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| Storyline: Mick and Joey go on
vacation, thinking they are staying on a resort property owned by
Gordon, that turns out to be a dump with a marijuana crop. Rick Springfield's brother, Michael Springthorpe guest stars. Guest Stars: Judy Mcintosh (Donna Sanger), Michael Springthorpe, Timothy Lee, Erik Thomson (Wilcox) Note: Erik Thomson also guests on the Stalked episode. |
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| Guess where this episode starts out?
Ahh... that line is getting old. We're not on the beach though, we see Mick (?) surfing. I question this, as I recall Rick saying in interviews he didn't surf, and was actually afraid to go in the ocean. Next we see Joey on a board as well. The scene then changes to them walking out of the water. Darn, it's a long shot... no wet Rick up close. Oh well. Mick's voice over cites an "ancient surfers proverb" *Beware Gordon's bearing gifts* Joey went to collect some cash from Gordon that he owed the two, but came back with a "deal". Next we see Mick & Joey on a boat, Joey is exclaiming this will be 5 times worth what Gordon owed them. Mick asks if the place is so hot, why did everyone get off in Catalina? The ship's captain tells them, "Welcome to Cabriole" (not sure on that spelling). Joey is reading the brochure as they disembark, quoting the white sandy beaches with the state of the art facilities. While Joey is reading, Mick is watching men on motorbikes wreak havoc on the bystanders about. The boat leaves, and we see that Mick & Joey are now standing in front of a "dive" called The Sand Bar. Mick hits Joey and says, "You did it again!" They go into the bar. The bartender welcomes them to the "Cambria" resort (already the name has changed from Cabri -o to Cabri -a. whatever) . Joey shows him the brochure and asks where the pool, hot tubs & sauna are. The bartender explains there's a hole dug out back, it tends to fill up when it rains. They realize there is no resort. Mick asks when the next ferry back to the mainland is. The bartender says, "Two o'clock. Monday." The boys groan. Rick's bro walks up to them (since this character has no name for the first 45 mins, the reviewer will just refer to him as Rick's bro) and tells them the waves are on the other side of the island, which is where they should be. Mick & Joey then ask the bartender how to get to Gordon's lot. The bartender tells them it will cost $100. Mick exclaims, "For directions?" The bartender explains it's for the motorbike rental - it's too long of a walk and the terrain on the island is rough. The next scene is of Mick & Joey on the motorbikes. (The $100 rental fee must've included clothes, as I don't believe surfers normally wear Motorcross shirts) They ride up to Gordon's property....and discover a crop of Marijuana. Mick tells Joey they have to report it to the police. Joey tries to talk him out of it, but Mick insists they call Gordon. Mick leaves Joey with the crop and tells him to "take inventory" and count how many plants are there. He gets back on the motorbike, and we see Rick's bro watching them through binoculars in the distance. Mick goes back to the bar and calls Gordon. Explains there is no resort, the island is a dump. Gordon admits he has never been there. Mick tells him he has nothing but a great garden on his property - it's full of Paca-lo-lo. Gordon puts his hand over the phone and asks Fritz what Paca-lo-lo is, she tells him it's Marijuana. Gordon then asks Mick how much. Mick says, "One brush fire and Santa Monica would have a contact high." The scene switches back to Joey, two men have come to work on the crop. Joey runs and is chased. He is caught, and they pull guns on him. After Mick hangs up the phone, Rick's bro comes over and calls him surfer trash. Mick then looks out the window and sees Joey going by in the back of a truck, tied up. Mick hops on the motorbike and follows. He manages to cut the truck off, the men get out and pull guns on Mick. Mick kicks the gun out of the hand of man closest to him, and finds out the guy is the county sheriff. They explain they've been undercover trying to bust the men cultivating the crop. Mick admits he's a former cop. They explain to Mick they don't care, they caught Joey there, and he is going down. Gordon figures out how he acquired the property, and calls Donna Sanger the real estate agent he bought it from. After their brief conversation, she calls the bartender. At the same time, Mick is calling Gordon to tell him what happened to Joey. Donna tells the bartender she is on her way. Mick picks up Joey (from the jail I assume - it just looks like a house) and the cops state they must have powerful friends. Mick tells them it just pays to be nice to people, something they should learn. Joey spills that Gordon owns the property and he is former CIA. (reviewer: He is? ) |
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Mick & Joey are going to ask the locals for help in busting the real people behind the pot. They ride up on the motorbikes to Rick's bro and his gang. Rick's bro explains if they want to join their "group" they must prove themselves. They want Joey to jump two vans and a car. Mick and Joey argue about Joey doing this. I have no idea what was said, as I was too busy watching the wind blow through Mick/Rick's hair. :-) Joey makes the jump. (of course!) The girl in the group exclaims that no one has ever jumped 3 before. Rick's bro explains they were testing them to see if they were Narcs. Fritz tells Gordon that Donna Sanger was arrested in Florida for real estate fraud before coming to California. Back at the bar, Mick & Joey are now playing pool with the locals. They are discussing making a "transaction." Mick and Joey find the two cops from earlier. They are now dressed like surfers. After some teasing from Joey, the cops agree to let Mick & Joey handle a deal with the locals. They wire up Mick & Joey (and show only Joey's bare chest....what's up with that?!?!?). Mick & Joey go to meet with Rick's bro. He asks to see "the goods". Mick says, "You show me yours and I'll show you mine." (where have I heard that before?) Rick's bro pulls out cash. Mick groans, "There's been a misunderstanding." The cops show up with guns out. Rick's bro and the locals pull guns. Turns out Rick's bro (who has a name now!) is Wilcox, with the DEA. They've been on the island for 6 months trying to bust the drug ring. Wilcox yells at Mick, "Then you come and screw it all up!" Suddenly they see smoke in the sky. Gordon's property is on fire. Joey says, "It looks like the whole case is up in smoke." Mick calls Gordon, and Gordon tells him Donna is behind everything. While Mick is on the phone with Gordon, she walks by. Mick hangs up and Joey says, "Do you think she's my type?" Mick says, "No, but I think she's ours." Joey yells, "I like the way you think bro!" Mick stops her, and starts accusing her of knowing what was happening on the island. She feigns stupidity. As she is talking to Mick, he sees two men loading up the ferry. Mick asks Joey if it is Monday yet. They start to run after the bartender, who is getting on the boat. Mick fights a man on the dock, while Joey lassoes the boat and gets pulled into the water. Mick takes care of his guy - and jumps (slow motion - his cheeks are puffed out, hands in the air...not a flattering pose) into the boat as the bartender is trying to run Joey over in the water. Mick saves the day once again. The last minute and a half after the commercial must've just been needed space filler. Mick is chastising Joey for nearly drowning; Joey is telling him he knew his big brother would save him. Two women (in bikinis naturally) walk up to Mick & Joey and ask Joey if he was the guy they saw in the boat. They say that he was awfully brave. Mick says he was reckless. One says, "Really? Well, we didn't see you in the water. You probably can't even swim." Joey laughs. They walk away - stating they'll be on the beach. Mick is sputtering that he taught Joey how to swim. Mick takes Joey aside and tells him big brothers are good for other things besides saving their little brothers' butts. Teaching humility, which is such a hard lesson to learn - especially dry. Mick then throws Joey in the water. Considering there wasn't much action on the beach this time - and that Rick was under a motorbike helmet for most of the episode - I give this one 2 1/2 waves. It gets an extra wave for including Rick's real-life brother. :-) - Michelle P. |
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| This is only the second show I have watched of the series. However, judging by the two, the story lines are interesting and keep you waiting for more. The most notable aspect that I have found is that just when you think you have the show 'figured out', you really don't. For example, when Mick and Joey try to set up this Wilcox guy (who is Rick's real-life brother) they discover that, although they believed he was the one they were after, he was actually a federal agent. Interesting twist! I like that. Where in the world did Rick's brother come from to end up on this show? I mean, I knew he had a brother, but never heard anything about him. Plus, I don't see any resemblance in them at all. I give Cash Crop 3 waves. Good show, great humor, and nice storyline. - Amy L |
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| Cash Crop was the very first episode of High Tide that I saw. But it wasn't until 12 years after it aired that I saw it. Hey, with Rick Springfield on TV, it's never too late. At the time High Tide aired, we didn't have cable or satellite. We had all of 2 wonderful channels. LOL! Boy how times have changed since then! So I missed the whole thing! I really think Rick should do another TV project like this in the future. (well…if it cuts into his tour schedule, then I guess not!) Flashing back to how I felt when I first started watching High Tide---A 3-year TV series of Rick Springfield?! I would call that a real treat for any die-hard Rick fan. Rick Springfield can act! The man really IS an amazing actor. He is funny, charming, and believable as the character of Mick Barrett---Ex-cop and big brother to Joey. When I watch Rick as Mick…he really does become Mick Barrett. I am able to fall into his role and believe that he is Mick. Of course, there are the occasional little things that make me think of Rick…but overall, he becomes Mick. It didn't take long for me to develop an `attachment' for his younger brother Joey either! These two guys make a cool team for this show. I can only imagine how much fun they had making this series. In fact, it would've been awesome to be standing nearby watching the filming for this show! This is an interesting episode, as Rick's real life brother Michael plays in it. (AND we get to see many scenes of Mick dashing around on a dirt bike!) Gordon has sent the men off on another `mission' of sorts to a so-called resort area & island called Cabrielle (not sure about that one!) Unfortunately for the guys, it's not the beautiful 'paradise' that Gordon made it out to be. In the first scene they are questioning the bartender about the `resort.' "This is it" he tells them. Out of the shadows in this seedy little bar steps a man (Rick's brother) telling them they should be on the other side of the island. The terrain is rough they are told, so the guys get dirt bikes (and instructions on how to find Gordon's `house') and make their way across the island. MERCY…Mick looks quite nice in `biker attire'---nicely fitted pants, cool shirt, boots. But to their surprise, they run across a crop of marijuana! They plan to call and inform Gordon, but Joey has left his phone back at the bar. Mick leaves Joey with the pot plants so he can go get the phone. He says it's called, "cooperating with the authorities." On the phone, Gordon is clueless about the lack of a resort. Mick tells him about the `cash crop.' Gordon wants to feign innocence and not call the police, but Fritz helps Mick on this one. She tells Gordon it might be a good plan to report it. Meanwhile, there are some men with guns who come in to check on their crop. They see Joey messing around up there and they chase him through the woods until they finally capture him. Mick is about to leave the bar and notices Joey going by, tied up on the back of a pickup truck. He hops his bike and chases after them. The men finally stop along the shoreline and jump out with their big bad guns. But Mick does a few kicks and he seizes the gun from one of them. When he checks the man's wallet, he finds that they are cops. Funny…the cops think that Mick and Joey are part of the marijuana operation. The men argue back and forth until they finally tell Mick they are letting him go…but Joey is `going down.' One of my favorite funny scenes from this one is when Mick goes to get Joey from the men (because he has connections through Gordon!) and Joey starts spouting off all kinds of info that he really shouldn't have mentioned. Mick's reaction to it is what cracks me up. He is trying to stop him from saying too much, but Joey is on a roll. Gordon's name comes into it and Joey tells the men that Gordon owns the land up there. Mick---"JOEY!" The man says to Joey, "You shouldn't be hanging around with drug dealers." Joey says in a bragging tone, "Gordon's not a drug dealer! He used to work for the CIA." Mick lets out an "Ahhh" type breath and drops his head down in disbelief and frustration. Joey and his big mouth! Now Mick has to figure out a way to clear Gordon's name. The men think Gordon is a criminal and they plan to `bring him down' as well. So Mick decides they should `cozy up to some unsavory characters' (the men who they suspect are the growers). They get into a motorcycle challenge with the men. The leader of this group is Rick's brother. (I never did catch his character name). Joey has to pull an "Evil Kenevil" (how DO you spell that?!) and jump a line of cars in front of the gang (to prove he is 'cool'). Mick watches on, fearing Joey won't make it, but he does. I liked the slow-mo action the used here. The `gang' lets them in with them. They all end up back at the bar shooting a game of pool, and the guys appear to be trying to do a drug deal with Mick and Joey. The brothers play along. |
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| Mick and Joey report to the cops they met earlier. They tell them they think they have the marijuana growers. Pretty funny when the men ask the two why would they want to help them with this bust and Joey says, "Because your such awesome righteous dudes. Besides, I like the way you hog tied me." LOL Mick tells them that they have made their way in with these biker guys and the thugs are ready to make a deal. He asks them to wire them up to meet the men for the deal. So the cops set them up to `go in' and give them what is supposed to be a bag of money, but instead it's packed with newspaper! They all meet up out in the woods and as it turns out, the whole thing was a huge mistake. "Michael" pulls out $50,000 to do the deal. The guys are confused for a second. The men are actually trying to buy from THEM. The so called biker, drug-dealing thugs are not criminals at all…but undercover DEA agents who have been trying for some time to bust the marijuana growers. I like Joey's line, "Who you calling low life…low life?!" (I'm guessing this is the only film that Michael and Rick have played in together? Very cool seeing them on screen together.) Both groups of men are very upset with the surfer boys for messing up their drug busts! Suddenly there is smoke coming off of Gordon's property. Mick says that it's bound to be the growers burning the evidence. Later the guys go to a phone booth down on the dock and call Gordon. This was a cute scene. Mick tells him that the growers slipped through the fingers of the FEDS and are long gone by now. Gordon tells Mick that he knows who is behind it---Donna Sanger, a real estate broker that he used to date. She had done some shady business in the past and so Gordon figures she knows about this crop. As Gordon is describing Donna to Mick, a woman in a business suit with a briefcase walks across the dock. Mick hangs up and chases her down, learning that she is in fact Donna Sanger. (Is it Singer or Sanger? I'm not sure.) I thought it was funny how the guys question her and hint around at the crop. Donna has no idea what they are talking about. The finally accuse her of growing pot. She is stunned. But then Mick happens to look over by the dock as they go back and forth with Donna and he sees some men loading up a boat with good sized black bags. The guys apologize to Donna and take off after the men in the boat. A struggle begins & Mick's taking down a guy on the dock, looking great as always…even when he's fighting! Wow, Joey must have had rodeo experience! Was that a smooth move or what? He throws a lasso towards the speedboat that some of the men are getting away in and I'll be darned if it didn't loop right around the boat motor. Yeah! Good shot there Joey! LOL He is yanked from the dock holding onto the rope. Mick sees Joey being pulled behind the boat, but Joey turns loose. So the boatmen turn the boat around, laughing because they ditched Joey & they try to run him over. Joey dives under water to safety. As they circle near the dock Mick surprises them, jumping into the boat and tackling them down. Whooo Mick! {And I have to add something here. It was funny when I noticed the bad guy's shirt. I have that same concert T-shirt hanging in my closet. Except that his is a tank top, mine is not. It says "Guns & Roses Use Your Illusion!" LOL Too weird. But I guess not, seeing as how this was filmed shortly after that CD came out. It was just bizarre seeing that man in *my* shirt!} Mick takes over the wheel and goes out to get Joey. My, my…Mick looks nice with his hair blowing in the wind. *sigh* Joey climbs aboard and tells Mick, "I guess that rope idea wasn't such a good idea, huh?" Mick, "What can I say?" Joey says, "Don't say it!" Mick tells him…"It takes a dope to catch the dope." What a beautiful smile from Mick! The ending scene---the guys are walking back on the dock and Joey is bragging on how he saved the day and that if things got "narly" he knew Mick would save his butt. LOL Joey tells him that's what big brothers are for. Some women walk up and start flirting with Joey about how brave he was out there. Joey is eating it up of course. Mick says, "Actually, he's awfully reckless." The girl says, "Well, we didn't see YOU in the water. Probably can't even swim." The girl tells Joey she'll be on the beach. Mick gets worked up. He tells Joey, "I taught YOU how to swim!" Joey rubs it in on Mick a bit---"I guess they know what a real hero looks like." Mick wraps his arm around Joey and says, "Big brothers are for other things too besides saving little brother's butts. Teaching humility. It's a hard lesson to learn." He rubs Joey's arm as if to prepare him for what's about to happen. Joey argues, "Oh no…not now." Mick, "Especially when your dry." Joey worries, "I'm supposed to meet them on the beach." Mick gets the cutest expression on his face and says, "Hey, think how heroic you'll look swimming to the beach," and he pushes him off the dock! This was a pretty good episode. I give it a good review 1) because I liked seeing Rick's brother in a show with him…2) because I love seeing Rick doing the dirt bike `thing'…and 3) because it was a change of pace from the `usual' storylines. - Kelley Pearson |
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