"NIGHT TRAIN" Tunnels and Aggressive Females October 30, 1996

by
Gordon Hom

The stash of Rotunda episodes shot last season continues with "Night Train." Even though we don't see the Rotunda headquarters in this episode, the presence of Lt. Shimamura and other clues (such as the opening credits and old production crew credits) indicate a Rotunda episode. The BART system is featured prominently in "Night Train" with a lot of inside jabs at the rapid transit system such as the high price of a ride on the BART. The high price of a ride is actually one of the reasons the unstable leader of pack of thugs decides to rob the passengers.

Aside from the BART trains, another prominent feature which sticks out about "Night Train" is the presence of young, aggressive females. The first bold female is Eve, who obviously has the hots for Nash as she plays kissy face with Nash through their late night celebration. Eve invites Nash to her apartment for a night cap; and after she is wounded, she shares a passionate kiss with the irresistible Nash. Secondly, there is Carrie, the unstable leader of the robbers who makes all the decisions and orders Nash about. Noticing the attraction between Eve and Nash, she forces them to kiss at gunpoint. But Nash defiantly kisses Carrie instead, leaving her breathless and giddy as she comments "He's not bad." to her jealous lover standing nearby.

If you think that the presence of aggressive females is still by accident, consider the transit employee Evan meets when Evan needs a way to reach the moving train. Destin is a motorcycle mama with a hot bike in bold red. Destin gets Evan to the train to rescue Nash and company. These three females - Eve, Carrie, and Destin - are all potential challenges/conquests to the irresistible Nash.

The related backstory is the sudden illness of Nash's daughter Cassidy - the only female not conquerable by the irresistible Nash. We noted before in previous episode commentaries that Nash Bridges is a super male libido in hyperdrive similar to sexual potency of a James Bond fantasy figure. Nash has previously bedded even the shrewish Lisa, his first ex-wife who hated Nash until his conquest of her after their divorce. The theme to "Night Train" relates to the imagery of the BART tunnel and the female sexual organs. The overpowering presence of females in this episode ties in the use of tunnels versus the power of the phallus as represented by Nash in the form of his powerful kiss which leaves females breathless and panting. The specialness of Nash's kiss is highlighted when he kisses Carrie, and especially when Nash kisses Eve in the hospital when Eve provocatively says "How about a good-bye kiss or do you only do that at gunpoint?"

If all this is too Freudian for you, consider that tunnel imagery and its link to the female and feminine power has been used consistently throughout films and television. Films as innocent as RETURN OF THE JEDI with Princess Leia about to fall into a sink hole or Kim Darby falling into a snake pit in the Western TRUE GRIT all relate to the physicality of the female cavity/organ. But let's not get too serious with this light episode of NASH BRIDGES - the most aggressive of the females gets taken down when Joe takes a leak outside the train, giving Evan a chance to him Joe a gun. We get an appropriately darkened shot of Joe's pecker as he shoots out a huge stream of urine - this is, after all, network television.

For more, see synopsis for Episode 15

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