THIS POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS:
The first time I ever saw the Incredible Hulk was an episode called Never Give a Trucker an Even Break. The second time I saw the Hulk on TV was actually the second episode. Although I never saw this on it's original broadcast, Death in the Family was rebroadcast on CBS the night I first saw it and as an extra bonus, it was two hours long.
This movie served two purposes. It served as a direct follow up to the pilot movie and then would set up the upcoming series. The intro was an extended version of the one used in the upcoming series. Once again, the late great Bill Bixby delivers another interstellar performance as Dr. David Banner, now a man on the run. While he himself is not wanted because the world thinks he died in the lab explosion in the pilot, the Hulk is wanted by the authorities under the great assumption that he killed David Banner.
David befriends a crippled girl named Julie Griffith, only to learn later that she is a wealthy heiress and that her passing out and worsening condition are the result of her greedy, wicked stepmother Margaret teaming with Julie's Dr. John Bonifant in a slow moving plan to poison her to death after she survived an explosion that killed her father so they can get their hands on the Griffith family fortune. David's four Hulkouts are masterpieces. My favorite is probably the one in the bedroom where Julie witnesses the change.
Death in the Family has some noteworthy guests. Gerald McRaney makes the first of his three guest appearances as the jealous ranch foreman Denny Kayle, Willaim Daniels is Dr. Bonifant, and Mills Watson of Sheriff Lobo is the county sheriff. John McLiam is great as the old hermit Michael, the man who saved Julie's life. I always wondered whatever happened to Laurie Prange, who was great at playing handicapped roles like Julie Griffith and later Katie Maxwell in Promemtheus. And Dorothy Tristan made an attractive, but evil wicked stepmother in this movie. I also enjoyed Jack Colvin's appearance as Jack McGee, even though he had no run in with the Hulk in this movie.
The location of the Griffith estate reminded me of the soap opera Falcon Crest for some reason. When I watched Falcon Crest in my high school years, this two hour Hulk episode came back into my mind.
Seeing the Hulk fight a bear, plus Julie rediscovering how to use her legs make this episode worth seeing. I'm also glad this episode was released in its original movie format on the Ultimate Collection DVD box set. I personally hope and pray that Universal will consider season box set releases in the near future. If any series deserves season releases, it's the Incredible Hulk.
The first time I ever saw the Incredible Hulk was an episode called Never Give a Trucker an Even Break. The second time I saw the Hulk on TV was actually the second episode. Although I never saw this on it's original broadcast, Death in the Family was rebroadcast on CBS the night I first saw it and as an extra bonus, it was two hours long.
This movie served two purposes. It served as a direct follow up to the pilot movie and then would set up the upcoming series. The intro was an extended version of the one used in the upcoming series. Once again, the late great Bill Bixby delivers another interstellar performance as Dr. David Banner, now a man on the run. While he himself is not wanted because the world thinks he died in the lab explosion in the pilot, the Hulk is wanted by the authorities under the great assumption that he killed David Banner.
David befriends a crippled girl named Julie Griffith, only to learn later that she is a wealthy heiress and that her passing out and worsening condition are the result of her greedy, wicked stepmother Margaret teaming with Julie's Dr. John Bonifant in a slow moving plan to poison her to death after she survived an explosion that killed her father so they can get their hands on the Griffith family fortune. David's four Hulkouts are masterpieces. My favorite is probably the one in the bedroom where Julie witnesses the change.
Death in the Family has some noteworthy guests. Gerald McRaney makes the first of his three guest appearances as the jealous ranch foreman Denny Kayle, Willaim Daniels is Dr. Bonifant, and Mills Watson of Sheriff Lobo is the county sheriff. John McLiam is great as the old hermit Michael, the man who saved Julie's life. I always wondered whatever happened to Laurie Prange, who was great at playing handicapped roles like Julie Griffith and later Katie Maxwell in Promemtheus. And Dorothy Tristan made an attractive, but evil wicked stepmother in this movie. I also enjoyed Jack Colvin's appearance as Jack McGee, even though he had no run in with the Hulk in this movie.
The location of the Griffith estate reminded me of the soap opera Falcon Crest for some reason. When I watched Falcon Crest in my high school years, this two hour Hulk episode came back into my mind.
Seeing the Hulk fight a bear, plus Julie rediscovering how to use her legs make this episode worth seeing. I'm also glad this episode was released in its original movie format on the Ultimate Collection DVD box set. I personally hope and pray that Universal will consider season box set releases in the near future. If any series deserves season releases, it's the Incredible Hulk.