Charlie's Angels (TV Series) Angels in Springtime (1978) User Reviews

Resort Angels

[adamcshelby · 8/10 · 10 August 2021]

This episode indulges a great 70's trope (locking someone in a steam room to kill them) and features a fantastic guest turn from Mercedes McCambridge. Also impressing is Nancy Parsons (Porky's Beulah Balbricker), doing her quintessential hench-lady. Who can complain about a plot revolving around an all-female resort in which everyone wears hot pink outfits? Not me.

A famous actress named Eve Le Deux is electrocuted and the resort owner hires the Angels to find out whodunnit. Kelly poses as a guest, Sabrina as a dietician, and Kris as a pink leotard-wearing fitness guru.

Mercedes McCambridge steals the show as a fork-tongued actress (Norma Powers) who was 'friends' with the now deceased Eve Le Deux. Parsons plays tough masseuse Zora, and she doesn't like Kris snooping around in her area, even if she wears the tightest hot pink shorts imaginable.

There's an interesting scene with Kelly and a female psychiatrist who is eager to put her under hypnosis. While not explicitly stated, there are very clear lesbian vibes coming from the doctor, and I thought it quite unusual for 70's TV. Not that I blame her, who wouldn't want to put Kelly Garret under their spell?

It's best not take the show seriously. It's cheesy fun with lots of tight outfits and plenty of Angel skin, especially the ever curvy Cheryl Ladd, who seems even more provocatively dressed then in season 2.

Kelly has a great scene where she subdues the pushy hypnotist, but Kris gets absolutely balbricked by goonish Zora. Nancy Parsons found fame in Porky's and other B movies like Motel Hell, and she's clearly a woman not to tangle with, even the Angels couldn't take her.

The show was filmed up in the Malibu hills overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and the lush landscape adds to the overall glam feel. I'm just shocked they got Sabrina to wear pink!

Great Episode

[BuffyCharmedAngel · 10/10 · 13 October 2007]

I think this episode was fun. It is 70's TV, so there is always a "corny" factor. However, this happens to be one of the ones I choose to watch off my DVD set. I love the whole "Womens Only" club. It has that creepy feeling to the whole thing,the way they are like practically prisoners there. Also, Zora's character is GREAT! She is hilarious. The lady Dr.is totally creepy, almost seems like she wants to come-on to Kelly. Bosely sneaking into the club was funny. I think the dialog between Kelly and the creepy Dr. is great. Also, when Kris first meets Zora, that is a classic.I believe the 70's genre always has corny story lines in one way or another, but that is what makes it fun to watch, it is a little more simple than todays TV. Great Episode!

Fan-tastic Fantasy Femmes

[sjdrake2006 · 9/10 · 4 January 2023]

There were a spate of 'Detective' TV Shows in the 70s, each one having its own 'hook' to attract viewers.

Charlies' Angels had as its 'hook', that of attractive lady detectives getting into peril and coming out triumphant in the end. Detectives as eye candy!

The ladies were thoughtfully chosen to combine different 'types' to appeal widely and the plots were 'light' - the focus was primarily upon the ladies, the cast of whom changed over the series.

This episode was one that probably came out near the top of the 'fetish femmes' category for exciting its male viewers.

The Angels are called to investigate the electrocution of a film star at a ladies-only health spa.

One sees the Angels at the spa resort, wearing loose gear or in saunas not leaving too much to the imagination. There is lady-on-lady interest.

Toward the end Kris, the blonde member of the team, is snooping about a chalet wearing a pink tracksuit and plimsolls. There she is discovered by Zora, the tough lady on the villains' team.

Kris remonstrates feebly but Zora isn't having any of it. No nasty stuff shown, but Kris is thrown about the room a couple of times till she's knocked out, then dragged unconscious from the room.

When Kris wakes up, she's clearly been stripped naked and is weighed down by hot towels being placed over her by the baddies, who interrogate her subject to the threat of suffocating her with the. . Of course, she's rescued and all ends happily, except for the villains..

Angels at the Resort

[starlina7up · 10/10 · 18 May 2024]

This was an incredible whodunit classic scheme. When Eve Le Deux ,(Marie Windsor) a famous actress, is electrocuted her niece Eve Perkins (Amy Stryker) believes her aunt was targeted for murder so she and the resort owner hires the Angels to go deep undercover as a Dietitan (Sabrina), Fitness Guru (Kris), and a new guest (Kelly).

When Sabrina and Kris arrive resort they meet Ingrid Nyberg, the facility's managing director who is up front with her newest staff members (undercover) that she is the only employee who knows who they are but does not want them there making her Suspect #1 on their list as Sabrina advises Kris to not take any chances.

After the new staff members are acquainted Kris begins her search for Le Deux's manuscript she was working on but trouble awaits when she meets Zora Stafford (Nancy Parsons) who has a nasty grudge towards Kris for whatever reason remains to be scene making her Suspect #2.

Kelly arrives and meets Suspect #3 Dr. Slavin (Joan Hotchkis) while Sabrina and Kris already met Norma Powers (Mercedes McCambridge) who is also a fellow actress and Le Deux's BFF.

Things begin to get heated when Kris is trapped in the Sauna by Zora's latest plot but Kelly rescues her in time.

Meanwhile, Dr. Slavin begins her Seance on Kelly but Kelly fends her off then Sabrina, and Bosley join her in the interrogation but Slavin's alibi is clean then Kris goes back to Le Deux's room to find her Manuscript but Zora found her and does some damage to Kris.

Norma joins Zora in an effort to get Kris to come clean about her presence at the resort just after Norma revealed Kris' true ID and Zora prepares to committ her newest crime Kris confronts Norma that she's conspiring murder but Norrma reveals that she's the perp behind Le Deux's death.

Zora (Having No Remorse) says she's been in the slammer before and just set to silence Kris until Sabrina, Kelly and Bosley arrived just in time to save her while Sabrina and Kelly went after Norma who out of nowhere tries to flee when her wheelchair got nucked but Sabrina and Kelly succeeded and the cops took Norma and her accomplse into custody.

This episode is a knockout! A Pinky Pizazz (I thought Sabrina didn't like wearing Pink) but I prefer a deeper shade of Pink.

I still like the episode.

One of my least favorite episodes

[bensonmum2 · 4/10 · 14 July 2006]

In something I recently wrote for the Charlie's Angels episode called Angels in Vegas, I said that the show is "70s television in all its glory. It's cheesy, unrealistic, and a whole lot of fun. If you're going to enjoy this stuff, you simply cannot take it seriously." Angels in Springtime pushes the limits of my statement. I hate to sound like I'm contradicting myself, but the episode titled Angels in Springtime is a little too cheesy and a little too unrealistic. Sure, it was fun watching the Angels go up against Nancy Parsons and Mercedes McCambridge, but that's about it. The plot is even more obvious than normal for a Charlie's Angels episode. The fight scenes are overly staged and it's far too obvious that stunt people are involved. There's no mystery and no suspense – not even the cheesy 70s variety. And, the scene near the ending has to be the stupidest, lamest idea ever. Kris has been kidnapped and is about to be put to death. But these criminals don't use a gun, a knife, an explosive device, an egg beater, or even a dead fish. Instead, they're using the most shocking, devious murder weapon ever devised – hot bath towels! Huh? Wait a minute! Did I miss something? I've seen a lot of murder weapons used in television shows and movies, but warm, wet bath towels are new one on me. Oh the pain! The agony! To be forced to lay under three (that's right, three – not just one) damp towels – I'm shocked she was able to pull through.