Allen Garfield plays a goofy gambling addict who is a paid informer for the SF police, which of course means he's gonna get knocked off soon. He also has a wife and child (played by the excellent Lisa Gerritsen, "Beth" in the Mary Tyler Moore show) who think he's out selling - ready for it? - toy soldiers - when he's out gambling and gathering info on criminals.
Director David Friedkin adds a couple of nice touches when he shows Garfield playing with his dolls on a string, displaying the high-wire act his life is by being an informer.
Albert Salmi plays the bad guy here and he just exudes evil, at least to me. In a 2000's TV series he'd probably find Garfield out and then dismember him. That's why I watch Ironside, I don't need to see that! He's especially sleazy as he lounges in a SF bathhouse being "waited" on by ladies in Greek togas!
An interesting sidelight is we get to see something we haven't seen much since the first few seasons, which is Mark's rebellious, sometimes rage-filled side, put on the shelf mostly since he's become a cop. He just hates Garfield since he's a snitch, and basically fingers him to the crooks by showing up in two places where Garfield hung out with Salmi.
The Ironside/Star Trek connection is served by Nancy Malone, who plays Garfield's wife. She directed two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. I haven't seen those two episodes but hopefully she didn't have any characters believe someone was making a living by selling wooden dolls on the streets of San Francisco.
Director David Friedkin adds a couple of nice touches when he shows Garfield playing with his dolls on a string, displaying the high-wire act his life is by being an informer.
Albert Salmi plays the bad guy here and he just exudes evil, at least to me. In a 2000's TV series he'd probably find Garfield out and then dismember him. That's why I watch Ironside, I don't need to see that! He's especially sleazy as he lounges in a SF bathhouse being "waited" on by ladies in Greek togas!
An interesting sidelight is we get to see something we haven't seen much since the first few seasons, which is Mark's rebellious, sometimes rage-filled side, put on the shelf mostly since he's become a cop. He just hates Garfield since he's a snitch, and basically fingers him to the crooks by showing up in two places where Garfield hung out with Salmi.
The Ironside/Star Trek connection is served by Nancy Malone, who plays Garfield's wife. She directed two episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. I haven't seen those two episodes but hopefully she didn't have any characters believe someone was making a living by selling wooden dolls on the streets of San Francisco.
