Monday, August 7, 2017

Girls, Remember When Karen Valentine--Yes, Karen Valentine!!!!!!!!!!!--Played A Stalker, On "Starsky And Hutch??????????"


                                 Just after Evelyn Draper (Jessica Walter, in "Play Misty For Me"), and before Alex Forrest (Glenn Close, in "Fatal Attraction"), there was Karen Valentine, as Diana Harmon, on "Starsky And Hutch."

                                 The episode, ironically entitled "Fatal Charm" was a double entendre to David Soul's (Hutch) ability to charm women, and the danger Diana turned out to be.  It was aired, almost forty years ago, on September 24, 1977.

                                 Now, you have to give Diana credit for taste.  David Soul was the real hottie on the show, though those who like them dark may have preferred Paul Michael Glazer.  So, when Hutch is injured on assignment, and taken to the hospital by Starksy, and gets assigned Diana as his nurse, who could blame her for wanting to inject a needle on Soul's luscious butt????????????

                                  I knew thing were in trouble the moment after their date ends, Hutch says he'll call her, and she almost pleads, "When?"  Time to cut the ties, Hutch!

                                   But, of course, he doesn't, and she continues--the tantrums, the trashing of the apartment, even a foreshadowing of "Misery," tying him to a bed, rendering him paralyzed for a time.

                                     Can this really be Karen Valentine?   Alice Johnson, of "Room 222?"  You better believe it!  She actually does a decent job!

                                      The one flaw in the episode is that she is not given much of a back story.  It is discovered she worked at another hospital, and may have had  similar problems there, but that is not explored.  But, sweeties, I can tell you what the problem was.

                                        Karen Valentine was just plain sick and tired of being.....Karen Valentine!  I mean, that whole super-wholesome Miss Johnson thing, with the hair style that was almost a precursor to Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman."  The rage she evokes in this performance shows the rage fueling in her year after year of playing Alice Johnson.  No bus and truck "Sound Of Music" tours for this lady.

                                         I wish I could remember how the episode ends. If any of you out there know, tell me.  I think she is captured and confined to a mental institution.  There she can live out her psycho fantasies.

                                           But there won't be any hotties, like David Soul, as Hutch!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

3 comments:

  1. In my mind, Karen will always be stewardess Carol Burnham in the long-forgotten 1973 TV movie "Coffee, Tea or Me?"

    Vaguely remember her from "Room 222" and other projects, but I loved that stewardess movie as a 12-year-old proto-gay kid. Made me want to grow up and find two hot husbands before I even knew what the hell a hot husband was.

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  2. ...I'm your number one fan...I'm your number one fan...

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  3. I forgot about "Coffee, Tea Or Me?" I had
    that book as a teen; it was written under
    the pseudonyms of Trudy Baker and Rachel Jones,
    who turned out to be a man. The chapter on
    homosexuality, which I at the time found so
    groundbreaking, turned out to be homophobic.

    Victoria--thanks so much. No hobbling, please!

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