The Rookies (TV Series) The Teacher (1974) User Reviews

Two Future Big Stars Appear Here

[Jimmy_the_Gent4 · 14 March 2019]

Teacher is an ex con who acts like Fagin and instructs young men to commit crimes.

A pretty good episode notable for the guest stars. Strother Martin (the warden in "Cool Hand Luke") is great as the short tempered Teacher. Don Johnson (later hit it big as Crockett in "Miami Vice") is Teacher's best pupil. Nick Nolte (he become an Oscar nominee in "Prince Of Tides" and "Affliction) is another criminal in training. Things get a little far fetched when Don hooks up with a willing, thrill seeking teenage girl.

Interesting

[rms125a · 7/10 · 15 August 2023]

Interesting vibes between "Teacher" and Al, the character played by Don Johnson. Seems like "Teach" may have more than a teacher-student relationship on his mind which seemed to explain his later murderous edict after horny rebellious Al hooks up with a wild-child teenaged girl who has successfully hidden her true nature from her own grandmother. "Teach" tells his other "students" (acolytes) that it's for safety and a bigger share of the profits but this is not entirely convincing, especially as he later absconds with all the money himself but is, of course, eventually caught by the cops (off-camera).

Also interesting is how unclear it is if the "Teacher" is actually blind (he explains how he inadvertently caused an explosion that went off in front of his face and when he goes outside he wears dark glasses and walks with a cane, neither of which he does indoors) or only partially-sighted -- he is so self-reliant he actually seems to just be pretending to be blind.

The episode features early appearances by future stars Don Johnson and Nick Nolte.