TV Episode Review: Nancy Drew - The Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting plot told in a different way

Cons: Football scenes, Mark Harmon's acting seems off

The Bottom Line: 

A football setting

Different style mystery

Make for strong story

Football Kicker Framed for Fake Murder

The nice thing about mysteries is you can set one in just about any setting.  The writers of The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries proved that as they finished out season 1 with the Nancy Drew episode "The Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker."

It is never really explained how Nancy (Pamela Sue Martin) and George (Jean Martin) know the characters in this story.  Instead, it opens with George watching a college football playoff game from the stands while Nancy sits in the van and watches the team that broadcasts the game across the country work.  Thanks to the work of field goal kicker Chip Garvey (Mark Harmon of NCIS fame), State wins the game and goes on to play a game next week that will determine if they go to the bowl or not.

Later that night, the girls are at a party to celebrate.  Chip is acting a bit woozy, but everyone chalks it up to the hit he got delivering the game winning field goal.  In the middle of the party, a girl accosts Chip, but he swears he has never seen her.  As the party breaks up, Chip passes out, and the host sets up a scene to make it look like Chip has killed this girl.  Chip falls for it and takes off in a panic.

Unfortunately for the scheme, George has forgotten her purse and heads back to the house to see the girl lying on the ground with glass all around her.  She panics and returns with Nancy only to find the body gone (after all, the girl was only pretending) and the glass gone.  Can Nancy figure out what is going on?

The plot of this episode is a little hard to explain, but don't worry that I've given any spoilers.  The suspense here is watching to see how Nancy will figure things out.  We are privy to the plot and the lengths the villains go through to get what they want the entire way.  That makes for a different feel, but it really works in this case.  In fact, I would say it gives the climax more punch as he hope Nancy can figure things out and find the proof in time to save the day.

The acting continues to be fine here.  It's not award worthy, but it's fun in a cheesy 70's fashion.  The only caveat to that is Mark Harmon's performance.  He plays Chip too serious and earnest for the tone of the show, and it is jarring.

Most of the football scenes are obviously worked in from a real football game of some kind with only close ups of the actors on the field when needed.  These stock shots of the game are obviously different quality than the rest of the show, and it's a bit distracting.  On the plus side, Howard Cosell appears as himself broadcasting the games.

And I have to mention a favorite scene.  Nancy has just gotten some information and as her brain tries to process it, she starts saying things that almost make sense but keep leaving poor George and her father confused.  It had me laughing out loud and was played perfectly by the three actors.

The episode originally aired in May, so the timing of a football themed episode was a little weird, but don't let that stop you.  "The Mystery of the Solid Gold Kicker" is a fun case for Nancy to solve.