Veteran cop Sgt. T.J.Hooker (William Shatner) and his young partner Vince Romano (Adrian Zmed) are on stakeout at the boardwalk of a beach watching a snow-cone vendor sell bags of heroin as expensive side orders. Unexpectedly sleazo drug kingpin Martin Colson (Barry Primus) shows up with his henchmen and attempts to abduct the snow-cone vendor in a dispute over distribution.
This is foiled by Hooker and Romano who give chase. The chase is foiled by Agent Rossi (Paul Picerni) a decrepit fed who is in league with Paige Miller (Simone Griffeth) a beautiful former colleague of Hooker's. Paige is deep undercover as courtesan/secretary to Colson. Hooker is ordered to stay out of Colson's face until Rossi and the feds can close in. Hooker can't comply. Too many teens are dying or turning to crime to score.
Hooker's lack of compliance leads to friction between he and his superior Captain Dennis Sheridan (Richard Herd), Rossi as well as Paige With tensions still bubbling beneath the surface. Paige, an old colleague but present love interest is playing a very dangerous game. It isn't long before Hooker is not just worried about the safety and well-being of the kids in his community.
If you think this is just a dumb cop show (And golly gee willikers! I just can't imagine why anyone would!) certain implausibilities may appear to confirm an existing perception. What really stretches the bounds of believability is the sight of uniformed officers Hooker and Romano in their police car in plain view, broad daylight consistently being able to sneak up on baddies and witness them in the act of committing crimes. Either these criminals are completely brain-damaged or blind as bats.
Simone Griffeth's turn is pretty much consistent with that of whichever much younger female guest star who happened to be inexplicably captivated by Hooker each week. She didn't laugh. I don't know why beautiful young women had to find Hooker irresistible. Just because it is his show doesn't mean they have to write in these romantic subplots.
