Episode Guide Season 1

As the series begins, ex-race car driver Mark McCormick accepts a job driving the Coyote X, an experimental car designed by a friend of his named Flip Johnson. Mark loses his job, however, after Flip is killed in a car accident and ownership of the car is granted to industrialist Martin Cody. Barbara Johnson, Flip's daughter, refuses to accept her father's death as an accident and, believing that Cody murdered Flip in order to get the Coyote, asks Mark to steal the experimental car. Agreeing, Mark sneaks into Cody's compound and steals the car. The next morning, the police, who identified Mark when he stopped to save a police officer's life, move in and arrest the ex-race car driver. To Cody's regret, the police are unable to locate the Coyote. Brought before Hardcastle, who is presiding over his last case, Mark is given a choice: help the judge round-up two hundred men who walked out of the judge's courtroom on technicalities or go back to prison. Carefully considering his options, Mark agrees to work for Hardcastle and the two men begin working on a case against Martin Cody. (Hardcastle suspects that Cody is involved with the mob.) Deciding that their best chance to catch Cody is to create discontent in his organization, Hardcastle and McCormick proceed to Las Vegas to meet with Rick Vetromile, one of Cody's employees. Pretending to be setting up a deal to sell the Coyote back, the two men secretly get a picture of Vetromile standing by the car. Next, Mark approaches Cody and, using the picture as evidence, accuses Vetromile of being behind the theft of the Coyote. As expected, Cody tries to kill Vetromile. Scared and trying to find a way out, Rick tells Hardcastle that Cody killed Flip. Cody, realizing that he has been set up, tries to flee from the city but Mark's racing skills, along with the power of the Coyote, enable Hardcastle and the police to easily catch the industrialist. Later, in gratitude for all of Mark's help, Barbara, gives him the Coyote.

Hardcastle is quite upset when he is criticized in Without Sin, the autobiography of retired mobster Joseph Cadillac. Figuring that the mob, also the subject of Cadillac's criticism, will be angered as well, Hardcastle has Mark follow the author. Mark's surveillance turns into a full blown car chase after Cadillac realizes that he is being tailed. Based on his driver's reckless driving, Cadillac is pulled over by the police and his car is impounded. Later, Hardcastle is surprised when Cadillac comes to him for help. Upon learning that the mob has kidnapped Cadillac's innocent son (a priest) in order to get the evidence the mobster used to write the book, Hardcastle agrees to help. One complication: The evidence is in the car that the police impounded (pending a judge's ruling regarding the legality of a search). Deciding that a life is more important than the letter of the law, Hardcastle breaks into the impound yard and retrieves the evidence. With evidence in hand, Hardcastle and Cadillac meet with the mob. All goes according to plan and, after insuring that Cadillac's son is safe, Hardcastle has the police move in and arrest the mobsters. As the episode ends, Hardcastle convinces Mark to join him in admitting that they illegally broke into the impound yard. Despite Hardcastle's admission of guilt, the police do not file any charges since, by that time, a judge had already authorized a search of the car.

When Mark seems to hesitate while pursuing some men that robbed Gulls Way, Hardcastle suspects the thief is Teddy Hollins, the ex-race car driver's former cellmate. Confronted, Mark confirms the judge's suspicions. Hoping to retrieve his stolen property, Hardcastle pays a visit on Thomas Quinlan, Teddy's parole officer. To Hardcastle's surprise, the crystal duck stolen from his house is sitting on Quinlan's desk and he realizes that the parole officer is probably forcing ex-convicts to commit crimes. Mark, temporarily arrested after the police find his former cellmate's prints at the scene of the robbery, interviews some convicts in prison and confirms Hardcastle's theory. In the meantime, the judge catches Teddy sneaking into the gate house. After freeing Mark from prison, Hardcastle has Teddy call Quinlan. Following the judge's instructions, Teddy threatens to turn Quinlan in unless he gets some money. Taking the bait, Quinlan agrees to meet the ex-convict. As expected, Quinlan goes to the meeting to kill Teddy. Prepared for this contingency, the police move in and arrest Quinlan.

[In this episode, Mark meets J.J. Beal, one of Hardcastle's previous attempts to find an ally in his fight against crime.] After escaping from prison, Beal calls up the judge and taunts him. Angered, Hardcastle immediately joins the police in their manhunt. Visiting the prison, Hardcastle discovers that Donna May McCabe, the warden's beautiful wife, left with Beal. Hoping to learn more (and feeling threatened by Beal's reputation), Mark gets himself thrown in jail so he can speak to one of the convict's accomplices. To his regret, the accomplice refuses to talk to him. Later, when Hardcastle comes to bail him out of jail, Mark is shocked to learn that Beal's accomplice is more than willing to give the judge the information they need. Following their lead, they locate Donna May. Distressed by the fact that Beal has left her, Donna May tells Mark that the escaped convict is meeting with a man named Johnny Barton. Returning to Los Angeles, Hardcastle and McCormick start tailing Barton. To their surprise, they follow Barton to Gull's Way where they discover that Beal has taken Sarah hostage. Moving in, the two men rescue their housekeeper. Beal tries to escape but is captured thanks to Mark's driving skills combined with the speed of the Coyote.

For their latest case, the judge targets Tina Grey, a woman connected to the deaths of at least five reputed mobsters. Hoping to earn some points with the judge, Mark quickly arranges a meeting with her. He gets even closer than expected after he rescues her from men working for mobster Jersey Joe Beiber. In the meantime, Hardcastle raises the ire of police captain Don Filapiano for involving himself in an organized crime investigation. Not caring for the captain's methods, Hardcastle continues with the case and discovers that the captain is planning on using Mark as part of his plan. Learning of Tina's latest "fling", Beiber has his men grab her as well as Mark. After "interviewing" one of Beiber's men, Hardcastle learns where Bieber has taken Mark. Arriving in time, Hardcastle stops the mobster before he has a chance to kill Mark. Later, Hardcastle ties up all the remaining loose ends when he turns Filapiano over to internal affairs.

While at a local boxing arena, Hardcastle and McCormick witness a man named Frankie Kane threaten boxer Kid Calico. After a restaurant owned by Jack Calico, Kids' father, is destroyed in a mysterious fire, Hardcastle offers to help the young boxer. Hoping to keep the Kid out of Kane's grasp, Hardcastle publicly becomes his new manager. As expected, Kane sends his men after the judge. Thanks to Mark's driving skills, Hardcastle captures Kane's men. Back at Gulls Way, Kid Calico prepares for his next fight. The Kid's plans seemed to change, however, after Kane kidnaps his father. Using Jack as leverage, Kane instructs the Kid to throw his upcoming bout. Seeing no choice, the Kid prepares to lose the fight. Unwilling to let Kane win, Hardcastle and McCormick follow him. As expected, Kane leads them right to Jack Calico. Realizing that his father is safe, Kid Calico gives the fight his all and defeats his opponent. Later, his contract with Hardcastle is annulled and he finds himself eligible to go on to the Olympics.

Put on trial for racketeering, Frank Kelly manages to keep out of jail when he kidnaps the wife of Jack Bickford, the prosecution's star witness. Angered, Assistant District Attorney Pamela Peterson, Hardcastles' former assistant, reluctantly turns to the judge for help. Agreeing, Hardcastle arranges for Mark to infiltrate Kelly's company. Posing as J.J. Slattery, Mark applies for a job at Kelly's trucking company. After doing a background check on Slattery and discovering that he is an ex-convict, Kelly hires him. Kelly quickly clues Mark in on the operation and asks him to transport some stolen television sets. Not completely trusting Mark, Kelly has some of his men follow him. With the judge's help, Mark captures his pursuers. Faced with prosecution, the captured men agree to testify against their boss. Before long, Kelly once again goes on trial. Unwilling to go to prison and seeing no alternative, Kelly uses Pam as a hostage and escapes. Pursuing, Hardcastle and McCormick rescue the assistant district attorney and capture the racketeer.

Hoping to get some evidence on reputed drug dealer Eddie Sands, the producer of a series of B movies, Hardcastle recruits the help of actor Buddy Ebsen. Anxious to help the judge, Buddy takes a job acting in one of Sands' movies. Posing as Buddy's stunt driver, Hardcastle also gets a job with Sands. For his part of the investigation, Mark befriends actress Crystal Dawn, Sands' girlfriend. The plan seems to go sour when Sands' men get suspicious of Hardcastle. Fortunately for the judge, an attempt to rig his stunt car fails to kill him. Mark has his own problems when Sands catches him with Dawn. Thinking fast, Mark claims he only met with Dawn in order to get close to Sands. As a result, Mark gets a job driving for the producer. Meanwhile, Buddy and the judge work on gathering evidence against Sands. Although they do not find any concrete proof, they do put together a viable theory: Sands is transporting drugs inside the movie's stunt cars. Needing to make a delivery, Sands has Mark drive one of the drug filled cars. When Mark begins to deviate from the route, he finds himself attacked by one of Sands' men. After escaping from the producer's man, Mark proceeds to the delivery site. Seeing Sands at the site, Hardcastle and the police move in and arrest the drug dealing producer.

Despite Mark's objections, the judge decides to look after Harold Death Ray Thomas, a paroled teenage gang leader. Hardcastles' rehabilitation of the youth is interrupted when a group of men unsuccessfully try to kidnap Harold. Although the judge fails to capture the men, he does manage to get their license plate. Running the license plate, Hardcastle discovers that the men who came to Gulls Way work for a hood named Shelcroft. Investigating further, Hardcastle learns that Harold was sent to prison for breaking into the offices of Shelcroft's psychiatrist. To his surprise, he also notes that Brandt, the judge on Harold's case, was one of the psychiatrist's patients. Some of the loose ends are tied up when members of Harold's old gang come after the former gang leaders hoping to retrieve some tapes. Confronting the youth, the judge finds out that the gang has been using tapes stolen from the psychiatrist's office to blackmail Shelcroft and Brandt. After warning Brandt to turn himself in, Hardcastle has Harold contact Shelcroft. Hoping to get the incriminating tapes, Shelcroft agrees to meet with the former gang leader. Falling into the judge's trap, Shelcroft is captured.

Mark gets back into the racing scene after an injured friend asks him to take over as driver for the Denny Collins team. Although the judge tries to feel happy for Mark, he grows increasingly suspicious of the large amount of money being poured into the team. His discomfort only increases when he meets Collins and seems to recall him from somewhere. Acting on a hunch, Hardcastle looks into Collins record. As expected, he discovers that Collins has a considerable criminal record. Furthermore, he learns that there is an active warrant for the arrest of Larry Singer, one of Collins' associates. Recognizing that Collins is crooked, Mark decides to continue as a driver only to gather evidence for the judge's case. In the meantime, Larry, realizing that Hardcastle is working with the police, kidnaps the judge. Also suspecting Mark, Collins' men sabotages the race car driver's car. Fortunately for Mark, he survives the accident. Afterwards, using his driving skills, Mark rescues the judge and helps him capture Collins and his men.

As the episode begins, Hardcastle and the police successfully close down an illegal arms operation being run by former CIA agent Peter Avery. They do not, however, manage to catch Avery. Not willing to let him escape, Hardcastle follows Avery to San Rio Blanco despite the fact that there is no extradition with that country. Once in Rio, the judge and Mark befriend Aggy Wainwright, the owner of a small air charter service. With some help from Judge Ramirez, a local official, Hardcastle locates Avery's local operation. Concerned that the judge is getting to close, Avery arranges for some crooked cops to plant drugs in Hardcastle's hotel room. While Ramirez and the state department work on freeing Hardcastle, Mark grows increasingly impatient. Seeing no alternative, Mark convinces Aggy to help him break Hardcastle out of jail. Once free, Hardcastle meets with Ramirez and Howard Daner, a state department official, and prepare a trap to catch Avery. Using himself as bait, the judge tricks Avery into following him across the border to neighboring country San Rafelo. Since San Rafelo does have an extradition policy with the United States, Avery is taken into custody.

After serving a twenty-five year prison sentence, bank robber Henry Willard is released from prison. Since the $750,000 Willard stole was never recovered, Hardcastle decides to visit the paroled convict. When they catch up with Willard, they see him being help up at gunpoint. Intervening, they quickly rescue Willard. As expected, Willard explains that his assailant was after the money. Deciding to help Willard recover the money (but so that he can return it), Hardcastle, McCormick, and Willard go to the city engineer's office to get old maps of the city. (The city has changed so much in twenty-five years that Willard is having trouble locating the money.) At the city engineer's office, they discover that the maps were previously signed out by Captain Joe Cagney, the officer that originally arrested Willard. Investigating, they learn that Cagney recently applied for early retirement. Returning to their search, they run into Cagney. Although Cagney manages to capture Willard, Hardcastle and McCormick get their hands on the map. Following the map, they locate the money in an old abandoned subway station. Cagney, who has been tailing them, moves in and tries to take the money. After Hardcastle and McCormick gain the upper hand, Cagney tries to escape but is finally caught due to Mark's driving skills. Later, after returning the money, Willard receives a $25,000 reward.

While giving a lecture at a local college, Hardcastle's decision on an old trial is challenged by student Gina Longren, the brother of the man the judge sentenced to prison. Afterwards, Hardcastle realizes her case might have some validity when a group of men unsuccessfully try to kidnap her. Deciding to help her, Hardcastle reviews the case: After star football player Dewey Montrose was killed, Kenny Longren, who had been in a fight with the murdered student, was convicted. To learn more, Hardcastle sends Mark into the school as a player. Undercover, Mark discovers that Dewey and Kenny had been fighting over a girl named Susan Jean Leonard. At first, Susan is unwilling to talk. She changes her mind, however, after someone unsuccessfully tries to kidnap her. Thanks to Susan, Hardcastle and McCormick discover that Dewey was fixing games for a man named Moore. Following this lead, they try to confront Moore only to discover that he has been killed. The real killer reveals himself when football coach Bud Hinkley grabs Hardcastle. Thanks to Mark, Hardcastle is freed and Bud is captured. As the episode ends, Kenny, cleared of all charges, is released from prison.

Hardcastle is overjoyed when he inherits a race horse from a former convict. His joy quickly changes to dismay upon discovering that the horse, Whistler's Pride, is short. Regardless, Hardcastle decides to enter the horse in an upcoming race. A major obstacle is place in Hardcastle's plan when Whistler's Pride is kidnapped. Furthermore, Eddie Malone, the jockey Hardcastle hired to ride Whistler's Pride, is beaten so bad that he is unable to ride. Although they do manage to capture Dorcette, one of the kidnappers, he refuses to talk to them. Checking Dorcette's employment record, they discover that the kidnapper worked for a horse breeder named Lenore Alcott. Arriving at Alcott Farms, they manage to locate the horse thanks to prospective jockey Casey O'Bannon. With evidence that Alcott kidnapped his horse, Hardcastle has the police move in and arrest her. Afterwards they capture Tony Barlowe, Alcott's accomplice. Even though Casey and Whistler's Pride go on to win the race, Hardcastle does not even break even due to the debt he inherited with the horse.

To his surprise, Hardcastle is named as a possible Supreme Court nominee. Pursuing his potential nominee, Hardcastle flies out to Washington. Unwilling to be left behind, Mark gets into the Coyote and drives to the nation's capitol. Mark arrives just in time to rescue Hardcastle when some men try to kidnap the judge. The mystery only deepens after Hardcastle is tricked into posing in a picture with Chuck Watts, a suspected crime boss. After the picture is published in The Huntley Pess, Hardcastle, realizing that someone is trying to keep him off the court, decides to visit Huntley employee Kenneth Boyer. Arriving at Boyer's house, Hardcastle discovers that he has been murdered. Playing good cop/bad cop, Hardcastle and McCormick confront Watts and get him to reveal that he was hired by publisher Arthur Huntley. They also learn that Huntley used to live in California where he went by the name Lonnie Vanatta (and realize that the publisher wanted to keep Hardcastle out of Washington before the judge could recognize him). Armed with enough evidence to arrest Huntley, Hardcastle confronts and captures the publisher. Later, realizing that he needs a hand on approach to justice, Hardcastle declines the nomination. Although the President had never actually planned to nominate Hardcastle, McCormick is still impressed with the judge for making his stand.

Convinced that reformed thief turned author Arthur Farnell is behind a reputed crime school, Hardcastle asks Mark to go undercover as a potential student. Using the name Mark Benchley, Mark introduces himself to Farnell by stealing the author's car. Impressed with Mark, Farnell invites him to join the school. Farnell, however, becomes quite suspicious when Mark seems to be doing too good a job during a car theft class. While out on a date with Trish, one of Farnell's associates, the author confronts Mark and orders him to steal a car from Beverly Hills Auto. Forced into a corner, Mark reluctantly steals the car. Afterwards, he is shocked to discover that the car he stole belongs to a reputed drug dealer named Terrence Harlow. Since Harlow tends to smuggle drugs inside of cars, Hardcastle realizes that the car probably contains drugs. Recognizing that Mark's cover is blown, Hardcastle calls Farnell and threatens to tell Harlow who ordered Mark to steal the car. Next, he contacts Harlow and arranges for him to come to the meeting with Farnell. As expected, Harlow arrives at the meeting site and immediately sets his sight on killing Harlow. With his trap triggered, Hardcastle leads the police as they move in and round up Farnell, Harlow and their men.

Surprised when prisoner Dwayne Morton refuses parole, Hardcastle decides to investigate. Interviewing the prisoner, Hardcastle discovers that Morton has put together a study showing an incredibly high incidence of deaths among recently paroled convicts. Theorizing that a group of vigilantes is killing ex-convicts, Hardcastle checks into the records. He is shocked to discover that the prime suspects are judges Emmett Parnell, Frank Cardigan, and Roy Stern. Since all of the judges previously served on the Georgia Street Motor police squad with him, Hardcastle realizes that he may be able to become part of their group. After staging a fight with McCormick, Hardcastle finds himself approached by the three vigilante judges. Offering to help with the "McCormick situation", the judges test Hardcastle by having him kill Mark. Seeing an opportunity to gain their confidence, Hardcastle proceeds to kill Mark. Later, while Frank and Ray are in a steam room, Mark, who only pretended to die, lets them see him. Arriving at Gulls Way to confront Hardcastle, the three judges are tricked into confessing their crimes to a hidden camera.

Returning to his hometown of Clarence, Arkansas for a high school reunion, Hardcastle is shocked to discover that someone is forcing people to give up their farms. After explaining the situation to the judge, Bucky Miller's farm is destroyed in a mysterious fire. The next day, Bucky is killed in a car accident. Arriving in town for the funeral, Bucky's daughter Christy, believing that her father was murdered, asks Hardcastle to investigate. When town official Bill Paxton refuses to give Hardcastle access to the local land bids, the judge goes to Danny Stuber, the town judge, to get a search warrant. Arriving at Stuber's house, Hardcastle is stunned to find that the judge has been murdered. Seeing no legal way to get to the bids, McCormick sneaks into Paxton's office and steals them. Although Mark is arrested for the crime, he manages to dump the records before he is taken into custody. Retrieving the records, Hardcastle discovers that Mayor Broadmore and Sheriff Carter are behind the crimes. Meanwhile, with Christy's help, Mark breaks out of prison. Going to Hardcastle's aid, Mark and Christy are stunned to see the Sheriff trap Hardcastle in a car and send it into the lake.

Continued from part one...Despite the mayor's and sheriff's attempts to kill him, Hardcastle survives. Injured and needing medical attention, Hardcastle goes to Albie Meadows, one of his old friends, for help. Believing Hardcastle, Albie takes the judge in and helps him recuperate from his injuries. Meanwhile, since the sheriff is still after them, Mark and Christy hide in an old cabin. Since the cabin is the same one that Hardcastle used to go to as a kid, it is not long before the judge arrives there as well. Hardcastle and McCormick's reunion is cut short, however, when the police arrive. After insuring that Albie will not be arrested, Hardcastle, McCormick, and Christy flee in his truck. Wearing a disguise, Hardcastle sneaks back into town to retrieve the evidence against Paxton, the mayor, and the sheriff. After recovering the evidence and capturing Paxton, Hardcastle calls Albie and asks him to contact the state police. Hardcastle's escape does not go unnoticed and, upon leaving, he finds himself pursued by the crooked town officials. Unwilling to let the judge escape, the sheriff and his accomplices foolishly chase Hardcastle as he leads them straight to the state police.

While driving, Hardcastle is surprised to see Eric Goodburn, a cop killer he supposedly sent to prison for life without parole. Unable to catch Goodburn, he decides to contact the warden. The mystery only deepens when the warden has no record of Goodburn. Investigating further, Hardcastle is stunned to discover that there is no computer record of Goodburn'a arrest either. Unwilling to accept that he made a mistake, Hardcastle has police records officer Rose Carlucci check the hard copies of the police records. As Hardcastle suspected, contrary to the computer, the hard copies prove that Goodburn was sentenced to prison. Hoping to catch Goodburn, Hardcastle and McCormick go to see Linda Goodburn, the killer's sister. Although they manage to locate Goodburn, they are unable to interview him as he is killed in a shoot-out with some unknown men. Afterwards, Hardcastle catches some FBI agents following them. Confronted by Hardcastle, the FBI agents admit that the government freed Goodburn, a surveillance expert, so that he could spy on a reputed drug dealer named Tony Boutros. After leaving the FBI agents, Mark discovers that, before his death, Goodburn had hid a tape in his car. Playing the tape, the judge realizes that it is the evidence the FBI needs to arrest Boutros. Before they can turn the tape over to the FBI, they are captured by Boutros. Boutros' success is short lived for Hardcastle and McCormick quickly turn the tables and capture him.

Unbeknownst to Mark, Howard Kaye, a mechanic fixing the Coyote, uses the car for a date with a woman he met through a computer dating service. After a couple of men attack Mark for some incident that took place a couple of nights ago, the ex-race car driver realizes that they are probably looking for Howard (since he had the Coyote on that night). Confronted, Howard tells Hardcastle and McCormick about his date with a woman named Cheryl Dirksen and how some men were chasing her. Proceeding to Cheryl's apartment, they discover the place a mess but no sign of her. When they discover a picture of Cheryl in the desk of a murdered man, Hardcastle and McCormick decide to check out the dating service. Going undercover, both Mark and the judge sign up with the service. Debra, Hardcastle's date, tries to kill the judge after realizing who he is. Prepared, Hardcastle counters her murder attempt and convinces her to talk. As a result, he learns that the dating service arranges to have their girls marry and kill wealthy men. Meanwhile, Howard is captured by the people running the service when he responds to a call from Cheryl (who is on the run since discovering what the service is doing). Arriving in time, Hardcastle and McCormick rescue Howard and Cheryl as well as capture the killers.

Inside Clarkville State Prison as part of a program to scare troubled teens into straightening out their lives, Hardcastle and McCormick are captured when a prison riot erupts. The convicts, led by a man named Paul Connors, use their hostages as a bargaining chip as they try to get the authorities to investigate their claim that the people running the prison are corrupt. Despite Connors' accusation that prison guard Charlie Friedman is using prisoners to carry out hits for the mob, the police refuse to negotiate. Preparing for an assault, the prisoners handcuff Hardcastle and McCormick together and have them change into prison garb. As expected, police Lieutenant Barger storms the prison. Although Connors is captured, a convict named Kyle escapes with Mark and the judge as hostages. Once outside, Hardcastle and McCormick manage to escape from Kyle. Still in prison uniforms, they find themselves being chased as escaped convicts. Warren Porter, who is really behind the corruption, finally manages to capture the two men. Thanks to their quick thinking, Hardcastle and McCormick turn the tables and capture the crooked warden.