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Richard "Rick" Simon was born in 1947 to Jack and Cecilia Simon. Throughout his
life, he's earned several PhDs in the School of Hard Knocks, which has aged him quickly in more ways than one. Despite all of his travails, however, he's managed to keep his sense of humor, his sense of honor, his desire to help those in need, and his big heart, if not his sense of responsibility.
Rick's
problems began early. His reckless nature tended to get him into trouble more often than not, and his father had a bad tendency to beat young Rick over it ("The Dark Side of the Street", season 4). Jack Simon eventually learned better, but not before leaving scars on the mind of his eldest son who reminded him too much of himself. ("May the Road Rise Up" season 7)
It was clear
to Rick from a young age that his brother was his parents' favorite. His father never hurt AJ. AJ was always the 'good' brother, never in trouble, unless Rick had helped him get into it. ("Dark Side" again) It had to be hard to grow up with a golden-haired brother that everyone adored. Not to say Rick wasn't loved by his parents, but it's only natural to favor the one who doesn't cause trouble.
Though it tended to eat Rick up inside (in several episodes, resentment creeps into his voice), it never changed the fact that he adored his brother, too.
Rick came to
a turning point in his life in his early teens, when his father died. Rick has said that he and AJ both did crazy things right after the tragedy ("Like Father, Like Son", season 6), and I shudder to think what that entailed. Despite AJ's constant teasing, Rick is bright and probably came up with some whoppers.
The boys turned to their Uncle Ray as a father figure at
first, but with different results. Rick, not all that reliable himself, doesn't take it personally when Ray doesn't show up and enjoys whatever time Ray can spare them. Then again, Rick is destined to resemble his uncle in more than just irresponsibility - he's going to get his hairline, too . (Revolution #9)
Without a father figure in proximity most of the time, Rick becomes AJ's protector, and that relationship continues throughout their lives. When AJ
is in trouble, his first response is to call out to his older brother, and Rick's first response is to be there for him. The most striking example that stands
out to me is in "The Skeleton Who Came Out of the Closet". When the brothers find themselves locked in a mental ward, Rick immediately works
on escaping while AJ immediately calls out to Rick. Once Rick 'grew up', he appointed himself his mother's protector, too. Very sweet, actually.
 After high school, Rick became a
biker, wandering the country to live life to the fullest with his buddies. He always came back to town to check on his baby brother and beat up whoever needed beating up, though.
("Who Killed the 60s?", season 4)
However, when the Vietnam War reared its ugly head, Rick was drafted and enlisted in the Marines to fight for his country. He broke the news gently to AJ, who was devastated. Rick
solemnly vowed he'd make it back. His two years there were the second main turning point in a life that would never quite be the same. He served
two tours in Vietnam, and when he did come home, he was a lot older than when he left. He experienced traumas AJ couldn't even begin to imagine, which was how Rick wanted it.
After returning from the war, he eventually settled into being a very loosely organized private investigator in Pirate's Key, Florida. His brother, having
decided not to become a lawyer after all, followed in Rick's footsteps though on a much more organized level. While AJ worked for Peerless
Investigation, Rick worked out of his boat. He spent part of his time dodging bill collectors and part of it trying to get AJ to go fishing with him
instead of going out with Janet Fowler, his little brother's fiancee. ("Pirate's Key, part one", season 2)
AJ transferred to San Diego to be with Janet when her father was transferred, and Rick naturally followed. Though it was probably not his
intent, he finally won out over Janet for AJ's time. The two of them decided to start a private investigation business together which became Simon & Simon.
 Rick had been living in a boat for years, but when Hole in the Water sprang a
leak, all he did was move it into his brother's yard and continue to live there. True, he spent half his time in AJ's house anyway, but officially he lived in the boat with his dog,
Marlowe. He and his brother may have had their ups and downs, but they both know they'll always be there for each other.
 Rick is 6'2" (2 1/2 inches taller than his brother as
he's happy to remind AJ from time to time), has blue eyes and an endearing rascally smile. He still doesn't have a responsible bone in his body, but he can always be counted on
to come through in a pinch. He drinks Don Diablo, smokes cigars, and likes attractive, smart women that are as down-home as him. He's a true gentleman, an occasional
lady-killer, but he doesn't go after married women if he can help it. The best part about him, in my humble opinion, is the mischievous sparkle in his
eyes and his quick, dry wit. Any woman he ends up with will have to do most things for him - but there'll be a lot of fun involved in doing it.
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