The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries "The Creatures Who Came on Sunday" #2.7 (1977)

I thought the Hardy Boys were smarter than this, 18 July 2017

On their way to Las Vegas, Frank and Joe agree to stop in a small New Mexico town to help an old friend. Sharon Anderson (Bonnie Ebsen) has problems. The man she's been dating has disappeared without a trace, she claims she was run off the road by a UFO, and the local sheriff thinks she's nuts and won't do much to help her. Enter Frank and Joe to the rescue. Well, actually it's more Frank to the rescue than Joe. Frank buys her story and is ready to investigate, while Joe is more inclined to agree with the sheriff's assessment of Sharon's mental condition. In no time at all, the boys find themselves afoul of the law and harassed by two government agents. It's obvious, at least to Frank, that something is going on.

As is obvious from my rating, I'm not a huge fan of this episode. I can come up with far more negatives than I can positives to discuss in The Creatures Who Came on Sunday. I was going to write about Bonnie Ebsen's terrible performance, but that's too easy. Instead, I'll start with the logical inconsistencies in the episode. It's ridiculous to think that Frank and Joe wouldn't be able to spot a helicopter that flies right over their heads. They're trained pilots goodness sake. It's also ridiculous that the boys do not immediately recognize the government agents as phonies. The boys work with law enforcement all the time and know they operate. And, it's ridiculous that, even at night, the boys can't tell the difference between someone with a head bandage and an alien. They're way too quick to jump on the UFO/alien bandwagon. Based on what we've seen Frank and Joe do in the previous episodes, I'm not buying all the mistakes they make here. It's not logical.

As for the positives, I'll limit this to two. First, the nostalgia factor. That's probably what I enjoy most about going back and watching this show. It takes me back to my early teen years, sitting on the couch on Sunday night just waiting for The Hardy Boys Nancy Drew Mysteries. I'm not a teen anymore, but there's still a certain cheesiness about the show that I find appealing. Second, I want to give a nod to John Quade in the role of the sheriff. I always enjoy seeing him pop up in a 70s show or movie I'm watching. I love his work with Clint Eastwood. He was a very fine actor.

6/10