[Delivers an eulogy at T.T.'s funeral] T.T. Flowers used to say that cities made men poor and women old and everyone lonesome. So he bought himself 10 acres way out in the country. It was then in '35. Him and his little bride, Lou Ella, they built a reaI nice place there, and they named it Freedom, and they were raising rabbits and chickens and goats and turkeys and bees. And then Lou Ella died giving birth to their little girl. T.T., he raised her as best he could and he stayed right there on the place, all the time watching the city creeping closer to him. T.T. Flowers played music to his bees and talked to his trees. Of course, no one ever asked him if they answered him back, or if they did, what did they say? The city just decided that there was no room anymore for a man who talked to trees. But T.T. always said that the city might surround him, but they'd never pave him under, because he was there first. And he was right. But the city didn't care.
S1 E15Unfinished Business
What do you know about T.T.'s son-in-law?
Oh, he's a rich stockbroker, is all I know. But, of course, T.T. says that he's nothing but a con man with a diploma and a place to hang it.
Let me get this straight if I can. What you're saying is that a Beverly Hills psychiatrist, an Encino stockbroker, a San Marino lawyer and the biggest subdivider in the next county, all got together to do an old man out of three acres without the daughter's knowledge, but with her consent and full cooperation?
I don't know if they all got together, Dennis, but they're all doing it to him.
There's nothing to tie them together and from what you said, I'd say the old man's right where he belongs.
Okay, so his lifestyle doesn't help his case any. But since when is eccentricity punishable by torture? And besides, Muellard knew about the attempt on my life, which ties him to something. Or did you forget somebody tried to kill me yesterday?
Look, Jimbo, what can I do?
Well, did you run a check on the nitrous oxide tank?
Yup. Dr. Fellows ran an inventory against supply and accounted for every tank. So there's nothing there. And Fellows is the director of Horizons Crest.
Well, he's in on it, too.
Oh, good, now I can add a Woodland Hills doctor to your list of co-conspirators.
[On phone with Dennis] Well, what do you want for proof, Dennis? My body? This is second time somebody's tried to kill me in two days! Yeah. I know he's a pillar of the community. No, I won't tell you where I am. [Slams phone]
[continued; T.T.'s eulogy from last episode] He said, "There's more spiritual illumination in a hive of bees than you'd ever get from a man in a suit." T.T. found his inspiration in the miracle of spring. When he'd feel the first warm breezes start to push the frost north, he'd jump in that old truck of his and load it up with beehives and go chasing the blossoms, leapfrogging his bees to keep ahead of the flow of nectar. Well, he told me that they had been doing that in old Egypt in the days of the Pharaohs. Not in trucks, of course, but in big old barges floating slowly up the Nile... just one step behind the grand opening of spring. Well, now our friend has joined those who brought honey to the Pharaohs. Some say it was the city that killed T.T. But I know of one time when the city was his friend. And if he'd known it, T.T. would be alive today. /.../ Those of us who loved him lost a valuable friend when T.T. Flowers went north with the nectar, and the world lost another keeper of the bees. And a good one. Spring isn't going to be the same without him.
Sherm, we can work this out. We always do. But, not like this. And until we do, I don't want to sell the place.
No, you don't know what you're saying.
He's right, Mrs. Royle. Why don't you let the men handle the business?
Well, the name I came up with is Rafael Sabatini.
Well, let me finish my story, huh? Sabatini. That's the name I got from four or five guys. Sabatini.
Angel, Rafael Sabatini has been dead for a coupla hundred years.
I was telling the one about the prisoner going to the chair. You know that one? The prisoner? He's going to the electric chair and his attorney comes in and he says, "Give me some last minute advice!" And the attorney says, "Don't sit down!"
[on stage for his comedy routine] Hey, hey, hey, hey, how do you like it so far? I'm so glad to see all of you here tonight. I love playing a prison; it's a captive audience. You notice how polite it is in a prison. All day long when you go by the wardens office, there is prisoners coming out, and they're going; 'pardon me, pardon me, pardon me.' [to the drummer] Hey, could I have a little help over there?
[Drummer gives a single 'timpani']
I knew a guy on the "D" block, pathetic case Guy, all of his life, he wanted to be a tree surgeon, but he kept fainting at the sight of sap. Sap. Sap. [chuckles] H-e-h-ey! Then, I knew this prisoner whose lawyer came to see him in the prison. The lawyer said, "everything is terrific. We got everything under control. I got a big pitch going with the parole board, and I have some very close connections with the governor. But, in the meantime, try and escape.'
[Angel chuckles, and tries to look for anyone laughing in the audience]
Escape? Escape.
Whaddaya think, Dennis?
Well, everybody's talkin' to me. It's kinda nice having friends.
Yeah.
But you know somethin'? I still hate surprise parties.
This is Jim Rockford. At the tone leave your name and message, I'll get back to you.
[beeep] George Debohn, Malibu Space Watch. Had three sightings last week. You see anything unusual? Your television reception interrupted? Call 555-1313.
[in a Nazi bar]] This is a nice place you have here. You know, the nice thing about this country? That people from all political walks of life can coexist. Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Socialists, Nazis.
You have a hair-trigger, Mr. Finch.
That's right, mouth, and you're sitting on the edge of a big disaster.
I like him Jimmy. He's got pluck.
Shut up Gabby!
[incredulous] Gabby?!
[sighs] Yeah, that's what he calls me. Cute, huh?
[snorts in disbelief] Gabby and Gandy...sounds like a puppet show.
[Marcus and Gandy have just trashed the Crystal Palace bar, a bar full of neo-Nazis] Before I leave, I would like to give you people my feelings on right-wing extremists, and neo-Nazism, in particular.
[Sirens are getting closer] Let's go!
The strength of this country is in the blue-collar middle classes. Now, Marx, Lenin, and even Nietzsche even, to a lesser extent, all believe that the working class had to be destroyed beyond recognition, before the government would follow. Now, I personally believe, however, that the American middle class is totally indestructible. Now, think about that. There'll be a quiz after the Watts parade.
These quotes come from Wikiquote's The Rockford Files pages and are available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.