Amazing Stories (TV Series) Blue Man Down (1987) User Reviews

I could predict what would happen, but I still liked it very much.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 24 June 2015]

One of the reasons I enjoyed seeing this episode of "Amazing Stories" is that it stars Max Gail as a cop--a REALISTIC cop, not the sort of guy he played on "Barney Miller". Gail did a nice job and the story was a nice tribute to hard working cops.

When the show begins, Officer Moore and his partner are on a call. The don't realize just how dangerous this will be and soon the partner is killed by a maniac. As a result, Moore blames himself and is not fit for duty. However, his boss lets him go out on traffic patrol anyway...and Moore is surprised to see he has a partner, a nice lady cop who ends up helping him through this crisis.

I knew the twist--and I assume many viewers will know the twist that occurs at the end. However, it's handled so well and is such a good episode that I didn't seem to mind. Well worth your time.

Will he get over it?

[sonnyschlaegel · 7/10 · 3 June 2007]

(Please don't read this if you haven't seen this episode yet. I don't think it's possible to say much about it without giving away crucial plot details, including the ending. I'll also compare it to another episode from this series, so that one will be spoiled as well. Better only read this if you know the complete series.)

Two police officers are called to a robbery in a supermarket. DeSoto is shot, but Duncan Moore isn't injured. He blames himself for his partner's death. But it seems that both he and DeSoto were off guard because they thought the robber had already gone, and that it might as well have been Duncan who was hit. He has himself moved to traffic patrol. His new partner, a young woman, tries to cheer him up and to give him new motivation. Will Duncan be able to get over what has happened?

I think this story is too similar to 'No Day at the Beach' (#1.14). In that episode a soldier's ghost saves his comrades, and in this one the ghost of a young police officer saves a colleague from his depression (and perhaps even from suicide).

But apart from that (lack of originality) the story is not bad, and I think the acting is good, so this episode still deserves seven points in my opinion.

The Structure !

[elshikh4 · 29 January 2009]

This is amazing story by all means.

OK, we have (Gail) a police officer who blames himself for his partner's violent death by the hands of serial killer who's never been captured. Now he is teamed up with (McNeil) a young partner with a golden smile, but she seems invisible to everyone else. Of course (McNeil) is nothing but a kind supporting ghost that will help (Gail) out to bring back his self-confidence and arrest the killer.

There are so much to learn from such a lovely episode: You need a partner to rescue yourself. To face your fear is to end it. And when you help others, then you're helping yourself; the way we understood how (McNeil) finished his own guilt complex at the end.

Speaking of which, that was the real peak of this episode's cleverness. I mean when we know that (McNeil) was here to forbid this cop of killing himself out of guilt, the way her very partner did after her death, is without a doubt the coup de maitre of this story's writer.

For instance, give the title a little meditation; it's surely a blue man, a cop, who was down (Gail's murdered partner). And it's a story about another cop, who needed help to fight being down out of his blues (Gail himself).

The most adorable moment is the last one when (Gail) talks smiling to the unseen (McNeil) about his first partner: "You're better looking than him.. And you can tell him that too!", as a hint how he just downed the "blue man" he was. Great line, great finale.

I only didn't like being kind of predictable with a partner that no one sees. The script could have made it better like epitomizing the whole others in someone, a cop, who doesn't want to give her respect by looking at her, or smiles sarcastically at her image, then we know that he doesn't see her at all. Or something like that.

For someone who's crazy about the buddy-cop movies or TV shows, this case is unique and meaningful, where its both leads unite to save themselves from pain. Actually not to wonder, since it's directed by (Paul Michael Glaser) who used to be (Starsky) in (Starsky and Hutch) TV show. He already directed some of that show's episodes, along with ones of another buddy-cop show (Miami Vice). In (Blue Man Down), he handled it simple yet smart, and when you watch carefully the adept performance you'll know that he got a hand in it.

I think the best thing about Amazing Stories, or any amazing story, is when it makes you believe. The top among the reasons is this fine dramatic structure.

It's the show if you want to read / watch memorable stories, as writing is the actual lead here.

The Fine Line

[Hitchcoc · 29 May 2014]

A veteran cop and his young partner are called to a grocery store robbery. The vet feels things are under control and becomes distracted when he sees a fishing magazine. While he is looking away, a man jumps up from behind one of the aisles, shooting his partner. The kid dies. The story is now about the guilt and depression that follows. He receives some counseling but doesn't really focus and leaves the session angry. He is assigned to traffic until he can get his head back in the game. He hops into his squad and a voice greets him. It is a beautiful young cop who praises him and says she admires him. He is annoyed, but their conversation stops when they see a man run a red light. They pursue him and pull him over. While our guy is talking to him he sees the mask that he identifies as that worn by his partner's killer. The guy pulls a gun, fires, and gets in hid car and takes off. They pursue as she guides him through traffic, skillfully, but a group of pedestrians halt their chase and they lose him. A short time later they are called to the scene of a hostage takeover and it's the guy. This is where it turns into an Amazing Story. This is quite well done, well acted by Max Gail from "Barney Miller."