Right off the bat, I'm not normally a big fan of the "con" episodes, mainly because Rockford isn't really Rockford, but this one was an exception, even though I doubt this elaborate "con" could actually be pulled off, but if anyone could, it would probably be Rockford. There are some familiar faces, including a deep-voiced Linda Evans, John Crawford(The Enforcer), Pat Finley, Paul Jenkins, and a young Gerald McRaney; as another reviewer mentioned, this is Finley's first appearance as Dennis Becker's wife. There is some very cool scenery on very sunny days, such as indoor/outdoor trailer shots, the beach, Rockford driving the Firebird, and some nice shots of a fancy condo. Since I'm a fan of golf(as was James Garner), it was nice seeing Dennis carry a golf bag, as he and Jim were probably going to hit the links shortly; that is, until Dennis realizes he's been duped, and then hires old pal Jimbo to help recover a huge down payment. Dennis says a funny line about Lloyd(Jenkins)to Jim that "he can make a zebra lose its' stripes" after finding out that he's been had; he also enlists Jim because he's the only guy that can "one-up" someone like the clever Lloyd. Let me also mention some cool scenes with both Rocky and Angel, who help Rockford pull off the scheme. I do have to wonder why the cops didn't get involved when the condo dwellers complained about the noise? Anyway, this is a fine episode just as the show was gaining steam.
Review of The Farnsworth Stratagem
