Hello everyone! This is my review of the 10th episode of 'Baywatch!' Please feel free to comment whether you agree, disagree or want to give your opinion on any point of the review. Let's get some real waves going!

It's a little long, but you should be able to get through with no problem!

**** Sharkey's Review ****

Missing
Episode #10/8th season (1997-1998)
Aired 11/30/97

My score: 5 Rescue Cans/Exceptional

This Week's Quote: "Never, ever leave your tower before your shift is over! You know the rules!"
-Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff) said to Cody when a young girl was missing in the ocean.

Ratings:

5 Rescue Cans/Exceptional (Super Waves!)
4 Rescue Cans/Excellent
3 Rescue Cans/Good
2 Rescue Cans/Fair
1 Rescue Can/Poor (A total Wipeout!)

"Baywatch' has already given us several classic episodes this season. 'Missing,' directed by Parker Stevenson and written by David Braff is among them. It had a strong, sensitive plot that gave David Chokachi, who portrays lifeguard Cody Madison a chance to show what he could do. He delivered brilliantly! He was glorious in this episode, displaying a wide range of believable emotions, especially guilt. A young teenaged girl named Rosanna Alvarez (Michelle Aguirre) waited for Cody to leave his tower for the day before she went into the water before her little sister and never came out.

It resulted a full-fledged search. The actress who portrayed Rosanna's Mother, Lucinda (Yolanda Delgado) was also glorious. She was very believable as the tearful, heartsick, hysterical Mother who feared the worst often clutching onto her little daughter Nikki (Meghan Gutierrez). Her tears and the fact that she did as well to convince everyone that she only understood and spoke Spanish deemed her a fine actress. Most Spanish spoken on the screen sounds slow and often hesitant between each word. As if it was a second language learned in a class. Not this actress! Her Spanish was spoken quickly and the words often running close together as in someone who really does not know English.

When the press quickly arrived on the scene, Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff) finally got all of the facts. The woman said through translator Manny Gutierrez (Jose Solano) that the tower was closed at 4:57 p.m. Mitch wondered how that could possibly be? Cody told Mitch that he set his watch five minutes fast so that he wouldn't run late. Hasselhoff was also brilliant here. Caught between anger at the press for exploiting the issue, and disappointment in Cody, his words were memorable, 'Never, ever leave your tower before your shift is over! You know the rules!' Mitch has screamed at his own son Hobie (Jeremy Jackson) on several occasions when concerned for his safety, and has said a lot of things in anger even at the late Lt. Stephanie Holden (Alexandra Paul) when she returned to 'Baywatch,' but never has he snapped and growled before.

Cody's girlfriend, fellow Lifeguard Lani Mckenzie (Carmen Electra) quickly spoke up and said that it was her fault as much as it was his. She called him and asked him to hurry. She got tickets to a movie and didn't want to be late. Mitch couldn't believe it! A little girl's life was at stake because of a movie. Bad judgement was used here. Cody knew that his watch was fast, so he should have hung around for a few minutes longer.

A sleazy reporter, wanting a brilliant story at any cost got it on tape. When the Chief saw this, she was not amused. She wanted Cody's resignation on her desk. As the search went on, Cody couldn't leave the beach until the girl was found. So ridden with guilt, he began to have hallucinations, seeing the girl out in the water struggling to stay afloat and crying for help. Jack 'J.D.' Darius (Michael Bergin) didn't see her. He shrugged and kept asking, 'Where?' Post-Traumatic Syndrome set in. The rescue operation was now replaced with a recovery operation. Mitch hated to have Manny tell this Mom looking pretty young and vulnerable, who loved her daughter so much, that since so much time has passed that there was no hope of finding Rosanna alive. Through her grief, she still wanted to stay until she was found.

Later that night, Cody walked on the beach, unable to shake the guilt. He held his head in his hands. Lani came out and offered him a blanket as it was getting cold. Later at the office, Mitch was so angry when he was talking with the Chief on the phone. He was fed up with the press, the pressure, and being pulled in too many directions. He was being told to have Cody's resignation on his desk, and out of anger, Mitch said that he quit. A phone call came a while later. Michael 'Newmy' Newman' (Michael Newman) picked it up. There was a smile on his face. It was a call stating that Rosanna was at home. Her Mother and sister found out when she got home.

Unbelievable! This girl caused all sorts of havoc! She knew that 'half the County' was searching for her, yet her conscience did not permit this girl to step forward to admit that she had faked the drowning. How she swam underwater to the rocks and eased her way behind them unseen. Her poor Mother was worried so and I have to express this in her defense, 'Shame! Shame on you Rosanna! How could you put your Mom through something like that!' What she did was wrong, and she knew it. Rosanna needed to be grounded for life. Her sentence would be over only when her Mother had passed on from old age at least fifty years from now! She had to offer a letter of apology. Mitch went out to find Cody to tell him what happened.

The next day, Mitch called from his tower that Lt. Mitch Buchannon was 'officially back on duty.' When Cody approaches Mitch, he finds out that he's been suspended for two weeks for leaving his tower early, and that there was a letter of reprimand in his permanent file. This vacant spot in the roster gave Mitch a chance to work a tower again. Cody told him not to get too comfortable, that he'd be back in two weeks.

Observations:

The opening scene starts out with J.D and Rookie Sheryl Whalen (Ingrid Walters) padding through the water on their boards searching for a missing girl. Mitch's Captain's Truck arrives on the scene. '295, possible submersion on 'Sunset Beach.' Caroline requests all available assistance…'

Back at the water Sheryl said, 'This water's so murky, it's hard to see anything!' J.D. told her, 'Just keep looking.' Just as Mitch arrived Caroline was coming out of the water toward a woman and little girl. 'I'm sorry, I just couldn't find her…' Mitch got out of his truck with Caroline, the woman and little girl hurrying toward them. The woman frantically is trying to tell what happened on Spanish. Mitch tells her, 'No hablo Espanol. Se hable Engles?' Caroline tells him that they didn't speak English-only Spanish. Then Mitch asks what happened. Caroline focuses attention on the approaching Lifeguard truck. She tells Mitch that Manny would be able to translate. 'What happened?' Mitch asked her again. She told him that she didn't know. She was driving toward headquarters and they ran in front of the truck waving for her to stop.

Manny came over quickly and after talking to her as to what happened, the woman was relieved when he spoke Spanish. Manny explained that Mrs. Aucinda Alvarez's Daughter Rosanna went into the water, and never came out. Mitch told Manny to ask when she went in. Mrs. Alvarez told him. Manny said, 'She didn't see her go into the water. The little girl Nikki did.' Manny had to kneel down on knee to her height and asked her what happened. Nikki told him what happened while Manny translated.

'Her sister was very sad, but she wouldn't say why. She said that she wouldn't understand.' They sat on a blanket. Rosanna kept looking at Cody, the lifeguard on duty. She was waiting for him to leave. Cody was preparing to lock up and quickly putting on his shirt, looking at his watch. He got his bike out and proceeded down the ramp. He picked up his bike while looking at them before he was soon out of sight. 'When the lifeguard left, Roseanna got up and went into the water.' She kept calling after her. 'Rosanna…' Roseanna appeared as if she was drowning. Manny said 'She never saw her come out.'

'That was Cody's tower, wasn't it?' asked Mitch. Caroline said, 'Yeah, his shift ended at five.' Mitch told Manny to ask them what the missing girl was wearing and the exact time she went into the water. A blaring siren from a Lifeguard truck made them glance over. 'Brief them on water conditions.' Mitch told Caroline. Caroline did so. Everyone was pulling on diving gear. Mitch wanted all available staff on the beach ASAP! Caroline told them that there was a rocky bottom and there was lots of hold-to watch their footing. That visibility was next to nothing until you get out about 30 feet. The team goes under to search. J.D. and Sheryl prepare to go in. 'I hope they have better luck than we did.' Said Sheryl.

Back on the beach, Manny and Mrs. Alvarez approaches Mitch and tells him that the woman told him that Rosanna went into the water a few minutes before five. 'Is she sure about that?' Asked Mitch. Manny asked her again. Mrs. Alvarez goes into her flashback to tell Manny what happened. Manny told Mitch that she went to her car. She noticed that the window was down. When she started the car, that it was 4:57. 'If it was before five, there should have been a lifeguard in that tower.' Said Mitch. She told Manny that there was no Lifeguard. The tower was closed. She looked all over for Rosanna. The girl was nowhere to be found. They went to the water calling Rosanna's name. 'I got scared, I started to panic and ran for help. That's when I noticed that the tower was closed.' They saw Caroline's truck and flagged her down.

Mitch told Manny to see where she parked. Maybe they will catch a break and the little girl will be waiting by the car. After Manny left, Mitch told the woman, 'Uno momento, por favor (one minute please), it's O.K. Meanwhile, Cody just pulls up to Lani on his bike. Lani told him that she just got called into headquarters. 'You're kidding me. What's the problem?' asked Cody. 'I don't know.' Lani said. Cody said, 'Let's go.' A 'serious every-available-Lifeguard search' was conducted. The Ocean was filled with Lifeguards. There were some staff searching underwater in diving gear. Mitch was on his radio to units as to what the girl was wearing. She had been wearing a black tee shirt and blue jean shorts. The press pulls up eagerly hunting for a story to exploit. Mitch sees this and reaches into his Captain's Truck and pulls out a roll of yellow 'caution' barrier tape. He spots April Giminski (Kelly Packard), telling her to set up a barrier. 'How'd they get here so fast?' She asked. Mitch looked about as he answered. 'Scanners and monitoring their frequency.' They both looked up at the news helicopter hovering over the scene. 'Great!' April said moaning.

Back at Headquarters, Jordan Tate (Traci Bingham) heads their way. She sees Lani and Cody and says, 'We have a possible submersion on 'Sunset Beach.' Cody looked at her and said, 'Sunset Beach? What tower?' Jordan said, 'Yours.' Cody and Lani exchanged glances. The press swarmed all over the beach and wanted an account of what happened. They had to stay behind the line. It's a good thing that Mitch saw that coming and had the yellow barrier ribbon put up. 'Let's find out whose in charge here.' Said a reporter to his young cameraman.

'This whole thing is turning into a media circus, get me some more personnel ASAP!' Said Mitch into his radio to the dispatcher. Mrs. Alvarez returned with Manny. She was saying something for Manny to tell Mitch, as the girl wasn't by the car. Mitch told Manny to 'comfort her and that everything will be all right. We'll find the little girl. Just keep her away from the media.' The reporter gets through the barrier. He walks up to Mitch. He then looks at the cameraman, 'Could you get the shot, please?' The cameraman then aims his camera at Mitch. 'Thank you.' The reporter continued, with questions aiming toward Mitch. He asked if he was in charge and his name. 'Just a couple of quick questions…Have you found the body yet? What are the chances of the little girl's survival out there?' Mitch said that they weren't sure if the girl was even out there. Mitch didn't have the time. He had a rescue operation to coordinate. He made his way over toward the Lifeguard Car. He spotted Cody and hurried him along. "I need to talk to you, come here.'

When the reporter tried pushing his way through, Mitch said, 'Excuse me.' Mitch took him to the woman and little girl. Mitch asked if he recognized them. He did, 'there was another girl with them, a teenager. Is she the one who's missing?' Mitch said, 'Yeah, did you see her go in the water?'

'No, I remember because they were having a pretty nasty argument,' Cody said. 'I was going to say something, but figured it was best to mind my own business. Cody explains further, going into his flashback. 'They weren't paying much attention to that little girl.' She was playing by the water. The Mother and teen had an argument and the she slapped the girl. The girl began to whine. Cody still kept an eye on them all, as he made his way up the tower ramp. He quickly picked up the phone when it rang. It was Lani. She told him that she had tickets, and that the show starts at 5:15 p.m. Can he make it by then? He told her that he had could, and that he had his bike. He watched the two girls who were now sitting on their blanket in front of his tower. Their Mom wasn't with them.

Cody then looked at his watch, which read 5:00 p.m. He locked the door to his tower, and wheeled his bike down the ramp. The girls were still on their blanket when he left. He gave them a glance as he lifted his bike once on the sand. Cody made his way up the hill to the road. That's when he saw the girls' Mother in her car. Cody was hesitant as he looked at her and then back toward the beach. He went on his way. 'What time did your shift end?' Mitch asked. 'Five.' Cody said. Mitch then asked him, 'What time did you leave your tower?' Cody paused and thought before he answered. Lani was standing closely in the background looking on with concern. As Cody thought about it, Mitch saw the cameras and nudged him on to a greater distance away from them. Mitch went on, 'The reason I'm asking is because the little girl's Mother said that she looked at her clock at 5:57 p.m., and there was no one in the tower. And I was wondering, how could that possibly be?'

'I set my watch 5 minutes fast so I don't run late.' Cody said. Mitch showed both expressions of anger and disappointment in Cody, who suddenly looked as young as Mitch's own son. 'Look Mitch, I'm sorry. When I left the beach she was sitting on a blanket. The wind was blowing-it was getting cold. Nobody was going in the water-she wasn't even wearing a bathing suit.'

'It doesn't matter,' growled Mitch. 'You never, ever leave your tower before your shift is over, period! You know the rules!' Lani then stepped in immediately to Cody's defense. 'It was just as much my fault. I'm the one who told Cody to hurry. I'm the one who called Cody. I bought tickets for a 5:15 movie. I didn't want him to be late.' Mitch sighed and said, 'I don't believe this. You're telling me because of a movie, a little girl's life is at risk here?' He sees the reporter and his cameraman, 'Go on! Get out of here! Turn that thing off!' Mitch is extremely irritated while trying to keep things under control. 'Get out of here! Trying to do our job here!'

Mrs. Alvarez who was holding little Nikki tightly, recognized Cody and pointed to him. She was frantic. Caroline tries to comfort her. Manny stands by. An incredible amount of guilt washes over Cody's face. The search continues. Every effort is made to find the girl. Manny translates when Caroline brings the two something to eat.

'Yeah, I'll get him.' Says April on the radio. 'Mitch! It's the Chief!' Mitch took it as April quickly walks by. 'Buchannon here,' he says as he walks toward Cody. 'Don't go anywhere. I'm not done with you yet.' Mitch tells Chief Johnson that nothing was confirmed that there was a submersion. They were working under the assumption that someone is out there. She was extremely agitated, and was watching the whole thing on TV from her office. They were carrying it live one all of the local channels. The reporter who was trying to get a big story at all costs told his cameraman, 'You've got a big future in this business.' He viewed the little scene he got on tape when Mitch was questioning Cody about when he left. 'And so do I.' He laughed.

'Mitch, why are you doing this?' Caroline asked. And Mitch responded, 'Because you're used to being in front of the camera.' Caroline told Mitch that she was good with a script. 'I need lines-I don't have any lines. I'm not good at winging it. What am I supposed to say?' She says. 'Just answer the questions.' He said. Caroline went out to answer the questions, as the search continued. Manny approaches Mitch with new information. He finds out that the missing girl had problems with her boyfriend. Her parents wanted to meet him, only he never showed up. So she wasn't in the best frame of mind. Mitch thanks Manny for the information. Meanwhile, Caroline tells the press that she has been involved in cases where a victim has been revived after being 45 minutes underwater. It was very much a rescue operation. They had every hope of finding the girl alive. She then went back past the barrier. That was it for the questions.

Lani ran to Cody with fins and equipment. 'This is all that's left. I'm not sure the fins will fit.' When there was no answer and Cody stared out into the ocean, Lani says, 'Cody, did you hear what I said?' Cody saw the girl, coughing, fighting the water to stay afloat. 'There she is! J.D.! Cody pointed, 'She's right there! J.D.!' He ran toward the water-only to trip and fall on to the sand face forward. Lani rushed to aid and comfort him. 'Honey, are you O.K.? Honey, what's wrong?' She helped him up. Cody pointed, 'She was right there.' J.D. looked toward Cody shrugging, 'Where?' Lani just pulls him along, 'Come on, let's go.' But Cody kept saying, 'But she was right there.' Lani kept pulling him along. 'Come on, baby.' She said. He kept turning around to look toward the water as they walked.

'On Sunset Beach where County Lifeguards are still searching for a 16 year-old girl, last seen by her sister before slipping below the surface of a very turbulent sea. This tragic loss of life may have been the result of a Lifeguard leaving his tower early in order to keep a date with his girlfriend.' Cody and Lani made their way up the beach to pass him. 'We are about to show you some footage of Lifeguard Cody Madison admitting to his Captain that he did indeed desert his post. Here it is.' Cody heard what the reporter was saying and got angry. He attacked the man. Manny tried to stop Cody, but could not. He got thrown to the ground. Mitch broke it up, finally getting a 'choke-hold' on Cody. Mitch told him to calm down. The camera was still rolling. When Cody got control of his emotions, Mitch let go of him. He then helped Manny and then the reporter up.

Another sleazy reporter wanted to get an inside scoop, so she lured Caroline to represent the Lifeguard's point of view and give her a statement live. When they were on, the reporter introduced the now popular Caroline Holden. 'When she isn't working as a Lifeguard, she's staring in the soap, 'Shannon's Hope.' Caroline rolled her eyes, moaning in disgust! And who could blame her! This reporter had to be as low as they come. Using Caroline's fame to get news ratings and some sort of 'glory' in getting a star to do a story. Caroline just walked away. She wasn't going to be a pawn in all of this.

The rescue operation was later replaced with a recovery operation. Mitch was hesitant and it nearly killed him to have to tell Manny to translate that because so much time has passed, there is no chance of finding Rosanna alive. Despite her shaky state, the woman wanted to stay until the body was found. Time passed with every effort of finding her. Darkness came with no luck. Later that night alone on the beach, an emotional Cody walked, unable to shake the nagging guilt. He held his head in his hands. Lani came out and offered him a blanket as it was getting cold. She wrapped one half of it around herself and extended her arm out for him to join her.

Later at the office, Mitch was so angry when he was talking with Chief Johnson on the phone. He was fed up with the press, the mounting pressure, and being pulled in too many directions. He was being told to have Cody's resignation on his desk, and out of anger, Mitch said that he quit. The phone rang a while later. Newmy could see how agitated Mitch was, and picked it up. As he received news, there was a smile on his face. It was a call regarding Rosanna. The girl was at home safe and sound. Her Mother and sister found out when they got home. The girl admitted that she had faked the drowning and swam underwater and made her way behind the rocks. Unseen, she made her way home. With all of the excitement and attention on her phony drowning, what if someone else had perished in the process? Rosanna had to offer a letter of apology.

Mitch went out to find Cody to tell him what happened. When he told him what had happened, Cody said that he didn't know what to say. Mitch told him that he didn't have to say anything.

The next day, Mitch called from Cody's tower. He reported that Lt. Mitch Buchannon was 'officially back on duty.' When Cody approaches Mitch, he finds out that he's been suspended for two weeks for leaving his tower early. There was another thing-and that there was a letter of reprimand in his permanent file. This vacant spot in the roster gave Mitch a chance to work a tower again. Cody told Mitch not to get too comfortable. He'd be back in two weeks.

Next Review: Hijacked