Reminsicent of one of the Airport disaster films from the 1970's, this is a thrilling episode which makes one wonder how the episode will end. Only thing is a lot of the elements of the later Airport films are brought into this episode including the corny music and bad acting. Thayer David is one of the best of the actors though, bringing in a threatening performance as the main antagonist. Great episode!
The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries (TV Series)
The Strange Fate of Flight 608 (1977)
User Reviews
Review this title3 Reviews
Two Soap Vets On Board This Episode!
alanduran-6254313 May 2022
Frank and Joe enter the Bermuda triangle and run into two soap opera veterans. We get Thayer David, who played multiple roles in the fabled soap, Dark Shadows, and Robin Mattson, who would play the fabled LSD-doping villainess Heather Webber in General Hospital four years later. The show effects are cheesy but effective. Disappearing in the Bermuda Triangle back in the Seventies seemed just as likely to happen as getting swallowed up by quicksand. I'm surprised we've never between treated to a reunion between the two brothers. With everyone jumping in the water from the plane reminded me of one of the live show attractions at Universal Studios and Tour. I sure hope the Hardy Boys don't disappear into the Bermuda triangle for all eternity. I wonder if this episode is the inspiration for LOST.
A cheesy, reasonably entertaining piece of fluff
bensonmum221 July 2017
A diamond smuggler is attempting to put one over on his New York associates by sending glass instead of the real thing. To cover his tracks, he decides to drug the flight crew in hopes of bringing down the plane. His thinking is that if the plane is lost, the fake diamonds will be lost. As you might expect, Frank and Joe are on the ill-fated flight.
I'm not going to go into a lot detail about the actual episode. It is about what you'd expect - a cheesy, reasonably entertaining piece of fluff. Instead, I want to write about a couple of things that stood out to me as I re-watched The Strange Fate of Flight 608 last night. First, I've said this before, but seriously, is there anything these guys can't do? We've already seen the boys fly a small, private plane. But here, they get the chance to fly and land a commercial airliner in the middle of a hurricane. Not a problem for the Hardys! And I loved the way the boys took charge after safely landing the plane on a deserted island. On a plane loaded with trained flight attendants, Frank and Joe are just about the only ones to keep their heads. How remarkable!
Second, I'm not sure what the thinking was behind the two diamond smugglers. I'm shocked they put these guys in a 70s TV show aimed at a teenage demographic. The character Goldman is obviously "inspired" by Sydney Greenstreet. And less obvious, but I'm sure no less intentional, is Herbie Braha's take on Peter Lorre who often played Greenstreet's henchman. I'm not sure any of the kids got it in 1977 (I know that as a 14 year-old, I didn't), so it just seems terribly odd. Not to mention, the characters seem wildly out of place.
I'm not going to go into a lot detail about the actual episode. It is about what you'd expect - a cheesy, reasonably entertaining piece of fluff. Instead, I want to write about a couple of things that stood out to me as I re-watched The Strange Fate of Flight 608 last night. First, I've said this before, but seriously, is there anything these guys can't do? We've already seen the boys fly a small, private plane. But here, they get the chance to fly and land a commercial airliner in the middle of a hurricane. Not a problem for the Hardys! And I loved the way the boys took charge after safely landing the plane on a deserted island. On a plane loaded with trained flight attendants, Frank and Joe are just about the only ones to keep their heads. How remarkable!
Second, I'm not sure what the thinking was behind the two diamond smugglers. I'm shocked they put these guys in a 70s TV show aimed at a teenage demographic. The character Goldman is obviously "inspired" by Sydney Greenstreet. And less obvious, but I'm sure no less intentional, is Herbie Braha's take on Peter Lorre who often played Greenstreet's henchman. I'm not sure any of the kids got it in 1977 (I know that as a 14 year-old, I didn't), so it just seems terribly odd. Not to mention, the characters seem wildly out of place.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
