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Reviews
Dragnet 1967: S.I.U.: The Ring (1969)
More interesting than most episodes
For me, giving a rating to a particular Dragnet 1967 episode is based in part on how soon I see the screen pop up with the "The story you have just seen is true" at the end of the episode, because the faster I see that screen, the more I know I enjoyed the story because it went by so fast. This was one of those less common episodes where things flew by at lightning speed!
In some of the episodes, Joe Friday gives a soliloquy on a topic being covered by the episode, such as drugs, police brutality, teenage rebellion, being a hippie, and other pariahs of the 1960s. Those episodes can really drag on because of the monologue and preachy nature of the monologue or limited dialogue.
This episode was a refreshing change of pace because it seemed to center around a burglary of a residence where $25,000 in jewelry was taken. Of special interest was a particular jade ring worth about $2000. The episode followed the detectives in their pursuit of finding not only that ring, but all of the other stolen jewelry as well, or as Gannon stated at one point, the other $23,000 worth of jewelry.
Because this episode seemed to go by so fast, I rated it higher than the episodes that seem to take forever to get that final screen. The plot of this episode is fairly straightforward and follows the detectives as they attempt to recover the stolen merchandise and arrest those responsible.
Two things about the episode seemed a little different: For one thing, they did not pursue the dog kennel angle which seemed would be a logical thing to do since many wealthy people might board their pets when they go on short trips or excursions. The second thing that seemed to be a possible error in the script is how did the bartender not have the ring on his hand one moment, and then virtually a few moments later the ring is clearly visible. There is no explanation of how it just magically showed up on his hand with the detectives and undercover police woman watching at the bar.
One question that did not seem to be answered was how the burglar knew that the homeowner was not going to be home, which brings us back to the possible dog kennel connection and a possible insider at the kennel who knows which wealthy patrons will be away from home and for how long.
The only preachy part of the episode was when Joe Friday briefly lectures the homeowner on how she may have inadvertently contributed to the loss of her jewelry by not doing everything possible to reduce chances for thieves to make entry when she is gone. Turns out his advice is still good for homeowners four decades later.
The summary of the episode mentioned that the jewelry was hidden in a very highly unlikely spot. That, of course, is intriguing because where in a home would be a highly unlikely spot? On this point, the episode does not disappoint, and was almost a case of where the jewelry was hiding in plain sight. Who would've ever thought to look there? A surprising and delightfully different ending compared to most episodes.
Adam-12: The Grandmothers (1971)
Ozzie Nelson directed and starred in this episode
It was a treat to see Ozzie Nelson not only direct this episode, but also star in it as well. As regular viewers of the series know, the violence level compared to many other crime dramas is very low. With Ozzie directing and starring in it, it was not at all surprising that there were no shots fired and no violence in this episode.
Ozzie Nelson was a beloved and well-respected actor with many credits to his name. For all his fans who had enjoyed the many seasons of The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet, seeing him appear in this episode was no doubt enjoyable.
One thing that was not answered was why there was so much emphasis on the robber taking exactly $115 from Ted Clover, the antique dealer proprietor played by Ozzie Nelson. Possibly the reason was that the robber wanted to pay back the "grandmothers" at the store he had robbed previously (and then tried to rob again soon after). Or perhaps the writers wanted to further demonstrate how strung out the robber was, who it appeared had a drug problem.
In any case, it was not surprising to see an episode that was directed by Ozzie Nelson be rather mellow and relaxed in its treatment of all the calls that Malloy and Reed had to deal with. The thread that tied all but one of these calls together in this episode were that they were "211" calls which apparently is an armed robbery. The segment with the priest and the drug dealer seemed to be thrown in to provide some variety from all the "211" calls being handled. True to the mellow nature of this episode, the drug dealer was nabbed with no shots fired.
The other thing that stood out a little bit in this episode was the two officers buying seemingly unneeded items from the "grandmothers" which appeared to be their attempt to support the older widows who are still using their skills to hand-make items for sale. This demonstrated the softer side of the two officers, further giving the episode a mellow tone.
Adam-12: Million Dollar Buff (1971)
This episode had variety, but also a thread running through it
Some of the more interesting episodes in the series are ones that have a lot of variety and yet a central theme or thread that seems to tie them together. This episode met that criteria, although the title is somewhat misleading.
Every police department appreciates citizens that are helpful and provide needed information and assistance in preventing and solving crimes. This episode is an example of what happens when a citizen decides that he wants to help out to the point of intruding in the actual work of the police. This was back in the days when anyone could get a cheap scanner and monitor the police channels while driving around. That is what happened here when a citizen who apparently has way too much time on his hands decides to lend a hand in several cases. He monitors the police channels and shows up uninvited to lend a hand, sometimes putting his life or the police in further jeopardy because of his lack of training and self discipline, and lack of coordination with the officers who show up at the scene of the crime.
It seems that every call that now comes through for Reed and Malloy is somehow associated with this wannabe policeman. As his intrusion seems to increase with each call, it is not a big surprise that he makes a bad call in accusing two young men of crimes they did not commit, and the fact that he had a concealed weapon pretty much puts a damper on his future police intrusions.
While it is pretty obvious halfway through the show that the unwanted police helper will go too far in his assistance since that is where things were escalating, it was nevertheless interesting to see how the writers would end the "career" of the undesired helper.
The secondary thread in this episode was the swapping of a inexpensive ring for a very expensive one in a store, which was interwoven with the main thread in a very ingenious way, and by the end of the episode both of the threads were completed and closed out.