User Reviews

This is one of the best episodes of the season if not the series. The boys' surfboard search for a lost anchor has them in proximity to an old mine that explodes only to find that Flipper, after circling too close to another mine, gets tangled up with a thick cable net. Porter Ricks is desperate to free Flipper as he tries various ways to free him.

This episode demonstrates Sandy's growing maturity and responsibility (now 16 and old enough to drive) as Porter can delegate to him the task of using the launch to rapidly retrieve the replacement oxygen bottle, he is asked to guide in the helicopter and then he decides unilaterally to affect a dramatic frogman style recovery as Porter swims hard to escape the soon to explode mine. Luke Halpin cuts a dashing figure at the helm of the Thunderbird launch with his mop of blond hair blowing out as he speeds the launch to and fro helping rescue Flipper. Halpin commented in magazine interviews that the racing round in that launch was one of his favorite parts of the job acting as Sandy Ricks.

You sense throughout the episode that Flipper is in genuine danger and Brian Kelly is very convincing in his acting as Porter in his desperate rush in a race against time to save Flipper and protect his boys.

A brief comment about how society has changed. In the 60s being tanned was not seen as the threat it is today with skin cancer awareness in its infancy. Brian West (Porter) and Luke Halpin (Sandy) sport deep tans and Tommy Norden (Bud) only less so due to his red haired fair complexion. Whilst the tanning culture still lingers for teenagers, in politically correct Hollywood today they would not open themselves to accusations of exposing the teenage actors to skin cancer and so Sandy and Bud would likely be cast with rash shirts on or sun hats. For me the Flipper TV series reminds me of those care free days when people worried far less than people do today.