Many Ironside episodes feature sociopaths and maniacs who love to kill. The stakes are much lower in this episode, a small robbery. Instead, the stakes are the future of Ironside's long-time assistant, Mark Sanger, who graduates from law school. Now what?
We all know Sanger and know he's not going to be a corporate lawyer or prosecutor, so maybe a public defender? No, it's a policeman as he's learned how to track down clues in his five years with Ironside.
Don Mitchell is intense, as always, as Sanger, and I've come to really enjoy his unique acting style. Actors nowadays I don't think get as much rope to be so idiosyncratic in their acting.
There is an unusual scene in this episode that is most reminiscent of a Columbo episode: Ironside takes a driving test and fails miserably while the driving instructor sweats it out. Exact same scene occurred in Columbo. Rare for Ironside to play a long scene just for laughs.
Also a lot of yelling early on, reminiscent of the "Harry Potter" style of acting that plagued the last two years of MASH - but thankfully Ironside catches himself and stops yelling.
Ironside/Star Trek connection: Michael Lerner, who plays the public defender, was in Star Trek: Voyager. He also was in the American Godzilla as Mayor Ebert!
Finally, maybe the true highlight of this episode of the party Mark attends! Check out the dancing and the fashions! Wow.
We all know Sanger and know he's not going to be a corporate lawyer or prosecutor, so maybe a public defender? No, it's a policeman as he's learned how to track down clues in his five years with Ironside.
Don Mitchell is intense, as always, as Sanger, and I've come to really enjoy his unique acting style. Actors nowadays I don't think get as much rope to be so idiosyncratic in their acting.
There is an unusual scene in this episode that is most reminiscent of a Columbo episode: Ironside takes a driving test and fails miserably while the driving instructor sweats it out. Exact same scene occurred in Columbo. Rare for Ironside to play a long scene just for laughs.
Also a lot of yelling early on, reminiscent of the "Harry Potter" style of acting that plagued the last two years of MASH - but thankfully Ironside catches himself and stops yelling.
Ironside/Star Trek connection: Michael Lerner, who plays the public defender, was in Star Trek: Voyager. He also was in the American Godzilla as Mayor Ebert!
Finally, maybe the true highlight of this episode of the party Mark attends! Check out the dancing and the fashions! Wow.
