"The Ho Chi Minh Trail" is an odd name for this episode of "Police Story", as it really has nothing to do with the Vietnamese or the Vietnamese War. Still, it is a very good episode--one that you should try to see.
Mark Randolph (Clifton Davis) is about to graduate from the police academy when he is approached by Sergeant Delany (George Maharis). Delany would like Randolph's help on an undercover drug case and it means leaving the academy early. That's because they need a black cop who can go undercover--in other words, they want a brand new cop who isn't known to the drug world. Randolph agrees, though considering how dangerous the job is, it's obvious he's had some doubts. How the group of narcotics officers deal with his doubts is awfully funny---and you'll just need to see it for yourself. The show follows the trail Randolph takes from a lowly pusher up the chain to a big-time international dealer and the steps the police take to bring down this heroin trade.
This is a very interesting and well made episode--and it shows much more of the drug world than you usually see in TV shows. What I really appreciated was seeing Davis is a very different role, as he soon would be known for a much more lightweight sort of role on the TV sitcom "That's My Mama". All in all, and exceptional episode and one that showed just how thankless such work can be...as well as how rewarding.