"He was a cop, and good at his job. But he committed the ultimate sin and testified against other cops gone bad - cops that tried to kill him, but got the woman he loved instead. Framed for murder, now he prowls the badlands, an outlaw hunting outlaws, a bounty hunter - a RENEGADE!"
—The Opening Narration
Reno Raines, a formerly well-respected policeman, is framed for the shooting of his girlfriend Valerie and the murder of another cop by Donald "Dutch" Dixon, and is forced to go on the run from the very law he used to uphold. Thus, his becomes a mission to find the evidence that will clear him; in the meantime, he works alongside noted bounty-hunter Bobby Sixkiller under the alias "Vince Black" to bring other criminals to justice.
Renegade starred actor Lorenzo Lamas in the eponymous role, and ran for five years, from September 1992 to April 1997, for a total of five seasons, 110 episodes in all. Seasons 1-4 ran on broadcast syndication, with Season 5 airing on the USA Network. The series was one of several created and produced by the now-deceased Stephen J. Cannell, who also played Dixon.
By the way, this series is NOT related in any way to the Technos Japan video game, nor with the Mass Effect/Command and Conquer fan-fiction story.
Tropes:
- Action Girl: Cheyenne bounced back and forth between this trope and Damsel in Distress.
- And the Adventure Continues: When the evidence is finally found to clear Reno of Dixon's first murder and implicate Dutch in
the murder of his wife to silence her as a potential witness, it's Dixon who ends up on the run...with Reno now being the one to hunt him.
- Ascended Fangirl: Sandy Carruthers, Cheyenne's replacement, had taken bounty hunting lessons provided in Bobby Sixkiller's home video courses, and had graduated from said courses at the time of her joining Reno and Bobby at the beginning of Season 5.
- The Atoner: One episode features a small colony of ex-cons who have become this and are trying to make an honest living. Unfortunately, several of the local townspeople are jerks toward them.
- Blatant Lies: When Reno finds a small town with only a handful of people that may have some criminal involvement, he asks how they survive. The locals say they just buy from each other. Reno is no accountant, but he visibly doesn't buy the story for a second.
- Bounty Hunter: Reno and company aren't the only ones shown in the series.
- But Now I Must Go: Being a man on the run, Reno could never remain in one place for more than one episode, much to the chagrin of whatever people he helped that particular episode.
- Chick Magnet: About every third episode involves female character kissing Reno goodbye.
- Clear My Name: Reno's goal, and the main point of the series. Of course, as the show ran for five years in syndication, Failure Is the Only Option.
- Convenient Coma: Valerie, Reno's girlfriend, falls into one after being shot during the attempt on Reno's life in the first episode. She dies.
- Cool Car: Bobby's black Hummer.
- Cool Shades: Reno, Bobby Sixkiller, and Dixon wear them from time to time.
- Damsel in Distress: Cheyenne Phillips, Bobby Sixkiller's sister and assistant and Reno's love interest, sometimes acted as this; her replacement, Sandy Carruthers, would later take up this mantle on occasion. A number of one-shot female characters played this role Once an Episode as well.
- Deadpan Snarker: Reno has a lot of moments of this. As shown in the Season 5 episode "Top Ten With a Bullet":Reno: Wake me up in '01.
- Defeat Means Friendship: Bobby Sixkiller, Reno's main ally in his quest, had originally been hired by Dixon to capture Reno.
- Dirty Cop: Dutch Dixon, and several others who tried to kill Reno and wounded his girlfriend prior to the series proper. Several minor characters throughout the series fit the mold as well.
- Evil Counterpart: Dutch Dixon to Reno Raines. Reno is officially an outlaw but is one of the good guys; Dixon, the Big Bad and the man who framed him, is seen by most as an upstanding police lieutenant.
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Reno, who spends the series being hunted for a crime he didn't commit.
- Hunting the Most Dangerous Game: One episode featured convicts being hunted for fun/as target practice by novice/wannabe assassins.
- Inspector Javert: Most police in the series play it straight. Also done with Dutch Dixon, officially; but it's also subverted in that his acting this way is merely to cover up the fact that he framed Reno for his own crime.
- Invincible Hero: Averted. Reno is certainly tough, but even he can and does get injured - sometimes seriously so (it's a plot point in one episode).
- It's A Wonderful Plot: The Season 4 episode "The Road Not Taken" has Reno, having been captured and placed in a holding cell, wishing he'd never been born. Be Careful What You Wish For, Reno.
- It's Personal: The whole Reno Raines/Dutch Dixon feud.
- Magical Native American: Reversed. Reno is the partner and employee to the Native American Sixkiller, and occasionally acts as his moral center and advisor. He's basically a Magical Caucasian.
- Missed Him by That Much: One episode ends with Reno and Bobby arriving at Hound Adams' last known location...only to find a video-taped message from him demanding that Reno kill Dixon before Adams will come forward to vindicate Reno. Naturally, Reno is not amused.
- Mr. Fanservice: The show was not shy about showing off Lamas' impressive six foot two muscular physique and athletic skills, often showing him either shirtless or in just a singlet.
- Ms. Fanservice: The main girl Cheyenne sports bikinis and workout clothes frequently, also the occasional miniskirt. Female guest stars tend to be fashion models and more often than not appear in skimpy outfits.
- Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Bobby Sixkiller. Downplayed in that while he enters the series as a hunter on Dixon's payrole, he ends up siding with Reno and is a good guy thereafter.
- Opening Narration: A very awesome one, outlined at the top of the page. Spoken by the master himself, Don La Fontaine.
- Put on a Bus: Cheyenne Phillips at the end of Season 4, replaced by Sandy Carruthers (played by Sandra Ferguson). The real-life reason was the split between Lorenzo Lamas and Kathleen Kinmont, who had been married in 1989 and divorced in 1993, but continued to stay civil for the sake of the show—until Lamas began a relationship with Playboy model Shauna Sand. In response to this, Kinmont went on The Howard Stern Show and slammed Lamas' new relationship; in response, she got fired by Lamas, who was at that time the show's executive producer. These
links provide further detail. - Poorly Disguised Pilot: The episode "Carrick O'Quinn", where the named policeman accidentally blinds a judge trying to stop a robbery, and as a result became a Private Detective out to help people. The spinoff was never picked.
- Stern Chase: Reno seeks to find the one witness who can clear his name; simultaneously, Dixon seeks to capture/kill Reno.
- Story Arc: Finding Hound Adams, the witness who can clear Reno's name, is this. Compounding the issue is the fact that Adams refuses to come forward unless Reno kills Dixon first, out of fear for his own life.
- Tattooed Crook: Well, Reno DOES have tattoos, and he's painted as a crook - but he's not really one.
- Techno Wizard: Sandy Carruthers uses a computer to pinpoint the identity of the person who's stolen Bobby's jeep—in her debut episode.
- Town with a Dark Secret: Played with - one town Reno and Bobby visit has a secret that the residents don't want getting out. The secret in question? The town is the residence of legendary outlaw D.B. Cooper, now an old man.
- Underside Ride: This is how Reno Raines escaped from prison following his conviction.
- Very Special Episode: Muscle Beach, guest-starring Cory Everson and her sister Cameo Kneuer. ("drugs/steroids are bad") The Dragon for the Villain of the Week is a heroin/steroid dealer, and Cameo portrays the Girl of the Week who was unwittingly doped by her trainer, the aforementioned Dragon.
- Walking the Earth: Reno has to keep on the move throughout the series. In "Murderer's Row", he says he sees a woman staying ahead of a Corrupt Corporate Executive on the same path and (citing, in conversation, no local friends, no chance at a family) believes that no one should have to have the same life.
- Would Not Hit a Girl: Reno. It's used against him on at least one occasion.
- Wrongful Accusation Insurance: Played with.
- A lot of the wrongfully accused people Sixkiller Ent. helped seemed to get off scot-free. Enough for Bobby to lampshade the Clear My Name plot when he sees that look in Reno's eye.
- In "Top Ten with a Bullet", they had to hunt down a fugitive murderer since the 60s. Reno helped the fugitive prove that the person he "killed" never died in the first place, which surprises even the fugitive. He thought he did kill his friend, but accidentally. He's sentenced to community service for evading justice, which, from what we see, means singing to kids. He doesn't seem to mind. We never get to see what would happen to Reno himself if his name were cleared, unfortunately.
