Peter Falk plays Lee Staunton, a man who hires himself out as an assassin. His clients want him to murder a man they say is extorting them, although we never see any evidence that this is true. Falk plays Staunton like a man who has erased himself as a human being. He is only concerned with perfecting himself as a human weapon for hire and leading a comfortable life on the proceeds. In spite of that, Falk has a great presence, and I believe this is the first time he appears as a guest star even though he had been on "Naked City" before in minor roles.
The premise is that Staunton uses karate to kill, but what we mostly see in this episode is judo. A presumably real-life judo instructor does appear on camera to explain the difference, but the rest of the production ignores his explanation.
Staunton uses scuba gear to approach his intended victim's home on the beach. There is an old joke here about how to deal with a guard dog. I was expecting more of a surprise ending, but the story ends without even making it clear that the police know who all the criminals are, although there are enough clues that we can assume that they will sort it out afterward.
Ruth White and William Hansen as Staunton's clients, the Ganoulians, are good as the real villains of the piece. After all, they hire a man to commit murder and they perhaps have other motives than the ones they claim.
The premise is that Staunton uses karate to kill, but what we mostly see in this episode is judo. A presumably real-life judo instructor does appear on camera to explain the difference, but the rest of the production ignores his explanation.
Staunton uses scuba gear to approach his intended victim's home on the beach. There is an old joke here about how to deal with a guard dog. I was expecting more of a surprise ending, but the story ends without even making it clear that the police know who all the criminals are, although there are enough clues that we can assume that they will sort it out afterward.
Ruth White and William Hansen as Staunton's clients, the Ganoulians, are good as the real villains of the piece. After all, they hire a man to commit murder and they perhaps have other motives than the ones they claim.