The Hardy Boys - S1E6 - In Plain Sight

[SkyWarp]

So a lot of unknowns or guesses I had were explained or corrected in this episode.

Dixon City is the Big City that the boys lived in before moving to Bridgeport. 

We know this is NOT the 70s for sure.  Which all but assures us that this is the 80's or early 80's via the comment by one character that says, "This isn't the 70's anymore", in reference to having someone not where bell bottoms anymore. 

We learn that Frank has taken piano lessons when he was younger and that Callie has also taken piano lessons when she was younger until switching over to the Clarinet. 

We also learn that Chet's family is not doing so well financially with a poor harvest and banks breathing down their backs. 


WARNING: SPOILERS


We see Chief Ezra Collig again and we are being led to believe he is involved in this whole mystery. 

There is a college/university, named Rose Grave, that has been mentioned several times throughout the episodes.  It was featured prominently in this sixth episode called, In Plain Sight.  I am wondering if this higher education institution is somehow related to the secret group from the past in which we are pretty sure Grandma Gloria Estabrook may be involved with at this point. 

Frank and Callie are both accepted into Rose Grave after taking tests.  And it was at this time, that Frank also told Callie that his girlfriend Emma has broken up with him. 

[MacGyver]

I love that Chief Ezra Collig is appearing in this series! 

[MacGyver]

This episode had a number of neat moments. I like how Frank and Joe are continuing to develop their detective skills, with Joe consulting a tailor to find out more about a piece fabric found at the scene of a drop off. Frank was pretty busy with a test for Rose Grave Academy but he finds time to make some discoveries too.
   As was already noted, more clues are given about the setting. As previously mentioned, the tailor comments that it's not the '70s anymore. So it's a safe bet this is set in the 1980s. Joe mentions Bridgeport having video stores and that is a nice throwback too. While there are still some surviving video stores even in this day and age, it is largely a business that saw its boon in the '80s and '90s.
     It was neat to see Fenton show up again and to see him employ some impressive skills to escape capture. It was also fun to see the landline telephone with a cord being used.
   I still wish Callie wouldn't use God's Name in vain but unfortunately, this seems to be a trend every so often on the show. That has never had a place in the original book series and it shouldn't be on the show either. At least it's kept to a minimum.
     There were some scenes of danger and suspense that made the show more exciting. It was also interesting to see the plot unfold more.
      And I have to mention a few other cool '80s moments. It was awesome hearing The Safety Dance By Men Without Hats during the test scene- that fit really well. (Incidentally, that group is a Canadian band. )
And the scene with Frank and Callie in an escape room was pretty cool and ahead of its time. This scene felt a little MacGyver-ish, which was neat. But more than that, the scene with playing a piano tune to open a pathway was very reminiscent of a similar scene in the 1985 classic movie, The Goonies. 
"Is it A sharp or B flat?"
"If you pick the wrong note, we'll all be flat." Hey, you guys!
     
On another note, it was also neat seeing Frank discover a secret room and seeing both The Hardy Boys consult an old yearbook. These are great Hardy Boys moments perfectly in keeping with the books. Again, it was another exciting episode and I look forward to seeing how the rest of this pans out.
     

[Raven]

I loved the scenes with Fenton when he's in his investigative element.
And it's nice to see Callie Shaw is as smart as Frank. She reminds me of Casefiles' Callie.

[MacGyver]

Yes- both were good aspects of the episode.

[SkyWarp]

At the 14:30 to 15:00 mark Joe and "Biff" are walking down a street.  You can find this street on Google Street View here:  https://goo.gl/maps/bzYtaUX7FvFEwXK99

Here are a couple comparisons: