High Octane is the fifth episode of the First Season of The Dukes of Hazzard TV Series.
Uncle Jesse fires up the moonshine still for a patriotic cause, while Bo's dancin' and romancin' flames are fired by a lovely female revenue agent who's bird-dogging them
Balladeer: That’s Bo and Luke Duke. From the way they’re duded up, they got something cookin’. And you know it ain’t girls, ‘cause it’s still daylight. That’s Uncle Jesse, the Duke patriarch. And that mean’s he’s the Boss.
Town of Hazzard
The General jumps over a parked truck while Bo and Luke head to their meeting. They rush into town where Uncle Jesse is waiting before parking and getting out. Jesse complains about how long it took them to get there. As they go into the court house, Luke notices a flier and Bo says he heard about it on the radio, a contest for clean energy to substitute for fossil fuels. Bo expresses interest in it, but Luke says it don’t matter to them as they got nothing for it. Bo argues that they can think of something and Jesse remarks sure Bo can, if he can get a combustion engine to run on hot air. They go inside to meet Roxanne Huntley and learn she is Bo and Luke’s new probation officer. She is not happy about the circumstances but stamps their file. The Dukes go to leave but are stopped in the door by Rosco. Rocso tells them that the break light is out on their vehicle, to which Bo thanks him, but Rosco tells them that if they try and move it he will write them a ticket and revoke their license. Bo thanks him again and they all leave. Rosco goes to talk to Ms. Huntley, saying he can't believe they don’t make shine anymore. The two talk about the Dukes and Rosco insists that they are guilty.
Jesse does grocery shopping and returns to find Cooter under the General Lee, startling Jesse. He tells Cooter not to call him Uncle Jesse and asks what Cooter is doing. He is surprised to hear Cooter is fixing the tail light as he saw it shorted out and Jesse backtracks, asking if he needs any help. Bo and Luke return and learn Cooter fixed the taillight. They show Jesse that they bought a bunch of copper tubing as it was on sale and they might be able to use it around the house. In Roxanne’s office, her and Rosco talk about the possibility of the Dukes making moonshine. Suspicious, Roxanne watches the Dukes leave.
Jesse is annoyed to learn from Brodie that there is a ration of gas. As Brodie explains that the gas truck only comes by weekly now instead of daily, Boss Hogg comes out and tells them about the contest, bringing up moonshine to the Dukes confusion. Boss asks if Jesse remembers how they once ran out of gas and Jesse used his moonshine to run Boss’ car. They are even more confused when Boss says that he isn’t interested in the prize money.
Balladeer: Sometimes it’s just as hard to figure out what Boss is interested in as it is to figure out what he’s really talking about.
Boss explains he wants the royalties and he and Jesse would get all the royalties from it. Bo asks how Boss fits in this and Boss says it was his idea. Jesse says he made a deal that he wouldn’t make any moonshine but Luke argues that it would be a service to the country. Boss and Luke both convince Jesse it wouldn’t hurt to do it. Jesse however turns down Boss’ request to be his partner and tells the boys they should go check on their old Still.
Still Site
Jesse, Bo, Luke, and Cooter go to the old Still site and uncover Jesse’s Still. Cooter remarks that he had been there before and never knew it was there, which Jesse says that was the idea.
Boar’s Nest
In Boss’ office, he explains to Rosco that Jesse will make some moonshine because he’s a patriot and will want to help his country. Boss sends Rosco away so that he can think and while outside Rosco vents that he has no idea what Boss was talking out. They hear a loud explosion and Boss comes running out, excited, saying Jesse is firing up his old still. Boss tells Rosco that he will not arrest the Dukes while they make moonshine and is to leave them alone until they transport it.
Still Site
Luke and Jesse dig Cooter out of a mess, Jesse yelling at Cooter that he told him not to run the batch. They ask if he’s alright but they find he isn’t. Cooter remarks it is good that the vat blew and not the still but Jesse tells him that had the still blown there would be a big creator where they once stood. Meanwhile Roxanne is in disguise moving nearby and Bo is off getting sugar. Roxanne trips one of the Duke’s alarms, altering Jesse, Luke, and Cooter from the still along with Bo, who has almost returned. Cooter is left behind to watch the still while the others investigate. Luke, Bo, and Jesse find Roxanne and she says she smells smoke, going up to the still site and accidentally knocking herself out on the fumes. The Dukes and Cooter see who she really is and they find her badge. Jesse gets rid of the evidence with Cooter’s help and Bo brings her around attempting to give her ‘mouth to mouth’. She tells him he is under arrest.
Balladeer: Maybe it’s his technique.
Luke gives her the gun and badge back and she learns that the evidence is gone. Bo explains that it’s fuel for the contest. The Dukes and Roxanne agree to a 24 hour truce where Roxanne lets them run one batch and then has to try and catch them with the evidence. She agrees to stay at the Duke farm. When Roxanne goes to the truck, Jesse tells the boys if they keep Roxanne busy for the night, he and Cooter will run another batch. Boss and Rosco meanwhile go into the woods to find the still. They discuss the plan for them to find the still then arrest the Dukes when they move it and Boss takes the shine to the contest as if he made it. However Bo and Luke drive by in the General, and recognizing them, Bo forces them off the road and into the creek.
Duke Farm
Roxanne is bathing in the Duke Family kitchen, annoyed at her failure. Daisy tells her the Dukes will help her get the hang of her job and talks about other agents they know. She tells Roxanne about agents Berkeley and Ragsdale who recently retired and how they still send the Dukes Christmas cards and agent Joe Higgins named his oldest son after Jesse. They are interrupted by Bo’s arrival and Daisy snaps him that he can’t come in. Bo says he brought Roxanne some clothes, and slips something to Daisy. Both Daisy are surprised and Bo says he got it out of Daisy’s closet and he figured Roxanne wanted something nice to go jukin’ in. Daisy tells Bo to stay out of her closet and is stunned that Roxanne has never been jukin’ before.
Boar’s Nest
Balladeer: Now for all you culturally deprived, jukin’ is an event that combines music, exercise, and social intercourse on a high plan.
Bo and Roxanne dance together at the Boar’s Nest. They sit down to have another drink. Daisy takes a tray to serve drinks, but Enos who is sitting with Luke, grabs one of the drinks off her tray to find it is just water. He watches Daisy serve it to Bo and asks Luke why Daisy is serving him water. Luke says maybe that’s how Bo wanted it. Bo and Roxanne dance and Enos expresses wanting to meet her. Luke tells him not tonight and Enos asks that if Luke will fix him up, he will tell Luke some information he wants to know. Luke agrees and Enos tells him about Boss and Rosco’s plan. Roxanne then drinks until she passes out.
Balladeer: Uh huh, y’all getting’ it now? Bo and Luke figured to get her passed out and out of the way for about 12 hours. Early next morning they unveiled Sweet Tilly. A real sweetheart with a leaded body, a hot engine and racing shocks. Now Jesse and Tilly were a legend, and although he hadn’t made a run with her in several years, old Jesse kept her tuned up and ready.
Jesse, Bo, and Luke get Jesse’s old running car out of the barn. Jesse remarks that Rosco will spot Tilly and go through her looking for the shine. Jesse explains that he will be carrying the shine and Bo questions how they won’t find it. Jesse says that is the trick. Jesse then leaves. While he’s gone, Bo and Luke are loading a number of jugs in the trunk of the General Lee. Roxanne comes out and tells them they are under attest.
Road
Enos and Rosco are setting up a road block. Enos says he thinks they are wasting their time and Rosco says that Jesse is making shine and double crossing his partner. Enos asks who is his partner and when he’s told it’s Boss Hogg, Enos asks if Jesse knows that he and Boss are partners. Enos says Jesse is probably never going to tell them where the still site is. They are excited to see the Dukes and when they go to arrest them they learn the boys are already under arrest from Roxanne. Rosco decides to arrest all three and has Enos take them all away. Enos apologizes to them all before taking them to the Hazzard Jail. As they leave, Rosco pulls out the jugs in the boys’ trunk and take it to Boss.
Police Department
Enos is attempting to lock up Bo, Luke, and Roxanne. When he and Roxanne talk about her phone call, Luke breaks the evidence jug and Bo lights a match over it. The other two are alarmed, asking Bo not to drop the match in the liquid. Enos hands over his gun and Luke locks them up together, saying he promised Enos he would fix them up. Bo then lights a match and drops it in the liquid, revealing it was only water. Bo and Luke leave in Enos’ car.
Road
Balladeer: Sheriff Rosco has seen cars like this before. He knows a runner when he sees one. So now ol’ Boss Hogg is all fixed up with a jug of Jesse’s high octane moonshine. He’s off to the contest with nothing to stop him.
Jesse drives into Rosco’s road block and after checking that Rosco has Jesse distracted, Boss leaves to the contest. Rosco starst to look through the car. Bo and Luke take the police car and head through the road block with no issues, Jesse waving them on to the contest. After they find nothing Jesse tells them to put the car back to the way it was. Rosco reluctantly does so.
Department of Environmental Protection
Balladeer: Did you ever see a smugger man in all your born days? Ol’ Boss is sitting pretty, cause he knows the Duke Family Moonshine will run a motor, is a pretty fair anti-freeze, and a darn good remedy for warts and guitar. Now, right now, Ol’ Boss is happier than a hog knee deep in slop. The contest rules state you either provide a pollution free engine, or a clean fuel that runs an internal combustion engine. And Ol’ Boss can hardly wait.
Boss and his driver arrive at the contest. They head to one of the unclaimed test engines. While waiting for their turn to be judged, Boss and his driver watch a man test an engine that runs off Horse manure. It fails. The judges then come to Boss just as Bo and Luke arrive. They watch Boss run the water and the engine fails. Jesse then arrives with his moonshine and reveals the trick to boss before putting it in the last engine. Rosco and Roxanne arrive but they are unable to take the evidence as it is already submitted for Washington. Jesse is annoyed that they don’t get the prize money due to the method needing to be checked on how feasible it is. Jesse and the boys leave, giving Rosco back his keys. Roxanne, Enos, and Boss all realize Jesse hid the moonshine in his gas tank and the only way to arrest him is before it is used up.
Balladeer: Listen, ‘cause this ain’t over yet. Trouble just started. ‘Cause now the Dukes need to keep running until they burnup the evidence in Jesse’s tank, or they’re gonna be sitting in jail while the government sorts this thing out. How’d you like to be doing that? You ever see 2 hounds fighting over the same bone? Well the Dukes are feeling kina like that bone.
Jesse, Bo, and Luke are in Black Tilly, followed by Rosco and Boss in Enos’ patrol car, and Roxanne in her car. Jesse tells the boys to sit tight as they gotta drive until the tank is out. They watch Rosco and Roxanne fight for the lead, amused. Roxanne eventually passes him and Rosco flips the car. Jesse goes onto the dirt roads and Roxanne follows. Jesse concludes she is a pretty good driver before going through a barn, alarming Bo and Luke. The gas tank runs out and Roxanne rushes to the car. In her attempt to catch them she snifs the tank, nearly knocking herself unconcious again on the fumes. Bo picks her up to carry her back to her car.
Balladeer: That’s the legend of how Jesse and the boys made both legal and illegal booze. And they all made a new friend, especially Bo.
Main Cast[]
- Tom Wopat as Luke Duke
- John Schneider as Bo Duke
- Catherine Bach as Daisy Duke
- Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse Duke
- James Best as Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane
- Sorrell Booke as Boss Jefferson Davis Hogg
- Waylon Jennings as the Balladeer
- Ben Jones as Cooter Davenport
- Sonny Shroyer as Enos Strate
Guest Star[]
- Carlene Watkins as Roxanne Huntley
- Rocky Laidler as Brodie
- Ralph Pace as Ed Monroe
- Bob Hannah as Inventor
Continuity[]
- The one who made the initial deal between Jesse and the FBI was Agent Andy Roach. After that he became Bo and Luke's probation officer. As of this episode he was promoted to the Atlanta office and all his cases were given to Roxanne Huntley
- Jesse Duke's old running car was Black Tilly, a Black 1971 Ford Custom 500. He has kept her ever since
- This episode reveals the Duke males legal names. Jesse L. Duke, Lucas K. Duke, and Beauregard Duke
- While both Bo and Luke do not use their legal names, Bo shows a strong dislike for his name
Trivia[]
- This episode is the final episode to filmed in Georgia before moving production to Warner Bros. Studios in California.
External Links[]
High Octane at IMDB
Gallery[]
