"BLOW OUT" Flashback! November 25, 2000

by
Gordon Hom

This is a wonderfully convoluted episode with a giant flashback within four smaller flashbacks. NASH BRIDGES has used this narrative device before, but in "Blow Out" it is quite effective. Right from the get go, Nash and Joe are in the middle of a deliciously fiendish situation: they are handcuffed to a pipe, left for dead, with seemingly no way out. Most of the episode exists as flashback, right up to the point when we return back to their situation near the end, being stuck in a building about to blow up.

All that happens in flashback is labeled "Yesterday." Within this flashback, there are four flashbacks which fill in the story. These include:

1. When Nash and Joe first meet Eldon (from Episode #56, "Imposters", Season 4), it is a characteristically violent confrontation with the hitman;
2. Even when Eldon is in custody at the SIU, he can barely be contained, always bound to a chair (selected bits from Episode #93, "Hit & Run", Season 5);
3. When Rick steals the pension fund money (in Episode #84, "Curveball", Season 5);
4. And when we first learn of Rick's sexual addiction problem and his meeting with Juliet at a group therapy session (in Episode #50, "Lady Killer", Season 3).

The entire flashback is done in pseudo-documentary subtitling a la the series JAG. But they're a lot funnier than JAG, with instead of information about time and location, personality traits are given, such as "Eldon Sistrunk, Personality Profile: Angry" or on Rick Bettina, "Lowest Grade Ever on Police Exam." And Rick running around in a red plaid dress is just plain funny.

And then back to the Present, where Nash does one of those barely believable escapes, or not-so-escape this time. Nash kicks out the pipe support, giving him enough room to pick up a shovel, shovel up his cell phone and gun, and thus shoot off their handcuffs. But, realistically (?) time runs out! But they miraculously survive a building imploding on top of them!!! Ahh, that's NASH BRIDGES for ya, a la LETHAL WEAPON - was it sequel No.2 or No.3 where they blew up a building?

For more, see synopsis for Episode 108

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