Betty Jo is young, unmarried and pregnant. The setting is a small town in Florida, 1965, a time when single parenthood was still frowned upon if not a scandal. What's somewhat surprising is that there's no moralizing in this story. The townspeople welcome her home. The police sergeant is sweet on her. The police chief is kind. The only one who disapproves of Betty Jo is her father, who brings her back home from the prison town of Raiford, where her boyfriend is set to get out of jail on parole. It's on that train ride that Dr. Kimble crosses paths with Betty Jo and her father, Roy T. Unger (actor Crahan Denton in one of his five appearances on The Fugitive).
Talented actress Barbara Dana plays Betty Jo with poise and an emotional depth. She's in love and dreams of marriage and family but the boy's no good and she just doesn't know it yet. She's vulnerable and you care about her. There's a sense that Betty Jo has faced her father's disapproval all her life and is starved for love. She's no mouse though. You also see her strength. And when Kimble helps expose the truth about her boyfriend and she finally finds out about his true character, she chooses to go it alone rather than lie for him.
This episode works because of Barbara Dana. And of course David Janssen, who can always be counted on for a great performance. They're both so good. And so are the supporting cast of Crahan Denton as Betty Jo's father, Richard Roat as Glen the police sergeant, Len Wayland as the police chief, and James McCallion in a bit part as Kimble's seatmate on the train. It's Dana and Janssen though who elevate this script with their portrayal of the central characters in this story.
Talented actress Barbara Dana plays Betty Jo with poise and an emotional depth. She's in love and dreams of marriage and family but the boy's no good and she just doesn't know it yet. She's vulnerable and you care about her. There's a sense that Betty Jo has faced her father's disapproval all her life and is starved for love. She's no mouse though. You also see her strength. And when Kimble helps expose the truth about her boyfriend and she finally finds out about his true character, she chooses to go it alone rather than lie for him.
This episode works because of Barbara Dana. And of course David Janssen, who can always be counted on for a great performance. They're both so good. And so are the supporting cast of Crahan Denton as Betty Jo's father, Richard Roat as Glen the police sergeant, Len Wayland as the police chief, and James McCallion in a bit part as Kimble's seatmate on the train. It's Dana and Janssen though who elevate this script with their portrayal of the central characters in this story.
