In which the Dukes meet Cale Yarborough…
We begin this tale with Rosco chasing Bo and Luke (and Luke is driving! That’s pretty rare, you guys!) over some unknown infraction, while Bo wonders why, as they haven’t done anything wrong today. Geez, Bo, maybe he’s chasing you for any of the other times you broke the law in previous episodes that you haven’t paid for?
The boys accidentally break their probation by crossing the state line, because Rosco had previously removed the conveniently labeled sign indicating they were about to do so.
Firstly, Conyers, Georgia (main filming location of the first five episodes, and where I place Hazzard County when I do these insane bits of research) is some 75 miles from the closest state border, which is Alabama. Secondly, knowing that, Rosco is well outside his jurisdiction, having to go through at least four counties to get to said border. And finally, if crossing the state border violates their probation, don’t you think the Dukes would make damn sure they know where the state line is, regardless of if there’s a sign there or not?
Annnnyway, Rosco gets super excited and calls Boss, expecting high praise for his good deed. Boss yells at him for interrupting his meditation; he’s even got a shrine! Granted, it’s just two candles and a stack of money on the table, but is that really any less silly than the Church of Ed Wood? (Yes, that’s a real thing, it’s right here in this link.)
So Boss tells Rosco to arrest Bo and Luke for breaking their probation, which they conveniently overhear via C.B. radio. Wouldn’t you think the police would have a separate channel, maybe a secure one that random criminals couldn’t just listen in on?
In making their getaway, Bo and Luke come across an unfamiliar road, as where else do they have to be, besides evading capture? Surely there’s time for a leisurely drive! The road leads to a racetrack, where a non-General Lee’d Dodge Charger is racing around. They get out of the car to take a closer look, and the pit boss, Chet Garvey (that sounds correct, right? Pit…master? Pitfall? Pit, the commodities trading game? I don’t know, racing is naught but driving in a circle to me) tells them they’re trespassing. The driver of the other car gets out and confirms this, and also that he’s Cale Yarborough, owner of Cale Yarborough Honda in Florence, SC!
Turns out he’s at this secret race track to test out an experimental engine, and eventually use it to win something called the Illinois 500, which I’m pretty sure isn’t a thing, unless he meant the Indianapolis 500, and he’s not even driving one of those cars. Regardless, they’re testing in secret because they don’t want the Jethro Brothers a duo so dastardly their reputation precedes them, in that Bo and Luke already know who they are, so the audience gets no exposition.
After the boys drive the other Charger around for a while, Cale mentions that there’s a problem with the engine and wants to know where to go to get a part. Bo tells him “Old Cooter will mill you one up custom.” Cale says “What’s an old cooter?” which made me choke on my drink. This isn’t helped by the fact that the very next shot is of Daisy.
At the Boars Nest, Jesse and is playing chess with old Cooter himself, and who I can only assume are the Jethro Brothers (because the episode’s certainly not going to tell me!) come in snooping for Cale Yarborough. Just then the boys and Garvey the pit boss (confirmed by Bo!) come in and quietly tell Jesse and Cooter what’s going on, then Cooter just blurts out “CALE YARBOROUGH?!” like a jerk.
Enos rushes in to try and arrest Bo and Luke for the accidental state-line-crossing. A car chase commences, and Rosco eventually catches and arrests them. The Jethros are outside the station asking about Cale again, but Rosco quickly turns them away. Bo and Luke try and get Enos to let them make a phone call, but he’s distrustful after the time they tied him up and left him to sit in his own waste.
They eventually convince him, and call Cooter of all people, but it’s really to let Garvey know about the Jethros. He heads over to bail them out of jail, much to Rosco’s dismay. They are seen heading back over to the garage with Garvey, and take the opportunity to bug both the General Lee and the
white Charger.
Back at his office, Boss gets a telephone call from his cousin Maybelle, who works at the telephone company, calling to read him a telegram from the Jethro Bros, letting whoever it was intended for know they’re going to steal Cale Yarborough’s fancy engine. Boss’ wheels start turning as to how he can turn this into a profit for himself, because he’s not rich enough as it is. Rosco arrests them and brings them in to see Boss, who agrees to drop all the charges against them in return for $15,000 of the prize money. This is all overheard by Daisy, who was bringing in some champagne Boss had ordered.
With the new part Cooter milled for the engine in place, the white Charger runs great! There is much rejoicing, but it’s interrupted by Daisy on the C.B., who fills them in on the situation. This is further interrupted by Jesse on an additional C.B, and he seems pissed. They hightail it back to the farm to see what the hell he’s so upset about.
Turns out he’s pretty cross with them about breaking their probation by crossing the state line. They try to explain about the engine and the Jethros and Cale Yarborough, but he’s unmoved. They counter by saying he didn’t raise them that way; he raised them to help people who needed it against the corrupt system. Realizing they’re right, he lets them go.
Enos pulls up and begins to arrest the boys. They point out that they’re out on bail, but Enos says Boss made up the warrant and he’s got to do his job. Jesse starts asking Enos a bunch of questions about whether or not he thinks Bo and Luke are guilty, and if he should really arrest them even though he knows they didn’t do anything, spinning things around on Enos so bad that he lets them go. Enos realizes this and gets all butthurt that Jesse tricked him. Jesse says he thinks Enos wanted to be tricked, and that deep down, he wants to fight the law as much as the Dukes do. Enos says he’s probably right, which is a pretty interesting wrinkle in Enos’ character. He heads off to give chase to the boys anyway.
Back at the track, Garvey and Cale want to leave, but Luke points out that it won’t be easy with Boss blocking the roads. He then details a brilliant plan to confuse the crap out of everyone, allowing Cake and Garvey to get to Illinois. The plan goes as such:
It goes…poorly, what with the cars being bugged. The boys’ every move is being anticipated, and they don’t understand why. They eventually lose the cops and decide to get Cale out of town via the plane of Amos Stigger, the local crop duster.
Amos tells them he can’t do it today, he’s got to do a last minute job dusting Boss’ crops, which don’t exist. Jeez, what a creep. He’ll take your money, even though he’s not providing the service. The cops pull up and another chase ensues! After a spectacular jump, they pull off somewhere and find the bug in the General Lee. They get their revenge by holding the bug up to the car’s horns under the hood and blowing it. This is so loud, even over the radio, that Boss falls to the floor in shock. Bo and Luke laugh long and heartily.
They go over to Cooter’s and come up with an even better plan! They proceed to paint up Cale’s white Charger and an additional Charger they happened to find like the General Lee, with Daisy volunteering to paint the Confederate Flag on the cars, piping up “I’ll paint the flag! I just love that flag!”
The police have three roads blocked off in an attempt to catch the Dukes when they try to skip town. Good thing there are three General Lees, with Jesse driving General A, Daisy General B and the boys in General C, the original.
There is much confusion as to who is where, and the chasing is even more insane than usual. The boys jump right over Boss, as Cale put the turbocharger, which turns out not to be an entire engine, just a piece, onto the General Lee. Cale Yarborough makes it safely out of Hazzard and goes on to win the Illinois 500. Yay?
We begin this tale with Rosco chasing Bo and Luke (and Luke is driving! That’s pretty rare, you guys!) over some unknown infraction, while Bo wonders why, as they haven’t done anything wrong today. Geez, Bo, maybe he’s chasing you for any of the other times you broke the law in previous episodes that you haven’t paid for?
After the boys drive the other Charger around for a while, Cale mentions that there’s a problem with the engine and wants to know where to go to get a part. Bo tells him “Old Cooter will mill you one up custom.” Cale says “What’s an old cooter?” which made me choke on my drink. This isn’t helped by the fact that the very next shot is of Daisy.
Enos rushes in to try and arrest Bo and Luke for the accidental state-line-crossing. A car chase commences, and Rosco eventually catches and arrests them. The Jethros are outside the station asking about Cale again, but Rosco quickly turns them away. Bo and Luke try and get Enos to let them make a phone call, but he’s distrustful after the time they tied him up and left him to sit in his own waste.
They eventually convince him, and call Cooter of all people, but it’s really to let Garvey know about the Jethros. He heads over to bail them out of jail, much to Rosco’s dismay. They are seen heading back over to the garage with Garvey, and take the opportunity to bug both the General Lee and the
white Charger.
Back at his office, Boss gets a telephone call from his cousin Maybelle, who works at the telephone company, calling to read him a telegram from the Jethro Bros, letting whoever it was intended for know they’re going to steal Cale Yarborough’s fancy engine. Boss’ wheels start turning as to how he can turn this into a profit for himself, because he’s not rich enough as it is. Rosco arrests them and brings them in to see Boss, who agrees to drop all the charges against them in return for $15,000 of the prize money. This is all overheard by Daisy, who was bringing in some champagne Boss had ordered.
With the new part Cooter milled for the engine in place, the white Charger runs great! There is much rejoicing, but it’s interrupted by Daisy on the C.B., who fills them in on the situation. This is further interrupted by Jesse on an additional C.B, and he seems pissed. They hightail it back to the farm to see what the hell he’s so upset about.
Turns out he’s pretty cross with them about breaking their probation by crossing the state line. They try to explain about the engine and the Jethros and Cale Yarborough, but he’s unmoved. They counter by saying he didn’t raise them that way; he raised them to help people who needed it against the corrupt system. Realizing they’re right, he lets them go.
Enos pulls up and begins to arrest the boys. They point out that they’re out on bail, but Enos says Boss made up the warrant and he’s got to do his job. Jesse starts asking Enos a bunch of questions about whether or not he thinks Bo and Luke are guilty, and if he should really arrest them even though he knows they didn’t do anything, spinning things around on Enos so bad that he lets them go. Enos realizes this and gets all butthurt that Jesse tricked him. Jesse says he thinks Enos wanted to be tricked, and that deep down, he wants to fight the law as much as the Dukes do. Enos says he’s probably right, which is a pretty interesting wrinkle in Enos’ character. He heads off to give chase to the boys anyway.
Back at the track, Garvey and Cale want to leave, but Luke points out that it won’t be easy with Boss blocking the roads. He then details a brilliant plan to confuse the crap out of everyone, allowing Cake and Garvey to get to Illinois. The plan goes as such:
Amos tells them he can’t do it today, he’s got to do a last minute job dusting Boss’ crops, which don’t exist. Jeez, what a creep. He’ll take your money, even though he’s not providing the service. The cops pull up and another chase ensues! After a spectacular jump, they pull off somewhere and find the bug in the General Lee. They get their revenge by holding the bug up to the car’s horns under the hood and blowing it. This is so loud, even over the radio, that Boss falls to the floor in shock. Bo and Luke laugh long and heartily.
They go over to Cooter’s and come up with an even better plan! They proceed to paint up Cale’s white Charger and an additional Charger they happened to find like the General Lee, with Daisy volunteering to paint the Confederate Flag on the cars, piping up “I’ll paint the flag! I just love that flag!”
The police have three roads blocked off in an attempt to catch the Dukes when they try to skip town. Good thing there are three General Lees, with Jesse driving General A, Daisy General B and the boys in General C, the original.
There is much confusion as to who is where, and the chasing is even more insane than usual. The boys jump right over Boss, as Cale put the turbocharger, which turns out not to be an entire engine, just a piece, onto the General Lee. Cale Yarborough makes it safely out of Hazzard and goes on to win the Illinois 500. Yay?
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