't we just
rent one like always?

Because my picture is posted in
every rental agency in this town.

Ty, with your credit rating, you
couldn't rent a beach umbrella.

Just do like I told you.

Hey, you finished
Red's tractor, huh?

Look, I only got two hands.

Guess he couldn't
wait, come and got it.

He did, he's a jerk.

I told him there was only four
good pumps left in them brakes.

Don't worry, he knows
it, he'll be careful.

Ain't my responsibility.
I told him.

Ought to be about 30 grand
worth of sirloins in that thing.

Do your thing, baby.

You look uncomfortable.

Yeah, yeah, I suppose I am. Heh.

I'm a motor cop.

I hate to be surrounded
by scrap iron and glass.

Well, bear with me.

When I learn the
territory, I'll set you free.

In the meantime, it's a nice chance
for us to get better acquainted.

Yeah, well, you should be
driving with some car cops.

I will.

By the way, I, uh, know who
was futzing with my fuel tank.

You gonna put them on report?

No. I suppose it was a joke.

Not a very good one.

But at least they didn't abandon
me at sea in an open boat.

All units in the vicinity
of I-10 and Western...

Calcutta Packers report a reefer
trailer stolen within the last 10 minutes.

Tractor used was a white Ford.

Trailer taken is white with
no distinguishing markings.

Turn around.

Last seen southbound
on Western...

north of I-10.

Suspects driving the tractor
described as a salt-and-pepper team.

Sounds like our
Rent-A-Crooks. Let's go, Grossie.

Hey, that's a feeder ramp, Mel.

They're coming after us.

Yeah, I guess we're gonna have to
have hamburgers for dinner again after all.

Get them. I'll handle this.

Harold, that was not the time
for a nice regulation U-turn.

That was the time to
slam into a bootlegger 180.

Abuse of state equipment is
a cardinal violation, sergeant.

We got no brakes.

Pushing 80, Harold.

Endangering life and property.

Decision time.

Uh, tell Baker to break it off.

Alert all units up ahead to
stay in contact with the suspect.

L.A. 15 S-4...

- back off. Don't force it.
- No brakes!

Do you copy, Mary 3?

S-4 15, Mary 3,
he has no brakes.

Any bright ideas?

Get up beside him when you can.

There's a fork in the road up
ahead that leads to an uphill grade.

Follow us!

- Put it in gear. Put it in gear!
- I can't. I can't get it in gear!

- Put it in gear!
- Hey, put it in gear!

Hey, lieutenant.

Come on, let's go.

Abuse of state equipment is
a cardinal violation, lieutenant.

If regulations get in the way of real
police work, sarge, something's gotta give.

You, uh, didn't see me
hit any apples, did you?

Harlan!

Put that siphon away. No
more of that, for Pete's sake.

- You trying to get me fired or what?
- I didn't bringeth it for you.

I bringeth it for him.

Grossman, I figure you owe
me 11 gallons. Is that fair?

Eleven? But my tank
doesn't hold that much.

No problem.

Your credit's good.