Long-time respected Inspector John T. O'Connor, played by Leslie Nielsen, has doggedly pursued Mob Boss Royce (Ray Danton) for over a year. During surveillance, he oversees Royce transfer a briefcase with incriminating papers to a bag man in another vehicle and begins a high-speed chase. When the vehicle crashes, he unsuccessfully tries to retrieve the briefcase before the car explodes. Once again he is stymied in his obsessive quest to nail Royce.
O'Connor gets a medical check following the explosion and receives a shock: He has an aneurysm near his heart and an operation would almost certainly be fatal. After processing the news and on borrowed time with nothing to lose, O'Connor resolves to kill Royce. After an investigation reveals O'Connor's intent, Inspectors Stone and Keller are put in the unenviable position of having to protect the life of an unsavory character.
This episode benefits from a good plot and very good acting from a number of excellent character actors of the era. Having grown up with the comedic Naked Gun movies, I'm still amazed at the range of actor Leslie Nielsen, who played primarily serious roles in series television for much of his career, often as a bad guy or chief protagonist. He does an excellent job here of both conveying the emotions of a dying man and his single-minded obsession with killing Royce. Fine too is James Wainwright as his partner Murray, a good cop for whom O'Connor has served as a mentor and who tries desperately to reach him emotionally. Joanne Linville was a wonderful actress and is good in her scenes as O'Connor's ex-wife, a woman long neglected by his dedication to the job but nonetheless caring and compassionate. And Ray Danton plays the sardonic mob kingpin Royce, a portrayal he perfected in many shows of the 70's.
A good episode from a good show. Worth your while.
O'Connor gets a medical check following the explosion and receives a shock: He has an aneurysm near his heart and an operation would almost certainly be fatal. After processing the news and on borrowed time with nothing to lose, O'Connor resolves to kill Royce. After an investigation reveals O'Connor's intent, Inspectors Stone and Keller are put in the unenviable position of having to protect the life of an unsavory character.
This episode benefits from a good plot and very good acting from a number of excellent character actors of the era. Having grown up with the comedic Naked Gun movies, I'm still amazed at the range of actor Leslie Nielsen, who played primarily serious roles in series television for much of his career, often as a bad guy or chief protagonist. He does an excellent job here of both conveying the emotions of a dying man and his single-minded obsession with killing Royce. Fine too is James Wainwright as his partner Murray, a good cop for whom O'Connor has served as a mentor and who tries desperately to reach him emotionally. Joanne Linville was a wonderful actress and is good in her scenes as O'Connor's ex-wife, a woman long neglected by his dedication to the job but nonetheless caring and compassionate. And Ray Danton plays the sardonic mob kingpin Royce, a portrayal he perfected in many shows of the 70's.
A good episode from a good show. Worth your while.
