The Incredible Hulk S1 E12: The Waterfront Story

"We differ from the comic-book version, obviously, because at Marvel the Hulk fights super-heroes and super-villains, and is totally science-fiction oriented. We didn't go for that, because within the limitations of a weekly TV series, we couldn't handle the production and the costuming and the special effects."

-Bill Bixby on the reality of TV, The Hulk #10 Magazine (August 1978)-

We reach the final entry in Season One of The Incredible Hulk (1977-1982). The Incredible Hulk, Season One, Episode 12, The Waterfront Story (Episode 10 if you don't count the two pilot films The Incredible Hulk and Death In The Family as Season One entries; the aforementioned pair of pilot films debuted in 1977 while the ten episode Season One officially kicked into gear in 1978) concludes the official first season of the Kenneth Johnson series.

It's another middling outing for The Incredible Hulk, but with some nice, genuinely heartfelt moments from Bill Bixby who remains the glue to the whole concept. He performs tenderly opposite Sheila Larken best known for portraying Margaret Scully, Dana Scully's mother, on The X-Files (1993-2002).

Additionally, it's important to note that Lou Ferrigno always, always, looks amazing as The Hulk. As much as Bixby is often the emotional center of the series, Ferrigno brings so much emotion to the monster in the show. He lends a wide berth of feeling to the creature within Banner and Ferrigno legitimately owns that portion of the series run. It really cannot be overstated just how important he was to the action part of the performance and how critical he was to bringing feeling and emotive behavior to a creature that doesn't speak a word. This writer often champions Bixby in the series as a longtime fan, as Ferrigno was a fan of Bixby himself, but it needs to be said just how special Ferrigno was to The Incredible Hulk. He really was incredible.

Why on Earth that dogged reporter Jack Colvin doesn't stick around in any one place to speak with that elusive David Banner is something of a mystery. He's just not as dogged a dogged reporter as we might think I suppose. He's always missing Banner by a hair.

Banner is embroiled in the drama as a part-time bartender for Larken's character who is caught up in politics and murder 1970s style. It's not overly complex, but delivers a fair plot before Banner must part ways and walk into the sun to the lilting piano of the late Joseph Harnell and his theme of The Lonely Man.

So The Waterfront Story officially closes out Season One of the Kenneth Johnson series debut. Johnson penned the pilot film, Final Round and Never Give A Trucker An Even Break. This sets the stage for the much anticipated two-part Season Two opener Married guest-starring one Mariette Hartley and also penned by Johnson. Stay tuned. Nuff said true believers!

Writer: Paul M. Belous/ Robert Wolterstorff
Director: Reza Badayi.

Hulk Transformation #1: David Banner is tossed into the back room of a saloon during a bar room brawl.

Hulk Transformation #2: David Banner is boxed inside a freight at a loading dock.

Footnote: This is our first entry utilizing the USA release of The Incredible Hulk on Blu-Ray. It appears to be an upgrade over the UK edition of the Blu-Ray released years earlier that we had utilized for a few previous entries.

A kind of The Courtship Of Eddie's Father moment.

The Incredible Hulk S1 E11: Earthquakes Happen

"I realized that I had the opportunity of doing a series in the genre of the 'creature films' of the Forties that featured Frankenstein, the Wolfman, Jekyll and Hyde.

But all those characters were evil - and the Hulk was not evil.

He is the personification of anger.

He is anger brought to a physical sense."

-Bill Bixby, The Hulk #10 Magazine (August 1978)-

 One could imagine master of disaster Irwin Allen would have enjoyed this particular slice of episodic television delivered by The Incredible Hulk in the form of Season One, Episode 11, Earthquakes Happen.

Stock footage is utilized from the film Earthquake (1974) which, surprisingly, Irwin Allen had no hand in. The disaster master loved his stock footage too. Though the success of his The Poseidon Adventure (1972) reignited interest in making the film Earthquake happen.



David Banner continues his fugitive-like existence by slipping into a nuclear research facility to utilize its gamma radiation equipment when an unexpected earthquake occurs turning the drama into a full on struggle for survival. A meltdown is imminent and while this is no HBO's Chernobyl (2019; an incredible mini-series worthy your time), the drama does keep the intensity on for 1970s disaster era excitement. Think of another disaster episode like Fire In Space (E14) for the original Battlestar Galactica (1978-79). Disasters were indeed the fashion du jour in the 1970s and Earthquakes Happen delivers its own Hulk-styled dramatic thrills within the disaster concept.

Oops! Missed painting that foot.


David Banner flashes back to the Pilot as he prepares an attempt to revisit his molecular problem.

The Blu-Ray offering delivers a minor, but still noticeable improvement over the DVD release, but is by no means perfect. Some scenes are dramatically improved while others are marginally improved. Still, the comparison with our last DVD review (E10 Life And Death) prior to this entry and you can note a marked difference in quality from the images.

The flashback sequence found in this episode from the Pilot will likely have Musings Of A Sci-Fi Fanatic revisit the Pilot on Blu-Ray just prior to launching into Season Two.



Full confession, this writer and Bill Bixby fan spent a large portion of the weekend I wrote this watching Bill Bixby in The Courtship Of Eddie's Father (Season One) and for me that series is endlessly entertaining thanks to the actor's comedic and dramatic timing in the series and some smashingly good dramatic writing complemented by then outstanding child actor Brandon Cruz and the lovely, immensely charming support of Miyoshi Umeki. Creator/director/actor James Komack and Kristina Holland are along for good measure in support. It is simply a perfect series.



The Incredible Hulk is heavier and Bixby is a dramatically compelling actor that continues to carry the day during much lengthier episodes (50 minutes) in that lead role when those episodes can sometimes feel a touch too long. The Courtship Of Eddie's Father (1969-1972) delivered tightly written 26 minute nuggets of character drama that still hold up today.

Remarkably The Incredible Hulk despite aspects of the show that clearly date the series squarely in the 1970s continues to deliver a quality TV show that this writer enjoys even if it doesn't shake things up in the mighty manner TV is allowed to do today. The rules were different and The Incredible Hulk played by them. Still it was fortunate to have a top tier actor and production team behind it that allows the show to live on as a Bixby classic.



Writer: Jim Tisdale/ Migdia Varela.
Director: Harvey Laidman.

Hulk Transformation #1: Earthquakes happen triggering Banner's first transformation.
Hulk Transformation #2: Hot steam from a water pipe as seconds count triggers Banner's second transformation.

You may remember actress Sherry Jackson from a host of TV programs including What Are Little Girls Made Of? (S1 E7) from Star Trek: The Original Series (1966) and The Space Croppers (S1 E25) for Lost In Space (1966).