Party Time
 (original air date 10/15/94)
Storyline:  Gordon hires Mick and Joey to investigate the murders of some prostitutes on the French Rivera.  Cay Helmich replaces Diana Frank as Fritz (temporarily).

Guest Stars: John Bach (Boucher), Simone Kessell (Ariel), Chrystelle Baran (Simone)

Plot:
Joey accepts a case from Gordon, against Mick's advice to go to the French Rivera to investigate a murder.  Mick goes with Joey to keep an eye on him. When they get there, they find out the murders are happening at a brothel, which makes Mick a little uptight.  When one of the girls that Joey befriends is also murdered and Joey is arrested, Mick gets involved in the investigation.  Fritz comes and helps, and saves Mick's butt.  She goes undercover to try to trap the murderer.  Mick then, saves her butt.  Note - Fritz is played by a different actress in this episode.
Note:  Simone Kessell also guests in the Match Point episode

According to US


The opening scene of this show is absolutely adorable.  It starts off with Mick and Joey sitting on the beach, Mick is wearing swim trunks, sunglasses and an open shirt (and I have no idea what Joey was wearing :-), very relaxed, kind of sprawled out in the chair.  Again, they have a back and forth about the whole "age" thing, and it's very funny.  Joey says Mick is "old", so Mick challenges him to a race.  Mick's knee gives out and Joey wins.  He buries Mick up to his neck in sand.  It's very, very funny, and Rick is absolutely adorable.  (that's when Joey accepts the case).

One of the lines I liked was when Mick didn't want to take the case, Joey says "you may not be going, but I'm already there". 

I think the chemistry between Rick and Yannick is now in full force. 

The woman playing pool was the same actress that was in the 2nd episode (only she isn't in a wheelchair anymore).

Mick refereed to the women as "party girls" and seemed kind of prude about the whole thing, which I found a little out of character.

Rick speaks a little French in this (oo la la), I can't spell what he said, but I think it was french for goodbye.

About Mick's character being a prude, one of his lines was "I used to arrest girls like these, not hang out with them".

There's one scene where Rick is wearing jeans and a tank top, and has bare feet.

When Fritz comes to the rescue, Mick asks her "what the hell are you going here" and her reply is "by the look of things, saving your butt".

The French accents aren't too good, especially the "madam's"

This is kind of where the whole "sexual tension" thing starts with Mick and Fritz.

It ends with a nice beach scene.

I think the main part of the story kind of dragged (after a very cute, very funny opening scene), but Rick looked great and his nice, tight jeans, looked pretty good too. - rlh

By this episode, you can clearly see that Rick and Yannick have become more comfortable with each other.  They appear to look less like they are reading dialogue and more like they could actually be brothers ribbing each other.  The opening scene (ok, 2nd scene after the girl in the nightie is killed) where they are sitting on the beach together is hilarious.  I'd prefer a little less eye-ogling of the bikini clad chicks from Rick, but hey - this is a Baywatch rip-off, right?  Which is why the payoff for us is seeing Rick (and Yannick) running on the beach at full hilt.  The whole scene, I'm thinking "I wonder what today's six-pack bod would look like doing this scene?"  I know, shame on me.  I'm working here :-)

The best lines in this episode I believe come from Fritz, seeing Rick buried to his neck in the sand.  She looks at Joey and says, "If it sees it's shadow does that mean we are in for a long winter?"  Then Mick (Rick) tells her he is too busy to do another case for Gordon to which she then replies, "yeah busy, up to your neck."  Too cute.

Naturally Joey takes the case and Mick being the heroic big brother he is, reluctantly goes along.   Rick's narration cracks me up at this point.  He actually sounds like he is smirking reading the lines about surfing in France and the French Riviera.  Of course immediately after they arrive, Mick is ready to leave.  (this is a common thread and we are only on the 4th episode!)  The character of Annabelle Picard looks like Rona Barrett (pun)? with a bad French accent.  Come to think of it, most of the accents are bad...

Joey makes friends with a "party girl" named Arielle (which for the life of me I could not understand what she said her name was when she said it, talk about bad accent) so you know she'll be the next one to end up dead.  First she is attacked, and Mick & Joey take off towards her screams.  Mick happens upon Det. Boucher and has quite the physical rock-em-sock-em scene.  Then Fritz shows up to save our man!  My question at this point is, why didn't this guy identify himself as a cop immediately, instead of punching Mick in the face? (bingo! the killer - c'mon this was too easy)
Joey and Mick run into each other later in the bushes.  (ok, that's a loaded sentence, but hey that's what happened)  After asking each other what they are doing there, Joey's response was, "Detecting!"  Ha!  Then they find Arielle dead.  Joey, being the great detective he is, touches the corpse all over.....

So after the commercial, Joey is in jail for Arielle's murder.  (see, I told ya not to touch the body) Mick is talking with Det. Boucher and some other cop who is not identified.  They know Mick is no longer a cop, and is there as a favor to a friend, yet they give him a copy of the case files when he asks - and they already had them prepared for him because they knew he would ask.   Uh huh, totally believable.

They proceed to set up Fritz as bait.  Well, the killer is in on it, so you know where this one goes.  Fritz gets a "call" and goes out to meet the guy at his apartment.  Mick & Boucher are watching from the car.  She is standing in front of the window when it looks like the man is assaulting her.  Yeah, the killer has already killed 4 women and not been caught, he's getting sloppy obviously.  They bust into the apartment and it turns out to be an artist who explains he was just needing a model for his painting.  To which Mick tells him, "don't give up your day job!"  Hehe.

Mick puts two and two together (finally) and figures out Boucher is the killer after he breaks into his apartment.  As soon as he realizes this fact, he picks up Boucher's phone to call Fritz - dials the number (ok, in France 1 day and you know the number)? and Rona Barrett answers the phone herself (and knows it's Mick)...and any ounce of total believe-ability just went out the window.    Boucher goes after Fritz with some kind of bungee cord supposedly from Mick's surf board (how did he know he was a surfer, and in the narration earlier, Mick said you cannot surf in the  FLAT French Riviera) gets caught in the act, gets another beating by Mick with an awesome karate-kick (way to go Rick)!   And a happy ending.

The things we endure for the love of one man... - Michelle P.
The first Mick and Joey scene of this High Tide has got to be one of the best and funniest scenes in all of season one. The scene is set at Zuma Beach, CA. Once again, Joey is making jokes about Mick's age. The guys are shown lounging on the beach relaxing and catching a ray (wearing nothing but swim shorts). There are women sunbathing all around and life is good. (Mick called the women the "exotic wildlife" of the area in his narration about Zuma Beach) But despite all of this fun in the sun, Joey is not a happy camper. He is bored to death just sitting around. He is squirming in his chair like a restless 3-year old! He begins to aggravate Mick, trying his best to get a rise out of him. Finally he does. 

I have to quote most of this scene. It is too funny not to add into the review. LOL Mick tells him to `go do something else, who's stopping you?' Mick tells Joey that it's his day off. I like the expression and laugh from Mick here when Joey says, "day off from WHAT? You don't have a job." Mick says, "Yea, I know!" (and he looks quite pleased to NOT have a job on this day). Joey continues to bitch about how he cannot `do nothing' and how he's not `like' Mick. Mick removes his shades---"what's that supposed to mean?" Joey says, "Nothing. Just that I've got a lot of energy, vitality. I'm young." Mick says, "so what does that make me?" Joey---"old." I love the shocked look on Mick's face---"old, you think I'm old?!" Joey nods and tells him, "Well, yeah. But don't get too worked up about it. I wouldn't want you to have a stroke or anything." LOL I love Mick here with the set and frustrated look on his face! Mick---"A STROKE?!" Joey, "yeah, it could happen to a guy your age you know." Mick---"A guy my AGE?!" Joey---"Yeah. Then you start repeating things too. The hearing's the first thing to go." Mick is in disbelief---"really?" Joey---"Yeah, and you get all crotchety too." (that line is a hoot!) Joey will not let up on Mick. "Maybe you oughta have a nap. Watch that blood pressure." Mick assures him his blood pressure is fine! The scene goes to a nice up-close shot of Rick telling Joey to put his money where his mouth is. Joey tells him he doesn't have a job either, so Mick says, "A challenge then. A half a mile race down the beach. See if the compact models can out-perform a classic." I guess the brotherly competition was too much for Mick. He should've left it alone! Joey asks, "What are the stakes?" I thought Mick's expressions were cute here when he thinks up what the `stakes' will be. He is grinning and says, "20 minutes of public humiliation." Mick thinks he's being so clever. Joey acts uninterested but then when Mick leans back and replaces his shades to go back into relax-mode, Joey takes off running down the beach. Mick throws his shades and screams, "HEY!" He takes off after Joey. 

Ahhhh what a scene this next one is!!!!!!! This is where the running scene on the beach comes from that is in the High Tide opening music. That was a perfect choice to add to the show's intro! Can I just say that I could watch Rick running shirtless and barefooted on the beach in his red shorts, hair blowing in the wind, body and tummy flexing as he runs…for an entire day, and never tire of it?! I'm so glad that most of this scene was shown in slow-mo! Geeeeze, what a beautiful sight! So Mick is finally gaining on Joey, almost even with him. But then he does what I'd consider typical for most single, red-blooded men, he spots a pretty bikini-girl standing nearby and he becomes completely distracted. LOL I love the surprised look on his face, mouth open in 'awe' when he sees the girl watching them. The girl certainly got Mick in trouble this time! He stumbles and falls, grabbing his knee in pain. Joey is quite happy. He points, laughing at Mick who's still lying on the sand holding his knee---"You are toast! Dead and buried." Mick is looking up at Joey like a whipped pup and says, "Where are we going?" Joey tells him, "Public humiliation time." Joey is grinning like a jack-ass. Mick reluctantly takes Joey's hand so he can pull him up and lead him to his `torture!' 

The next scene comes after the High Tide intro music. We see Mick buried in the sand up to his neck with a little bull dog aggravating him and kicking sand in his face. He's screaming, "JOEY!" and spitting out sand. How comical was this??!!! LOL Joey comes over and is taunting him like crazy, making little wise-cracks that relate to Mick being buried. I thought Rick did a funny job here on his facial expressions and tone of voice. He has obviously had enough embarrassment for one day! Some beach babes even cruise over for a quick laugh at Mick. Mick tells Joey, "I was ahead `til my knee went out." Joey is such a smart-ass when he comes back at Mick! Joey---"Well I got news for ya. A head's all you are now." Corny, but cute! Lo and behold, but who comes along…Fritz. Fritz says, "And these are the guys I lose all my field assignments to." They make jokes about groundhogs and then Fritz tells Joey she needs some help on a case. Mick is arguing away and spouting off, telling Joey "no," but they basically ignore Mick. Mick tells Joey to give the folder back to Fritz and says, "we're busy." Fritz says, "I can see that. Up to your neck." Mick's expression here is priceless! LMAO! (he turns his head and his mouth comes open like a guy who can't believe he didn't get the punch line first time around! As if…"ha ha!") I got a real kick out of seeing Mick in the hot seat. Rick is great in funny scenes, I think. After Joey accepts the job, Fritz takes off skipping through the sand. I think she `accidentally' kicked Mick's head because he goes, "Ow." Joey says he better go pack and off he runs, leaving Mick alone peering out of the sand yelling, "JOEY!" 

The guys are arriving at the French Riviera by van and Joey is all excited talking about how this will be `fun.` Mick tells him something about how this is `not the Brady Bunch goes to Europe.' Joey tells him, "Airline food makes you so cranky." Mick looking quite perturbed says, "I'm not cranky. I'm just pissed off you let Gordon drag us into this." Mick is only going along to watch Joey's back. As it turns out, the beach Gordon has sent them to is a surfless beach! 

Joey is in total awe over all the `chicks' running around everywhere at the `pad.' Mick informs him that the women he's scoping over are `party girls'---'hookers.' The first day there, Joey falls for a gorgeous brunette. They get acquainted out by the pool. Joey tries to convince Mick that this girl is `different,' but of course Mick tells him she's no good. I like when Joey says, "and she even likes animals." As if that makes her profession `okay.' 

Mick runs into the Madame of the house who is toting a cute little Yorkie with a bow in it's hair. I thought it was so "Rick" when the Madame asks Mick, "do beautiful girls frighten you?" and Mick replies, "yeah, sometimes. But these aren`t exactly the girls next door." The Madame tells Mick that they will need to stay at her own private bungalow, since it's high season on the Riviera and everyone is booked. Mick is seriously not wanting to stay there with the call girls, but he takes her up on it. He knows Joey will NOT want to leave with such an invitation from the Madame. 

 

Fritz ends up coming in as an `inside man' for the case, to try and help them figure out who killed Simone, one of the girls from the 'club.' Gordon learned that there were actually two other girls killed at one time; that Simone was not the only victim. Someone is also after Ariel, Joey's new love interest. They find her lying in her room saying someone tried to kill her. Mick runs out to the barn to investigate and see if the man is still running around somewhere. A man is hiding there and jumps out and attacks Mick. A fight scene takes place between Mick and the man, (who has a gun) and suddenly Fritz enters the scene with a gun in hand and tells the man to 'drop it!' When Mick asks Fritz, "What are you doing here?" she answers, "From the looks of things…saving your butt." As it turns out, the man is a cop who's on the same case. The cop reprimands them and fusses at Fritz about her gun, telling her he better not see it again. 

I thought it was cute how Mick is getting onto Fritz, wanting to know where she got that gun. He also tells her that they should let the detective do his job. Fritz has the recording with her from when Mick told Gordon over the phone that she'd be 'perfect' for the job! Fritz never misses a beat. 

Later, someone did in fact get to Ariel. Joey is horrified to find her dead. Since Joey was the one `on the scene' he ends up in jail as a suspect. Mick goes to the detective cop trying to defend Joey and get him out of jail. He asks for forensic evidence. Mick is trying to find a pattern in the 3 deaths. Fritz dresses as a working girl and goes on a `date' hoping to catch the killer. Gordon is quite disturbed to learn that Fritz is not actually a no-show at his restaurant for the night, but that she is in France with them. Joey has called Gordon for help and keeps trying to tell Gordon that he's in prison for murder and all Gordon can do is fret over Fritz not being by his side.

I like the next scene when Fritz is dressing for her date and she needs Mick to fasten up her black lace boustierre. Mick says, "I've never once had to fasten my partners bra." Then he remembers a time when a male cop he worked with did in fact dress like a woman. She wears lace and a red jacket, dressing similar to how Ariel was dressed at the time of her murder. They suspect the killer has a thing about red and lace. Mick and one of the cops is nearby in a car when Fritz goes in the building for her `date.' He sees through the window above what appears to be a man about to stab her. He and the cop dash up the stairs and bursts into the room. The man ends up being a painter who just needed a model for one of his paintings. Mick covers Fritz up and escorts her towards the door telling the man, "don't quit your day job." I like when the Captain/Detective (Boushey) tells Mick he's really a bit `of a cowboy!' Mick and one of the cops discover that all of the victims were wearing lace when they were killed. He also discovers that Detective Boushey was the investigating officer on all of the cases. Mick has gathered enough clues that he now suspects the Captain is the killer. 

Mick and the cop go to the detective's home and Mick breaks in. He prowls around the house and finds a red lace outfit in his desk drawer just as he's telling the cop that you never know with fetishes and what they might do to some people. It causes alarm for Mick. He calls the Madame to check on Fritz and learns that she left to meet up with Boushey. He and the cop rush back to the club, and not a minute too late. Fritz is out on the path looking to meet the Captain. She ends up in the greenhouse and there he is. He approaches her and tries to rip off her jacket so he can touch the lace she's wearing. They struggle and she kicks Boushey in the gut. The captain drags out a rope and attempts to strangle Fritz. The man is obviously deranged. Mick and the cop come in just in time and catch him. He tries to shoot Mick, but misses. He takes off running and they make chase along the path. Mick quickly catches up to the bad cop and kicks him from behind, right into a pond, stopping him in his tracks. Mick has solved the case AND saved Fritz in the process. Yes, a real cowboy for sure! 

I like the narration at the end where Mick talks about dirty cops and how it reminded him of why he ended up wanting out of the police force. He also says that it may have been nice to explore this partner thing between he and Fritz and allow them to spend time together, but she has taken a plane back to Gordon's. It shows a bird's eye view of Mick alone on the beach, and he is narrating and saying, "There's one thing about me and solitude. It's never long before we're parted." Suddenly we see Joey running out to the shore to his brother, giving him the high-five and then grabbing and hugging him. 

This was a really good High Tide. Was it because of the story itself? Well, I'm not sure about that. The story wasn't bad, but the comical scenes, the chemistry moments between Mick and Fritz and the great shots of Rick were probably why I enjoyed this one so much! - Kelley Pearson

Rick was so sweet on set- such a lovely down-to-earth guy (as you already know). And very cute...although, I have to say I think he looks every bit as good now, if not better! - Chrystelle Baran