This episode features the usual Mannix elements. Mannix is in an impossible situation but defying the odds manages to take away a gun from a thug. A trained shooter misses hitting Mannix. The guest stars and supporting actors are good. Mannix is hit over the head. Someone shoots a couple of bullets into Mannix's office window. Mannix works the case for free yet has to pay rent, pay insurance, make car payments, pay for food, pay Peggy's salary and his salary. Somehow his finances magically work out. As usual, Mannix gets no action from the pretty lady. He might as well be a monk. There is a pretty woman in the episode, but she is way too young for Mannix.
Lawrence Dane as Lassiter proves to be one of the smartest villains on Mannix at least for most of the episode. He plans a brilliant strategy to cover up two murders he committed to make it look like they were committed by crazy serial killer Overkill played by Jay Robinson who excelled playing evil characters. Despite the plot weaknesses in this episode, I give it an eight out of 10 because Lassiter was smart for most of it.
Lassiter murders Red Bailey a security guard and friend of Mannix as the show opens. He plays into a situation where Overkill is about to call Paul Sorenson played by Jeff Corey who is live with his television show just begging Overkill to call him. Overkill's call comes just after Lassiter murders Red.
Lassiter has Red's apartment bugged and bugs Mannix's office. He is able to listen on conversations between Mannix and Lt. Malcolm which keeps him one step ahead of them. Unfortunately for him Mannix shows up at Red's apartment while Lassiter is there trying to remove the bug he planted. So guess what? He knocks Mannix out and later when Lt. Malcolm wakes Mannix up the first thing Mannix notices is that the finial is missing from the lamp shade. This scene was weak. Mannix wakes up with a nasty headache after being clubbed in the head but has sense enough to notice the missing finial? As a result he then deduces there was a listening device. Anyone else would be groggy, take medication and get more rest. Mannix is able to recover from a head wound like flipping a light switch. Maybe Lt. Malcolm should have been the one to notice the finial was missing. Lassiter should have left the apartment and returned after Mannix was gone.
Mannix finally figures out that Red knew one of the supposed victims of Overkill was not murdered by Overkill and was investigating this. This is why he was killed by Lassiter who is working for imprisoned mob boss Ty Webber played by Marc Lawrence. Webber is released from prison and he ordered the murder of Red. Mannix figures out the wire tape and sets up a listening Lassiter when he calls Lt. Malcolm telling him to back off. Lassiter falls for it and immediately calls Mannix to set up a meeting at a Japanese restaurant/water park with seals and fish. He says it is a good meeting place because it will be closed the next day.
Webber gets stupid at this point and insists on being there so he can personally kill Mannix. He should have listened to Lassiter and been somewhere else so he would have an alibi. Mannix shows up the next day and is surrounded and captured by Lassiter and the thug with him. Webber is stationed at an upper deck with a powerful rifle aimed at Mannix. Just before the shooting begins Lassiter brings out a bound Sorenson and then Mannix figures out his plan stating that Lassiter wants to make it look like he confronted Sorenson who he initially suspected, they fought and killed each other. Turns out it was Sorenson's pretty secretary who was the insider.
Just before Webber is able to get his shot off, Mannix is somehow able to take the gun away from Lassiter's hired hand which apparently surprised Webber and of course he misses. There is no way Mannix is getting a gun away from a trained mob hit man.
Mannix and Sorenson run away with Mannix telling Sorenson to stay put. Mannix wins the shootout and only then do the police show up to make the arrest. Why the police did not have the place staked out I'll never know.
Red and Mannix were good friends but Boyd Morgan was not the right actor for the role. It just seemed contrived that they were friends. Morgan looked like a middle aged slouch and not someone who Mannix would hang out with.
Jeff Corey added some color to this episode as Sorenson. Jay Robinson was memorable and entertaining as the nutty Overkill. However, I do understand how the police let him hang himself in custody. Lawrence as Webber is perfect casting. Lawrence had a deep, grovely, commanding voice and sinister looks. He makes a perfect mob boss type.
I have said this before and I'll say it again, if I was Mannix's landlord I would evict him. There is too much violence at the apartment!
Lawrence Dane as Lassiter proves to be one of the smartest villains on Mannix at least for most of the episode. He plans a brilliant strategy to cover up two murders he committed to make it look like they were committed by crazy serial killer Overkill played by Jay Robinson who excelled playing evil characters. Despite the plot weaknesses in this episode, I give it an eight out of 10 because Lassiter was smart for most of it.
Lassiter murders Red Bailey a security guard and friend of Mannix as the show opens. He plays into a situation where Overkill is about to call Paul Sorenson played by Jeff Corey who is live with his television show just begging Overkill to call him. Overkill's call comes just after Lassiter murders Red.
Lassiter has Red's apartment bugged and bugs Mannix's office. He is able to listen on conversations between Mannix and Lt. Malcolm which keeps him one step ahead of them. Unfortunately for him Mannix shows up at Red's apartment while Lassiter is there trying to remove the bug he planted. So guess what? He knocks Mannix out and later when Lt. Malcolm wakes Mannix up the first thing Mannix notices is that the finial is missing from the lamp shade. This scene was weak. Mannix wakes up with a nasty headache after being clubbed in the head but has sense enough to notice the missing finial? As a result he then deduces there was a listening device. Anyone else would be groggy, take medication and get more rest. Mannix is able to recover from a head wound like flipping a light switch. Maybe Lt. Malcolm should have been the one to notice the finial was missing. Lassiter should have left the apartment and returned after Mannix was gone.
Mannix finally figures out that Red knew one of the supposed victims of Overkill was not murdered by Overkill and was investigating this. This is why he was killed by Lassiter who is working for imprisoned mob boss Ty Webber played by Marc Lawrence. Webber is released from prison and he ordered the murder of Red. Mannix figures out the wire tape and sets up a listening Lassiter when he calls Lt. Malcolm telling him to back off. Lassiter falls for it and immediately calls Mannix to set up a meeting at a Japanese restaurant/water park with seals and fish. He says it is a good meeting place because it will be closed the next day.
Webber gets stupid at this point and insists on being there so he can personally kill Mannix. He should have listened to Lassiter and been somewhere else so he would have an alibi. Mannix shows up the next day and is surrounded and captured by Lassiter and the thug with him. Webber is stationed at an upper deck with a powerful rifle aimed at Mannix. Just before the shooting begins Lassiter brings out a bound Sorenson and then Mannix figures out his plan stating that Lassiter wants to make it look like he confronted Sorenson who he initially suspected, they fought and killed each other. Turns out it was Sorenson's pretty secretary who was the insider.
Just before Webber is able to get his shot off, Mannix is somehow able to take the gun away from Lassiter's hired hand which apparently surprised Webber and of course he misses. There is no way Mannix is getting a gun away from a trained mob hit man.
Mannix and Sorenson run away with Mannix telling Sorenson to stay put. Mannix wins the shootout and only then do the police show up to make the arrest. Why the police did not have the place staked out I'll never know.
Red and Mannix were good friends but Boyd Morgan was not the right actor for the role. It just seemed contrived that they were friends. Morgan looked like a middle aged slouch and not someone who Mannix would hang out with.
Jeff Corey added some color to this episode as Sorenson. Jay Robinson was memorable and entertaining as the nutty Overkill. However, I do understand how the police let him hang himself in custody. Lawrence as Webber is perfect casting. Lawrence had a deep, grovely, commanding voice and sinister looks. He makes a perfect mob boss type.
I have said this before and I'll say it again, if I was Mannix's landlord I would evict him. There is too much violence at the apartment!
