"Quincy M.E."
The Depth of Beauty (1979)

Director:

Ray Danton

Writers:

Robert Crais (story)
Robert Crais (teleplay)

TV Series:

"Quincy M.E." (1976)

Original Air Date:

25 January 1979 (Season 4, Episode 13)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime

Plot:

Quincy investigates the suicide of a woman who was horribly disfigured after undergoing a face peel...

Plot Keywords:

Cult TV | Cult Favorite | Detective | Coroner | Medical

Cast

Jack Klugman	...	Dr. R. Quincy, M.E.
Garry Walberg	...	Lt. Frank Monahan (credit only)
John S. Ragin	...	Dr. Robert Asten
Val Bisoglio	...	Danny Tovo
Robert Ito	...	Sam Fujiyama
Joseph Roman	...	Sgt. Brill
Jane Greer	...	Dorrie Larkin
Rudy Solari	...	Deputy DA Baker
Donald May	...	Dr. Walt Mitchell
Walter Brooke	...	Harry Chase, Dr. Green's Attorney
Joey Forman	...	Eddie Carlton
Leonard Stone	...	Judge Sheldon Monroe
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marneen Fields	...	Jill
Noah Keen	...	Dr. Stone
Louise Lewis	...	Elaine Rand (as Louise Fitch)
Ryan MacDonald	...	Mr. Ed Connors
Joanna Patrice	...	Sheila Connors
Karen Philipp	...	Robin Rollin
Garnett Smith	...	Dr. Emile Green
Vernon Weddle	...	Hal Peters

Alright Quincy episode.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Quincy M.E.: The Depth of Beauty starts late one night on top of an eighteen storey Los Angeles apartment block as forty seven year old Sheila Connors (Joanna Patrice) commits suicide by jumping off the roof. Los Angeles coroner Quincy (Jack Klugman) records the death as suicide but he is puzzled & intrigued by extensive scarring on her face, after speaking to her husband (Ryan MacDonald) Quincy learns that his wife committed suicide because of the state cosmetic surgeon Dr. Emile Green (Garnett Smith) left her face in. Quincy investigates Green & discovers that he is not a trained plastic surgeon, he has left countless women dead or horribly mutilated & can get away with it as there are no provisions in the law to stop him. Outraged Quincy becomes determined to stop Green operating on people & get the inadequate laws changed...

Episode 13 from season 4 this Quincy story was directed by Ray Danton & is alright but I can't work up much more enthusiasm up for it than that, The Depth of Beauty is more of a moral episodes where Quincy ends up on some social crusade against red tape, inadequate laws & bureaucracy. Here Quincy tackles the unlicensed cosmetic surgery trade & those who get rich from it but aren't properly trained or qualified, it's one of those stories which is hard to relate to since I really do think things have changed. In the year 2008 I just couldn't see a doctor getting away with some of the things Green does, I mean we live a 'compensation culture' type society where we sue everyone & everything for all we can get & someone like Green just wouldn't be able to continue operating today in any civilised Western country & I firmly believe that. The murder here is by default, there's no mystery elements & one could say it's a trifle predictable. Still having said that I always enjoy watching Quincy shout at people, get angry & try to blame everyone for everything but sometimes that just isn't enough. It's OK for the type of episode it is but I wouldn't call it a classic.

The Depth of Beauty is one of the very few Quincy episodes which doesn't feature Lt. Monahan at all (despite his name still appearing in the opening credits), even at Danny's at the end he is oddly missing. There is a fairly effective scene in this when one of Green's victims reveals the extent of her facial injuries & scars to the camera & it's a pretty decent make-up job with lots of scars & a droopy slanted eye. The acting is alright by all involved.

The Depth of Beauty is an average moralistic conscience pricking episode of Quincy, it's watchable & fine for what it is but in my opinion it's not any sort of classic.