User Reviews

This episode begins with an innocent young lady being murdered in her own apartment. Soon you learn that her old boyfriend might have done it, though when Mannix and Peggy look into the case, they are able to prove that the old boyfriend couldn't have been in the apartment at the time--even though planted evidence makes it look like he was.

When Mannix visits a guy who was in his unit during the war, Mark (Darren McGavin), he learns from Mark that he murdered the girl. He freely admits doing it and also claims credit for another death of someone from their same old unit. As the dead girl's uncle was from this unit as was the ex-boyfriend, it's obvious that Mark has a vendetta against the guys back in Korea. The problem is that the cops don't believe Mannix when he goes to tell them about Mark's confession. This is because Mark has a LONG history of confessing to all sorts of crimes he couldn't have committed. But Mark is no harmless cranks, as he tells Joe--it's either him or Joe--one of them will soon be dead!

This is a pretty decent episode with a nice finale. I really appreciated how Peggy was not your typical hysterical female victim you'd often see during this era. My only serious complaints are the over-use of a double to play Mark as he does all sorts of unnecessary exercises in front of Mannix to prove his manliness. It obviously was NOT McGavin but a double. Using the double less would have made the show better. Additionally, a few times logical inconsistencies arose-- such as during the fight scene in the locker room. Why didn't Joe Mannix use his gun? Still, despite these, it was a tense show with a reasonably interesting villain and plot.

This one is about the niece of one of Joe's military buddies getting killed.

This is the best episode of the series so far. It's action-packed and intense throughout and has some great fight scenes, including one in a locker room and pool and another one in the woods at the end.

Darren McGavin's performance as a deranged psycho is excellent and scary.

This one is almost entirely about the interplay between Joe and Mark. The other supporting characters are only seen in the early scenes and then disappear for the rest of the episode, although one of them ends up as part of the body count.

This is by far the best episode of the series so far.

This was fairly scary stuff back in the day, and still potent all these years later. One of the best tv directors, John Llewellyn Moxey, behind some classic tv movies in the 70s, handles this one beautifully.

Darren McGavin, terrific actor in both light and dramatic roles, is fairly effective as a psycho Korean War vet (yet another in Joe's unit), out to even the score with everybody, including Mannix. He is spot on here, again thanks to Moxey's direction. In a series first, Mark (McGavin) even admits to being a killer, but it's all about catching him. That's the GAME. Darren McGavin, interestingly, began his career in Hollywood as a painter at Columbia Pictures, graduating to dozens of memorable roles, his most famous as Kolchak, the Night Stalker versus vampires and the supernatural.

Dane Clark, a classic actor in his own right, returns to the series, this time playing a police lieutenant. Look for Paul Mantee (playing Tommy), who also appeared frequently on the show, best known for ROBINSON CRUSOE ON MARS (1964), which co-starred future BATMAN Adam West.

Harold Medford wrote this story, known for the classic Joan Crawford movie, THE DAMNED DON'T CRY. This is an excellent portrayal of a psychopath, a terrific character study you cannot miss.

There are truly some over the top scenes in play here.

By the way, the isolated cabin on Franklin Canyon Drive in Beverly Hills where Peggy and Toby are held captive is still there. The site was also used in BARNABY JONES and in the 1950s by the old HIGHWAY PATROL cop series.

One HECK of a tale. PREMIER SEASON 4, EPISODE 1 CBS remastered dvd box set.

I had to refrain from using Darren's epic 'fragile' line from 'A Christmas Story's as the header. I decided against it because I felt it'd be disrespectful to Darren McGavin's performance. As terrific as his performance was in ACS his acting talents go beyond playing Ralphie's old man.

Well, mark your spots on your Bingo cards because this is another episode that's centered on somebody Mannix was in the war with wanting to go after him. Darren does a great job playing an absolute psychopath. I'd say Darren and Clu Gulager are my two favorites when it concerns men from the war going after Mannix. Both men approached the roles differently imo. So it's not a case of 'this is just a copy of that episode so there's no point in watching this one'

I must say there's something I'm glad of and I don't want to make it sound like I'm picking on a child. Here goes: I'm glad Toby wasn't used that much. It has nothing to do with his acting because it goes back to what I say on all my reviews where I talk like this. An actor is handed a script and he does it. The actor playing Toby did the script the way it was called for. It just bothers me the way the writers write for Toby. Can't you see your mom has done a 180? Something's wrong. Can't you see your mom is afraid?

I don't know what to call it tbh. This series had Mannix being hired by children before and the writing seems fine for them so why does it breakdown for Toby?

And I must say it's episodes like this where I head canon that Joe, Peggy, and Toby are family. Joe and Peggy have love and concern for each other. They don't have to be pawing each other on Mannix's couch for me to see the love and respect they have for each other. Mannix is afraid Peggy and Toby are in danger from Darren's character and not only does he call a cop to investigate the cabin, he drives up there himself. It's beautiful and I'm not being snarky when I say that.

Anyway, this episode was excellent with an amazing performance from Darren McGavin. I'd highly recommend, especially if you only know him from ACS and you want to see the flip side of him playing somebody unhinged.

If I never read the goofs or other stuff I would have never saw that little boy next to the trees. I had to go back a watch the ending over again. Funny how in these old shows you see stuff like this when it's pointed out to the viewer. But in today's shows you would never ever see that happening today. I like Mannix new car and Pegs new car they both needed an upgrade in the cars. I was wondering is that the same actor playing Toby ? Because I got this few that they used another actor to play him but I can be wrong about that. I also see the police detective is a different actor than seasons one and two.

. . . and this rock-bottom "Mannix" episode is only for viewers whose idea of a fun time is pulling the wings off a fly. A fatally miscast Darren McGavin plays a psychotic Korean War veteran who is systematically slaughtering the members of his unit who testified against him (Mannix included) when he was tried for homicide. That's what there is of a plot as the episode zooms in on one gratuitous murder after another. The idiotic script is full of more holes than any of McGavin's victims and, towards the end, when Mannix fears for Peggy's life and tells her to seek refuge at a remote cabin with her young son, you weren't by any chance expecting McGavin to be there waiting for them were you? Another armchair critic called this an unofficial remake of "Cape Fear". I sincerely hope he (or she) wasn't referring to the terrifying 1962 Peck/Mitchum classic but to Scorsese's blood-soaked, laughably inept 1990 remake whose low point was the sight of Robert DeNiro in drag. "Mannix" was hardly one of TV's more memorable private-eye shows and why MeTV insists on repeating its re-runs (while pulling the plug on the still-terrific "77 Sunset Strip" after 2 short years) is a mystery far more baffling than any of the plots of its mediocre episodes.