Timber! s3ep5

Co-starring: Joe Lambie as John Lawrence, Tracy Brooks Swope as Samantha Lawrence, Beau Starr as Bull McEwan, Andre Gower as Billy Lawrence, Wiley Harker as Claymont
Written by Jeff Ray
Directed by David Hemmings

The team are hired by a woman who is being prevented from moving her lumber by a local rival.

A fairly standard but still entertaining episode, perhaps best known for being the source of the moment used in season five's opening credits in which BA chainsaws his way into a building. The story is a variation on a familiar theme but there are enough highlights to carry it through, even though the supporting cast of characters is too bland to be particularly interesting.

From a series evolution point of view, it is noteworthy that this was the first episode directed by David Hemmings, an actor (best known for sixties film 'Blow-Up') who went on to helm a number of episodes over the next two seasons, including the feature-length season four opener 'Judgment Day'.

The action highlight actually comes at the halfway point, a frantic set-piece which involves the team transporting lumber to the mill. By comparison, the final battle doesn't quite hang together as well (it's all rather obviously shot at completely different times) but the constructed combat vehicle is a good one.

This time, Murdock is fixated with finding Bigfoot with a kazoo mating call (which leads to a good final gag) and there's a great moment when a tied-up BA breaks a beam through sheer brute force with Murdock's help/hinderance. Overall, it's a solid and watchable episode, though in all honesty you'd be better off with 'West Coast Turnaround'.
7/10, maybe 8/10 at a stretch!