“The Incredible Hulk: Season 5″ Review

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Dr. David Banner. Physician, scientist. Searching for a way to tap into the hidden strengths that all humans have. Then an accidental overdose of gamma radiation alters his body chemistry. And now, whenever Banner becomes angry or outraged, a startling metamorphosis occurs. The creature is driven by rage and pursued by an investigative reporter. The creature is wanted for a murder he didn’t commit. David Banner is believed to be dead, and he must let the world think that he is dead, until he can find a way to control the raging spirit that dwells within him.

The opening narration gets me every time. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: “The Incredible Hulk” television series is the best adaptation of the comic book. I think the strength of the show rests not on the powerful shoulders of the Green Meanie, but his alter ego, played by the great Bill Bixby. Hulk’s really a supporting player, appearing only twice per episode — once at the midpoint and again at the climax. David Banner anchors the series, not Jade Jaws. It’s a bold move on the part of executive producer, Kenneth Johnson, because Banner’s not terribly interesting on the comics page. Yet Bixby brings so much pathos to the role of Banner. His performance is no doubt informed by personal tragedies the actor suffered during the show’s production.

Cribbing the template of “The Fugitive,” each episode of “The Incredible Hulk” brings Banner to a new town, working a blue collar job and using an alias. In earlier seasons, Banner would almost always find an occupation somewhere that grants him access to technology that might help him find a “cure.” Later seasons mostly find Banner just trying to get by. Half the time, he’s also avoiding tabloid reporter Jack Magee (Jack Colvin), who’s obsessed with capturing the Hulk; on a side note, I highly enjoy impersonating Colvin’s unique delivery. At any rate, wherever Banner’s working and/or living, there’s some sort of trouble. Mobsters, dirty cops, thieves, loan sharks, abusive husbands, troubled teens, unscrupulous businessmen, crooked politicians, escaped cons, outlaw bikers, political assassins, modern-day slavers, and rampaging gorillas are constantly mucking things up for the man. Sooner or later, Banner gets thrown through a wall or down a flight of stairs, making him “Hulk out.” His eyes turn white, his skin turns green and his clothes split their seams.

What’s paradoxical about Banner’s journey is that he can only bring about change in a lawless community by turning into the Hulk — twice, in fact. However, Banner wants to stop the metamorphosis from happening, fearing that he might hurt or kill someone. But Hulk never does. The villains get tossed around like ragdolls, but they’ve got it coming to them. Hulk’s not terribly bright, but he can tell the good guys from the bad. He’s even saved Magee’s bacon a couple of times. All that being said, Banner’s intellect and compassion can’t solve the problems that confront him; it takes the Hulk’s brawn to set things right. I find that endlessly fascinating. Of course, after he “Hulks out” the second time, Banner has to hit the road again.

The fifth and final season of the series — a scant 7 seven episodes — landed on DVD a couple weeks ago. Where previous seasons had had three times as many eps, Universal unceremoniously canceled the series, leaving Banner’s storyline unresolved. As such, the season’s a bit of a disappointment. Only one episode, “Triangle,” is worth revisiting. The rest are uniformly weak. It’s clear that the producers had pretty much run out of ideas before cameras started to roll on this season, which is odd, considering how strong seasons 3 and 4 are. Season four in particular surprised me with its boldness by introducing the series’ only supervillain in the two-parter, “The First.”

I did, however, enjoy the gag reel that’s included as a bonus feature. Though I’m not usually a fan of bloopers, I nearly fell out of my chair when Bixby — in character as David Banner — delivered this flubbed line: “The old Banner tradition: If you can’t screw it, piss on it.” I think that sort of reflects the attitude Universal had for the series when they gave it the axe.

Regardless of its anti-climactic final season, “The Incredible Hulk” is one of the rare examples of a superhero’s successful translation to the small screen. Series like “The Flash” and “Birds of Prey” — both loaded with potential — were dropped after one season and never allowed the same opportunity to find their voice and creative direction. But “The Incredible Hulk” had a solid run and did just about everything with the character imaginable, apart from giving him an appropriate send-off.

-Brad Lohan

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