Lead series character goes blind for an episode. Name them. (1 Viewer)

Okay, here's an unofficial contest with no prize offered other than the opportunity to show off your classic TV trivia muscles and name the lead character, the TV series, and, if you're really good, the episode in which that character goes temporarily blind. Because we all know practically every series did this, whether for dramatic purposes or to give the actor or actress a showcase to get an Emmy.

I'll kick it off with the episode from the second season of Route 66 I just screened, where Buz Murdock (George Maharis) gets hit by a steel beam at a construction yard and goes blind for the entire episode called "even stones have eyes."

Just off the top of my head, I also remember Spock, Little Joe, and the Virginian also going blind for episodes, but see how many more you can come up with.

An episode of Smallville in called "Whisper"

Attempting to stop a robbery, Clark is temporarily blinded when he shoots off a burst of heat vision that is accidentally reflected back into his eyes by a piece of kryptonite and soon realizes his body has developed super-hearing to compensate for his lack of sight. However, as it was in the beginning with his other gifts, Clark doesn't quite have his new power under control.

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Alison went blind on MELROSE PLACE after Kimberly blew up the building at the beginning of Season 4. Her temporary blindness lasted from episode 4-01 - Postmortem Madness to episode 4-03 - Blind Ambition.

Steve McGarrett went blind in an episode of "Hawaii Five-O" called "Blind Tiger," aired December 31, 1969.

Jonathan Hart in Hart of Darkness on Hart to Hart

Felix Unger in Hospital Mates on The Odd Couple

Adrian Monk in Mr. Monk Can't See a Thing on Monk

Sam McCloud in A Little Plot at Tranquil Valley (just for part of the show) on McCloud

There was an episode of Cheers where Cliff would go temporarily blind due to the anxitey of being with his girlfriend at the time

Hawkeye went blind on one episode of M*A*S*H after a heater exploded in his face.

Vic Marrow goes blind in an early episode of Combat!

Mary Ingalls (Melissa Sue Anderson) went blind permanently on "Little House on the Prairie".
From Little House Wiki, the Little House encyclopedia:
Season 4: I'll Be Waving As You Drive Away (Part 1)
Just as Mary falls in love with newcomer Seth Barton, her eyesight begins to worsen. Charles takes her to an optometrist, but the news is not good: Mary's vision cannot be saved, and she will soon go blind. In denial, Charles does not tell his daughter. One morning, she wakes up and finds to her horror she is completely blind. Mary becomes very bitter over her predicament and having to rely on others for basic needs.
Another one:
Jarrod Barkley (Richard Long) went blind in one episode of "The Big Valley" Season 3, Episode 4: Time After Midnight

It happened in Dynasty! "Blake's Blindness," from the second season, aired Feb 3, 1982. It happened when the bad guys blew up a car beside Blake, temporarily blinding him. He got his sight back, but pretended to still be blind so that he could find out if his wife was unfaithful, who his enemies were, etc. One of the greater storylines, and it is available on dvd. Wish I could say the same for season 4-9 (ARE YOU LISTENING, PARAMOUNT???)

Fonzie also went blind for an episode of Happy Days!

Teal'c went blind for a little while during the Stargate episode called "New Ground." In a twist, Adam went sighted in the Little House episode called, "To See the Light."

Two men on the run:

Richard Kimble (David Janssen) was blinded temporarily in a fourth season episode of "The Fugitive" called "Second Sight."

And.....David Banner (Bill Bixby) was also blinded temporarily in a third season episode of "The Incredible Hulk" called "Blind Rage".

"The Fugitive" episode was from 1966....."The Hulk" episode was from 1979.

Now, get this: Both episodes were written by Dan Ullman.

Oh, man. This was such a widespread cliche (and still is, really) that the only show I'm sure didn't do it is Longstreet - where the lead character was always blind.
Regards,
Joe

In the first several episodes of season 8 of "Dallas," Bobby Ewing (Patrick Duffy) was temporarily blinded as a result of a shooting.

Of course, there's Carlos on Desperate Housewives. But it was for more than one episode, and it didn't take much brainpower.

Kenneth V said:

Vic Marrow goes blind in an early episode of Combat!

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Saunders was blinded in a season 5 episode titled The Chapel at Able Five. In the first season Saunders is deafened by an enemy grenade and relies on a small dog to help him.
Dan Tanna was blinded in an episode of Vega$.
Lt. Goldman was also blinded in an episode of Tour of Duty. He must rely on a Vietcong prisoner to lead him around.

star trek original series: season 1: episode: operation annihilate. spock goes blind thanks to mccoy! thank god for the inner eyelids.

Steve_Pannell said:

Hawkeye went blind on one episode of M*A*S*H after a heater exploded in his face.

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Setting up one of my favorite lines (Scene - Hawkeye and BJ, in line at the mess tent, Igor slaps some gelatinous green stuff on Hawkeye's tray):
Hawkeye: Creamed Spinach!!
BJ: That's amazing! Smell it?
Hawkeye: No. Heard it.

kingfish said:

Saunders was blinded in a season 5 episode titled The Chapel at Able Five. In the first season Saunders is deafened by an enemy grenade and relies on a small dog to help him.

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Thanks for the info!
Also, Pete Thornton from Macgyver was partially blind (in real life) from around the end of Season 6-7.