The Rockford Files (season 2)

The second season of The Rockford Files originally aired Fridays at 9:00-10:00 pm on NBC from September 12, 1975 to March 19, 1976.

The Rockford Files
Season 2
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 12, 1975 (1975-09-12) – March 19, 1976 (1976-03-19)
Season chronology

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
24	1	"The Aaron Ironwood School of Success"	Lou Antonio	Stephen J. Cannell	September 12, 1975 (1975-09-12)
A childhood friend of Rockford's asks for protection from the mob.
25	2	"The Farnsworth Stratagem"	Lawrence Doheny	Juanita Bartlett	September 19, 1975 (1975-09-19)
Becker becomes a victim of con artists. Linda Evans guest stars. Episode includes Angel Martin
26	3	"Gearjammers: Part 1"	William Wiard	Story by : Stephen J. Cannell Teleplay by : Don Carlos Dunaway	September 26, 1975 (1975-09-26)
Rocky is going around selling tickets to the OOTA Ball (Owner-Operator Truckers Association). He asks where Johnny Lo Salvo (Ted Gehring) is, hoping to sell him tickets, and is directed to an office where he sees him talking with someone in a suit and tie, Mr. Hammel (Scott Brady), and exchanging papers. Rocky is targeted for death after Mr Smith tells Mr. Hammel that he observed that meeting. Jim wants to protect his father but discovers he hasn't been keeping up with Rocky enough to find him on a Saturday, when he always meets with his girlfriend, Mary Ramsey (Rosemary DeCamp). Also Lo Salvo was paying the retired Rocky cash for loading and unloading, out on the Wilmington docks, in violation of the Social Security regulations. When Jim discovers the dispatcher, Johnny Lo Salvo, dead in a crate bound for Malaysia, Dennis figures the elusive Rocky might know why he was killed and puts out an APB for him--at least now Jim might find him.
27	4	"Gearjammers: Part 2"	William Wiard	Story by : Stephen J. Cannell Teleplay by : Don Carlos Dunaway	October 3, 1975 (1975-10-03)
The Rockfords work with Sgt. Becker to solve Lo Salvo's murder. When six tractor trailers from PSW are hijacked, they figure it might be connected, but who needs tons of ladies' underwear, grapefruit and dynamite? Rocky doesn't quite understand that his life is in danger at first, but he eventually does and even agrees to being locked up in protective custody, but this doesn't happen. The purpose of the hijacking's eventually becomes clear as events unfold. Rocky says that Lo Salvo wouldn't try to kill him, because he was a good friend, and Jim says "Probably a better friend than you'll ever know."
28	5	"The Deep Blue Sleep"	William Wiard	Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett	October 10, 1975 (1975-10-10)
A model is found dead after making a phone call to Beth. Michael Conrad, Robert Hays, and Robert Webber star.
29	6	"The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company"	Lawrence Doheny	Juanita Bartlett	October 17, 1975 (1975-10-17)
Rockford gets stranded in a desert town where he loses $10,000 in bail money meant for a client.
30	7	"The Real Easy Red Dog"	Ivan Dixon	Stephen J. Cannell	October 31, 1975 (1975-10-31)
A woman (Stefanie Powers) hires Rockford to investigate her sister's supposed suicide.
31	8	"Resurrection in Black and White"	Russ Mayberry	Juanita Bartlett and Stephen J. Cannell	November 7, 1975 (1975-11-07)
A journalist hires Rockford to clear a convicted man of murder. Joan Van Ark guest stars.
32	9	"Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken"	Lawrence Doheny	Stephen J. Cannell	November 14, 1975 (1975-11-14)
Angel is in deep trouble. Rival gangsters want him dead, he's been framed, and he lost $30,000 of somebody's money. Jim agrees to help him because he's his friend, but Angel has to do everything he tells him to do, or Jim will pull out. Angel agrees. Jim says "In order for this to work, you're going to have to die." Angel glares at him, but says "I'm not balking. I'm not balking. Just give me a little while to get used to the idea."
33	10	"2 Into 5.56 Won't Go"	Jeannot Szwarc	Stephen J. Cannell	November 21, 1975 (1975-11-21)
Rockford stumbles onto a major gun running operation while investigating the murder of his former commanding officer.
34	11	"Pastoria Prime Pick"	Lawrence Doheny	Gordon Dawson	November 28, 1975 (1975-11-28)
Rockford develops trouble with his car in a small town and is framed for a series of crimes. James Garner's older brother Jack makes a guest appearance.
35	12	"The Reincarnation of Angie"	Jerry London	Stephen J. Cannell	December 5, 1975 (1975-12-05)
Rockford looks for a stockbroker who's also the target of Federal agents.
36	13	"The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club"	James Garner	Juanita Bartlett	December 19, 1975 (1975-12-19)
Rockford goes undercover to a regular thursday night poker game that may be rigged. His client called himself Mr. Phelps, but Jim finds out that the real Phelps has been dead for two months. Jim goes to the DA's office and recognizes Mr. Phelps, who is really Deputy DA Burton Kimball. He also sees a young woman in the hallway he knows as Kate Flanders wearing a name tag that identifies her as Deputy DA Kate Doyle (Blair Brown), and she is investigating Kimball for allegedly throwing cases. She and Rockford team up and solve the case. She is shocked by some of his methods, and what's more, she's his accomplice. This was James Garner's only directorial effort on the series. Garner's older brother Jack again makes a guest appearance. Angel Martin also appears.
37	14	"The Hammer of C Block"	Jerry London	Gordon Dawson	January 9, 1976 (1976-01-09)
Rockford pays back a debt to fellow ex-con Gandolph Fitch (Isaac Hayes) by helping him prove that Fitch did not murder his girlfriend.
38	15	"The No-Cut Contract"	Lou Antonio	Stephen J. Cannell	January 16, 1976 (1976-01-16)
A second-string quarterback (Rob Reiner) frames Rockford for blackmail. Dick Butkus makes a guest appearance as himself. Includes Angel Martin.
39	16	"A Portrait of Elizabeth"	Meta Rosenberg	Stephen J. Cannell	January 23, 1976 (1976-01-23)
A friend of Beth hires Rockford to investigate suspicious financial dealings. Hint: Beth is short for Elizabeth. John Saxon guest stars.
40	17	"Joey Blue Eyes"	Lawrence Doheny	Walter Dallenbach	January 30, 1976 (1976-01-30)
Dishonest corporate executives plan to take over the restaurant belonging to ex-con Joseph DiMinna (Michael Ansara) just when it's expanding into franchises. Joey's daughter, Paulette DiMinna (Suzanne Charny), was Beth's college roommate and she browbeats Jim into taking the case. Includes Angel Martin.
41	18	"In Hazard"	Jackie Cooper	Juanita Bartlett	February 6, 1976 (1976-02-06)
Beth's clients have connections to the mob. Joseph Campanella and Linda Dano guest star.
42	19	"The Italian Bird Fiasco"	Jackie Cooper	Edward J. Lakso	February 13, 1976 (1976-02-13)
Rockford is hired by an art collector, Thomas Caine (William Daniels) to bid on his behalf at an auction on a sculpture of a cormorant that might be one of three originals from famous artist Lambrini. "Fiasco" is the right word for this highly entertaining episode, which really puts poor Rockford through his paces. Ron Silver guest stars.
43	20	"Where's Houston?"	Lawrence Doheny	Don Carlos Dunaway	February 20, 1976 (1976-02-20)
A friend of Rocky's hires Rockford to find his granddaughter.
44	21	"Foul on the First Play"	Lou Antonio	Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson and Dorothy J. Bailey Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell	March 12, 1976 (1976-03-12)
This is the first of two episodes to feature slick P.I. Marcus Hayes (Louis Gossett Jr.). Hayes is Jim's former parole officer, who hires Jim without telling him he was fired. There are three parties trying to get the NBA franchise. Jim and Marcus work together to find which one is the culprit, whose goons are beating them up. It turns out to be the most respectable seeming one. Then they have to prove it.
45	22	"A Bad Deal in the Valley"	Jerry London	Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke	March 19, 1976 (1976-03-19)
Rockford is seduced by an old flame, Karen Stiles (Susan Strasberg), into delivering a package which turns out to be one hundred thousand dollars in counterfeit money. (The recipient does a routine check on the bills and calls the cops.) After being released on his own recognizance Jim starts investigating. We learn that Karen's father served time with Rockford for counterfeiting. It's easy to see Karen's appeal. She's easy on the eyes, but she's also the sweetest double-crossing felon you'll ever run across. Veronica Hamel and Gordon Jump also guest star.