Barnaby Jones (TV Series) Echo of a Distant Battle: Part 2 (1979) User Reviews

A really good conclusion!

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 4 August 2021]

In general, the two-part episodes are among the best episodes of "Barnaby Jones" and this one is a dandy.

In the previous episode, Barnaby is hired to find out where a missing man from the Vietnam War is now. His widow is, naturally, in need of some closure. In the process of investigating this, however, some unexpected stuff happens...including a seemingly innocent bystander being killed, some stolen gold and much more. All in all, very exciting, well written and a great conclusion to part one.

REDEMPTION FOR BARNABY.

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 19 April 2024]

PART 2 10 Stars

Terrific conclusion of a very dramatic two parter in which Barnaby is charged with manslaughter for accidentally killing a man involved with a notorious ring of thieves. What a dilemma.

The strange story revolves around a Vietnam War deserter, at first believed dead, now tied to a clever gold heist. Guest stars Laurence Luckinbill and Margie Impert are excellent in addition to Andrew Robinson (as Robert), best known for playing the insane killer in DIRTY HARRY.

Series writer and associate producer Gerald Sanford put a lot of thought into this script, adding some dynamic characters to keep it moving.

Jenny O'Hara, who is still acting to this day, has a very good supporting role as does Jim McMullan, playing Major Scott. McMullan would later appear several times on DALLAS. Many other familiar faces here.

One of the best series episodes directed by Walter Grauman, a perfectionist when it came to handling his cast. Once again, Buddy Ebsen does a superb job in a very sympathetic (if not unsual) role which should have earned him an Emmy nod.

One classic episode. SEASON 7 EPISODE 15 remastered color CBS/2018 release.

Long, Drawn-Out and Boring

[zombiemockingbird · 1/10 · 31 July 2023]

This whole story, including part 1, just wasn't very interesting to me. It just kept dragging on and on, adding more people, none of whom were interesting or likable, and adding more side-stories that weren't interesting. The whole story involving Barnaby accidentally shooting a guy, seemed to have just been added for filler. It didn't really have anything to do with the story, except trying to elicit sympathy while Barnaby moped around feeling guilty and a bunch of people treated him like garbage. Endless scenes of people droning on, talking about nothing useful. I always love Andrew Robinson (as Robert Curtis), and he does a fine villain. I only know Mark Metcalf (as Ted Parker) from Twisted Sister videos; I kept expecting him to start yelling and spitting. Jenny O'Hara (as Dororthy Warner) did a good job, but the rest of the women were pretty bad. In fact, the acting by everyone else was pretty sub-par. By the time it finally ended, I just didn't care what happened. And would someone please give JR a gun!