Rewatching 21 Jump Street! The show puts its own spin on the “Rashoman” thing in season four, episode twenty-four, “How I Saved the Senator.”

 What’s goin’ down: The Jump Street recently saved the life of a senator who was attacked while visiting a school. A reporter comes around asking about what happened, and every one of the Jump Street cops has his or her own version of the story.

Here’s Hanson: Hanson’s version of the story is told as an old silent film with him as Charlie Chaplin type.

Modern times.

Penhall’s prerogatives: Penhall fantasizes of himself as James Bond in his take on the story, complete with tux, quips, and his own theme song.

Live and let Lego-hair.

Undercover blues: Ioki’s fantasy is something from a martial arts flick, Hoffs imagines herself in some sort of ‘40s gangster flick, and Fuller’s story has him in a Western. Even Blowfish the janitor gets into the act with a near-perfect spoof of ‘80s slasher flicks.

Goin’ to the chapel: Right by the entrance of the Jump Street chapel, there’s this totally weird life-size statue, all grey with a hat. What is that?

Torn from today’s headlines: After hearing Ioki’s martial arts story, Penhall says, “You’ve been reading too many Zap Comics!” Zap Comix was an underground comic from the late ‘60s, famously featuring the work of legendary artist Robert Crumb. I’m not aware of it publishing any martial arts stories.

Bruce Li, or Bruce Le?

Trivia time: There’s some confusion whether this episode or “Blackout” is the last one to feature Hanson. I don’t know when they were filmed, but this one aired a few weeks before “Blackout.” Johnny Depp would return to imitating Charlie Chaplin a few years later in Benny and Joon.

“My hat does not approve.”

Jumpin’ or not? A silly episode, but a well-made one, with huge production value. It’s basically seven mini-movies in this one hour, and it must’ve broken the budget for the season. Depp’s Chaplin routine is definitely a highlight. It’s jumpin’!

Next week: Really, really bad news bears.

****

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