Original air date: 14 April 1974
This episode was not rerun
In the penultimate episode of the series, Inspector Lewis Erskine runs into several dead ends in a search for a psychotic killer whose victims are all in the same college sorority. He enlists the aid of a new agent who had been one of its members. This episode marks another time when Inspector Erskine works with a female FBI agent. When J. Edgar Hoover was alive, women were consigned to secondary and tertiary roles.
Mary Frann (1943-98), who played S.A. Pat Driscoll, would play the spouse to Bob Newhart sitcom Newhart, which ran from 1982 to 1990. Daniel J. Travanti plays a college professor who sports a mustache, saddled with a miserable marriage. Already a seasoned performer, Mr. Travanti was some years away from his breakout role in Hill Street Blues, which aired from 1981 to 1987.
Overall, a good episode, though it reminds one of those slasher movies that were popular in the Seventies. However, we also get to see more of the actual workings of the agency here, which makes it different from the movies. The episode makes one wonder if Inspector Lewis Erskine might have had a female assistant, had the show carried on. Mary Frann holds her own incredibly well. It makes one wonder if she could have taken over from Shelly Novack, who gets a little more to do here as well. Ms. Frann seemed to have more the presence that William Reynolds had when he was on the show.
And Daniel Travanti gives a great performance here. And it has a twist ending that, IMO, is marred by the bit about unhinged Oh, and we definitely get to see more of Assistant Director Arthur Ward here. Very welcome indeed!
- This episode was the final one that Philip Abbott would direct.
- This episode appears to not have been rerun. It ran on Easter Sunday.
- Watch for the scene where Messrs. Travanti and Zimbalist, and Ms. Frann meet at a ravine, and check out seeing Mr. Travanti’s breath. It was clearly the autumn time!