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Jack Of All Trades
Episode #102

Air Date: 3 Mar 1989 (NBC)
Director: Vern Gillum
Teleplay: Ken Solarz
Story: Robert Ward

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Episode Summary
A man sprints through a mall concourse, chased by a couple toughs. He tries everything to avoid being caught, resorting to trying to shoplift a change of clothes, which gets him caught by mall security and escorted out of harm's way. He tells the arresting officers that he's working undercover with one Detective Sonny Crockett. An incredulous Crockett drives down to Miami Beach to find out who the inventive con is, and is sorely dismayed to discover that it's his cousin Jack Crockett.

The irate shopkeeper is insistent on pressing charges against Jack, until Sonny confronts him with his past criminal record and a search warrant for possible stolen property. The shopkeeper suddenly changes his tune and decides to drop the complaint.

Sonny admits to Rico that Jack is a family embarrasment, worse than dandruff. He questions Jack about his reasons for being in town, knowing that it can only be for another in a long line of scams.

Jack insists that he has a new legitimate job, as a pool salesman. Sonny is still skeptical, even after Jack takes him to the store, complete with pool cleaning supplies as watches him try to close a sale for junk hardware.

After the sale, Jack is dragged out to Solis' house to see the inoperable piece of pool junk in action, and is threatened with physical harm if he doesn't make good on the deal, either by reimbursing the money or replacing the hardware. While at the house, Jack notices some shady characters going in, and sneaks around back to take a peek. He sees them walk off with a box full of cocaine.

Back at the store, Jack's original pursuers catch up to him. Harry demands the $50,000 that Jack owes, and that Jack only has 24 hours to get it to him, or else.

Jack takes a chance. He goes back to Solis' house, and in disguise, he robs the dealer of his cash. Back at his place, he's surprised to see that Sonny's waiting for him. Jack's evasiveness piques Sonny's curiosity, especially when he can't keep his story straight about his "date", and about the place he's staying at. Then Crockett gets a call that someone stole $50,000 from a nearby dealer and he leaves to check it out.

Jack gives the money to Harry, who's amazed that Jack came up with the cash in time. Harry also insists that they never do business together again.

When Jack gets back to his place, two thugs are waiting for him. They knock him around and stuff him in the trunk of their car. He's immediately delivered back to now two-time victim Solis, who let's him know the pink shoes gave Jack away. He also tells him that the money wasn't his, that he was leasing it from a man named Escandero, and Escandero wants his money back in 24 hours, or else.

Jack runs back to Harry, trying to pull him into anther scam to try to get the money back. But when Harry doesn't bite, Jack breaks down and begs for the money back, telling him that he'll be killed if he doesn't get it.

Down at Miami Beach, Sonny waits for Jack, but Jack is otherwise occupied, getting worked over by the Solis and his boss, Escandero. They want to punish him for trying to pay them back in counterfeit money... counterfeit cash that Escandero himself had printed up. Jack promises to get the money back in one hour if they spare his life. Escandero is amused, and agrees to the plan, as long as he's accompanied by his two musclemen.

Jack guides them to where he was supposed to meet Sonny for dinner, and when Sonny sees the situation, he immediately smells trouble. He improvises, distracting the driver with a dropped can of beer, and both he and Jack run, narrowly missing being hit by automatic weapons fire.

Enraged, Sonny threatens to beat the truth out of Jack, but Jack plays the heartstrings card, pulling on old memories of how Sonny was the golden boy and how he was just the misfit, the screwup. Eventually Sonny tells Jack that he'll try to help, but that he needs the name of the man who he owes the money too. Sonny's stunned to find out that it's Octavio Escandero.

Sonny lays out a plan, and tells Jack that if he messes it up, Sonny will personally shoot him. They speed to Escandero's estate, where Burnett explains that Jack is a dumb cousin, and embarrasment to the family. Burnett promises to make good on the money that Jack owes him, and in the meantime puts out an offer on a drug buy.

Jack goes back to Harry, and let's him know that he doesn't appreciate the fact that he gave him funny money. He tells Harry that he's finished, that he'll tell the cops on him, and that his cousin is one of Miami's Finest.

Harry rides with Escandero, giving him a briefcase full of cash. By chance, they compare notes and discover they both know Jack from blown deals, and Harry tells Escandero who Jack's cousin really is.

Sonny and Jack prepare for the meet with Escandero, but before he can let anyone else know what's going on, they're ambushed and taken back to Escandero's mansion. Escandero tells Sonny that he knows he's the heat. After they've been locked up, Jack admits that he may have told someone that Escandero works with that Sonny's a cop. Sonny is stunned.

Escandero and Solis hear sounds of yelling and a fight, and they tell one of the guards to go break it up... they don't want the two of them killing each other and spoiling their chance to kill them. The guard walks in to see Sonny's hands around Jack's throat, and when he gets close enough, they both throw surpirse punches at him.

Sonny comes out armed, and having to return fire after they don't freeze. In the shootout, Sonny ends up killing the other guard, Solis and Escandero. Switek pulls up while Sonny's checking the bodies and asks where Jack went. A quick check shows that the money that was on the table before the shooting began is gone, and they both hear an engine start up. Too late, they run to the beach and see Jack speeding away in a motorboat. Switek says that they have to get that money back since it was Department issued. Sonny says that he never wants to see Jack Crockett again as long as he lives, and that Jack won't get too far, since the money he took was counterfeit.

-- Jo Brooks

Guest Cast and Music
Guest Cast
David Andrews
Robert Miranda
Jesse Borrego
John Santucci
Additional Cast
Armando Costoya, Jr
Scotty Gallin
Steve Geng
Greg Gerard
Leslie Lahman
Martin Martiness
Carlos Mena
Jeff Moldovan
Kirsten Steinhauer
Featured Music
The Swingle Singers, Fugue No.5 in D-Major
The Swingle Singers, Fugue in D-Minor
The Swingle Singers, Aria
The Swingle Singers, Zweistimmige Inventionen Nr. 1 C-Dur
Production Credits
Music by
Tim Truman

Supervising Producer
Scott Shepherd

Co-Producers
Donald L. Gold
Michael J. Attanasio

Created by
Anthony Yerkovich

Executive Producer
Michael Mann

Co-Executive Producer
Robert Ward

Co-Executive Producer
Richard Brams

Casting by
Bonnie Timmermann

Associate Producers
Thomas Cajka
Diane Sillan

Executive Story Editor
Peter McCabe

Executive Story Consultant
Ken Solarz

Story Editor
Raymond Hartung

Theme by
Jan Hammer

Director of Photography
Oliver Wood

Art Director
Pam Marcotte

Edited by
Robert L. Sinise

Unit Production Manager
Ellen Rauch

First Assistant Director
Bruce Alan Solow

Second Assistant Director
Chip Scott Laughlin

Miami Casting by
Lori S. Wyman
Cheryl A. Louden

Casting Assistant
Majorie W. Morhaim

Set Decorator
Robert J. Lacey, Jr.

Supervising Sound Effects Editor
Mark P. Stoeckinger

Music Editor
Dino A. Moriana

Sound
Joe Foglia

Costume Designer
Bobbie Read

Costume Supervisor
Kristy Aitken

Stunt Coordinator
Bobby J. Foxworth

Visual Consultant
Joel L.A. Lang

Artistic Consultant
Maria Chavez

Titles & Optical Effects
Howard Anderson Company