The Rockford Files (season 2)

The second season of The Rockford Files originally aired Fridays at 9:00-10:00 pm on NBC from September 12, 1975 to March 19, 1976.

The Rockford Files
Season 2
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	22
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 12, 1975 – March 19, 1976
Season chronology

Episodes

No. overall	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
24	1	"The Aaron Ironwood School of Success"	Lou Antonio	Stephen J. Cannell	September 12, 1975
Rockford is suspicious but goes along with it when close childhood friend Aaron Ironwood (James Hampton), a successful franchise salesman, asks him to sign on as the official head of Aaron’s business empire. It gets Rockford in big trouble with gangsters Aaron had cheated. With Ken Swofford and Jonathan Goldsmith.
25	2	"The Farnsworth Stratagem"	Lawrence Doheny	Juanita Bartlett	September 19, 1975
When his friend Sgt. Becker (Joe Santos) becomes a victim of con artists, Rockford comes up with a convoluted scheme of his own to get the money back. However, in addition to the con artists there are also mob members on the scene who Rockford needs to placate. With guest star Linda Evans, also featuring Paul Jenkins and Gerald McRaney.
26	3	"Gearjammers: Part 1"	William Wiard	Story by : Stephen J. Cannell Teleplay by : Don Carlos Dunaway	September 26, 1975
Rocky Sr. is targeted when, while walking through the offices of a trucking company, he sees something he shouldn’t. A friend, Johnny Lo Salvo (Ted Gehring), protects him, but soon afterward the friend’s dead body is discovered in a crate being shipped overseas. Jim is anxious to protect Rocky, but there were facets of his father’s life that Jim knew nothing about, and it takes him a while just to find him. Shortly after he does, Jim’s car gets blown up. Things have become deadly serious for the Rockfords, and neither of them knows why. With guests Rosemary DeCamp and Scott Brady.
27	4	"Gearjammers: Part 2"	William Wiard	Story by : Stephen J. Cannell Teleplay by : Don Carlos Dunaway	October 3, 1975
The Rockfords work with Sgt. Becker to solve Lo Salvo's murder, and Jim investigates the truck company. Six tractor trailers of cargo are hijacked, but the shipments (including underwear, grapefruit, work gloves, Geiger counters and dynamite) seem unconnected, and in any case all the trailers are soon located, with all the products still in them. The purpose of the hijackings eventually becomes clear, and Rocky realizes what a good friend Lo Salvo was. With Scott Brady and Jack Kruschen.
28	5	"The Deep Blue Sleep"	William Wiard	Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson Teleplay by : Juanita Bartlett	October 10, 1975
A model is found dead after making a phone call to Beth (Gretchen Corbett). It leads to Jim’s introduction to the fashion world, replete with dicey legal papers, mobsters and money launderers. Featuring Janet MacLachlan, Robert Webber and Michael Conrad, and with Robert Hays in a small role.
29	6	"The Great Blue Lake Land and Development Company"	Lawrence Doheny	Juanita Bartlett	October 17, 1975
Rockford gets stranded in a desert town and his client’s $10,000 bond money gets stolen. Rockford schemes to get it back only to have it returned without fuss, but then on his way out of town he gets charged with a real estate salesman’s murder. With Dana Elcar, Bob Hastings, Dennis Patrick and Richard B. Shull.
30	7	"The Real Easy Red Dog"	Ivan Dixon	Stephen J. Cannell	October 31, 1975
A woman (Stefanie Powers) hires Rockford to look into her sister's supposed suicide. It’s a relatively innocent ruze, except she turns out to be another P.I., and his investigation lands them in an unrelated case of fraud and murder. With Sherry Jackson, Bruce Kirby and George Wyner.
31	8	"Resurrection in Black and White"	Russ Mayberry	Juanita Bartlett and Stephen J. Cannell	November 7, 1975
A journalist (Joan Van Ark) hires Rockford to clear a man (John Lawlor) convicted of murder. With William Prince, Sandra Smith and Milton Selzer.
32	9	"Chicken Little Is a Little Chicken"	Lawrence Doheny	Stephen J. Cannell	November 14, 1975
Angel (Stuart Margolin) hires Rockford to collect a debt, but withholds all the important information about it. Soon two rival sets of gangsters want to teach them a hard lesson. With Frank Campanella and Ray Danton.
33	10	"2 Into 5.56 Won't Go"	Jeannot Szwarc	Stephen J. Cannell	November 21, 1975
Rockford’s commanding officer (Frank Maxwell) from his army days is killed after he’d contacted Jim for the first time in years, and Jim’s explanation is not believed by a military investigator Mitchell Ryan or the colonel’s distraught adult daughter (Jesse Welles). With Charles Napier and William Boyett.
34	11	"Pastoria Prime Pick"	Lawrence Doheny	Gordon Dawson	November 28, 1975
Rockford has car trouble while passing through a thriving small town. Forced to rent a motel room for the night, he is framed for an increasingly serious series of crimes by some of the town's most powerful people, including the mayor (Kathie Browne) and sheriff (Richard Herd). With William Lucking, Bill Zuckert, Smith Wordes and Bill Quinn. James Garner's older brother, Jack, also makes a guest appearance.
35	12	"The Reincarnation of Angie"	Jerry London	Stephen J. Cannell	December 5, 1975
Angela Perris (Elayne Heilveil), a young lady with no money, hires Rockford to find her brother. He is soon revealed to have been involved in securities fraud, leaving Rockford to deal with real and fake federal agents, illicit cash, a mysterious safe deposit box, and Angela being kidnapped. With David Huddleston, Wayne Tippit and Sharon Spelman.
36	13	"The Girl in the Bay City Boys Club"	James Garner	Juanita Bartlett	December 19, 1975
Rockford is hired to play in a possibly rigged poker game by a man who, he later learns, isn’t who he claims to be. After the game he is followed by a woman who also lies to him about her identity. They turn out to be deputy district attorneys Burton Kimball (Stewart Moss) and Kate Doyle (Blair Brown), which is the least of Jim’s troubles, as well dressed mobsters are very interested in having the poker games continue. With Joel Fabiani, Paul Stevens, William Edward Phipps and William Bryant. James Garner's older brother, Jack, again makes a guest appearance.
37	14	"The Hammer of C Block"	Jerry London	Gordon Dawson	January 9, 1976
A fierce ex-con Gandolph Fitch (Isaac Hayes) just out of prison will forgive a debt Rockford owes him if Jim investigates the 20-year-old murder of Fitch’s girlfriend, for which he got convicted. Rockford’s reluctant search has him interviewing Fitch’s gangster ex-boss Allan Rich and tracking down the girlfriend’s ex-best friend Lynn Hamilton, all the while two other people, including a policeman, are following Fitch. With Annazette Chase, James A. Watson Jr. and William "Bill" Walker.
38	15	"The No-Cut Contract"	Lou Antonio	Stephen J. Cannell	January 16, 1976
A second-string quarterback (Rob Reiner) takes the heat off himself by having mobsters and federal agents go after Rockford instead. With Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin) in a promiment role, also featuring Wayne Tippit and Milt Kogan, and with Dick Butkus appearing as himself.
39	16	"A Portrait of Elizabeth"	Meta Rosenberg	Stephen J. Cannell	January 23, 1976
Beth (Gretchen Corbett) is very attracted to debonair corporate executive Dave Delaroux (John Saxon), who is very skilled at karate and paints portraits of the women he dates. When he hires Rockford to investigate suspicious financial dealings at one of his branch offices the only thing Jim finds wrong is his own vague suspicions about Dave. With Katherine Woodville, Cynthia Sykes and James Murtaugh.
40	17	"Joey Blue Eyes"	Lawrence Doheny	Walter Dallenbach	January 30, 1976
Shifty corporate executives led by Burt Stryker (James Luisi) look to take over the restaurant of ex-con Joseph DiMinna (Michael Ansara) just when it's expanding into franchises. Rockford is browbeaten by Beth to take the case, but he and DiMinna succeed only in hating each other. Includes Angel Martin (Stuart Margolin) in an important role, also featuring Suzanne Charny, Eddie Fontaine, Sandy Kenyon and Jimmy Lydon. Luisi returned the next season as Rockford-hating Lieutenant Chapman, a role he played for the rest of the show’s run.
41	18	"In Hazard"	Jackie Cooper	Juanita Bartlett	February 6, 1976
A client (Joseph Campanella) of Beth (Gretchen Corbett) has tax problems, which, since he is closely connected to the mob, may be fatal to her. With Richard Venture, Melendy Britt, Frank Campanella and Linda Dano.
42	19	"The Italian Bird Fiasco"	Jackie Cooper	Edward J. Lakso	February 13, 1976
Rockford is hired by shady art collector Thomas Caine (William Daniels) to bid on several wooden bird sculptures that have suddenly come onto the market. Also in the bird auction picture is a beautiful expert on wooden birds (Camilla Sparv), and in its recent past is a dead body. Ron Silver also guest stars.
43	20	"Where's Houston?"	Lawrence Doheny	Don Carlos Dunaway	February 20, 1976
Rocky’s friend (Dabbs Greer) is murdered and the friend’s granddaughter (Lane Bradbury) may have been kidnapped, but there’s very little evidence to persuade Lieutenant Diel (Tom Atkins) to investigate. So Rockford and Rocky (Noah Beery Jr.) do the digging.
44	21	"Foul on the First Play"	Lou Antonio	Story by : Chas. Floyd Johnson and Dorothy J. Bailey Teleplay by : Stephen J. Cannell	March 12, 1976
Jim’s former parole officer (Louis Gossett Jr.) hires him to find out who is putting pressure on the commissioner of a basketball league days before a new franchise is to be awarded. With David White, Al Ruscio, Pepper Martin, Jayne Kennedy and Richard Davalos.
45	22	"A Bad Deal in the Valley"	Jerry London	Donald L. Gold & Lester Wm. Berke	March 19, 1976
Jim delivers a package for an old flame, Karen Stiles (Susan Strasberg). When it turns out to be $100,000 in counterfeit bills and he is arrested by Federal authorities, his only way to get out from under is to solve the case himself. This proves easier said than done, as stolen jewels and a kidnapping are also involved. With Veronica Hamel, Jack Colvin, Rod Cameron, John Lupton, Gordon Jump, David Sabin and Russ McGinn.