Entry 38: Scandal of 1920

Indy Timeline: 1920

There have been few moments in the course of watching the Young Indiana Jones series when I have thought: "if only more episodes were like this one, the show would have been successful."  It has happened a few times- I did enjoy "Peacock's Eye," "Daredevils of the Desert" and "Attack of the Hawkmen" for their action and sense of adventure.  "Oganga" was a thoughtful episode as well.  But in watching these "successes" for the series, I couldn't help but question- is this really good, or is it just better than the other bad ones?

In "Scandal of 1920," I am confident in writing that the series has delivered a solidly entertaining and good episode from start to finish.  The irony is that - especially for an Indiana Jones story - there is next to no action whatsoever.  Also, the episode revolves around Broadway and the music of Tin Pan Alley, two subjects that I generally have no interest in.  Nevertheless, the episode succeeds because it depicts Indy, on the brink of his 21st birthday, as a young man playing the field as he romances not one, not two, but three different women at the same time. 

Rather than the insecure and petulant "peeping tom" that we saw court Mata Hari back "Demons of Deception," Indy is more roguish, self serving and opportunistic.  In other words, more like the Indy we know and love from the first three films (especially Raiders).  A young bachelor in New York City, Indy falls for three beautiful women who are all appealing in different ways. 

Before he even arrives in the City, Indy meets Peggy, a kind and talented small town girl with aspirations to become a Broadway singer.  Shortly after his arrival, he meets Kate (played well by Anne Heche), an artist and an intellectual who hosts late night parties in her village apartment downtown.  A few days later he meets Gloria, a fabulously wealthy bombshell and socialite.  Understandably, he is attracted to all three and decides to pursue all of them at once.

What follows is a different sort of adventure.  One in which Indy is constantly entertaining a revolving door of beautiful women and struggles to keep up with all the threads (and keep each lover secret from the others).  Along the way, Indy works behind the scenes on a Broadway show and meets some more famous figures of the day, including George Gershwin, George White, Irving Berlin, and the intellectual giants of the Algonquin Roundtable.  Familiar friends, such as a Sidney Bechet and Ernest Hemingway also make brief appearances.  However, unlike in previous episodes, these historic figures support the storyline rather than being the storyline.  This is a key difference that drives the success of the episode.

The episode is also bolstered by the performances of the leading ladies, particularly Heche, who brings a combination of sophistication and sex-appeal that is without precedent in the series.  While there are a few cheesy "young Indy" moments, such as a pesky ape that gets loose behind the scenes of the production, these instances of slapstick are brief and forgivable.  The bottom line is that this is a fun and entertaining episode in which the viewer shares in Indy's thrill of romancing these diverse women.  I found the resolution, fittingly taking place on the night of Indy's 21st birthday, to be pitch perfect.

Indy Rating: 9.5/10