Ep 1. The Kirkoff Case

Jim Rockford is a private investigator who has just been released from prison. He served five years for a crime he didn't commit, and now he's trying to rebuild his life, and his reputation. His father, Rocky, has opened a small trailer rental business along the beach in Malibu, and Jim has moved in with him.

The first episode, titled "The Kirkoff Case," begins with Jim meeting with an old friend, police Lieutenant Becker. Becker tells Jim about a woman named Beth Davenport, a high-powered attorney who is looking for a private investigator to help her with a case that has been turned down by the police department. Jim is skeptical, but he agrees to meet with her.

When Jim meets with Beth, she tells him about her client, a man named Larry Kirkoff. Kirkoff has recently been paroled after serving 10 years for armed robbery. He claims to have been framed by a man named Harold Bateman, who was the actual mastermind behind the robbery but who was never caught. Kirkoff says that Bateman has promised to give him evidence that will prove his innocence, but then Bateman disappears.

Beth wants Jim to find Bateman and the evidence, and she offers him $1,000 to take the case. Jim isn't interested in the money, but he is intrigued by the challenge. He agrees to take the case.

Meanwhile, Jim's old cellmate, Angel, shows up and tries to convince Jim to invest in a business scheme that he claims will make them both rich. Jim is reluctant, but Angel is persistent. He needs $5,000 to get the business off the ground, and he convinces Jim to loan him the money.

Jim begins his investigation by going to Kirkoff's apartment, where he finds a clue that leads him to a bar in East LA. At the bar, Jim meets a woman named Rita Capkovic, who tells him that Bateman was always talking about a place in the desert where he was going to hide out if he ever needed to disappear. She gives Jim the location, and he heads out to the desert.

In the desert, Jim finds an old trailer that looks like it hasn't been used in years. He breaks in and finds evidence that Bateman has been there recently. He also finds a set of keys that he thinks might belong to Bateman's car.

Jim drives the car back to Malibu and has it staked out. Eventually, Bateman shows up, and Jim follows him to a hotel. Jim confronts Bateman, who denies everything. He says he has no evidence and that he never mentioned any desert hideaway.

Frustrated, Jim decides to call it quits and drop the case. He tells Beth that he can't find Bateman and that there is no evidence to prove Kirkoff's innocence. But then, in a surprising twist, Beth reveals that she is not actually Kirkoff's attorney. She is Bateman's wife, and she has been leading Jim on a wild goose chase to keep him from finding her husband.

Beth offers Jim $10,000 to drop the case and forget about Bateman. Jim is tempted, but he ultimately decides to stay true to his morals and his sense of justice. He uses the money that Angel loaned him to continue his investigation.

With help from Rita and a resourceful stuntman named Gandolph Fitch, Jim finally catches Bateman and uncovers the evidence that proves Kirkoff's innocence. Kirkoff is released from prison and exonerated, and Jim is a hero.

The episode ends with Jim and Rocky sitting on the beach, watching the sunset. Rocky tells Jim that he's proud of him and that he's happy to have him back home. Jim tells Rocky that he's happy to be back, but he's not sure if he's cut out for the private investigation business. Rocky tells him that he'll figure it out, and they clink their beer bottles together. It's a touching moment that reminds us of the close relationship between father and son.