Sightings, January 13, 1996

As Reviewed by Rosepetal

As Reviewed by Shirley

A young girl, Kathy Gold, has disappeared.  The local sheriff believes she has just run away from her Uncle again.  Her uncle believes that the Navy is behind her disappearance.  He believes she is being held at the local abandoned naval base.  Harm and Meg are sent to investigate her disappearance. 

The girls Uncle believes that the Navy is conducting top secret experiments at the base and that it accounts for the strange happenings there.  Harm and Meg go to the naval base and find the little girl after hearing a strange sound coming from the hanger.  She says she sees things at night with green eyes.  Harm is sure he heard a plane in that hanger but they cant find any proof that there is one. 

While on base, Meg and Harm see the strange lights and a really weird sound, the same things that occurred when Kathy disappeared.  They almost get caught by whoever it is on the base, but due to Kathy knowing her way around they escape but can't get off the base.

The local sheriff comes out to the base to look for Harm and Meg and is killed.  Meg and the child are taken hostage by drug smugglers who are using the abandoned base as a place to stash their drugs and planes.  JD arrives just as Harm figures out that Meg and the child are taken hostage.  He goes in posing as Harm because the dealers don't know there is a fourth person on base so Harm can figure out a plan of escape.  JD acts like he hates the child so that he can get her to safety and he figures they wont kill their hostage that they take with them.  The child is put in the plane and Harm tells her to hit a button when he signals.  She does and that gives everyone time to surprise the dealers and capture them. 

JD actually does love his niece and Meg makes the girl promise to remember their promised horse ride together because the girl and Meg have a love of horses.  This has to be my least favorite episode out of all of Season 1.

By Shirley

In this episode, a young girl, Kathy Gold, disappeared under unusual circumstances. The local sheriff is of the opinion that Kathy has run away from her uncle yet again. The townsfolk are sure that aliens have abducted Kathy, as there have been many UFO sightings reported in the area. Uncle JD, her guardian, is convinced that the Navy and the nearby abandoned naval base are behind her disappearance. He raised a ruckus with the local Senator who pulled strings to have Harm and Meg sent to investigate.

JD's theory was that the abandoned naval base was not really abandoned and that the Navy was conducting top secret experiments there. Wings Hauser does a good job as the gruff uncle with the heart of gold. Madeline Zima is winning as the child Kathy, dirty face and all. These two make an odd couple, but there is no question that they belong together as a family unit. At the end, once Kathy was assured of her uncle's unqualified love, we do not feel sorry for her going back to life in a ramshackle trailer on a desolate piece of Texas landscape. Kathy had what was important in life - love and a good home with her bear of an uncle. That child will not be running away from home again.


Sightings was a rather weak episode, but it did have its moments. It gave us lots of interaction between Harm and Meg as they explored the deserted base together. And DJE and TN did not waste the opportunity. There was nothing vulgar or overdone, these two actors are too good for that, just lots of very clever tongue in cheek verbal by-play. And one can clearly see the chemistry between the two as well as Harm's utter protectiveness towards Meg as they ran from the bad guys.

Then of course there was the UFO angle. Meg was quite ready to give the alien abduction theory full consideration, to Harm's amused disbelief. Of course Harm couldn't even say "UFO". <G>. He then went on to gently tease Meg about her UFO theory throughout the episode as events unfolded. And the final little bit as they drove away was priceless.

Harm: I'm not sure how to write this one up, Lieutenant.
Meg: By the book, sir.
Harm: You really want me to say that you thought it was little green men?
Meg: Just shut up and drive. Sir.

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