Review of Lifeline

Mannix: Lifeline (1972)
Season 5, Episode 21
3/10
Terrible - just a rehash of old ideas
7 November 2021
This one is about a singer (played by Lou Rawls) who is on the run from the law because they suspect him of killing a drug dealer.

This episode is strikingly similar to the horrible Time Out of Mind episode from last season as it has many of the same plot elements - a black guy goes into hiding because the police suspect him of a murder but he maintains his innocence, he hides out in a dump but Joe is able to find him because his family tells him where he is, and the guy tells Joe he doesn't want his help and tells him to get lost or he'll kill him. So not only is this a reused plot but it's a reused plot from a bad episode, so it's a double whammy.

This is essentially a repeat of the previous episode but with different guest stars. There's really nothing new or interesting here or anything different from Time Out of Mind except for the Bolo character, who is well-played by William Marshall and is the best part of the show, but unfortunately he only has a small part at the very end.

Once again we have the maddening cliché where Joe tells his client to stay put at the hideout but of course he leaves. I am really, really tired of this cliché.

This one really drags because there isn't much action except at the end.

The episode would have been better if it had focused more on the Bolo character, but as it stands it's a terrible episode that is essentially a rehash of the equally terrible Time Out of Mind and with very little action or excitement.
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