Riptide - Trio mit vier Fäusten - Catch a Fallen Star
A woman escapes two gangsters threatening her by jumping into the water. The woman is the once-famous actress Helen Howell. Her ex-boyfriend had previously committed her to a mental institution.
Director: Stephen J. Cannell, Frank Lupo
Cast: Perry King, Joe Penny, Thom Bray, Jack Ging, Ken Olandt, June Chadwick, Anne Francis, Marsha Warfield
The three Riptide detectives are tasked with looking after three millionaire daughters during their vacation. Marion, Portland, and Heather, however, are very adventurous. But when kidnappers suddenly start pursuing them, things take a dangerous turn.
Dooley is asked by two strangers to leave a package on the Riptide. Suspicious of the situation, he informs the three detectives, who inspect the package. Inside, they find drugs. That same evening, the FBI asks for their help in uncovering a drug smuggling ring.
Arnie approaches the detectives with an unbelievable story. He claims to have encountered a mermaid who told him about a robbery on a ship. Although it sounds highly implausible, the detectives decide to investigate. However, their efforts are repeatedly obstructed by the Coast Guard.
Murray has fallen in love with the beautiful Stephanie, who is being threatened by her Turkish husband. Murray is eager to protect her, but Nick and Cody discover that she has been married three times before—and all of her husbands have died.
Murray has invented a lie detector that reacts to human voices. It is immediately put to use on their latest case. The detectives are tasked with protecting writer Carl Novak, but shortly before an appearance on a talk show, he takes his own life. He was haunted by a horrifying event from his time in Vietnam. However, it turns out he wasn’t the only one who knew about it.
Cheryl leaves her baby at the detective agency, claiming she has received death threats from the child’s father. Using Murray's exceptional memory, the detectives track down the father. He turns out to be Everett, a married police officer who is about to become the chief of police in Los Angeles.
Nick’s high school reunion is disrupted by a robbery. The perpetrators are all wearing gorilla costumes. At first, everyone assumes it’s a bad prank, but then Nick’s former classmate Deke is murdered. Nick, Cody, and Murray quickly discover that the robbery was orchestrated by a rival gang that has a long-standing feud with the former classmates.
The young temp worker Dooley recently worked at a racetrack, where he stole the valuable sperm of a racehorse. Now, gangsters are after him to retrieve it. When they attempt to kidnap Dooley, they mistakenly capture an innocent person instead.
Cody's friend, lifeguard Byron Monk, is in deep trouble. Beachgoers are regularly being robbed, an attempt has been made on his life, and his ex-girlfriend is being blackmailed by an unknown person.
A woman escapes two gangsters threatening her by jumping into the water. The woman is the once-famous actress Helen Howell. Her ex-boyfriend had previously committed her to a mental institution.
Charleen West is regularly harassed by obscene, anonymous phone calls. Suspicion falls on TV host Eddie Carruthers, who already has a criminal record. Charleen appears on his show, and Carruthers invites her to his home. The next day, he is found murdered, and Charleen is accused of the crime.
Nick's new girlfriend Peggy is haunted by her past and suffers from trauma. She had worked as a nurse during the Vietnam War. When she tries to help an accident victim, the terrible memories resurface.
Murray meets inventor and major entrepreneur Baxter Bernard by chance at the patent office. Shortly afterward, Baxter gifts the three detectives a new helicopter from his factory. However, during the first test flight, they come under fire.
Cody, Nick, and Murray are tasked with searching for a missing ship called the "Mary Aberdeen." To their surprise, they discover during their investigation that the ship is actually the "Riptide." Apparently, it had several owners in the past. Furthermore, the three are drawn into an old conflict between their client and his relatives.
Murray accepts an offer from a high-tech company and leaves the "Riptide." In his new job, he can fully focus on his field of expertise, artificial intelligence. When Nick and Cody bring him his personal belongings, they make an interesting discovery: the company Murray supposedly works for doesn’t exist at all. The two believe that Murray has been kidnapped.
Murray's old friend Hafner, an expert in oil field evaluations, is murdered without warning. The "Riptide" trio takes on the case and speaks with Hafner's daughter Juliet, hoping to gather clues about the murderer.
Annie and Rainey run a pet boarding facility, taking care of pets while their owners are on vacation. This gives them access to the owners' homes, which they proceed to rob. The ruthless pawnbroker Dietz blackmails the sisters, as they owe him $20,000. The "Riptide" detectives take on the case but soon find themselves under suspicion.
An old acquaintance of the "Riptide" detectives asks them to meet under false pretenses. He is writing a controversial book about his time with the CIA and has been on the run ever since. The trio wants to help Mack McPherson, but they soon discover that he is playing a double game. When they come under fire, they start investigating McPherson themselves.
Nick, Cody, and Murray meet Ruth, an elderly lady, during a fishing trip in a small coastal town. Ruth claims to have frequent visions, but no one believes her. She predicts the death of her nephew, who is murdered shortly thereafter.
The son of underwater researcher Angelo Guirilini was shot during a dive. Gravely injured, he drags himself onto his father's ship, where a party is underway. Cody, Nick, and Murray, who are also at the party, decide to accompany Angelo on his next expedition. During the expedition, they discover barrels of toxic waste belonging to the company Betrox.
Murray, Nick, and Cody find themselves caught up in a heated argument among participants at a seminar. Meanwhile, Sara Rafferty asks the detectives for help. Sara suspects that her newlywed husband, Chris, is cheating on her. The case takes an unexpected turn.