The first time I watched this one I was on edge would the main character played by Martin Landau would survive much less make his desired destination. We are told in the opening he was a political prisoner from the Soviet Union. He now is planning to defect but there is a catch of course. Commissar Vassiloff is assigned to assassinate Major Ivan Kuchenko ( Landau) . Vassiloff is into mind games it's his subordinate Boris that wants to just take a shot at Ivan and be done with it. What ensues is a game of cat and mouse . Vassiloff does several things that another adversary might not outsmart but ultimately Ivan does . What a relief! I agree with the view that the mistake made by his opponent could happen. Although it was actually Boris that made it. It's not unusual we do things naturally without thinking it's a habit or a non thinking reaction. Vassiloff underestimates Ivan and he's also overconfident that the pleasure he takes in prolonging his assignments will never be his undoing but that's exactly what happens. He also underestimated Ivan in being able to figure what trap had been laid out for him and turning the tables on him. The tension never ends and Ivan is someone you want too root for . Not one of the episodes I would want to watch as often as some others but it's an interesting and well paced episode.
Review of The Jeopardy Room
