PETER’S ROUGH DATE

Hard Knight's Day

Original Air date November 30, 1987^[1]

Writers: Steve Perrin and Bruce Reid Schaeffer

Director: Dale Schott

Main Cast:

• Lorenzo Music as Peter Venkman
• Frank Welker as Raymond Stantz
• Maurice LaMarche as Egon Spengler
• Arsenio Hall as Winston Zeddemore
• Laura Summer as Janine Melnitz
• Frank Welker as Slimer

(Rating 5 of 5)

Summary: Peter is in a hurry for his date, he drives the Ecot-1 erratically on their way into the firehouse.  When they get there Peter jumps out immediately in order to get dressed.  Slimer however has messed up the shirt he was going to wear.  Peter is forced to accept Ray’s generous offer to let Peter wear one of his shirts.  Peter isn’t a fan of Ray’s style but takes him up on it.

Peter not dressed for success!

                Peter picks up Doris and they head to the museum that Doris wanted to see.  Peter isn't really excited about going to a museum, and was hoping by going Doris might one day go someplace he would like.  Things keep getting worse for Peter.   Slimer is following them, which bothers him to no end.  The couple also walks into one of Doris’s old boyfriends, who like Doris is brainy and enjoys museum activities.  The old boyfriend, named Steve Jennings, shows off the Genevieve Tapestry, to Doris and Peter’s surprise the Tapestry closely resembles Doris herself.

Genevieve Tapestry

                As night fell and a full moon hung over the sky a figure emerged from one of the paintings.  Sir Bruce, who years ago had been imprisoned by Merlin, sees Doris and thinks she is Genevieve.   Sir Bruce kidnaps Doris and nearly kills Peter and her ex but Peter manages to trick Sir Bruce and they escape.  Sir Bruce calls out to his minions and other ghosts started to emerge from tapestries as well giving Sir Bruce a mini army of ghosts.  Outside the museum starts to change into a castle.

Shocked

                The rest of the Ghostbusters arrived in Ecto-1, Peter was glad to have his team and wanted to go right in and trap him.  After talking with Jennings, Egon comes to the conclusion that Sir Bruce’s power is tied to the moon.  Before the tapestry was kept wrapped up, since it was open during a full moon Sir Bruce was able to escape.  They need to get him to exhaust his power and be outside during the day time. 

Someone is also coming out of a painting.

                While this is going on Doris is being held by Sir Bruce who keeps calling her Genevieve.  When she stares at the tapestry she notices the woman’s face start to look more like hers and she realizes in horror they are being swapped.  The Ghostbusters hear her screams and Ray realized what was happening.  The Ghostbusters go inside to rescue her.

Caught with Slimer

                Ray comes across a feast and is discovered trying to communicate with Slimer.  The ghosts chase them around until Winston discovers a room full of unicorns.  They use the unicorns to drive the other ghosts back and Peter grabs Doris, who now thinks she is Genevieve.  The Ghostbusters, now being chased by Sir Bruce, get out of the ghost castle and into the open air.  Sir Bruce followed to until he realized it was almost dawn and started to retreat.  The Ghostbusters tried to stop him but the particle blasts had no effect as Sir Bruce and crew walked back into the museum. 

Changing.

                They need a way to get him outside.  Peter decides to dress Merlin and scare Bruce out.  This actually works and Sir Bruce runs out scared and the Ghostbusters trap him.  Everything then returns to normal.  Doris is returned to herself but doesn’t remember anything except a strange desire to see the Genevieve tapestry again.  The show ends with the Ghostbusters running to stop her.

When all else fails: try fear.

 My Take:  This was a great episode.  The parallels with the second film are obvious but since I haven’t reviewed the second film yet I will leave those aside.  Some paintings can be very creepy however, so it is great theme for a Ghostbusters story.

                Now for my stray observations:

·         The character Doris had so much in common with Alice from “The Collect Call of Cathulhu” in both looks and personality that I am really disappointed they just didn’t use that character.  I actually thought they did until I went back to my notes on that episode to see the characters had different names.

·         Peter’s dates have the worst luck.  Slimer tags along when he shouldn’t.

·         The Ghostbusters were in Scotland not too long ago I wonder if Ray’s ancestor ever ran into Sir Bruce.

·         Sir Bruce greatly resembles the way the Superman character Lex Luthor would look in the early 1990s in the identity of Lex Luthor II.

·         So Merlin trapped his guy years ago, it’s a good thing people in the 1980s know exactly what Merlin looked like so Peter could fool Sir Bruce.

·         I liked the use of the unicorns it was funny.  

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[1] Listed original air dates for entire syndicated season may not be correct.