User Reviews

Another crummy spinoff attempt. There's no bigger than a B Jones fan than me, but even I couldn't handle the week storyline, and the lousy plot line. These "spinoff attempts" get tiring after a while, for it is obvious within the first five minutes that none of them have the magic that made winning TV shows succeed.

And it shows a lot of lazy writing that every storyline has to revolve around a friend, relative, or accidental acquaintance of Betty or JR. Seven seasons of the show and Barnabee is constantly "testifying in court" during the final season, instead of out solving crimes in his signature, and very entertaining, style.

Worth watching simply because it is the final episode. But very disappointing.

I enjoy watching old tv series from my childhood so I was happy to stumble upon Barnaby Jones. A show of which I had little recollection besides the main characters. It was a mostly decent series, typical of 70s tv detectives. I got a good laugh from some of the silly plots but it was all in good fun. Many shows don't get an opportunity for a farewell episode. I can't imagine that after 8 seasons they were surprised the show was ending. So this finale was a bit of a let down. The last several seasons it seemed like the writers just phoned it in. I understand from some of the other reviews that Buddy Ebsen wanted a lesser role as time passed, but Betty's never ending line of troubled relatives and friends was over done. The two bumbling detectives in this episode were cringey and the story was predictable.

The show deserved a better ending.

"The Killin' Cousin" is the final episode of "Barnaby Jones" and while I love binging old TV shows, I was thrilled to finally be at the end of "Barnaby Jones". Now it isn't because I totally hated the series. Heck, the first four seasons were exceptional. But starting in season five, the average episode had less and less Buddy Ebsen. Additionally, the writers were incredibly lazy and wrote dozens of episodes where Betty's friends and family were killed, did the killings or were accused of killings. It got to the point when I found myself laughing when such plots unfolded because it had become such a cliche....and, sadly, "The Killin' Cousin" is yet another Betty's family/friends in trouble episode!

When the episode begins, one of Betty's cousin is found dead. It's made to look like suicide but it's murder. Now, instead of having Barnaby and Jedediah investigate, it's obvious this episode is at least the third attempt at a spin-off series (all of which failed and where not approved by the networks). In this case, Kenneth Mars and Thomas Havens play father-son investigators. And, the trail soon leads to a roller disco!! What follows is really dumb...at best. How dumb? Mars keeps changing costumes every few minutes to be undercover...and he's about as convincing as a four year-old who is trying to play dress-up!

The bottom line in that although this is the last "Barnaby Jones" episode, it's really NOT as Barnaby and Jedediah are barely in it and it's just another failed bad spin-off series. A huge disappointment...and at times, cringeworthy (as my wife described this one). A huge insult to the fans to end the show this way, that's for sure.