"RAMPAGE" Thank Heaven for Little Girls February 21, 1997

by
Gordon Hom

This episode is about little girls, specifically rebellious daughters and overprotective fathers. In "Rampage", a cop's daughter has gone on a crime spree with the boyfriend from Hell. Lorraine and James become a bandit couple, with vague plans to run to Mexico. This sub-genre is a familiar one to crime fans, á la films such as BONNIE AND CLYDE (1968) and THE GETAWAY (1972). In such stories, a desperate couple rob and kill as they move cross-country in a car. This theme fits neatly into the NASH BRIDGES framework as a parallel story to Nash's own predicament with his daughter Cassidy. Vice cop Phil Robbins' daughter has taken a destructive turn, but Nash's daughter takes a constructive twist with Cassidy posing nude in a safe sex poster. To keep the focus on little girls, the key to the whereabouts of Lorraine are revealed by her little sister Amanda.

The expected outcome to "Rampage" doesn't materialize - that is, the overprotective father exceeds the boundaries of the law and blows away the lowlife that has de-virginized his daughter. What does exceed the bounds of police propriety is that Nash allows Phil access to the capture of James, resulting in the shoot-out and death of James. But the fathers (Phil and Nash) in NASH BRIDGES are kept in the reasonable range, and don't go ape at the loss of their daughters' virginity. We get to see a moment of sensitivity as Phil wimpers as he must arrest his own daughter and inform Lorraine that she is about to be charged with some very serious crimes. Nash forgives and even praises his daughter for posing in the nude. Sweet Cassidy remains a virgin so Nash doesn't have to pull out his gun. "Rampage" ends on a shot of Cassidy looking innocent and virginal in her white bathrobe. Oh, but the thought of Cassidy having condoms in her bedroom...

NASH BRIDGES continues to explore the father/daughter relationship, specifically the notion of Don Johnson as father figure. Don has joked in interviews about his daughter (still very young) growing up and dating, and how he'd show potential suitors his gun cabinet. It's the ultimate payback for a star so appealing to women. "Rampage" tests the limits, as does last week's episode "Gun Play", when Cassidy gets shot and wounded. In NASH BRIDGES, the father/daughter relationship hinges upon the daughter's coming of age and discovering sex, much to the consternation of a profoundly sexual and attractive father.

For more, see synopsis for Episode 27

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