Promises to Keep begins with Quincy (Jack Klugman) and Sam (Robert Ito) reexamining old cases after finding out that a pathologist in the coroner lab did not have the proper credentials to conduct autopsies. This uncovers some new evidence in a suicide case of a young woman which may have actually been a murder and Quincy orders additional testing. Meanwhile, the backlog of old cases to be reviewed puts a strain on Quincy's relationship with girlfriend Lynne (Sharon Acker) who has also proposed marriage. As he considers her proposal, Quincy reflects back on the memories of his first wife, Helen (Anita Gillette), who tragically died of a malignant brain tumor.
I've said this before in other Quincy episode reviews and I'll say it again, Jack Klugman and Anita Gillette have zero chemistry and are a very dull couple which made the flashback scenes a total bore for me. On the other hand, we have what I thought was actually a pretty compelling murder mystery that developed in the lab and I would like to have seen given more airtime, but unfortunately it is completely relegated to the background to focus on Quincy's relationship of the week and flashbacks. This was pretty backwards in my opinion.
If you enjoy the show delving further into Quincy's back story and personal life, then you will likely find this episode entertaining and enjoyable. I don't mind a little of that thrown in here and there for good measure, but to place greater emphasis on that over the actual murder mystery just seemed out of whack here and unnecessary. Overall not a great Season 4 episode, but still worth watching as it does feature a decent mystery and provides further understanding of the Quincy character.