Reviews

We know who one of the bad guys is right away: that seemingly jovial Asian man who'll run you through without a thought and then call ahead for a meal at his favorite restaurant. Then there is another man--a man who loves his tobacco pipe. Who is he? What's his game? Is he anyone with real juice? He's someone, all right: the actual bad guy who appears throughout the episode in full view, but at the beginning, only in the blink of an eye.

We see him 3 times before the opening credits roll. Had the writers, directors, and producers wanted his identity truly hidden, they could've easily substituted him with a stunt double, but no: there he is, speaking with Wo Fat, telling him only to "get on with it." Only his voice has been dubbed; the real actor playing the part of the real "inside man" is there--if you know how to find him. Watch ever so closely as Wo Fat and his henchmen prepare to interrogate their victim, and you'll see him: I promise.

When this was filmed, I was in kindergarten. What makes shows like these so special to me is the era--the one in which I grew up. Please allow me to say of the ending scene that if your dad resembled Jack Lord, your mom looked like Nancy Kwan, and they got on as well as those two did, you were the coolest kid in town.

Few leading men could wear a suit or Hawaiian shirt and white slacks like Jack Lord. We get the full McGarrett treatment in this episode which was evidently made before another earlier on. If you're a fan of the show, you'll catch my drift soon enough. You'll say, "Hey, there's that guy again. He must've been paroled early!" But, you'd be wrong.. and right. Another clue this was filmed earlier is McGarrett's involvement: he's right up front where the action is. In later episodes, even in the first season, guest stars do most of the heavy lifting. Tsk.

This one is sort of a mix of Mission: Impossible meets The Thomas Crown Affair. A total of 5 hoods supply the goods and services for a major heist worth millions. 4 are together in a house: 3 guys and one girl. Antoinette Bower, the girl, is as gorgeous as ever, while McGarrett plays the part of a specialist who was put out of action, permanently, mere minutes after landing at Honolulu International Airport. Well, he did behave rather badly, causing Danny to, ahem, take care of business. Steve has assumed his identity in hopes of discovering what the caper is and who's behind it.

"The Man", AKA the person who arranged the caper, is a voice on a tape recorder. This unknown brains behind the operation leaves McGarrett stumped as to who it could be. Little does he know The Man let his identity slip when he asked Steve if he's ever wondered how difficult it could be for... a certain someone to make it in the world. By the time that conversation happens, you'll probably have figured out who just who it is. Yes, "The Man" was with them the entire time.

MORE CLUES: When McGarrett finds a large unmarked envelope outside on a patio table, you'll ask yourself, "How did that get there? Who brought it? Didn't anyone see who left it?" Yeah, those were questions I asked. Those are the questions which will help lead you to solving the case before McGarrett did, if you haven't guessed it by then. Really, it's rather obvious when the 4 meet for the first time, but the scenery of Hawaii is so lovely, you just might not be paying attention.

Some episodes leading up to this one seemed to be rewrites of Intertect scripts which were scrapped when Lucille Ball changed the format of the series. They're okay, but would've been better, in my opinion, if Peggy was put to work digging up clues at the office which Joe needed while in the field. Anyway, her intuition was correct, but ignored by Joe. When will he learn?

A bit of a spoiler here: if you're going to kidnap someone, be sure to puncture the tires of your enemy's car as well as cut the cord of his mobile radio phone. Perhaps the kidnapper didn't do it, but his partner did while riding along on the chase? Maybe, but whoever did what, the goal seemed to be getting Joe away from everyone in order to do him in, which would explain why Joe's car wasn't sufficiently disabled. After all, it's better to be involved enough to have a plausible story to tell the police.. you know, playing it up as though you're the victim. A bit chancy, that, but hey, criminal masterminds have a way of living on the edge. Also, where else to get a spare police uniform than where they ended up: perhaps where the diabolical scheme was hatched? This is an episode where the dots connect in the brain after the final credits have rolled. Good writing will do that.

At least Joe was right about who called the cops on the first victim. It would take awhile for Joe to find out why. Nevertheless, for guaranteed one-hour results, Joe never disappoints.

Utterly painful to watch. After the second episode, I skipped 3 and 4 and went straight to 5. Honestly, this story could easily have been condensed into a single, 2-hour episode. The only reason anyone would want to endure 5 hopeless episodes is to see 1993 again. Other than that, this story has little to recommend it. So, who did it? Watch the first episode and also the second, if you can bear it, then skip to about two-thirds of the way into episode 5. Yeah, the creepy bad guy you really want to see get his actually does get it, and in a big way. That is visually explained at the beginning of the last episode. Watch that bit, then skip two-thirds of the way in. Why was he and his snake-loving boss so eager to keep the truth hidden? Because they depend on the killer to help them get away with their criminal enterprise. Hey, when you have the top cop and his bag man in your pocket, you want to keep them alive and well.

Some reviewers strongly dislike this episode. I find it as true to life as any real murder. Isn't it always the closest to murderers who are often the last to realize what's going on? And, how Barnaby didn't anticipate the solution at the end is beyond me. Tsk, it was some bad writing, that. Beware of those who want to be alone with you at a far-off location! You may not come back alive!

How did the murderer come by the gun used in the crime? It didn't belong to the murderer, nor the intended victim. Little did the intended victim realize that their little sideline would lead to death. We aren't specifically told how the gun found its way into the hand of the murderer, so you'll have to rely on your understanding of wanton sexual desire to discover it-and when it was delivered. How the weak are easily manipulated!

The death of the final victim is too unbelievable to have happened. How would the killer have known that anyone, especially that person, would have sussed it out? No, it's an impossibility. Actually, the entirety of the crimes are too wild to be believed. I will say that the actors were wonderful, as was the production value. Pity that the original was digitally processed and sharpened. That ruins it a bit for me. Nonetheless, Ms. Hickson's portrayal remains as the best of the Miss Marple series.

There simply wasn't time for the crime to have occurred. As with seemingly every Perry Mason episode, what's played before us is a collision of worlds, and it's left to Perry to sort them out. It's good that he did, because one would have to be clairvoyant to solve this one.

By the time the facts are brought to bear, I'm left with the conclusion that there was absolutely no way the accused couldn't have heard or seen the killer. There wasn't time enough for the killer to have done the deed and escaped notice in the time allotted. Add in the achingly convenient relationship between the killer and the security guard, and you're left with too neat and tidy a package. How in the world did Perry discover it?

Sure, the position of the elevator was a vital clue, however the time allotted for the crime to take place is utter fantasy. I cannot stress the point enough.

I'll grant the episode this, though: extracting information from the witnesses was irritatingly arduous. That's the bit which was more like real life than any other aspect portrayed. Oh, and, this one's a babefest to the max!

What else is new? Even James Bond can't help but to save the girl--even when she's the enemy. Fortunately for Joe, he solves the case and will surely receive a handsome reward for his efforts.

The turnabouts in this episode will remind you of a slapstick comedy. Everyone except for Peggy whips out a gun, and yet no one gets shot. Of course, this wouldn't be a proper Mannix episode without Joe getting pistol-whipped or otherwise knocked around a bit, so you can expect plenty of that. Also, Joe's taste in pajamas--and his decision to pack them at all--is a bit suspect. However, this is '60s television, so there are standards to maintain.

This is a rather lonely episode. I miss the earlier episodes--especially of Joe's Intertect days--when there were lots of supporting cast members milling about and adding life to the scenes. This will remind you of what it's like to go grocery shopping at 3 am.

How did Joe know where the inside man went after leaving Peggy's apartment? What happened to Peggy's Simca when Joe looked for evidence of blue paint on his car door? It was there when Joe arrived to his office 5 minutes prior. He parked next to it! Also, how was it that the crooks left their windows and doors unlocked?

This episode featured Peggy, and who can argue with that? She may have let her emotions get the better of her for awhile, but in the end, she let her brain do the talking. Fortunately for her and Toby, the inside man had some conscience left in him.

Unless I missed it, how Joe knew where to follow the inside man is lost on me. Perhaps his mom told Mannix off-camera. At the end, the question as to why the inside man didn't leave the same way he came in is unanswered, too. It's that kind of teleplay that makes it easier for a writer to finish a script in his or her spare time, I suppose. I'm giving this a rating of 7 for the amount of Peggy time, and little else. If I may be honest, this episide has me longing for Joe's Intertect days.