- Title: Human Target – Salvage & Reclamation
- wiki: link
“Salvage & Reclamation” may not be my favorite episode of Human Target but the episode has it all in an exotic location, humor, action, and a lovely guest-star with a tie to the past of our mysterious protagonist. Perhaps more than any other episode of the series this one shows the potential of the show’s concept when handled correctly. Called into service by an old flame, Christopher Chance (Mark Valley) heads to South America where he rescues English anthropologist Doug Slocum (Kris Marshall) who has uncovered the location of a plane full of gold which many are willing to kill for. Neither the rescue nor Chance’s reunion go exactly as planned as Chance, Maria (Leonor Varela), and Doug head into the the jungle hunted by the army, drug runners, and a superbly-evil corporate goon (Kim Coates).
The scenes between Chance and Maria are terrific with the undercurrent of hurt-feelings and loss bubbling to the surface. Placing Doug, who’s smart enough to see what’s going on, in the middle proves to be a stroke of genius. His insertion into their dynamic also allows for a reason to their past to be probed leading to the amusing revelation of how Chance’s original assignment ties in with Doug’s current circumstance. The B-story involving Winston (Chi McBride) and Guerrero (Jackie Earle Haley) aboard what Chance refers to as a flying vending machine offers its own amusements as well culminating in both Winston’s refusal to allow Guerrero to unburden his soul as the pair head into “the devil’s mouth” and one hell of an inventive rescue. Although Maria won’t return to the show, she leaves a lasting mark on both the series and its lead character.
