INCREDIBLE HULK, THE: A DEATH IN THE FAMILY {A.K.A. THE RETURN OF THE INCREDIBLE HULK} (TV)

Summary

One in this series of science fiction dramas about the subject of an accidental overdose of radiation, Dr. David Bruce Banner, who turns into a hulking green creature when he grows enraged and must elude a zealous reporter named Jack McGee. David is hitchhiking to Everett Memorial Hospital in Everett, CA; their new radiological unit could hold the key to reversing his condition permanently. On the way he stops at an orange grove, where he sees a young woman on crutches visiting her father’s grave. She has difficulty staying upright and David rushes over to help her. She says she doesn’t feel well because of the medication she’s taking for her legs. She recounts happy memories of jogging with her father before she faints altogether. David carries her back to her upscale estate, where her mother and the houses’ staff tend to her. They administer the drug Myostatin to help her, but David notices that the drug is red, whereas Myostatin is supposed to be clear. The young woman’s name is Julie Griffith, her mother Margaret introduces herself to David, who uses the alias “David Benton.” As repayment for helping Julie, Mrs. Griffith opts to keep him on for a time as an orange-picker. Later, David sits down with Julie; he discovers that Margaret is actually her stepmother, who married her father a year ago. Julie’s mother passed away when she was seventeen. Her father, also named David, created a multi-million dollar corporation, and Julie is the heir. Her father was killed when a butane bottle exploded on a boat they were on; Julie was rescued by someone, but she doesn’t recall what he looks like. The fire damaged her legs, accounting for her current condition via nerve damage. Denny, the estate’s foreman, sees David with Julie and gets jealous, confronting David. Julie’s doctor, Dr. Bonifant, arrives and administers more Myostatin. Concerned, David takes Margaret aside and informs her of his belief that the Myostatin could be having a deleterious effect on Julie, and urges her to seek another doctor’s opinion. Dr. Bonifant enters and David leaves. It turns out that Margaret and Dr. Bonifant are both attempting to deliberately poison Julie. They conspire to get rid of David by using Denny’s jealousy to prompt him into action; Denny is not in on their scheme and cares for Julie. Margaret manages to manipulate Denny into getting rid of David. When David resists their efforts to get rid of him, they push him around, prompting David’s transformation into the Hulk. The Hulk returns and smashes up the place, burying Denny beneath a pile of rubble before running off into the wilderness. The Hulk ends up in front of a ramshackle dwelling occupied by an old man sitting down to dinner. The old man, astonished by the Hulk, attempts conversation and shares a bit of food and drink with him. The Hulk accidentally causes the old man’s campfire to flare up and he retreats into the woods, whereupon he reverts back to David Banner. David meets with the old man, who gives him a new set of clothes. David notices the old man has a medal of valor hanging around his neck. The local sheriff arrives looking for the Hulk, but the old man, whom the sheriff identifies as Michael, does not reveal his meeting with the Hulk. David thanks Michael for hiding him, but Michael wants nothing to do with David and asks him to be on his way. David asks about the explosion that killed Mr. Griffith, but Michael maintains he doesn’t know anything about it. Jack McGee drives over to Everett Memorial Hospital to interview Denny, who is unconscious and recovering from his encounter with the Hulk. David visits him, but leaves before Jack shows up. David disguises himself as a doctor and sneaks into the radiology room, asking questions about the machine. Afterwards, he finds Dr. Bonifant’s office and snoops around inside, where he finds a file on Julie’s condition. When he hears Margaret and Dr. Bonifant coming, he quickly hides in Dr. Bonifant’s closet and eavesdrops on their conversation. Dr. Bonifant reveals he doctored Julie’s x-ray results to make it seem as though her condition is terminal. Furthermore, he reveals that Julie will die from only a couple more “Myostatin” injections, and he reveals that the boat explosion was planned by Margaret to kill both Mr. Griffith and Julie. If their plan works, Julie’s death will appear natural and none will be the wiser. They leave and David steals Dr. Bonifant’s files and his keys. Margaret and Dr. Bonifant catch David as he’s leaving and give chase. David steals a car and rushes back to the Griffith estate, where he frantically tries to tell a bedridden Julie about the plot to kill her. Julie doesn’t believe him. When he tries to get her to leave, she screams for help and the estate staff try to break in to stop David. Julie strikes David on the head with a metal pot, triggering his transformation into the Hulk. Before his transformation can take effect, he stashes Dr. Bonifant’s files under Julie’s mattress. The transformation complete, the Hulk breaks through the walls of the house and carries Julie out, rushing into a nearby swamp. Margaret and Dr. Bonifant watch this; she believes the Hulk could serve as a perfect cover story for their murder of Julie and orders her men to track them down and kill them. The Hulk and Julie reach the middle of the swamp, where he sets her down. She attempts to speak to the Hulk just before he turns back into David Banner. He continues to try to convince Julie of the murder plot against her. David brings Julie to see Michael; she realizes he was the one who saved her from the burning boat. David tries to secure Michael’s help, but he wants no part in any of it. He points them in the direction of a nearby ranger station and David carries Julie off. Margaret’s men hunt down David and Julie with dogs. Meanwhile, Jack McGee visits the sheriff’s office to relay his own information about “the creature.” He wishes to follow the sheriff on his own hunt for the Hulk. David is getting tired from carrying Julie; he insists that she is able to walk if she wills herself to, but she does not agree. Michael changes his mind and shows up so he may help David and Julie reach the ranger station. Margaret’s men are hot on their trail. Julie reveals to Michael that David is the Hulk and David elaborates further on the subject. While crossing a stream, Julie, Michael, and David are stopped by an angry bear. David holds off the bear while Julie and Michael swim for the shore. David transforms into the Hulk and throws the bear aside and they continue. Michael is bitten by a snake, forcing Julie to make a tourniquet out of his medal and suck the poison out. He reveals the medal was his son’s from Vietnam, awarded for saving innocent lives at the cost of his own. Michael feels responsible for his son’s death because he encouraged him to go to war. The Hulk transforms back into David Banner and Michael tells the two of them to go on without him. First, David helps him hide from Margaret’s men. David and Julie are almost at the ranger station when they fall into quicksand. Julie gets out but David is still stuck. He insists she is able to stand up to reach a branch that could save him, but she still doesn’t believe him. This angers David and transforms him into the Hulk. Finally, Julie musters up the courage to stand and allows the Hulk to reach safety. Margaret’s men catch up with them and begin firing, but the Hulk manages to lure them into the quicksand. Another of Margaret’s men in a helicopter fires at the Hulk, but the Hulk dispatches him by uprooting a tree stump and throwing it at the helicopter, disabling it. The sheriff gets an alert from the ranger station about the gunfire, he and Jack leave to investigate. Just before they reach the ranger station, Julie takes the vial of poison from the Hulk and asks him to wait behind, not wishing to reveal his identity. The Hulk reluctantly complies. Later, Julie and Michael stand watch in Everett Memorial Hospital as David attempts to use the radiology equipment to rid himself of the Hulk. He emerges, unsure of whether the procedure was successful or not. Julie invites him to stay with her, but his fear of what the Hulk might to do her keeps him from accepting. When they see Jack McGee approaching, they share a quick goodbye and David leaves. Jack asks Julie questions about her encounter with the Hulk, and she says that the Hulk disappeared into quicksand. The episode ends as Michael takes Jack aside and Julie stares out the window at David disappearing into the distance. Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: CBS
• DATE: November 28, 1977 8:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:31:23
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:33421
• GENRE: Drama, fantasy/science fiction
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, fantasy/science fiction; Scientists; Comic books
• SERIES RUN: CBS - TV series, 1977-1982
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Kenneth Johnson … Producer, Writer
• Alan J. Levi … Director
• Joseph Harnell … Music by
• Bill Bixby … Cast, Dr. David Bruce Banner
• Jack Colvin … Cast, Jack McGee
• Lou Ferrigno … Cast, The Hulk
• Laurie Prange … Cast, Julie Griffith
• Dorothy Tristan … Cast, Margaret Tristan
• John McLiam … Cast, Michael
• Mills Watson … Cast, Sheriff
• William Daniels … Cast, Dr. Bonifant
• Gerald McRaney … Cast, Denny Kayle
• Victor Mohica … Cast, Rafe
• Robert Phillips … Cast, Phil
• Ann Weldon … Cast, 1st Nurse
• Linda Wiser … Cast, 2nd Nurse
• Roger Aaron Brown … Cast, Lab Technician
• Janet Adams … Cast, 3rd Nurse
• Socorro Swan … Cast, Receptionist
• Rita Gomez … Cast, Maid
• Rick Garcia … Cast, The Cuban