21 DEPP STREET

#1 and #2. JUMP STREET CHAPEL This is the very first episode that aired on April 12, 1987 as a two hour pilot for the show, music performed by Steve Winwood, and the original 21 Jump Street Theme by Holly Robinson. This episode introduces a young Officer Tom Hanson (Johnny Depp) as a second generation police officer on the beat of a large metropolitan area. Hanson and his older partner, Charlie, are dispatched to a robbery that has taken place at the Weckerly Home. Hanson proves himself to be a well dignified officer during his interview and investigation of the robbery. After leaving the Weckerly home, Hanson and his partner are dispatched to another robbery at a convienent store. They arrive on the scene just seconds after the robbery. This incident turns into a high speed car chase with Hanson behing the wheel. The chase ends with Hanson holding the perpetrators at gun point while his partner goes to a nearby phone to call for back-up (his partners says he ripped the radio out of the police cruiser during the chase trying to hold on while Hanson was driving). Unfortunately, Hanson is having problems being a dignified police officer in this situation. The perps find his youthful, pretty boy looks, his preppy appearance, and his obvious nervousness, irrestible to wise cracks. Hanson emotionally comes unglued, even with the gun in his hand and knowledge of how to handle these circumstances in mind, he is unable to apply any of it to the current situation. The arrest goes bad, the perps get away, and poor Hanson is then forced to make the biggest career decision of his life. Hanson must choose between desk duty (until he looks older or can at least grow a beard) or a transfer in to a newly established program that has been set up in an old abandoned chapel that infiltrates police officers (like Hanson) with baby faces and youthful appearances into inner city high schools. With reservation and disappointment, Hanson chooses this new program called Jump Street.

Hanson arrives at the abandoned chapel, takes a look around, feels tense, out of place, and as abandoned as the old chapel itself. Hanson runs across two young men and an older gentleman. The older gentleman appears to be a 60's hippie Woodstock reject. Hanson follows the older gentleman around, repeating his orders to speak with Captain Jenko, and becomes somewhat aggitated at the older gentleman's lack of help. What Hanson doesn't know is that this older gentleman that he assumes is the janitor, is Hanson's new boss - Captain Richard Jenko (Frederic Forrest). Again, Hanson finds himself a victim to disappointment. His first day at Jump Street feels like some big joke to him, and all the jokes are on him - jokes about his hair and even the healthy food he eats. So, now Hanson's met this Captain Jenko - his new boss, this class clown jokester known as Officer Doug Penhall (Peter DeLuise), and (who he thought at the time to be) a young Japanese boy who can throw a few wise cracks himself known as Officer H.T. Ioki (Dustin Nguyen). What a bad setup Hanson is thinking to himself, until a ray of sunshine comes in the chapel, a young african-american girl, who is smart and witty known as Officer Judy Hoffs (Holly Robinson). Hanson is dealing with the situation as well as could be expected from a by-the-book, second generation police officer, and begins to prepare himself for his first assignment at Jump Street. Well, unfortunately, Hanson really doesn't have anything to do with his preparation for his first assignment. Captain Jenko has already decided that Hanson looks like a total geek and if he plans on getting anywhere with the teens in the local high schools - He has to look like one. Hanson's first assignment is with Hoffs who takes him shopping for a new wardrobe, most definitely a hew hair style, and an earring. Hanson's previous preppy image of khaki's and straigh hair parted to the side has definitely changed, and Hanson is learning the hard way the difference between resisting and embracing change. Finally, Hanson gets his first assignment to go undercover with the rest of the Jump Street officers to bust a teen drug dealer. Penhall has been working undercover on this assignment for weeks and the whole team is expecting a bust soon.

Well, here is Hanson ready and set to go, so eager to make a bust he can't hardly stand it. Jenko allows him to get his feet wet and sends him in undercover on the case also. Within minutes of being on this case, Hanson appears to blow it. Hanson jumps the gun when this teen makes a drug deal with him, busts him, and begins to read him his rights. Unfortunately for Hanson, the sell of a pair of sweaty socks has not been considered to be illegal in this city as of yet, and Jenko is furious. Hanson has blown his cover and the cover Penhall has been working on for weeks, but thanks to Hanson, it all worked out in the end. This teen had been wanted for a murder one charge and Hanson was the man that took him down, even if it was for the sell of a pair of sweaty socks. However, Jenko didn't let Hanson have the collar for himself. The whole Jump Street Program got to share in this collar of Hanson's.

Next up, hoping that Hanson won't screw up this time, Jenko assigns him to go into Amherst High School to just have a look around - nothing going on there that they know of = yet. Jenko gives Hanson the run down on his cover as a transfer from Wilcox High School for discipline problems, and stresses to Hanson not to blow his cover on the first day. Hanson isn't accepted at Amherst High School very well and gets his first taste of rejection on his first day in the school parking lot when he meets up with a boy named Tyrell (aka-Waxer). Waxer is driving a red Ferrari that appears to be the exact car stolen from the Weckerly house. Apparently Waxer didn't like where Hanson had parked his 1968 model blue Mustang fast back (which was his father's) and a bit of an argument breaks out. Waxer kicks a dent into the driver's side door of Hanson's car, Hanson scratches the hood of Waxer's red Ferrari, and then a teacher has to intervene to break up this kicking and scratching contest. Here, we are able to see that there is more to this Officer Tom Hanson that just his appearance or lack there of. Hanson is sent to the principals office where he gets a good chewing out and is instructed to bring one of his parents to school so Hanson's behavioral problems and his little incident with Waxer can be discussed . The best is yet to come. Hanson decides to take his disciplinary problem and attitude a bit farther and starts making wise cracks about the teacher in class which lands him in an after schoo drama/theatre class. The first thing Hanson notices is that Kenny Weckerly, the boy whose parents were robbed, is also in this class. Fortunately for Hanson, his new appearance, worked out after all because Kenny has no idea who he was, but Hanson's first day is still far from over. At the end of the school day, Hanson and Waxer get into it again. Hanson finds Waxer pushing Kenny Weckerly around outside in the school parking lot and decides to stick his nose in the business at hand. Hanson made some connection between Kenny, Waxer, the red ferrari, and the robbery from sticking his nose where it didn't belong and informs Jenko who sends Hanson and Ioki to stake out the Weckerly House.

Ioki has the ability to make Hanson feel welcome during the stake out by mentioning Hanson's father being a cop and receiving the medal of valor. It is here that Hanson informs Ioki that his father received this medal for getting killed in the line of duty. During Hanson and Ioki's bonding, Kenny pulls out of the garage in the early am hours on a moped for what seems like a normal paper route, until Hanson and Ioki find him breaking into a jewelry store. The chase is on, but Ioki's car can't keep up with Kenny's moped and even with back up on the scene, they lose Kenny. Even with Hanson and Ioki losing Kenny, the robbery at the jewelry store was enough for Jenko to piece the puzzle together. Kenny was stealing for money to pay off Waxer and this was the reason Waxer had broken into the Weckerly house.

Oh did I forget in all the action that Hanson had to take one of his parents to school. Captain Jenko goes with Hanson to school, meets with the prinicipal, and the two of them square off right there in the principals office. This leads to Jenko getting volunteered by the prinicipal to be a Parent Chaperone at the Prom. Neither Hanson nor Jenko were happy about the outcome of the principal meeting, but it is at this time that Hanson really starts feeling like he belongs to the program. Hanson and Ioki are again paired together to stake out Waxer. They find that Waxer is a big drug dealer at Amherst High School and Kenny Weckerly is one of his clients. This is confirmed when Hanson finds Kenny in boys locker room unconscious as a result of shooting "bad drugs" Waxer had sold him. Hanson is furious.

In an attempt to find out the whole truth, Hanson visits Kenny in the hospital and is full of surprises. When Kenny refuses to talk to him or give him any information on Waxer or his drug deals, Hanson loses it. Hanson is not only angry because things aren't going his way, but because Waxer could be selling bad drugs to other teens right now who would end up hospitalized like Kenny, or worse yet - dead! Hanson makes his point real clear to Kenny by slapping him in the hospital bed. Hanson informs Kenny that he may not can save his tail, but he wants Waxers', and if Kenny doesn't tell Hanson where he can find Waxer, he is gonna kick Kenny's tail until Kenny tells him. Kenny finally breaks and gives Hanson the information he needs to take back to Jump Street to set-up for an arrest. All of Jump Street is involved in the set-up. Penhall and Hoffs try to make a buy from Waxer. Waxer finds a wire on Hoffs and a shooting fest breaks out. Waxer runs, but Hanson is hot on his trail. Hanson chases Waxer on foot through subways, flights of stairs, alleys, streets, until he finally catches him. The Hanson/Waxer fight of the century breaks out. No back up needed for Hanson this time. Hanson whips Waxer all over the place, pulls his gun, and arrests Waxer just as the rest of the gang show up. Hanson cuffs Waxer while Jenko throws him in the Jump Street's infamous Yellow 1960's van to take him to jail.

Hanson gets his first collar at Jump Street with the arrest of Waxer and all are proud to have Hanson on their team. Kenny Weckerly finds Hanson waiting for him when he's released from the hospital to offer his support. Hanson survives his first case at Jump Street, and decides to loosen up a bit. Hanson goes to Jenko's house where Jenko and some friends are playing together in Jenko's garage band. Hanson tells Jenko that he would like to sit in with them. Jenko is shocked and repeats to Hanson, "You, You want to sit in with us." Hanson replies by saying, "Yeah, if you can keep up". Hanson takes his saxophone out of the case and all join in on Hanson's request of "SHOTGUN in C" as the credits role. OVERALL RATING = 10.

#3. AMERICA, WHAT A TOWN: This episode aired on April 19, 1987 with music performed by Simply Red. Due to an enormous amount of car theft in the area, and one car found stripped with a screwdriver left behind with the initials NHS engraved on it, Jenko sends Hanson in undercover to Northside High School Shop Class to check out possible suspects. Hanson runs in to these two best friends, Steve and Mark, who are these geniuses in the shop class. Hanson is very believable in this role and gives these boys some bait about having illegal resources in the autobody ring, and the boys bite. Hanson really centers in on these two when a blue Mercury Sable reported as stolen, shows up in shop class and these two are putting in back together. Just in time, Penhall arrives on the scene as Hanson's illegal resource with a black box for the reprogramming of car computers. Hanson informs Jenkso about the stolen Mercury Sable in shop class. Jenko then finds out a few days later that the same car is up for sale by a used car dealer named Mario. Jenko goes undercover showing interest in purchasing the car from Mario, who Jenko finds out to be Steve's brother.

The case is coming together. Steve and Mark steal the cars, strip the parts and store them, take the frame of the car and put it back on the street so the owner of the car can find the frame, turn it in to the insurance company, the insurance company pays the owner and the frame goes to an insurance auction. Mario buys the frame at the insurance auction, Steve and Mark put the car back together, then Mario sells the car for retail value, and they all share the proffit. Hanson and Penhall decide to join the boys in their car stealing fun but only after Hanson picked up on their desire to steal a Mercedes. The plan is in action and Ioki gets voted in as the sitting duck. Ioki is sent to purchase a Mercedes rental car while Hanson and Penhall tell the boys about this car. Ioki gets the rental car and read the riot act about what will happen to his insurance and wallet if the car is stolen or damaged. Hanson and Penhall point out Ioki's renal Mercedes to these boys who automatically center in to strip the car. Hanson and Penhall thought they were going to steal it, not just strip it. Ioki remains hidden to watch the action. Hanson and Penhall were supposed to arrest the boys when they hot-wired the car and stole it, but this didn't happen. The boys knew the parts were worth more than the car itself, ripped off the parts, and burned the frame. When Ioki sees the car torched, he goes wild in the middle of the street and freaks out on Hanson and Penhall, but all proves well in the end. Hanson and Penhall arrest Mario, Steve, and Mark for grand theft auto and the resale of stolen property. Another case solved by Officer Hanson at Jump Street. The ending of this episode shows the guys of Jump Street, even Hanson really connecting as Ioki explains that his insurance company understood the the burning of the rental car and he got his money out of it. Penhall shakes Ioki's hand and the two bring Hanson in on the handshake. This becomes the infamous flying geese handshake that is the closing scene during all opening theme's. Officer Hoffs is busy on her own assignment trying to prevent a promiscuous Polish foreign exchange student, Nadia, from getting into trouble only to find that Nadia is trying to find a husband so she won't have to go back to Poland and can stay in America. OVERALL RATING = 9

#4. DON'T PET THE TEACHER: This episode aired on April 26, 1987. Hanson gets a lot of airtime here, but the storyline is so simple that there isn't any way to tell it in detail. In the beginning, Hanson is sent in to a school to investigate some threat notes and roses that a teacher has been getting. On Hanson's way to school that morning, he stops to help a woman with a flat tire, finds her attractive, and asks her out. The lady accepts Hanson's offer only to find out that he is one of her students. Hanson also finds out that this is the teacher who is getting the threatening notes. Since Hanson can't tell her he is a cop and she won't go out with students, it looks like their date is off. At first it appears that this young kid who sells radios, cd players, etc. at the school is the prime suspect for sending the threat notes. However, the plot thickens when the janitor becomes involved. It seems as though the janitor is setting up this young boy due to jealousy. This young boy's older brother and the janitor played basketball at this school a few years ago and the janitor received very little recognition for his ability in the sport, while this boy's brother won championships and trophies for the school. In the end, Hanson is able to solve the case and arrests the janitor not only for harrassment of this teacher, but for destruction of school property (which the janitor tried to blame on this young teen). In the end after all the smoke clears, Hanson gets his date after all. This episode could have been 4 minutes long and told the exact same story, but since there was a lot of Depp airtime: OVERALL RATING = 6.5

#5. MY FUTURE'S SO BRIGHT; I GOTTA WEAR SHADES: This episode aired on May 3, 1987 with music performed by Timbuk 2. Jump Street goes undercover to investigate a rape/homicide of an underage teen by a gang of preppie cliques from Chadway Prep School. Jenko assigns Hoffs to assist the family of the rape victim and try to find any information there. Then, Jenko informs Hanson and Penhall that the two of them are going undercover to investigate the students at Chadway Prep School. Jenko informs Hanson, in regards to his new assignment, "Well Hanson, for once you got on the right duds, bub". Hanson and Penhall really look like geeks as they go into this prep school, but believe it or not, Penhall is accepted quicker than Hanson. When Hanson is asked in class to do an interpretation of the book "All the Kings Men" he really makes a fool out of himself. He has no idea about this book and for once is following Penhall's lead with the interpretation as being not to drive too long without taking a break. Hanson is laughed completely out of class, but is not discouraged.

Hanson convinces Penhall that they need to develop some socialization skills within this preppie clique. Well of course, Penhall doesn't need any socialization skills, but Hanson is determined that Penhall needs to follow his lead because he can really relate to these preps; officer Tom Hanson - Born to Prep. Penhall makes a good impression with these preps and they let their guard down and let Penhall and Hanson in the clique. Penhall is hanging out with the preps while they are doing cocaine resulting in Penhall having to fake using cocaine himself. The preps begin asking Penhall about his parents house and tells him that they need a new meeting place. Penhall begins a big story about how he and Hanson's parents are both richer than rich, and in Hanson's absence, graciously volunteers Hanson's house for their meeting place. Suddenly a man with a brief case comes in the room, the preps get nervous, Penhall get a birds eye view of what is taking place. The guy with the brief case, Niles, is a drug dealer for the preps, he sells them drugs, and the preps give out their fathers' jet for this guy to make drug runs.

Back at the station house, it seems that the once anti-prep Penhall has changed his mind. Penhall has connected with these guys and Hanson isn't at all happy with this situation. They exchange a few words including Hanson throwing up to Penhall that maybe he didn't like preps until he got to know them, which was a personal thing for Hanson. Jenko finally has to bring their verbal war to an end to discuss the case. Hoffs adds in some info about the rape victim. Informs Jenko that she is now dead, but was drugged, raped, and the last people she was seen with were Penhall's new chums. Penhall picks this wonderful time to inform Jenko that he needs to get them a house because he volunteered Hanson's house to host the preppies next meeting and doesn't think Hanson's apartment will be sufficient. Jenko isn't real happy about the situation and neither is Hanson. Hanson and Penhall begin another argument that Jenko has to break up once again. Jenko expresses his unhappiness about Penhall's volunteering Hanson's house, but that he will find a house for them.

It is apparent as another argument breaks out that Hanson and Penhall's feuding is boiling down to one thing, Penhall doesn't believe the preps committed this rape/murder and Hanson does. Jenko informs Hanson and Penhall that even if they didn't rape and murder this girl, there are two cases the preps are suspects in now and if they can't bust them for the rape and murder, they can definitely bust them for illegal drugs. The case becomes more complicated as Hanson and Penhall have now have two cases to solve. Hoffs also runs into a snag during her investigation, the rape victim's brother, who is willing to take the law into his own hands if something isn't done and these guys are arrested.

Penhall is in with the preps and has been invited to fly to Porta Viarta with them on one of their father's jets. Hanson gets left out, but that's okay as he prepares his "house" and finishes his plan for the preps. Ioki gets the bad end of the deal again. Ioki is Hanson's chauffer, butler, and house boy. What a combination, Penhall the prep, Hanson the outcast, and Ioki the servant. They are really going all out to solve this case. Hanson goes to a private air strip to pick up Penhall and the preps after their trip to Porta Viarta in a rented Limo with Ioki. Hanson becomes an authoritarian with Ioki and informs him that he is his boss and he gets off when he says he gets off. Well, big shock here, 3 preps get off the jet, and no Penhall. Hanson is informed that the preps made Penhall take a commercial flight back which leaves Hanson and Ioki to pick Penhall up at the public airport. Here again, Ioki and Hanson exchange a few words over who is the boss. Ioki tells the preps to follow him. Hanson and Ioki, with the preps following, pick Penhall up at the airport, and head out to Hanson's "house". During the ride, Hanson wants to know exactly why Penhall had to take a commercial flight. Penhall informs Hanson that they made him pack a kilo of cocaine in his suitcase, bring in back to the US, and fly commercial because they didn't want the jet to get seized. Hanson is mad now and goes off on Penhall. Hanson informs Penhall that he just blew part of the case and now if the murder/rape charge didn't stick, the whole case would go down the drain, Hanson didn't forget to mention Penhall having to go through customs with a kilo of Cocaine in his suitcase, how easily he could have been caught, and what would have happened if he had been caught, but Penhall's only concern was blowing his cover.

Ioki stops the argument to inform Penhall that while he was away with the preps, Jump Street got the coroner's report on the rape victim from the night she was raped that showed intercouse with multiple partners, internal trauma, and signs of a struggle. They finally arrive at Hanson's "House". Hanson is uncomfortable in this setting, but Penhall is pretty cool until Niles shows up without notice and makes a remark about recognizing the house. Both cover it up pretty good by telling him that Hanson's dad bought the house from a famous car designer and Niles believed them.

After the meeting, Hanson and Hoffs meet up to discuss the case. They are in riding around in Hanson's car and come up with the idea that they may be able to bust Niles for selling and possesion of drugs and get him to roll over on the preps for a plea bargain. Just as Hanson and Hoffs finished their conversation, they drive by a a street corner where Niles is being busted for picking up a prostitute who turned out to be an undercover cop. Hanson and Hoff's plan is stalemate. Hanson goes to Jenko to see if he can get Niles out of jail so Jump Street can bust him on drug charges and get him to roll over on the preps. Unfortunately, the preps bail Niles out of jail before Jenko has the chance. So now that Niles is on the loose, Jenko sends Hoffs and Ioki to trail him. Before Hoffs and Ioki leave the chapel to trail Niles, hundreds of messages are found by Hoffs from the rape victims brother. Apparently, the preps were having a big party that night and the brother was planning on being the guest of honor. This case gets more and more complicated as time goes by. Hoffs and Ioki finally track down Niles on the same street trying to pick up a prostitute again. Ioki and Hoffs bust Niles for illegal possesion of narcotics. Niles tries to run, but Jump Street expected this and the chase is on. Jump Street and backup officers chase Niles on foot and by car until he finally wrecks his black bronco and is taken into custody. Once in custory, Jenko interrogates Niles about a wild party thrown by the preps the night before, pumps him for information about a rape/murder, and informs him what's gonna happen to him if he don't plea bargain. Niles still won't budge. Hanson, Penhall, and Jenko are frustrated because they feel like they no longer have a case.

Hanson and Penhall decide to set procedure asside, go to the preps house and break down the door. Hanson and Penhall inform the the preps that Niles is in custody, they are cops, and that Niles has rolled over on them. The preps get nervous when Hanson tells them that busting them for drugs is the least of their concerns, since Niles rolled over on them and gave the police enough information to charge them with the rape and murder of a young girl. Hanson and Penhall's idea worked. One of the preps, who has high hopes of attending Harvard in the fall, gets scared, goes to the police station, and tells everything. He asks for the DA, gets a meeting arranged, and tells the police all about the rape, drug deals, and now a murder resulting in the other two preps getting busted, convicted, and put in prison. The prep that rolled over on the others walked for coming forward. Hanson feels like the case was only partially solved since one of the preps walked, but not to worry, the last scene of this episode shows the rape/murder victim's brother approach the prep who ratted and it can only be assumed that justice will be served here as well. OVERALL RATING = 9.

#6. WORST NIGHT OF YOUR LIFE: This episode aired on May 10, 1987 with music performed by The Jets. Hoffs is sent in undercover at an all girl Catholic School, Sacred Heart Academy, to solve a case of recent arsons on school property which are believed to be committed by one of the students at the school. Meanwhile, Hanson, Penhall, and Ioki are back at the station getting to know one another. Penhall is trying to convince Hanson to go girl hunting with him tonight. Hanson refuses to go out girl chasing with Penhall because tonight is his bowling night. Penhall asks Hanson if there are any girls at the bowling alley and of course there are; so Penhall decides to go bowling with Hanson. Penhall is embarrased by Hanson's bowling ability and at his remarks when he makes a strike such as "another slamboreeno". Penhall is trying so hard to impress the girls at the bowling alley, but Hanson is drawing all the attention. Penhall gets frustrated, picks up two bowling balls, and throws both of them down one of the bowling lanes, he does this over and over until the manger comes and throws him and Hanson out of the bowling alley. Hanson is not happy, he lost his match in his bowling league, and now he's been thrown out of the bowling alley, but Penhall proceeds to embarrass Hanson again while he attempts to pick up two girls in the parking lot of the bowling alley. The girls reject them and both Penhall and Hanson look like idiots. Hanson lets him know real quick how he feels about the situation and right out tells Penhall that he hates him.

In the days to come, Penhall continues with his girl search and thinks he's found the love of his life, a woman he meets in a bar. Once Penhall gets outside the bar with the woman, he realized he has been set up. There is a man waiting outside for the woman, both beat up Penhall, and take his wallet, etc. Penhall is embarrassed by this and focuses all of his time during the rest of the episode on finding this woman and bringing her to justice.

There isn't much airtime for Hanson in this episode until toward the end when Hoffs figures out that the arsonist is a student and suspects that she is planning something drastic for the school prom. Upon Hoffs assumption, Jenko sends Hanson, Penhall, and Ioki in to the school as prom dates for three of the girls Hoffs has gotten to know at the school. Hanson looks good dressed up in his tuxedo, Penhall looks bizarre, and Ioki looks like dracula with cape and all. When they arrive at the prom, Hanson and Ioki's dates are waiting for them, but Penhall's date isn't there. Hoffs set Penhall up with the least popular girl in school who is very withdrawn and has an unusual personality. She finally arrives, walks past everyone, goes immediately to the paper banner that cast the theme of the prom, and sets it on fire. The night before, she had taken some paper hearts off the banner, dipped them in gasoline, stapled them back on the banner thus resulting in a rather large fire.

The arsonist is arressted and since the prom was literally a burn out, the Jump Street gang, with their dates (with the exception of Penhall's who is in jail), decide to go bowling. At the end, Ioki goes to the concession stand to get a beverage and meets this nice looking woman, they talk, and just as Ioki is walking out with her, Penhall recognizes her. She is the one who ripped him off. The show ends with Penhall yelling at Ioki that the woman he is with is the one he has been looking for. There isn't much Depp in this episode, but we do learn here that he is a bowling fanatic, but this episodes has a lot of funny lines between Hanson, Ioki, and Penhall, and it puts Hoffs into the undercover situation. The episode would be rated as a 9 if there were more Depp, as the other cast shows great talent and contributes to this episode. But due to lack of Depp scenes in this episodoe: OVERALL RATING = 7.