Mannix (TV Series) Another Final Exit (1968) User Reviews

What is in the case?

[Guad42 · 9/10 · 22 April 2022]

The McGuffin here is well done. The contents of a case drives everyone to desperate measures. The story opens with Bernie Farmer (Larry Storch) and his wife Rose (Jan Shepard) breaking into a cement wall to get a metal briefcase. They get it out but it is empty. The case was put there by Rose's hoodlum brother Jerome Gault (Harry Landers) who is currently doing a nickel at the state pen but will be out soon. This is bad as Gault will blame Bernie for the missing contents. Bernie runs to Intertect and Joe. Some nice dialogue for their initial meeting. Bernie is a nice guy loser deep in trouble through no fault of his own. Joe hatches a crazy plan to pretend he has the contents and that will draw the interested parties to him so he can learn what was in the case and who wants it. Seems a little like being chum to attract sharks but okay. Joe gets arrested. Joe gets kidnapped a couple of times and beaten up a couple of times. He is even captured by Grace Lee Whitney. Gault celebrates his parole by slapping Bernie around a little so Bernie and Rose runs to their neighbor Harry's cabin in the hills to escape Gault. Harry appears while Bernie is out buying groceries and we learn Harry and Rose are having an affair and Harry took the contents of the case. Gault shows up after picking up Bernie on the road. When Gault enters the cabin, Harry shoots him. The bad news is the police were following Gault so are right there. Harry and Rose run and the police shoot Rose. Harry runs into the surrounding hills as Lew and Joe drive up. Joe chases Harry. They fight and Harry goes over a cliff. The contents of the case is revealed by Harry as paperwork and documents to be used to blackmail all of Gault's associates. The final twist is Police Captain Wells (Walter Brooke) shows up and wants the blackmail stuff. Joe reveals that Wells is involved as he took a bribe. Wells had had Joe worked over once during this case so Joe punches him. The paperwork now scatters all over the hillside. Back at the cabin, Rose dies as Bernie looks on. He thanks Joe and Lew for their work.

Larry Storch is excellent in this story. The guy can act. You really feel for Bernie. Not sure we ever see a character like him again during the run of this series. I would have liked to see him in a future episode. Everyone else is good also. The story moves along briskly, and the dialogue is well written. Lew has a great line. When he comes upon Joe sitting on a curb, Joe says he is being followed and Lew replies, "By what? A turtle?"

As always, there are a few details that leave you wondering. Joe is arrested and locked up but when he is bailed out, his car is right there in front of the police station. How did that happen?

A bad guy is mistaken for Mannix and is killed in his driveway. The next scene is Joe going into his house to find it torn up in a search and a woman junkie there. What happen to the dead guy in the driveway? No police. No search of the area. No paperwork. Lew mentions it in passing later but there should have been a lot more to it than that.

You can bet your paycheck that whenever the hero and the bad guy fight next to a cliff, the bad guy is going over. A bit of a cliché.

Since Harry the neighbor and the wife were in cahoots together, why didn't they run off as soon as they got the blackmail stuff? Why wait for Gault to get out? For that matter, how were they going to do the blackmailing without getting killed in the process? Lots of loose ends in their plan.

How does the junkie girl know what is in the case?

These are all minor complaints that detracts only slightly from the overall excellence of the story.

This is a well written and acted episode that will hold your attention to the end. Do see it.

THE SECRET BOX THAT COULD KILL YOU!

[tcchelsey · 9/10 · 13 January 2023]

Comedian Larry Storch, who we lost last year at age 99, is the man to watch. Storch, best known for F TROOP and appearances on such comedy shows as LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE, was also a talented dramatic actor and had many movies and tv shows to his credit. He was one of a kind and all of us big kids loved the guy.

Here he plays poor Bernie who has the lopsided fortune of having a mob boss as his brother in law? HOWEVER, the story evolves around a secret box that the bad guy left in his basement -- now empty? It's a familiar ploy, thus shaving off a point here, but fun none the less as the baddies are a ruthless bunch.

Mannix's intercepts the box, and its the worst decision he's ever made. This time a drug ring is out to nail him. Chester Krumholz wrote this adventure with a lot of imagination, later to write several episodes for KOJAK. This was the only episode directed by Ralph Senensky, best known for STAR TREK, also working on IRONSIDE at this time. Ralph did a good job with his cast.

Lots of talent employed here, and that's the trick. Popular actress Jan Shepard plays Rose, who you may remember for her many appearances on PERRY MASON and the FBI, also a long list of cult films.

Look for veteran Walter Brooke as the captain, and a solid role. Brooke made many appearances on the series. For all you movie buffs you may recall him as Mr. McGuire in THE GRADUATE, filmed before this episode. STAR TREKKIES will immediately recognized Grace Lee Whitney, playing Gloria. She did all kinds of roles and had fun with them, last playing a stripper(!) on IRONSIDE.

Look for the GAG scene where Joe is in jail rolling the dice. He pulls $500 bucks from one of his shoes! Today (2023) it would be worth over 4000 dollars. How much mazuma can you really stuff in a shoe? That said, Joe pays a hefty price (without money) for being associated with this cast of characters, being arrested the least of his problems.

9 STARS in all. SEASON 1 EPISODE 20 CBS remastered dvd box set, always on sale somewhere.

One of the better episode of season one.

[planktonrules · 10/10 · 1 May 2013]

Larry Storch plays Bernie Farmer-a guy who has married a mobster's sister and is a bit of a sap. Well, this guy's life has gotten very complicated--as his brother-in-law apparently left a box full of SOMETHING very valuable hidden in Bernie's basement. And, everyone wants it. But when Bernie finds the box, it's empty and he's afraid someone will kill him. But WHAT is it that everyone thinks is in the box and where is it?!

When Mannix gets the case from Farmer, Mannix's plan is 100% insane. He figures the best way to find out what the box contains AND where it is would be if HE pretends that he has it. Then, when everybody is trying to kill him, he MIGHT be able to find out the truth!! While this is very nutty, the show works exceptionally well because the plot is very complex, exciting and I loved the ending. Who is responsible and Bernie's reaction to this were priceless. Overall, well written, gritty and original....as well as proof that Mannix is insane!!

Like a war zone.

[fbm72751 · 6/10 · 17 October 2020]

Contrary to some opinions, Mannix wasn't any more violent than other television shows of the late 60s and throughout the 70s such as Hawaii Five-O or Kojak which were known for that. This episode is an exception and should have been titled "The Body Count" as much of the supporting characters are killed including one of the hoods who was shot dead while being mistaken for Mannix and an innocent woman at the hands of the police. How Joe made it out alive is a miracle. Still like many Mannix episodes, there are interesting twists here which the writers were very good at which keeps the mystery alive up til the last few minutes & some to the point of finding out that Intertect had a guilty or bad client (which was not the case here) And just what was in the box? Stay tuned and see. By this time, Desilu Productions was no longer the producer and was sold to Paramount.