User Reviews

This is one of my favorite episodes and one of the best in the entire series. The emotions of the boys run high as they stare down the barrel of Flipper's demise due to deafness. Luke Halpin had 7 years of top level TV and Broadway acting experience before he was picked to play Sandy Ricks in the original Flipper movie shot in 1962. In that movie and it's sequel "Flipper's New Adventure", Halpin's close bonding with the dolphins was a powerful reason for the enduring popularity of the movies that led to the TV series. Often in the movies he was seen cuddling and embracing Flipper. The TV scripts were lighter and less emotionally intense for the most part and the need to write in Bud as the mischievous little brother and the need to create story lines that demonstrated a similar bond with Bud and Flipper actually left fewer scenes for Sandy to be close to Flipper like he was in the movies. In this episode we see the old Sandy/Flipper closeness in action - Sandy repeatedly cradles Flipper in a genuine embrace of love and concern born from Halpin's admitted great emotional closeness to the dolphins. He sheds tears at the thought of losing him and agonizes over the decision to let Flipper free from the pen because he was so wanting to follow the vet and his dad's instructions precisely.

The issue of the potential loss of Flipper is well handled and the boys demonstrate maturity and resolve as they rescue their father from the potentially fatal confrontation with the bomb carrying poacher.

Some trivia: the Seaquarium vet's assistant that Porter has come to examine Flipper and who is in the water with Sandy and Flipper is Ric O'Barry who was actually one of the dolphin trainers. He filled several roles as an extra throughout the TV series and played a similar role in the Fllipper's New Advemture movie as well as doubling for Luke Halpin in two dangerous scenes in Season 1 ("300 Feet Below") and Series 3 (Firing Line part 2).