Petrocelli (TV Series) The Gamblers (1975) User Reviews

How Could This Work?

[harrytumilson · 8/10 · 16 September 2022]

An overall interesting episode laden with touching scenes and complete with a happy ending. However, there are several instances of departure from logic. While in Mando's house, Tony notices a stack of postcards apparently sent by his parents who are holidaying in Mexico. He realizes things are amiss upon seeing that they had San Remo postmarks. I suggest that Tony didn't need to look that closely since they had to all have US postage stamps which could not be mailed in Mexico.

Later we learn that his parents had died three months ago in a car accident in Mexico. At that point, Mexican authorities would have contacted US agencies regarding the fatalities if for no other reason than to determine what to do with the remains. The game would have been up right then when officials had to have discovered a house full of minors. Similarly, judging by their nice home, the parents would almost certainly have had life insurance that would not have paid out directly to minors. Again, game over. And this thing regarding a family of minors isn't over yet. When the police arrested Mando, a minor, for murder, the first thing they would have done is inform his parents, not his younger sister. Once more, game over.

Oh well, it was entertaining anyway.

I think Petroccelli should not be so emotionally committed to his clients

[drfernandogil · 6/10 · 8 June 2024]

It's not a bad chapter, although I think Petroccelli should not be so emotionally committed to his clients, he could never live in peace if he had to "adopt" every homeless child who comes through his cases, no matter how nice and polite they were.

It is the second time that the blonde actor who plays Dennis Wylei has been the culprit. And both times, due to death, they have an accident with a knife. The other chapter is that of the strangers, where Mr. Sloan, owner of a pharmacy, is murdered. Also in both cases, this actor is sought to be justified in that the homicides were involuntary and the purpose was robbery, in one case to get high, in another to pay the gambling debts of his vicious father.

It does not seem serious that the accused Nando Rivera could hide the death of his parents from his brothers.

I agree with the other opinion members: I don't like that the crime is solved by the confession of a witness.

Not one of the better ones.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 24 February 2020]

I've watched quite a few of the "Petrocelli" episodes over the last few days and in some ways "The Gamblers" is one of the weaker ones. Part of it is because Petrocelli seems uncharacteristically nasty and angry in this one...and I'm not sure why. Second, because he has an alternate theory about who committed the murder and after mentioning it in court, the real culprit admits it on the stand! Folks really do NOT do this in real life...only on lawyer shows.

A Martinez plays a young man who is accused of murdering a bookie. However, apart from running from the scene and his fingerprints on the knife, he really seemed to have little in the way of a motive. During his incarceration, the Petrocellis become close to his sisters and brothers and they adopt them, of sorts.

I liked the human interactions in this one. The Petrocellis hanging out with the family was sweet. But other parts of the show seemed a bit cliched and I wish that solving the crime had involved a realistic resolution.