The Checklist: Relic Hunter (S2 Ep7) “Three Rivers to Cross”
A few months back I watched Relic Hunter for the first time… after an enjoyable viewing experience I knew I’d be watching more of Tia Carrere as swashbuckling archaeologist Sydney Fox.
So I randomly selected another episode of the series to put to The Checklist test and the winner was “Three Rivers to Cross”…
- Synopsis: Sydney Fox (Tia Carrere) is called into action by her father to find a jade statue that will soon be lost forever
#1. Did the show open with a flashback?
Relic Hunter did not stray from their traditional cold open where the viewers get a look at the relic that will be hunted in the episode via flashback.
“Three Rivers to Cross” opens in Three Rivers, China in 1245 A.D. where we see some Shaolin Monks and a jade statue that is sacred to them… the very jade statue that will be the center of attention in this episode. 1/1
#2. Were there any notable guest stars?
In present day Three Rivers, China a dam is being built that will provide power to millions in China. The engineer of the dam project is Randall Fox aka Sydney Fox’s father. Randall Fox was played by none other than Fred Dryer (Death Before Dishonor)… but there is a slight delay thanks to protests from the Shaolin Monks.
The monks have a bad case of the Shaolin Temple Blues, because once the dam is operational the valley they believe houses their sacred jade statue (that has been missing for centuries at this point) will be flooded with millions of gallons of water guaranteeing the statue will never be recovered.
But according to a high ranking official with the Chinese government, Li Feng (Steven Vincent Leigh, To Be the Best)… there is no jade statue. Li Feng claims to have done the research himself and as far as he is concerned the statue is simply a legend with no truth behind it. Needless to say Li Feng is not pleased when Randall calls in his relic hunting daughter to see if she can find the jade statue.
Two observations where the two notable guest stars are concerned… I was glad that Li Feng had ulterior motives in saying the statue wasn’t a thing and he wasn’t just a misguided government official… if Sword of Honor taught me anything it is that Steven Vincent Leigh is better when he is a villain.
I also couldn’t help but think that Rick Hunter had a daughter known as the Relic Hunter. 2/2
#3. Did Sydney find herself in any romantic entanglements?
The answer is no, but Randall Fox had his suspicions that his daughter Sydney and her assistant Nigel Bailey (Christien Anholt) may be more than just co-workers.
Ironically it is Randall who is involved romantically with a buxom young lady named Jenny (Jennifer Hill)… and Sydney is not exactly thrilled with her dear ol’ dad getting engaged to a much younger woman and I am not sure Sydney was too keen on Jenny tagging along on the adventure either. 2/3
#4. Did we get to see Sydney use her compact crossbow?
In “Three Rivers to Cross” Sydney gets to use her wits, her archeological expertise and her martial arts skills but sadly she does not have an opportunity to use her compact crossbow. 2/4
#5. Did the show end on a light hearted note?
As is the case in many action adventure shows, after our heroes survive all the peril and danger and complete their mission the show ends on a light hearted note… that was definitely the case in “Three Rivers to Cross” as Sydney and Jenny have a chance to talk and even make plans to go out for dinner so they can get to know each other better. This is all happening while Randall Fox eavesdrops with a huge smile on his face as he realizes the two special women in his life are becoming fast friends. 3/5
- Final Score = 3/5 (60%) Fred Dryer as Randall Fox stole the show and that meant less time for some of the usual tropes which didn’t give this episode the best final Checklist score, but the father/daughter dynamic made this feel a bit like the Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade episode of Relic Hunter.
