Tread Perilously

Tread Perilously's backdoor pilot month continues with a visit to Stars Hollow and Venice, CA in the Gilmore Girls episode known as "Here Comes The Son." While Rory tries to tackle her final weeks in high school, Lorelei faces the reality that she may not be able to pay for Yale. Will she give in and ask her parents after finally paying them back for Rory's high school tuition? Meanwhile, Jess makes his way to Venice, CA to meet with his father. But once there, he's introduced to his dad's new girlfriend and a number of other local color characters. Is the beginning of a Gilmore Guys show? Erik and Justin are surprised to see a backdoor pilot for a Gilmore Girls spinoff is still about Rory and Lorelei. Erik has a theory as to why. The Sugarbaker Woman Scale makes another appearance. Justin thinks he understands why people enjoy Gilmore Girls. He also names the two good Orange County bands from the 1990s. Erik works out why the repetition humor doesn't work for him. The pair also determine they do not actually

Tread Perilously's month of backdoor pilots turns the spotlight on, arguably, the most successful backdoor pilot ever made: an episode of Diff'rent Strokes called "The Girls School." When the dorm mother at Eastlake quits over an argument with the headmaster, Mrs. Garrett volunteers to help Kimberly make costumes for the upcoming play. Once at the school, Mrs. Garrett meets some of Kimberly's classmates who live at the dorm, including Blair Warner, Dorothy "Tootie" Ramsey, Nancy Olson, and Molly Parker. If this sounds like an episode of The Facts of Life, that's because it is. The first episode, to be precise, even if it's not quite right. Paul Pakler joins Erik and Justin for another Facts of Life discussion. The trio marvel at the choice to spin Mrs. Garrett off after just 20 episodes of Diff'rent Strokes. Justin and Paul also break down just how uncomfortable the premise of Diff'rent Strokes really is ... and that's before Erik reiterates that they will never talk about that one two-parter. The off-screen

Beginning a month of backdoor pilots, Tread Perilously finally watches an episode of "CHiPs" -- but it's really a pilot for another show called "Force Seven". When John and Ponch pull over a seemingly drunk scientist, his confidential papers suggest he may be involved with a recently stolen missile system. Enter Force Seven: a tactical unit pilot program within the LAPD to create a squad of ninjas. Yes, really. Their leader inducts a new member just as the Chief of Police puts them on the missile case. Will the new recruit's bad boy ways prove to be an asset or will his fighting technique prove to be poor? Erik is delighted to see Hunter's Fred Dryer leading a potential series. Nevertheless, the ninja aspect proves troublesome. Justin is thrilled to see "the genre of the '80s" on display. The pair also dive into the problems of Force Seven's "comic relief" puppet and its place on the hate crime spectrum. References to Samurai Cop, Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, and Gymkata abound. The full seven forces

Tread Perilously's annual horror month wraps up with this year's episode of Supernatural: "The Benders." When Sam and Dean look into a rash of disappearances in a small Minnesota town, Dean begins to suspect there is nothing supernatural about the case. Sam, meanwhile, disappears. Soon, Dean must team up with a local sheriff's deputy to find Sam and figure out the true nature of the abductions. Is it just people? And will Dean's female partner for the week survive the experience unscathed? Also: will Tread Perilously ever watch an episode about Castiel? Erik and Justin face another season 1 episode of Supernatural. They also announce correct opinions about donuts in Southern California. Erik renames the episode "The Vancouver 'Most Dangerous Game' Massacre." An actor gets dubbed "Canadian Frank Grillo" and becomes surprisingly important. Dean's reference to a Godzilla remake leads to a discussion about "realistic" genre pictures and Tony Scott. Erik learns about new cryptids and urban legends. J.J. Abrams is

Tread Perilously's month of slasher TV leads to Bates Motel for an episode called "Underwater." After dealing with dope-smoking young people staying at the motel, Norma is ready to pull up stakes and move to Hawaii. Norman, meanwhile, is getting positive reinforcement at school and is not happy about the possibility of starting life over again. Meanwhile, Dylan agrees to help Bradley recover some of her father's belongings from his office. Emma enjoys a cupcake (not a euphemism). And, elsewhere, a largely unseen Ben Abernathy menaces Norma from afar. But did he send her the roses that really set her off? Erik lays into Russell T. Davies for seemingly no reason. Carlton Cuse also gets examined. Both note his shows tend to disappear into the ether. Justin reveals Bates Motel was his first exposure to Olivia Cooke. The rest of the cast, which includes Vera Farmiga and Freddie Highmore, also get high marks. Erik appreciates the way the episode deploys Jere Burns while Justin enjoys the presence of Nestor Carbonel

Tread Perilously's horror month continues with a look at the anthology series The Hitchhiker via its slasher-esque episode called "The Killer." Despite Meg's protests, her family plans to leave her behind while going on a vacation. Well, her brother, Jonathan, may also be staying to do some shooting. But when most of the clan is killed via shotgun blasts, Meg must fend for herself as the killer is somewhere in the palatial home. Is Jonathan behind the deaths? And can Meg use her wheelchair to devise clever ways to avoid him? Erik discovers The Hitchhiker is not a ripoff of The Hitcher. Justin finds room to champion Mute Witness. Guest star Jenny Seagrove's CableACE Award win for the episode leads to a discussion of cable TV quality in the 1980s. Erik reveals where Justin has seen fellow guest star Lisa Foster before. The pair also discuss the qualities of a good twist. They even invent "The Beach That Makes You Old" Scale. Justin defends Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Hot Dog ... The Movie suddenly becomes impor

Tread Perilously's tour of slashers on television continues with an episode The Alfred Hitchcock Hour called "An Unlocked Window." When a slasher targets nurses in an unidentified town, Stella and Betty find themselves tending to a sick professor at his remote home in the countryside. Also helping out are a groundskeeper, Sam, and there's Maude, the housekeeper. But when Betty discovers the oxygen tank is low, Sam leaves for the city and the three women are terrorized by the news that the killer is within two miles of the house. Did forgetful Stella lock all the windows and all the doors? Is the killer already inside? Erik and Justin discuss Hitchcock as a problematic fave. Erik is shocked to learn the story is not inspired by Richard Speck. The pair also inspect the reliance on twists in thrillers. They also rank the Predator movies. Justin admits he watched Halloween Kills more than once. More DCU casting wishes occur. The longer runtime of 1960s television proves to be a problem once again. Justin's knowle

Tread Perilously's annual horror month for 2025 centers on slashers, starting with an episode of Psych called "Tuesday the 17th." When Jason, who used to go to the same summer camp as Shawn and Gus, arrives to reveal he bought the camp, he also admits he needs their help with a missing counselor. He doesn't want to involve police because of the "incident" that closed the place down when they were all young. Soon, Shawn can't help but perceive a lot of tell-tale signs indicating a slasher in the area. Gus is a little distracted by one of Jason's employees to notice, but Juliet is willing to drive up when Shawn makes a panicky call. Meanwhile, Lassiter mistakes why his ex-wife wants to get dinner. Erik and Justin zero in on Lassiter and his curious characterization. A discussion about the recent Halloween cycle breaks out. Erik chooses his preferred Friday the 13th movies -- even if Justin is the bigger fan. Justin reveals his daughter's favorite Simpsons episodes. Peacemaker gets positive reviews. Psych star J

Tread Perilously's Star Trek month concludes with an Enterprise episode called "Carbon Creek." When Captain Archer invites T'Pol and Trip to a dinner celebrating the Vulcan's first full year aboard Enterprise, she tells the secret story of the first Vulcan contact with humans. The tale concerns her great-grandmother, T'Mir, a small Pennsylvania town in the late 1950s, and the culture shock T'Mir and the members of her team experienced. But is it all a put-on as T'Pol keeps reminding Archer and Trip that she was asked to "tell a story" or does it contain the ring of truth? J. Paul Boehmer ends up the MVP of the month for two appearances. Ann Cusack also proves to be a welcome addition. Geography Corner determines what Southern California town is playing Carbon Creek. The lack of Cold War paranoia in the 1950s scenes is examined. Erik tries to find a way to blame Bryan Fuller for everything. Vulcan fashions get appraised. Jolene Blalock proves a surprise as T'Mir -- who ends up more interesting than T'Pol. Just

Tread Perilously's Star Trek month continues with an episode of Voyager called "Drone." When a close call in the transporter merges Seven of Nine's nano implants with the Doctor's 29th Century holotransmitter, a future Borg gestates in the silence lab. Despite the similarities to the Tuvix incident, Captain Janeway allows it to live and assigns Seven to be its teacher. But when the drone, who self-identifies as One, starts asking difficult questions about the Borg, he defies Seven and reaches out directly. Will she be able to teach him why the Borg are wrong before they assimilate his advanced technologies? Erik and Justin face a standard issue episode of Voyager that might actually be good. They debate the merits of the story, nonetheless, with Erik pointing out four or five Next Generation episodes it emulates. Jeri Ryan continues to be the show's MVP, with Robert Picardo and Tim Russ close behind her. Janeway's choice to allow One to live is examined in light of the reappraisal of "Tuvix." The presence of

Star Trek month continues on Tread Perilously with an episode of The Next Generation called "Imaginary Friend." When the Enterprise surveys a nebula formed around a collapsed star, an energy being makes its way inside the ship and assumes the form of little Clara Sutter's imaginary friend. But it soon becomes clear to the child that her playmate, Isabella, is more than just a figment of her imagination. Meanwhile, the ship begins to encounter a form of energy that reads like matter to the shields, but is invisible to sensors. And when Isabella begins to make threats, it becomes clear to Captain Picard that the phenomena are related. Erik and Justin face a particularly poor TNG episode. The pair activate script doctor mode to find other ways to tell this story. Justin tries to figure out whose episode this really is. While Counselor Troi seems the focus, the guest characters take point, and Picard ends up bringing it home. Alexander Rozhenko makes a special appearance. Justin gets a few Deep Space Nine referen

Tread Perilously begins its annual Star Trek month with an episode of the original series called "Catspaw." When a landing party including Mr. Scott and Mr. Sulu is overdue, Captain Kirk meets the one person to come back in the transporter bay only for the red shirt to die moments later. Soon, Kirk, Spock, and Bones beam down to determine what's going on as the sensors claim there is no life on the surface. Soon, the trio encounter their missing crewmates, who have been hypnotized by aliens with amazing god-like powers. Will Kirk be able to use his wits and raw animal magnetism to confuse and defeat his opponents? Erik and Justin zero in on William Shatner's seeming oversight of the episode. Guest characters Korob and Sylvia are examined for their potential as Q Continuum characters. Sci-fi nomenclature gets a moment to shine. James Doohan gets his props for making Scotty's admiration of Kirk so convincing. Shatner's mother also makes another appearance thanks to the actor choosing a curious way to say a cert

Tread Perilously rounds out the summer Patreon request month with an episode of NYPD Blue called "Oh Golly Goth." With Sorenson on desk duty, the others -- including visiting detective Connie McDowell -- work on a stabbing at an upscale hotel. With the victim claiming to only recall the attacker being white with dark hair, the case seems to point to a naked man found in the hotel room. But when it becomes clear he could not have wielded the knife, a new suspect emerges: a young "goth" known as Dio. Meanwhile, Sipowicz takes a vacation day to clear Sorenson's name ... never mind that the junior detective brutalized a suspect. Erik and Justin are surprised to discover what the influential series really looked like half-way through its run. Jimmy Smits can't get a break even though he was long gone by this point. Denis Franz easily proves to be the MVP, although plenty of time is given to Charlotte Ross as she begins her NYPD Blue tour of duty. Creators David Milch and Steven Bochco are examined. Talk about The

Tread Perilously's summer Patreon request month continues with an episode of Spartacus called "Sacramentum Gladiatorum." When the Thracian known to the Romans as Spartacus wakes up after his failed execution, he discovers he has been sold to Quintus Lentulus Batiatus. The Lanista plans to train him as a gladiator in the hopes of currying the favor of Gaius Claudius Glaber. As it turns out, he needs a new patron to cover his expenses as the drought continues to ravage the area. Glaber, for his part, wants Spartacus to die slowly while bleeding in the arena. Will the three men get anything they want? Erik can't help but notice the comic book nature of the series. It leads to a lot of digressions. The sex and violence Spartacus is known for also quickly makes itself apparent. John Hannah, Manu Bennett, Peter Mensah, and Lucy Lawless prove to be MVPs. Star Andy Whitfield also demonstrates why he had a following before his untimely passing. A discussion of the Stanley Kubrick film also occurs. Justin compares gla

Tread Perilously's summer Patreon request month continues with an episode of Emergency! called "905-Wild." When paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto encounter an escaped tiger at an early morning call, they enlist the help of Los Angeles County Animal Control officers Les Taylor and Dave Gordon. Successfully capturing the tiger, the rest of their day includes investigating where the animal came from and assisting in the rescue of a baby goat from a wildfire. But when the goat shows signs of cardiac distress, the only viable place to get aid is Rampart General Hospital. Will chief of emergency medicine Dr. Kelly Brackett help? Erik and Justin are surprised to encounter a backdoor pilot for a premise that really seems to lack legs. Guest stars Albert Popwell and Mark Harmon prove to be pleasing enough leads, but could an animal rescue show really work week-in-week-out? Much is made of Emergency! stars Kevin Tighe and Randolph Mantooth ... although Erik manages to say his name wrong. He also uses the wrong microp

Tread Perilously begins Summer Total Request Live -- the Patreon Subscriber request month -- by honoring Patron Peter and finally watching an episode of the short-lived NBC variety show Pink Lady and Jeff. Jeff welcomes special guests Lorne Green, Florence Henderson, Sid Caesar, and musical guest Blondie. Pink Lady performs a disco medley, "Yesterday," and more. Jim Varney joins Jeff and the comedy troop for a number of sketches meant to induce laughs. Caesar returns as Pink Lady's father in a shockingly unfunny sketch. The hot tub gag reveals a lot about the three stars and Blondie's musical contribution proves surprising. Justin once again doubts a genuine television show is real. He also continues to deny the existence of Randolph Mantooth. The pair are surprised to see comic book legend Mark Evanier listed as head writer. It leads to an exploration of his efforts as a TV writer. Sid and Marty Krofft make another appearance as executive producers. Both Erik and Justin try to recall how they first learned

Tread Perilously concludes the Summer Grab Bag with the third episode of Cop Rock -- "Happy Mudder's Day." Hollander continues his pursuit of LaRusso -- now centering in on Potts and offering him immunity if he testifies against his partner. The mayor receives some difficult news from her image consultants and goes under the knife to initiate a bid for the Senate. Rose hits a breaking point with Gaines as a domestic call turns into one of the stranger musical numbers either has witnessed. Vicki, Ruskin, and Campo take a back seat as guest characters and the chief of police take point in this week's songs. Is it a sign of things to come? Erik and Justin try to figure out the mystery of Paul McCrane's sudden presence on the show. The mayor's storyline comes under scrutiny as actor Barbara Bosson was married to creator Steven Bochco at the time. Justin comes to believe The Shield creator Shawn Ryan watched Cop Rock. Comparisons abound. Guest characters leading the songs seems to prove the premise was already run

The Tread Perilously Summer Grab Bag returns to Tequila and Bonetti for an episode called "Wonderdog." When the South Coast paper publishes a photo of Tequila as a heroic pooch, it gets the attention of a talent scout who wants to put him in a commercial. Captain Midian Knight uses it as a chance to be Tequila's agent and forces Visiting Detective Nico Bonetti to serve as the dog's handler. Meanwhile, Garcia and another detective take over Bonetti's current case: a string of robberies where Gold Badge security systems failed. But when the commercial turns out to be for Gold Badge, Bonetti gets suspicious. Erik and Justin face an episode of Tequila and Bonetti without a weird piano montage ... and they're not sure how to deal with it. They also lodge some complaints toward the film Reign of Fire. It leads to some Full Peril plans. Erik also offers a new opinion on Superman III ... and a few notes on the new Superman. The credit sequence gets dissected again even as the pair sense a level of retooling behind th

Tread Perilously Summer Grab Bag continues with an episode of Automan called "Ships in the Night." When a number of American businessmen go missing in the Central or South American island country of San Cristobal, Lt. Jack Curtis and Roxanne are dispatched to get to the bottom of one particular disappearance. But when Automan connects to the Bureau computer and learns about the other missing persons on the island, he and Walter book it down south. There, they discover a predictably corrupt government. But will Lt. Jack Curtis's history with the ringleader of the operation spell disaster for all involved? Erik and Justin finally encounter an episode of Automan they find "almost charming." Chuck Wagner once again proves to be the show's MVP while Desi Arnaz Jr. continues to be its weakest link ... although Erik makes a case for the removal of Lt. Jack Curtis. Justin recalls when Helen Mirren specialized in nude magic. Erik doubts the production went outside of Los Angeles county to create San Cristobal. A diffe

Tread Perilously returns to the Ballad of John D. Cort with an episode of Baywatch called "Blindside." After a long period away, John D. Cort returns to Baywatch to complete his mandatory ten days and go through his lifeguard recertification. Everyone is thrilled to see him except C.J. They had a thing going before she left Baywatch some years prior. Also, Mitch notices something is off with Cort's peripheral vision. But does Mitch know better than the county optometrist? Meanwhile, Hobie befriends a very tall man working as a sideshow giant on the nearby pier. Will he be able to convince him to change his employment situation? Justin finally meets Second Hobie as "Blindside" takes the Ballad into season 4 of Baywatch. He and Erik try to dissect just how much David Hasselhoff felt uncomfortable around John Allen Nelson. The pair also finally encounter the Baywatch of pop culture memory. The lack of half the cast -- including Alexandra Paul and Nicole Eggert -- does not go unnoticed. Another series for Nelson