A particularly interesting and atypical "fish out of water" oddity (from 1969) with a befuddled Steve tossed into a deadly serious espionage caper (this was near the end of the wildly popular spy craze). The joke here is that his family is concerned that Steve has fallen into a boring, work-a-day routine while he is actually off on an exciting and dangerous secret mission for the Air Force. Fred is his usual reluctant, fumbling self as he struggles to keep up with the fast-balls being lobbed at him. Not terribly funny as this feels more like a watered down version of "Get Smart" -- without the satire. What is surprising is how inept the Air Force (and/or the CIA) is at protecting him. It's only by the merest chance that Steve avoids getting shot twice by an enemy agent after his cover is blown. Way to go, government agencies. Another job well done.
This episode may have been inspired by two well-made spy comedies: "Where the Spies Are" (1965) with David Niven and "A Man Could Get Killed" (1966) with James Garner.
This episode may have been inspired by two well-made spy comedies: "Where the Spies Are" (1965) with David Niven and "A Man Could Get Killed" (1966) with James Garner.
