Mod Squad (TV Series) The Connection (1972) User Reviews

Cisco Pike -- slightly spoilerish

[JBrannon · 9/10 · 4 August 2010]

If I'm remembering this episode correctly, I flipped my lid when Ed Asner in a rerun of these episodes begins citing the amount of his pension in exactly the terms that Hackman did in the Kris Kristofferson flick "Cisco Pike" after I had viewed the latter film and realized not only that sequence but nearly the entire plot had been adapted for the show.

I had never seen so a clear-cut case of "wholly lifted" in my young life until the series "AlieNation" ripped off Don Johnson's Sonny Crockett tension-ratcheting "Maybe. He. Won't. Even. Twitch." shooting scene.

Regardless, this is one of the best episodes of "Mod Squad". Asner's terrific as the veteran, highly-decorated cop on the verge of retirement. But go rent "Cisco Pike" to see what I mean.

My only confusion is to which came first, since both were produced contemporaneously.

Stargazing in Season 5 Opener

[kgraovac · 8/10 · 8 November 2023]

It's the 5th Season Opener and we know this is big because there's a special extended opening credits sequence that shows all the guest stars, to ramp up the excitement. Like the Season 5 premiere of CHARLIE'S ANGELS, it's bloated with a lot of big names, but for a 2-hour episode, it's not really anything special.

Ed Asner makes a better cop than a circus owner like he was in Season 4. Actually, he would have made a decent Captain Greer if old Tige didn't land the job. Asner's character's backstory should have been more fleshed out. Too many juicy details are merely glossed over.

It's kind of jarring to see Stefanie Powers playing a heroin addict if you only remember her as the glamorous Jennifer on HART TO HART. Her character causes Michael Cole to deliver a Public Service Announcement at the very end of the episode. I'm a relic --do TV shows even do this anymore??

Robert Reed can't pull off a New York accent to try and sound like a bad-ass mobster- why didn't he just use his normal voice? It is amusing seeing his porn 'stache though - his career could have gone a totally different route post-BRADY BUNCH if he wanted it. They must have filmed this right before the Bradys went to Hawaii because he still has the straight hair here. Once they hit the tropics it went all curly and stayed that way until his death in 1992.

Lastly, perennial Classic TV temptress Barbara Rhoades appears in a small part with big, teased hair and has a great line when Pete escorts Julie out of a party because of a faked migraine, Rhodes purrs "She IS a migraine". MEEOWWWW!

Has some decent action and lots of familiar TV faces, but not what I'd call a series classic.