21 Jump Street rewatch: “School’s Out”

Rewatching 21 Jump Street! It’s the season two finale, “School’s Out.” But is this really… the end?

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What’s goin’ down: It’s almost summer, and the school year is winding down. Captain Fuller tells the Jump Street crew that they’re getting extra vacation time and will be rotated into other departments during summer break. He then admits that the penny-pinching politicians at city hall are threatening to pull the plug on Jump Street, permanently.

"Even my pirate headband is bored."

“Even my pirate headband is bored.”

Here’s Hanson: He’s undercover at high school, trying to find out which kid has been setting off firecrackers in the bathrooms, clogging the toilets. It’s a small potatoes crime, but, in keeping with the theme of the episode, it’s costing the taxpayers’ money, so he’s got to catch the bomber.

The picture of maturity.

The picture of maturity.

Penhall’s prerogatives: Penhall and his girlfriend Dorothy are talking about moving in to a new place together. It should be a happy occasion, but Penhall reveals that she’s driving him crazy. She wants him to get rid of his motorcycle and stop doing high school stuff – to grow up, in other words.

Undercover blues: Hanson’s investigation reveals a homeless kid secretly living in the bowels of the school. Yes, it is highly reminiscent of Freddy’s boiler room from the Nightmare on Elm Street series, which also starred Johnny Depp.

Goin’ to the chapel: Hoffs is all excited about taking a job in the PR department, representing the police in the media, possibly on television. The actual position is less glamorous, with her visiting school kids as “Officer Milk Carton.” Even Jump Street’s janitor Blowfish is getting bumped for the summer, in favor of an older janitor with seniority.

WHERE did she pull the gun out from?

WHERE did she pull the gun out from?

Torn from today’s headlines: A lot of ’80s shows did the obligatory “let’s all feel bad about the homeless” episode, but this one isn’t as bad as most, and it has a nice ending where the homeless kid gets to graduate.

Trivia time: One scene gives us a good look at Ioki’s desk, where he has photos of James Dean and Bruce Lee, an interesting little insight into his personality. Another corner of the chapel has a small gorilla statue wearing boxing gloves, because why not?

Jumpin’ or not? It ends with a cliffhanger, as Fuller shuts off the lights in the Jump Street chapel, not knowing whether it’ll ever open again. This one’s all about the characters reflecting on change, and how much they’ve changed since they joined Jump Street. Throughout the episode, Hanson is the devil-may-care rebel, showing how far he’s come without spelling it out for the audience. With all this change in the air, the question is, “What’ll happen next?”

One for the road.

One for the road.

Next week: Season three! BOOKER!!!!

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Want more? Check out my book, CINE HIGH, now available for the Kindle and the free Kindle app.

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About Mac McEntire

Author of CINE HIGH. amazon.com/dp/B00859NDJ8
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