User Reviews

"Final Judgment" is a dandy two-part episode. I liked it because the show was gritty....with a tougher than usual Barnaby Jones. I also appreciate how the story is about a case he blew...one where he was a pawn used to convict the wrong person of a crime!

When the story begins, a drunk woman calls Barnaby to say she's killing herself and it's all his fault! Barnaby and his staff use the few clues they have to find the woman before it's too late. They then learn that perhaps Barnaby might have worked on a case that framed a dead man long ago. Barnaby is not the type to do anything wrong if he can help it and he agrees to open up the case.

Soon Barnaby is able to find a witness from 11 years earlier and this convinces the police to also open the case. The problem is that the baddies know about her and soon she's dead...and Barnaby hits rock bottom...saying it's his fault.

This is a very good episode. I have a few minor quibbles (don't I always?), such as Betty AGAIN being in peril and how Barnaby didn't call the police when he got the suicidal phone call....but went to find her himself! Odd...but not something that ruins the show in any way. Well worth seeing and be sure to see part 2 as well.

This one's a bit more interesting and involving than the typical BARNABY JONES episode of this period, with lots of moving parts: a suicidal woman, Barnaby coping with the guilt of a rare mistake made several years earlier, scarily competent and effective villains, and a shocking murder at the end of part 1 of this two-part story. If you spent any time watching these Quinn-Martin detective shows either now or back in the day, you are well aware that the heroes NEVER flubbed things as badly as Barnaby seems to have done here, so this story is quite a departure from the established formula. I liked the way the plot is carefully spooled out, with not only the motivations of the bad guys still murky at the end of the episode, but also the viewer isn't quite sure what exactly happened during the crime in question 11 years prior. Add to that the little glimpse that is given of the REALLY bad bad dude's marriage, showing it to be affectionate and loving, which also leaves the viewer wondering if the wife is in on it or not, and you have a many-layered thing. This episode is so jam-packed with guest-stars that the standard opening credits procedure of listing two or three actors and then giving an arbitrary "special guest-star" designation is abandoned, and all the players are listed alphabetically.

And yet for all that there is to recommend about this episode, I still found it to be lacking in the "oomph" dept.; the proceedings have a kind of listless quality to them, the story doesn't "crackle" the way it should, and I have to lay the blame for that at the feet of the serviceable-but-staid direction, and also, unfortunately, with Mr. Ebsen himself. He never really convinces us of the turmoil he should be feeling, and his line readings are pretty flat. I hate to say it but all of that is pretty par for the course by season 6; Buddy Ebsen was almost 70 when this episode hit the airwaves and perhaps his age was finally catching up with him. I think it was a wise decision that starting with this season and going forward, the heavy-lifting for the plots began to be split between the three series regulars, giving B. E. a lighter work load.

One hilarious contrivance that demands to be pointed out: When Barnaby is talking on the phone with the suicidal woman, he hears an ice cream truck in the background, playing "Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush"; he tells his assistants to get on the phone and call all the ice cream truck companies and ask them if any of their trucks play that song, and if so, find out what their routes are, so as to help pinpoint the location of the suicidal woman; the information is achieved in minutes!

Can you imagine how long that would have taken in real life? In a city of the size of Los Angeles--if the lady was even IN Los Angeles? Especially before the days of the internet? First you have to hope that the relevant business is listed in the Yellow Pages; then you have to hope that they answer the phone; then you have to hope that the person who answers knows anything..."Do any of your trucks play 'Mulberry Bush'?" "Uh, I don't know...I just answer the phone..." "Can I talk to somebody who WOULD know?" "Uh...let me see if Carl is still around...I'll be right back..." (ten minutes later:) "Uh, Carl is gone for the day, can I have him call you back?" And then multiply that conversation by 10 or 15 or whatever. Lol.

Notorious milk-drinker Barnaby Jones drowns his sorrows in a bottle of whiskey in this show. That should give you an idea of how high the emotions are running in this two-part saga.

Can Barnaby Jones undo a wrong that was done many years ago? Who was behind it, and why? Will the jailed man go free? Will he reunite with his wife?

Great acting on all parts; and a good story line. Only a few plot holes prevent me from giving "Final Judgment" 10 stars (could someone really remember all those details from a chance encounter 11 years ago?).

There is also a nice twist ending, which is hinted at early in the show.

This is a particularly good episode of Barnaby Jones. I suggest you watch the two parts back-to-back, so as not to lose the continuity.

Must see TV.

Perhaps one of the best episodes of the season, and superbly directed by series master Walter Grauman. He and Buddy Ebsen made a great team. Much credit is due.

This intriguing story is in two parts; first Barnaby has to find a suicidal woman who claims he wrongly accused her husband of a kidnapping. -- Next the introduction of new evidence in the case. I agree with the last reviewer, it's rare, crossing the line for tv sleuths and detectives, to see Barnaby make a mistake that has consequences.

Barnaby has a lot on his hands, and yes! -- needs a shot of whiskey. Be realistic, drinking milk could only go so far, right? Although, Barnaby DID have a shot of booze a few seasons back during another tough case.

If you're a true cop show fan, you'll notice the COLUMBO connection. Very cleverly, series writer Gerald Sanford had the famous children's song "Mulberry Bush" playing in the background from an ice cream truck, in the neighborhood where the suicidal woman lives. I agree with the last reviewer, back in the day (even without the internet) it would be nothing short of a miracle to reach the right ice cream company who has a truck in Los Angeles that plays that song... Poetic license 101, shades of MANNIX.

The song angle was used in a COLUMBO episode called "The Most Crucial Game" (1972), starring Robert Culp, only the ice cream truck music was connected to a murder.

Superior cast, lead by rugged bad guy Robert Webber (as Gene), lovely Marj Dusay as Jennifer, Susan Sullivan as Linda, tv star Sherry Jackson (DANNY THOMAS), not to forget Dabney Coleman and Bradford Dillman, a staple in Quinn Martin productions.

If you dig deep enough, this is a story that has the feel of a CANNON episode, and one that may have been an outline proposal for Quinn Martin that was shelved after the series ended production in 1976. A distinct possibility, and especially with this exceptional cast. This had to be the most impressive cast the series had in many seasons.

Classic Barnaby.

SEASON 6 EPISODE 18 remastered color/CBS dvd box set. 6 dvds. Released June 2018.