Misfit Robot Daydream: The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries

The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries

"Death Surf"
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries - Season 2, Episode 20
Original Airdate: March 12, 1978

Death Surf

In the classic 1940s film noir "Laura," a detective investigates the murder of a woman and finds himself becoming obsessed with and falling in love with her after she is dead. "Death Surf" is The Hardy Boys version of that, with Frank hardy becoming obsessed with a dead girl that he failed to save from drowning while on a trip to Hawaii. Except instead of Vincent Price in a supporting role, we've got a chubby dude from Texas in a Hawaiian shirt named "Hubba."

"Hubba"

The "Laura" in this version is Maren Jensen (Athena from Battlestar Galactica fame) as Maryann Dalton (aka Teri Turner), a champion swimmer who has run away from home for a new life as a singer/songwriter in Hawaii. There is a bit of a missed oppurtunity here to have Shaun Cassidy sing a duet with Maren Jensen... basically anytime there are musical numbers on this show and Joe Hardy isn't performing in them, I get frustrated. Even though they are usually super cheesy, that's part of the fun.

Maren Jensen rocks the beach bar, but loses a golden opportunity to duet with Shaun Cassidy. So sad.

One weird thing in this episode is underage Joe Hardy is getting constantly hit on by an adult woman bartender who is into teenage boys, and it's meant to be funny, not creepy. Joe even ends up dating her at the end of the episode. Times sure have changed since the 1970s.

Teenage Joe Hardy and his New Adult Girlfriend

Also be on the lookout for the hotel the Boys are staying in, as it's the same one seen in "Acapulco Skies" and "The Mystery of the Hollywood Phantom."