They say The Rockford Files was cancelled in 1980 because James Garner kept injuring himself by doing his own stunts. That's not true. That's not the case at all. The real reason why The Rockford Files was cancelled was due to an unknown episode that was so violent and bloody that it was hidden away from the public eye. With good reason. How do I know this? I was the very few and far between who actually saw this episode.
It all began when I was getting out of work at my local Staples Store. The only job I can obtain since the Great Recession of 2008. Actually enjoyed the job, though the pay wasn't very good. But at least it was something. Went into the Barnes and Nobles store next door to look at some DVDs. Wanted to start a DVD collection because I wanted to get an idea of what TV Shows I wanted for when I can actually afford DVDs. My genre of choice was 1970s Cop Shows. Was a HUGE fan of classic television. Loved Nick and Nite and MeTV. Liked shows from the 60's, 70's, and 80's a hell of a lot better than I did the TV shows of this day and age.
Going to the DVD section and I saw The Rockford Files. It had all seasons. It was my all time favorite show. Once I saw Rockford Files season 4 set, I noticed something strange. The plastic that's used to secure the DVDs wasn't there. So I went to pick up the Rockford Files season 4 DVD set and the whole box collapsed. I panicked. Thought someone was going to accuse me of shoplifting or breaking it on purpose for the cheap thrill of it. I was rather OCD that way. The DVDs of Rockford season 4 were scattered and I put them back inside the DVD case. Until I saw something that caught my eye. A silver DVD that as also inside the case. Wondered what it was. Took a good look at it and it was a DVD with a tattered label on it that said in dark Italic letters, "Rockford Files Episode 0I".
Walked over to the Costumer Service Desk and showed them the damaged DVD Box and the mysterious silver DVD that came with it. The lady at the desk told me she was going to fix the DVD Box and I showed her the silver DVD and she freaked out. She actually yelled, "GET THAT THING OUT OF HERE!" I asked, "Why? What's wrong with it? She yelled, "YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW! GET OUT! DISPOSE OF IT! NOW!" "What's on it?" I asked again. "I SAW WHAT'S ON THERE! THROW IT AWAY WHILE YOU STILL CAN! NOW!" Didn't listen to her. Thought perhaps she was just being some insane psycho who was probably pissed that she had to be at work. I put the DVD in my pocket.
Thought to myself, maybe this unknown episode is the series finale. Of course The Rockford Files had some Made for TV movies in the 1990s. Was very excited about what this could be. So I drove home not knowing I was about to witness something very terrifiying and horrific. I popped in the silver DVD and before the episode came on, it made this humming noise. I freaked because I didn't want it to break my DVD player that cost so much to buy.
The humming noise stopped and the episode began. It started off just like any other Rockford Files episode. The opening credits that shows Rockford's desk and the answering machine. The person who was calling Rockford wasn't a person at all. It was the three headed dog Cerebus. The voice sounded loud and distorted I couldn't make out what it was saying. Then theme song and the scenes played but the picture quality was bad. The screen was split into two and had all these vivid colors moving around like a rainbow spectrum. Tried the tracking, nothing worked.
The episode begins after and the picture was back to normal. The started off with Dennis Becker crying over three tombstones. Then I heard a faint violin song in the background. People were gathered around talking like they were speaking in tongue. Couldn't help but wonder who those tombstones belonged to. Dennis Becker told the people, "The massacre started here..." Massacre? That didn't sound good, I thought. After, it cuts to a scene where Rockford and his father Joseph were fishing along the Venice Beach shoreline. They didn't even talk to each other. Their faces looked depressed. Joseph caught a blue fish that hit him in the face. Joseph let out a yell like he was in pain. Rockford let out a yelping sound.
The title came up in dark red letters, "BLOOD ON ANGEL WINGS" Usually the episode lists actors, actresses, guest stars, and the people who worked on the show in the credits. Those didn't show up for some reason.
The episode continued as Evelyn Angel Martin was walking down the beach and had an announcement to make. Rockford was none to pleased to see him after all the trouble he's caused Rockford. "You look like you have something to say." Rockford said. "Stay away from him! It's always trouble with this asshole!" said Joseph. Was shocked that a swear word was used. Nobody swore on TV back in the 1970's! Angel said, "Won't be needing you anymore Jim!" "And why is that?" asked Rockford. "I found a solution to all my problems!" announced Angel. "What would that be?" asked Joseph. "I joined a Satanic Cult!" cheered Angel.
Rockford and Joseph stared at Angel for 2 long minutes as the picture froze. Like they couldn't believe what Angel told them. Their eyes turned a pitch black. That freaked me. Didn't last too long. The screen went black for a few seconds. The episode came back and Rockford and Joseph were talking. The volume was down so I turned it up and they were speaking Yugoslavian. Picture froze in the middle of their conversation. A squeaking sound was heard. The screen went black again, and it showed an old abandoned church and a bolt of lightning was shown above. The church reminded me of that one in the movie Jeepers Creepers. Inside the church were the Satanic Cult that was wearing those robes that Tuco from The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly wore.
"What the fuck kind of episode is this!" I wondered as I continued to watch. Inside the old church had a bunch of skulls from every animal imaginable. The members were sitting in chairs. The cult leader said, "We have a new member joining us tonight. Please welcome, Evelyn Angel Martin" The cult members clapped as Angel came to the front wearing a robe. The cult leader says, "Want to be a part of our cult?" "More than anything." said Angel. The members hand Angel a goat. "Then sacrifice this goat in the name of..." the sound went down again, and came back as the cult leader yelled, "SATAN!" The way the leader yelled Satan was so loud it shook my entire apartment. The leader got a hold of Angel and raped him as he screamed in agony.
Why in the world is Rockford swearing? I pondered. He's supposed to be nice and easygoing. In this episode, Rockford seemed to be a total asshole!
Joseph heard the commotion and said, "There's one thing to do!" The scene switched in a split second to Rockford, Joseph, and Angel at the abandoned church. Out came the cult leaders who were about to kill Rockford and Angel. "This is the end!" shouted Joseph. Rockford got out some medeveal looking swords. Rockford took one for himself, and the other for Angel. "What are we doing with these?" asked Angel. Rockford yelled a battle cry and yelled, "TO VICTORY!"
The cult members were getting brutally stabbed and hacked by Rockford and Angel. Gasped as I saw this and I couldn't believe that an episode of the Rockford Files was made like this. As the cult members were being stabbed, hyper realistic blood and organ tissues were flying around. Made me want to vomit and cry. "WHY? WHY? WHY? HOW COULD THEY DO THIS TO ROCKOFRD!" I yelled. Joseph was shocked by the violence, he looked as though he was going to have a nervous breakdown. "Sonny! I thought I taught you better than this!" Joseph then takes out a pistol and shoots himself in the head. A car came and Dennis Becker came out.
The cult members were all dead in a mess of their own hyper realistic blood. Angel was walking around trying to look for Rockford. "We sure showed them didn't we? Guess we might go back to prison for this!" Angel was frantically looking for Rockford. "JIM! JIM! JIM! JIM! JIM! JIM!" Angel echoed Rockford's name over and over that could be heard over the speakers on my TV. Angel finally sees Rockford standing next to a tree with his back turned kind of like the victims in The Blair Witch Project.
Rockford turned to Angel it showed his face close up. Rockford had photo realistic red eyes and the whites of his eyes were now black. "Oh no! What is this? What's happening!" I shouted as I was very scared. Rockford grabbed Angel by the shirt and was now possessed. Angel kept begging for mercy. "Please Jim! Don't kill me! I know I caused you a lot of shit..." Rockford yelled in a deep droning voice, "EVELYN ANGEL MARTIN! YOU HAVE MADE MY LIFE A FUCKING HELL!" Angel was terrified. "What's happened with you, Rocky? Talk to me!" "FOR THAT, YOU WILL PAY DEARLY!" Rockford laughed evilly. Rockford ripped off Angel's pants and raped him. Then he proceeded to stab Angel in every part of his body numerous times. I tried to count how many, I lost count around 300. Rockford puts Angel's bloody corpse on a cross and nails Angel's body to a cross.
Angel's face was shown close up, he now had his eyes torn out of his sockets with blood dripping out. The scene cuts to Rockford as he slowly walks up to Becker and tells him, "I'm keeping you alive to tell the tale. Spread the word!" Dennis Becker drives off. Rockford then got hit by a semi truck out of nowhere. The scene changed to Dennis Becker telling the crowd from earlier as he walked away slowly and crying. Spooky Organ music played. The camera closes in on the Tombstones that each read, "HERE LIES JIM ROCKFORD. R.I.P." "HERE LIES EVELYN ANGEL MARTIN R.I.P." "HERE LIES JOSEPH ROCKFORD R.I.P" The episode ended.
It cut to the closing credits where it showed a dark background along with the possessed Rockford with the sword in his hand and the dead and bloody Angel on the crucifix. The credits read, "Written and Produced by 666, Satan, Lucifer, Belizebub". Afterwards it showed the Universal Pictures logo that earth looked blood red. The DVD popped out of my Player and hit me in the arm. Although I was shaken after what I had saw. That didn't stop me from looking on the internet for Rockford Files Episode 0I, then Rockford Files Blood On Angel Wings. Found nothing about it. No trace of it.
So I got in my car, took the silver DVD with me. Drove to a park with a lake, no one was there. I threw the DVD far into the lake so no one else can witness the unholy terrors of what I had seen. As I threw the DVD into the lake, the DVD fizzled into the water until it disappeared. Was relieved. Didn't watch Rockford for a while. Still loved the show. Didn't tell a soul about what I saw on the Rockford Files DVD. Knew no one would believe me.
What was Stephen J. Cannell thinking? Who in their right mind would've thought this would've made a good episode of The Rockford Files? Remains a mystery to me. Did I even want to know? Did I?