Dusty

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about how Lily sparked deja vu with her many Mother-Kitty-like habits. Here's another one:

You may remember that The Mother Kitty used to groom herself incessantly until a clouds of white furballs surrounded her. (See here.) I used to think Lily didn't shed much at all, but I've noticed quite a few gray furballs rolling out from their hiding places and wafting through the apartment lately. When I ask Lily about them, she--as usual--tilts her head thoughtfully and then suggests, "Dust?"


(Illustration Friday: January 21, 2011)

Chicken

Since Mini came to live with my sister Julie, she's been The Queen of the Upstairs. if you go up to see her, she may act timid at first. But, she's no chicken.


(Illustration Friday: January 15, 2011)

Happy Birthday, Melissa's Kitties!

Hi everyone,

Today marks Melissa's Kitties' 5th anniversary! And I thought it would only last a few weeks....

Thanks to Anastasia for getting things rolling by introducing me to Illustration Friday. While it's been hard work, it's also been lots of fun! Last year, I took Kelly Ray Roberts' Flying Lessons and Holly Becker's Blogging Your Way e-courses, which were both really fun and helpful in improving my blog. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am.

To mark this momentous occasion, I've finally added an About the Artist page. (Better late than never, right?) I don't have many photos of myself and keep asking my sister for them. We forgot to take some over Christmas, but this one is from last summer at North Market in Columbus, Ohio. I'm smiling because I'm eating a giant strawberry and banana crepe smothered in Nutella. Mmmm, I can still taste it.

Look forward to a "Meet the Kitties" series and page soon to come!

Thanks to everyone who has been following my blog and encouraging me along the way. Here's to the next 5!

Best,
Melissa

Deja Vu

Lily is the first cat I've had on my own. Soon after she came to live with me in 2009, I started noticing habits that reminded me of the other older kitties. She plays Hide and Seek like Comet. She talks a lot like B.J. and complains like Ashes. Like Norman, she gets a case of the crazies--but only once in a while. And, she tends to curl up into a ball for her naps like Simon. 

Of course, Lily has her own fantastic traits and personality, but she reminds me most of The Mother Kitty. Like her, Lily is independent and can act aloof sometimes. I notice her taking over the apartment in her own little way, but she can also be extremely affectionate, so I let her be. 

Most often, I see Lily staring like The Mother Kitty. The champion starer, the Mother Kitty could spend hours looking at you and "tell you" exactly what she wants. I don't always figure out what Lily wants, but she is always staring.

(Illustration Friday: January 7, 2011)

You can see the similarities above. Lily must have learned from the best. The Mother Kitty is happy to take some credit but admits that Lily has developed some of her own unique strategies. Who knows what's behind those giant pupils?

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp--21 Jump Street (Season 4)

[What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details.] 


The Final Year
I know, you've been sweatin' it all month long, but don't worry: Hanson got out of jail during the first episode of 21 Jump Street's fourth season. Imagine how I felt when I had to wait all summer! It turned out that, even though he thought he might have, Hanson didn't murder anyone at all! He was framed! I knew it!

As the years went by, the producers must have realized the Jump Street cast was getting older. While the show still covered its typical issues—drugs, violence, abuse—the series seemed to be running out of ideas true to its original premise of crimes in high schools. I remember Season 4 most for the main characters’ personal stories. This season, Hanson--who 4 years ago was squeaky clean and green--experiences life in and after prison, Ioki recovers from nearly fatal gunshot wounds and his addiction to pain killers, and Hoffs is assaulted! Booker breaks some rules to get Hanson out of jail and loses his job as a result--all commendable, but I still find him to be an untrustworthy mystery.

The Star of the Season

Hanson and Penhall in "La Bizca"
©Fox

For me, Penhall (Peter Deluise) stole the show in Season 4. We bonded over our mutual disgust with Booker’s involvement in Hanson arrest. Then he fell and love and turned into a prince. In a storyline that had me glued to the TV, Penhall falls for Marta, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, whom he later suspects being involved in a baby-selling ring. (See what I mean about the lack of student-driven stories?) After realizing he was wrong, he asks her to marry him in an effort to save her from deportation. Since this all happened within 5 days of their meeting, the judge in charge of Marta's case refuses to recognize the marriage and sends back to her war-torn country. In a later episode called "La Bizca," Penhall and—for moral support—Hanson travel to El Salvador to find her. Although too late, Penhall agrees to care for her nephew Clavo and adjusts to fatherhood for the rest of the season.

Aside from this fascinating drama, this season is jumbled. Episodes aired out of order. One week, Captain Fuller has a beard. Next week, he doesn't. The week after, he does. Then, he doesn't. In one episode, he says he can't remember the last time he saw his son Kip when loyal viewers know it was just a couple of years ago that Kip visited and was introduced to everyone at Jump Street.

The Star Ready to Go

"You talkin' to me?"
("Old Haunts in the New Age")
©Fox

By now, Johnny was clearly over working on 21 Jump Street. In some episode--in what I can only guess is protest--his face is covered by his hair and he barely speaks. This tactic is most noticeable in "Blackout," an episode that was filmed during Season 4 but aired as the first episode of Season 5. In other Season 4 episodes, Johnny occupies himself in scenes by tossing fruit or playing with desk props. In the Halloween episode, he dressed up as Robert DeNiro's character in Taxi Driver. Peter Deluise explains, "Johnny was always very cool, a very misunderstood guy. He was incredibly shy and because of that, he'd keep quite quiet." Many people mistook Johnny's shyness for aloofness, and the massive publicity caused by the show drove him crazy. Growing out his hair until it completely covered his face, Peter says, was a reaction to all that. 

Chillin' in "Wheels and Deals, Part 2"

©Fox

In a 2008 interview with David Letterman, Johnny recalled an incident that expressed his feelings back then. Driving on Fox's California lot, he spotting a billboard that featured his close-up, posing with a gun. "Some kids pack lunch," it read. He and a friend returned to the site that night on roller skates. Armed with paint buckets and rollers, they blanked out the gun and were improving the rest of the image with their own artwork before being interrupted by a security guard.

Confused, the guard notices the resemblance: "That's you."
"I know." Johnny confirms.
"Well, what are you doing?"
"I don't like it. I think it's wrong."
Flustered, the guard looks at his watch and responds, "Well....hurry!" The billboard was gone the next day.

Despite his frustration, Johnny put in some spectacular performances this season, from the El Salvador to his salute to Charlie Chaplin. Exciting guest stars included: Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Vince Vaughn, Rosie Perez, and John Waters. Let's get to it!

Here, The Kitties highlight Johnny's fourth and final season on 21 Jump Street:

• Episode 56. Draw the Line: In the first episode of the season, Hanson fulfills my fantasy and punches Booker out for getting him arrested for murder.


• Episode 57. Say It Ain't So, Pete: I randomly videotaped this episode when it first aired and since saved and savored it. It's an ordinary episode, but I came to love it just because—until these DVD sets came out—it's all I had left to remember the Jump Street Years. Investigating a college gambling operation, Hanson (shown here) is taken to the racetrack and wins a bet on a horse. Also in this episode, Hoffs is promoted to detective, and Ioki returns to work after his long, worrisome hospital stay.


• Episode 59. Come from the Shadows: Penhall experiences love at first sight with cafeteria lunch lady, Marta, an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.


• Episode 66. Wheels and Deals, Part 2: Because he ran the risk of being recognized by those involved, everyone but Hanson helps bring down the top guy behind his murder charge in this two-part episode. Hoffs--who was kept out of the operation--becomes suspicious when everyone comes down with a mysterious case of "bad clams" and she finds Hanson lounging behind Captain Fuller's desk, eating grapes. I remembered nothing from this episode except for their scene together, which still makes me laugh.


• Episode 73. Hi Mom: Captain Fuller gets a second visit teenage son, Kip, who first appeared in Season 2. Enrolled in college, Kip decides to move in with his dad instead of the dorms.


• Episode 74. Awomp-Bomp-Aloobomp, Aloop-Bamboom: Hanson and Penhall follow a student who is searching for his ex-girlfriend during Spring Break in Florida. To get there from their cold, snowy surroundings, they end up on a bus trip led by cult leader, Mr. Bean, played by John Waters. I didn't remember John Waters being a guest star on 21 Jump Street--a very strange place for him to be. But it was a wonderful sign of things to come! It meant that, by this silly episode, Johnny had seen light at the end of the tunnel, having spent his summer working with this famed director on his next film project.


• Episode 75. La Bizca: In one of my favorite episodes, Penhall and Hanson go to El Salvador to save Marta. Tragically unsuccessful, Penhall returns home with his adorable nephew Clavo. (Mini is thrilled to join the cast in this role!)


• Episode 79. How I Saved the Senator: This is the best episode ever. It ended up being Johnny’s last for the series. All of the Jump Street officers attended an event during which a senator is attacked. They each claim to have a hand in saving the day. A reporter comes to them for their stories in hopes of scoring a movie deal, so they tell their own versions—imagining themselves as the star of a movie in their favorite film genre. Ioki's Bruce Lee tribute was my favorite. Hoffs played a '40s jazz singer with a sly ex-boyfriend played by Ray Parker, Jr. Sal was stuck in a horror film fighting off a multiple-masked killer with a plunger. Penhall channeled James Bond. As a cowboy, Captain Fuller rode on horseback into the sunset. Asked to tell his side of the story, Hanson responded, "There are no words," and paid tribute to Charlie Chaplin in his own little silent movie.

Johnny made a fitting exit from his 4-year stint on TV, don’t you think? What’s your favorite episode from Johnny’s last season on 21 Jump Street?

Glory, hallelujah!
Although committed to one more season of 21 Jump Street, Johnny is released from his contract, finds a fantastic new agent named Tracey Jacobs, and heads back to Hollywood on his own terms.

See you there next month when we meet Cry-Baby!

Resolutions

One of my many resolutions this year was to get back to yoga class. I had ignored it for a few months--sometimes unavoidably, sometimes not. I dreaded that old, creaky lady feeling I was sure that my first would give me. Watching Lily do her kitty moves psyched me up for my first class back January 1.

Not surprisingly, the benefits of yoga ruled! Well, I'm still creaky and quite inflexible and typically unbalanced in this chilly weather, but yoga is doing its usual magic, breaking it all down and lifting my spirits. So far, so good. The Kitties agree. They, too, got the itch and now, all of our mats are out to stay. Namaste!


(Illustration Friday: December 31, 2010)

Winter

In Ohio, our backyard was a Winter Wonderland. Here, The Mother Kitty braves the wind and checks things out. (I have a feeling she won't be out for long!) 



(Illustration Friday: December 24, 2010)


Happy New Year, everyone!

Mail

He puzzled and puzzled till his puzzler was sore. Then Norman thought of something he hadn't before! Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. Maybe Christmas... perhaps... means a little bit more!

And what happened then? Well, they say that Norman's small heart grew three sizes that day! And then, the true meaning of Christmas came through, and Norman found the strength of 10 Normans--plus two!

(Illustration Friday: December 17, 2010)

I'm off to spend Christmas with my family in Ohio. (Maybe we'll get to watch my favorite Christmas cartoon, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!)

©1966 Chuck Jones/Time Warner

Max, The Grinch, and little Cindy Lou Who

Happy holidays, everyone!

Phenomenon

I was stuck on Illustration Friday's topic last week, but I think it was due to my mid-week deadline to create a Christmas postcard for Johnny Depp. As soon as I was done with that all-consuming task, The Kitties oldest phenomenon popped into my head: The inability of all kitties to ignore The Ribbon.

(Illustration Friday: December 10, 2010)

Am I right?

Merry Christmas, Johnny!

As I mentioned last month, Johnny's Angels--Depp Fans for Charity, a fan-run website that offers Johnny's fans a meaningful way to honor his charitable efforts, is running a holiday fundraiser benefiting Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition. Johnny's Angels offered supporters the amazing opportunity to send a Christmas postcard to Johnny himself! Due December 15, who knew I'd obsess down to the wire over this little postcard?! 

Well, I guess that's not surprising. I hope he likes it! 

Here it is--minus my private little note to Johnny, of course. What do you think?

Although the postcard submission deadline has passed, the Johnny's Angels holiday fundraiser continues through December 31. Supporting this wonderful cause will make these kids holiday season extra special! Read more about it here and donate today. The children and their families will thank you!  

Happy holidays, everyone!

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp--21 Jump Street (Season 3)

What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. 

A little older and wiser...

©FOX

Things changed in Season 3 of 21 Jump Street. Everyone seemed older. They all grew out their hair (except for Holly Robinson, who cut all of hers off). Peter Deluise’s Penhall stopped acting like the class clown, got a new job over the summer as an intelligence officer, grew a beard, and looked like a mountain man for the first few episodes. In his place, a new officer, Dennis Booker (Richard Grieco), was introduced as Hanson’s partner.  

DEPP? GRIECO?
No contest.

©FOX

I never liked Dennis Booker. I admit, it was an instantaneous, irrational reaction. Fox advertised their new co-star with pulsating flashes of competing last names: DEPP! GRIECO! DEPP! GRIECO! DEPP! GRIECO! The in-your-face repetitive ads were shown so often that Saturday Night Live even made fun of them. I found them irritating for other reasons: Who is this guy? How dare he even try to be as cool as Johnny?! How do they compare?! 

For Johnny Kitties, I decided to wipe the slate clean and give Booker another chance. Watching these episodes again now, I found that--to my surprise--Hanson couldn't stand Booker either! I have no memory of that being the case in the '80s, but Hanson’s lack of endorsement must have solidified my opinion of his new partner. Booker was a wiseguy; Hanson didn't trust him. At the end of his first episode, Booker takes him to a seedy bar for a beer. “I’ve got a question for you, Booker.” Hanson says. “Do you act like a creep because you really are a creep or it’s just fun to act like one?” He never gets a straight answer.

I learned recently that Richard Grieco was brought into the cast because of Johnny's increasing frustrations with the show. (Fascinating!) Johnny started refusing to participate in episodes that he felt didn't adequately cover topics or had story lines that he was against. Some cases Booker took on involved the killing of an innocent teen and hate crimes. Okay, the addition of Dennis Booker may have had a legitimate purpose, but I will never forgive him for getting Hanson arrested for murder by the end of the season. Thanks for ruining my summer!

Season 3 of 21 Jump Street continued to tackle such subjects as racism, gangs, and drug use. But many of the episodes delved into the personal lives of the main characters. Aside from Hanson's little legal problem, Penhall struggles with his new job, Blowfish cheats on his wife, Hoffs becomes a victim of sexual harassment, and Ioki is shot while undercover. 

This season's guest stars included Dom and Michael Deluise, Bridget Fonda, Peri Gilpin, Kelly Hu, Christopher Titus, and Russell Wong.  

Here, The Kitties share the highlights from 21 Jump Street, Season 3. 

• Episode 36. Fun with Animals: The first episode of the season reveals a noticeably aged cast. Maybe the stress of having Hanson's new partner Dennis Booker around caused this change.

• Episode 37. Slippin' into Darkness: In this episode, Hoffs and Ioki join a gang of vigilantes dedicated to keeping the streets crime-free. Check out Ioki's cool moves here! This show also marks the first of many times that Captain Fuller gets in on the action. From now on, he becomes much more involved in all of the cases, checking in on his officers, making arrests, and generally helping to save the day.

• Episode 38. The Currency We Trade In: Aside from an annoying new partner, Hanson also gets a new girlfriend this season. Jackie (Yvette Nipar) and Tom hate each other at first, but then they decided to go for it. Jackie, who works in the DA office, lasts for quite a few episodes, and I even started to like her. But then, she shared some private information from Tom with her co-workers. While her intensions were good, she gets Captain Fuller in trouble, and Tom can't forgive her for that. They break up.

• Episode 41. Hell Week: This episode, in which Hanson and Ioki go undercover on a college campus to investigate a fraternity, is one I remember very clearly. During initiation into this fraternity, Hanson is forced to eat several raw eggs, drink excessively while climbing a ladder (and carrying the drunk guy who passed out before him), and slide into a pool--blindfolded with his hands and feet bound. He ends up saving someone from drowning after that. No wonder I never joined a sorority.

• Episode 44. Swallowed Alive: In one of my favorites, Hanson is left undercover in juvenile lock-up and begins to question what good he's doing by sending teen offenders there. 

• Episode 45. What About Love?: While Hoffs deals with the serious problem of an angry ex-boyfriend, the comic relief in this episode came from Penhall and Ioki. Recently kicked to the curb by his girlfriend Dorothy, Penhall has been crashing on Ioki's couch. A real odd couple, the arguments are on the rise. Undercover here to catch a flasher, Penhall asks for Ioki's forgiveness for his latest batch of messes.

• Episode 46. Wooly Bullies: In another favorite episode, everyone recounts their worst case of school bullying. In fourth grade, little Tommy Hanson was tortured by the taller and meaner Maureen Moroney. Despite being rejected during dance practice, as pictured, he wins her over in the end. Did you ever doubt it?

• Episode 51. High High: The best scene in this drug-related episode is the morning Hanson reports to work in a disheveled suit with his hair pointing in every direction, kind of like Beethoven after a rough night. His reasons remain a mystery.

• Episode 52. Blinded by the Thousand Points of Light: This story follows a group of teenage runaways, one of whom goes missing. He meets an disturbing end. The good that came out of it is that his girlfriend--played by Bridget Fonda--decides to go back home. Here, she and Hoffs muse about the stars in her backyard.

• Episode 54. Partners, Part 2: In an ongoing story, Booker wrongly arrests Hanson for murdering another police officer while investigating gang shootings--during one of which Ioki is critically injured. In his last episode for the season, Hanson is convicted and sent behind bars. Oh the horror!  

If you have a favorite episode from Season 3, please share! 

So, will Hanson ever get out of jail? Will Johnny ever get off this show? To find out, tune in next month for highlights from Season 4 of 21 Jump Street!

Prehistoric

I finally watched Avatar this weekend, which--while not a prehistoric story--may have sparked The Mother Kitty's dream.  



(Illustration Friday: December 3, 2010)


I considered consulting with my 7-year-old nephew Liam about my drawing for this week's Illustration Friday topic. After all, he is full of encyclopedic expertise when it comes to dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. In the end, though, I decided to make up my own creatures. Liam is through with dinosaurs and is probably busy casting Harry Potter's spells.

Savour

Dad makes such good sandwiches that the rest of us always said he should open a shop. He hasn't done that yet, so only we get to enjoy his special talents for now. 

For Thanksgiving, Mom made a delicious dinner for about 16 people when there were really only 6 of us to feed. 

We had turkey, mashed potatoes with gravy, sweet potatoes, stuffing, turnip greens, shrimp covered in her own marinara sauce. The few things Mom didn't cook herself were the pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream, cranberry sauce and Gram's cheese pie.

Taking the cue from Dad, Norman took a stab at creating his own sandwich with a little bit of everything that was leftover. 

(Illustration Friday: November 26, 2010)

We're not yet sure how good this sandwich will be, but he'll probably eat it anyway. 

Can you hear Norman's pre-feast chant? Savour the sandwich...Savour the sandwich....

Sneaky

(Illustration Friday: November 19, 2010)

This is Lily latest favorite game. She always goes for the sneak attack.

Johnny's Angels--Depp Fans for Charity

Hi everyone,

Johnny Kitties has made a connection! I'm pleased to link Melissa's Kitties to Johnny's Angels--Depp Fans for Charity, a fan-run website that offers Johnny Depp's fans a meaningful way to honor his charitable efforts. Specifically, Johnny's Angels provides fundraisers throughout the year to benefit Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition, an organization that Johnny has supported for years. Founded in 2001, Children’s Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition aims to improve care for children with life-threatening diseases and their families though children's hospitals, hospices, home health and grassroots agencies, and individuals.

Johnny's Angels also helps to raise public awareness of the needs of these children and their families and to assist them in learning more about local children hospice options available to them. Don't miss the Johnny's Angels holiday fundraiser running through December 31. Make a donation and have your own holiday postcard sent to Johnny himself! Read about this exciting opportunity here.

Happy holidays!

Melissa

Burning

I had to think about this week's Illustration Friday topic for a few days. At the moment, I'm busy working on the Johnny Kitties' tribute to Cry-Baby, which is full of burning moments. Instead of focusing on Johnny Depp, however, I went to my other love, Sting. 


Working as an English teacher in Newcastle, Sting wrote a song called "I Burn for You" while his students took an exam. A few years later, he decided to move to London to follow his dream of becoming a full-time musician. You know how that turned out. 


"I Burn for You" ended up on the 1982 soundtrack of Brimstone & Treacle, a disturbing movie in which Sting stars. But I knew the song first from Sting's excellent 1986 documentary, Bring on the Night, which chronicles his first world tour as a solo artist. Supporting his first solo album, The Dream of the Blue Turtles, Sting was backed by a varied group of consummate jazz musicians, including saxophonist Branford Marsalis, pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Darryl Jones, and drummer Omar Hakim, among others. That band was the best.


Check it out! (Feel free to turn it up and bow down to Omar.)



(©A&M Records)


Granted, I didn't fall in love with Sting until 1987 when I bought my sister his latest effort, ...Nothing Like the Sun and then listened to it more than she did. But imagine me rummaging backwards in Sting's career and finding a performance like this. My hopeless devotion was inevitable! 


I listened to the Bring on the Night soundtrack quite often in those days. (Sting aside, it's one of the best concert albums ever!) Consequently, The Kitties became Sting fans too--whether they wanted to or not.


Honestly, I think their admiration is true. Back then, when The Mother Kitty was just known as The Kitty, she was very popular in our neighborhood. One time, I came home and found her in my room listening to this song full blast and eyeing one of her many boyfriends. How romantic! 



(Illustration Friday: November 12, 2010)

Afterwards

After a rainstorm, Simon's first order of business is to head outside and sniff out the mysterious changes.


(Illustration Friday: November 5, 2010)

Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp--21 Jump Street, Season 2

What is Johnny Kitties? See Johnny Kitties: Celebrating Johnny Depp for all the details. 

From Splice magazine, 1988 
Source: DeppImpact.com 
©unknown

I think it was during Season 2 of 21 Jump Street that I went bonkers for Johnny Depp. The Sunday night show became the highlight of my week, and I bought every teeny-bopper "Johnny Magazine" (i.e., any magazine featuring Johnny--which was all of them) I could find in our little Ohio town. As soon as I got home, I'd read it, tear it up, and cover my large bedroom closet's fold-out doors with Johnny's photos. 

©TV Guide magazine

Can you imagine how I felt when I found him on the cover of our copy of TV Guide? I loved getting TV Guide in the mail every week and reading its articles about all the stars and shows, so it wasn't unusual for me to ask as soon as I got home from school whether it had arrived. Here's how the conversation went between Mom and me that week: 

Me: "Did we get the TV Guide today?" 

Mom: "Yes. DON'T tear it up! You have to wait till the end of the week! I want to read it. We have to use it."  

Me, upon finding it: [Gasp!!!]
Mom: Remember what I said!

Jump Street's on a Roll
Season 2 of 21 Jump Street may be my favorite of the series. By then, all of the actors on the show were making the characters their own. The cast chemistry was golden. Johnny was most often paired with Peter Deluise, who he later said was his closest friend on the set. Watching their scenes together, you can tell! They had lots of fun working together and coming up with characters and back stories for their undercover assignments.

©FOX

During Season 2, we all learned more about the personal lives and backgrounds of the show's characters, from the arrival of Penhall's high school sweetheart, Dorothy, to Ioki's harrowing escape as a teenager from Vietnam. Tom Hanson, who seemed a little more relaxed and cooler, had his own set of problems. In this season alone, he revealed the story behind his father’s death, was kidnapped, had a slight midlife crisis, considered quitting his job, witnessed his girlfriend’s murder, and got shot! Some of that was in consecutive weeks! 


No wonder I fell so hard for this guy: He needed several hugs!

The show continued to tackle difficult subjects, including AIDS, drugs, alcohol, weapons, and racism. Guest stars included Christina Applegate, Peter Berg, Mindy Cohn, Jason Priestley, and Ray Walston. Watching these episodes now, I found some that I knew entirely by heart, specific scenes and images that are still--after all these years--clear in my head, and moments that will remain there for at least another 20. There's no getting rid of them now. 

Here, The Kitties explore some of Season 2 episode highlights: 

• Episode 24. Christmas in Saigon: This exciting episode delves into Harry Ioki's past as a Vietnamese refugee, a story based on actor Dustin Nguyen's real-life escape during the war. How intriguing it was to find out that Harry Ioki wasn't who he said he was! As he retells his childhood story, we relive his horrific memories. On the lighter side, everyone spends Christmas dinner at Sal's house where we meet his wife Rosa (Mindy Cohn) and their four kids. [Kitty Note: Welcome, Lily, who is thrilled to take the role of Rosa. Mindy Cohn reprises her role once more in episode 27, "Chapel of Love."] Also in this episode, Hanson brings his girlfriend Amy home to meet his mom. (In one of the episodes that I nearly remembered by heart, Orpheus 3.3, Amy is tragically killed during a convenient store hold-up, and Hanson--who feels he could have saved her--nearly drowns in guilt. That episode is stellar but too sad to highlight in the kitty tribute.) 

• Episode 25. Fear and Loathing with Russell Buckins: In this episode, Hanson meets up with one of his childhood friends, who takes him on  road trip to crash the wedding of an old flame. During this trip, Hanson reveals a rebellious side--something he missed out on growing up. He gets a tattoo, wrestles a bear, misses a court date, considers quitting his job, and--as depicted here--crashes into a cow. 

• Episode 26. A Big Disease with a Little Name: Considering the time, I think it's fantastic that 21 Jump Street featured a story about AIDS. This is another episode in which Hanson is confronted with his beliefs, mortality, and the direction of his life. He does a lot of soul searching this season! For some comic relief, we're treated with the arrival of Doug Penhall's high school sweetheart, Dorothy, played by Peter Deluise's then-real-life-wife Gina Nemo. Dorothy appears in a few more episodes before she leaves Doug for good. They reminded me of The Honeymooners while it lasted--always arguing, but clearly in love. 

• Episode 27. Chapel of Love: It's Valentine's Day, and the Jump Street crew have no plans. Instead, they play poker and recount their worst dating stories. Judy shows up late to the game, having just returned from her worst date. This episode is really funny and entertaining until you get to Hanson's story. After dropping him and his date off at a Valentine's Day high school dance, Tom's father--also a policeman--went on patrol with his partner. During a stop at their usual coffee shop, he is shot and killed by a startled burglar! 

• Episode 28. I'm OK, You Need Work: This week, Hanson goes undercover--without telling anyone--in a drug rehabilitation center to help one of the kids he busted during Season 1. Sadly, the kid dies during a lone escape attempt, and--for being a troublemaker--Tom is drugged up and nearly sent to a state institution to be "lost in the system." Luckily, Captain Fuller figures things out and comes to his rescue. Oh the drama!

• Episode 32. Raising Marijuana: I didn't remember this episode when I watched it this time around. (Johnny's not in it. Is that why?) It's not a favorite, but it marks the first time that Harry Ioki lets loose and takes on a fun undercover character. Although usually paired with Judy Hoffs, he was teamed up with Penhall for this one. They play geeky Siamese twins with matching clothes, moles, and hairdos.

• Episode 35. School's Out: During the last episode of the season, the Jump Street program is under threat to be shut down, so everyone is out looking for a back-up job. Judy Hoffs got the best one--to her great dismay--as Officer Milk Carton. On a field trip while teaching grade-schoolers about street safety, she spots a thief running out of a convenient store, orders the kids to stay put, runs him down, and saves the day. Thanks, Officer Milk Carton! (Holly Robinson in this costume is one of the images that has always remained in my head! Do you think she'd be pleased with that?)

What are your favorite episodes from Season 2? 


Tune in next month to catch highlights from Season 3 of 21 Jump Street. (Johnny is getting antsy.)


Did you miss the Johnny Kitties' tribute to Season 1? See it here!