Dori Day Afternoon

"Dori Day Afternoon"
Sledge Hammer! episode
Episode no.	Season 1 Episode 5
Directed by	James Sheldon
Written by	Mert Rich, Brian Pollack
Original air date	October 24, 1986
Guest stars
Frank Doubleday, Britt Leach, Michael Ensign
Episode chronology
← Previous "They Shoot Hammers, Don't They?" Next → "To Sledge, with Love"
List of Sledge Hammer! episodes

"Dori Day Afternoon" is the fifth episode of the television series Sledge Hammer!. It originally aired on ABC in the United States on October 24, 1986. The episode is a parody of the 1975 film Dog Day Afternoon.^[1]

Plot summary

On their way to work, Hammer and Doreau stop in front of a building, where a man is preparing to commit suicide by jumping off. Hammer prevents the suicide attempt by shooting at the man, forcing him back in the building. With one bullet left in his gun, Hammer goes to a bank ATM to withdraw money, only to find out that his ATM card has been voided. Hammer and Doreau go to Mr. Crandell (Michael Ensign), to complain about the ATM when they are interrupted by bank robbers Cliff (Frank Doubleday) and Lou (Britt Leach). The bank robbers hold everyone hostage as Hammer contemplates on how to dispatch them with only one bullet left. He notices an alarm button on the floor under a desk and tells Crandell to hit it. Crandell refuses, so Hammer steps on it, only to realize that it is not a silent alarm.

Trunk and his men arrive at the scene immediately and attempts to negotiate with Cliff to let go of the hostages. Cliff refuses to do so, but allows Trunk to bring in pizza for the hostages. Trunk sends in an officer disguised as a pizza delivery man, but the plan fails when the gun taped to his leg falls off. Cliff and Lou beat up the officer and send him out before making a demand for a plane. Throughout the ordeal, Hammer is forced to address Cliff as "sir" and act politely in front of the captors. They drag Hammer to the front of the lobby as a human shield, but Doreau identifies herself as an officer and offers to volunteer in place of Hammer, who is then mocked for letting a woman take his place. Hammer stands by a wall and pulls his gun, preparing to kill both robbers with his one shot, but when Trunk announces giving in to their demands, the hostages crowd in, blocking Hammer's view.

When the airport bus arrives, Cliff and Lou order the hostages to form a circle around them, forcing Hammer to hold hands with another man. A boy manages to escape as the robbers and the hostages board the bus. Trunk is confident that this hostage-taking will end very soon, as the plane they are boarding has no pilot. Little does he know that Cliff is the pilot, who immediately takes the plane off the runway.

Aboard the plane, Hammer and Doreau knock out Lou and proceed to the cockpit, where Hammer defeats Cliff with a volley of punches. Doreau reveals to Hammer that she has some piloting experience, but the plane is out of fuel, as Hammer inadvertently jettisoned the supply. Nevertheless, she manages to crash the plane safely. When they go to the passenger area to check up on the hostages, they are met by a knife-wielding Lou, who exits the plane only to fall to his death. It is revealed that the plane crash-landed on top of a building.

Later, Hammer and Doreau return to the bank ATM, which still refuses to accept his card. Doreau encourages Hammer to use his last bullet on the ATM.

References

1. ^ The Official Sledge Hammer! Website - Dori Day Afternoon

External Links

• Dori Day Afternoon at the Internet Movie Database