This is a typical outing without much to recommend or condemn it. The plot has been covered by others but a quick summary. Joe finds a dead woman and the crime just happened. He visits a neighbor who is reluctant to cooperate as the killer has his wife in the closet as a hostage. Joe thinks the man saw something, but the guy says he didn't. The police get there but the killer escapes. Joe is hired by the distraught husband who implies Joe can use tactics not open to the police to get the truth from the reluctant witness. Joe enlists Peggy who has a friend with a son who knows the streets in that area of the murder. A longshot but all of Joe's longshots come in. I'd love to go to the racetrack with Joe. Make some serious money. The kid pretends to know nothing, but Joe isn't buying. Joe ends up back at the witness's house, called by the man's mother. The witness and his wife have disappeared. The mother tells Joe the true story of the murder as her son had told her over the phone. Joe catches the killer and figures out the distraught husband had kidnapped the witness and his wife so Joe rescues them and takes the husband into custody.
The plot has several clichés. A kid going straight but roped back into a bad situation. Witness not wanting to be involved. Grief stricken relative getting in the way and wanting revenge. The sports coach, former sports hero, helping kids stay straight. Several tropes here - pick the one you like.
Logic lapses have been pointed out by others, so I won't repeat them here.
The cast is fine. Conlan Carter, the reluctant witness, is always Doc of Combat to me. Check out the credits of his wife, Gwen Van Dam. She built a good career playing supporting roles and is still at it. Norman Alden is making his second of three appearances on Mannix. He is fine here, but it is a role that Simon Oakland or Claude Atkins could have done too. All three were busy back then.
Once again, no money for Joe for this case but at least he isn't shot, beaten up or drugged. He did have to endure the whiny husband, but he brought him to the police in the end. Have to look on the bright side of this. This episode is about as average as it gets for the Mannix series.
The plot has several clichés. A kid going straight but roped back into a bad situation. Witness not wanting to be involved. Grief stricken relative getting in the way and wanting revenge. The sports coach, former sports hero, helping kids stay straight. Several tropes here - pick the one you like.
Logic lapses have been pointed out by others, so I won't repeat them here.
The cast is fine. Conlan Carter, the reluctant witness, is always Doc of Combat to me. Check out the credits of his wife, Gwen Van Dam. She built a good career playing supporting roles and is still at it. Norman Alden is making his second of three appearances on Mannix. He is fine here, but it is a role that Simon Oakland or Claude Atkins could have done too. All three were busy back then.
Once again, no money for Joe for this case but at least he isn't shot, beaten up or drugged. He did have to endure the whiny husband, but he brought him to the police in the end. Have to look on the bright side of this. This episode is about as average as it gets for the Mannix series.