by Hal Erickson
synopsis
Season three of Hunter starts with a bang--actually several bangs--as police detective Rick Hunter (Fred Dryer) manages to shoot down one of two escaping murderers. Alas, the other killer gets away thanks to the interference of "gonzo" TV reporter Raoul Mercado (a thinly disguised "Geraldo" type played by Michael Wren). After Hunter has Mercado arrested, the reporter launches a personal vendetta against the detective, publicly raking him over the coals for his violent arrest record. Thus it is that when Mercado is killed by a car bomb, Hunter is Suspect Number One. With this episode, Captain Wyler (Bruce Davidson) is promoted to Deputy Chief; and Garret Morris becomes a regular in the formerly recurring role of street hustler Sporty James.
