The Inside Man

In this one, Joe goes undercover in the syndicate to try to extract an informer.

This is a great episode with an engaging plot that has several nice twists. It takes place in New Orleans and is the second straight one that takes place outside of Los Angeles.

The performances from the entire cast are superb. Nancy Kovack, John Colicos, Robert Mandan and Lloyd Battista all make return appearances. This is the first appearance for Barry Russo, who is no stranger to crime dramas as he appeared on many of them throughout the '70s.

Robert Reed has a substantial role and comes through with one of his best performances. His clandestine scenes with Joe are well-done.

It's interesting that at the beginning Hayes was identified by Lytell as one of the three men who could be the informer but was never seen again as the entire focus was only on Coden and Page, the other two Lytell identified.

Joe doesn't get slugged in the head but does get shot at but not hit, which is the only cliché.

This is a very entertaining episode and is the best one of the season so far.

The show begins with some guys committing a burglary and one of them, Joe Mannix, killing a cop who responds to the call. Of course Joe didn't really kill a cop--it's a set-up to help the mob think he's one of them. You then learn that Joe's been deep under cover for months--spending some time in prison and then joining up with a New Orleans mob. What follows is really exciting but it does make you question WHEN Mannix did all this. After all, he was in a normal episode the week earlier! Perhaps this might have been better as a season opener--with the summer hiatus being when Mannix did all this undercover stuff before the episode begins.

Joe's job is to determine if he can get the evidence on the mob leader, Lytell (John Colicos) as well as determine who in the gang is willing to squeal--all this without being caught himself. It's a complicated and interesting episode, though the stock footage they used for Miami was really poorly done--quite grainy and the view from Mannix's hotel room at the beach was obviously just a large photo. But even with the problems with this and the time element, the show is exciting and has a nice relationship between Mannix and a pretty lady. Worth seeing despite a few minor glitches.

A mob boss with a soft spot for flowers? Seems to go with the job, perhaps modeled after all those quirky JAMES BOND baddies, who also liked cats.

John Colicos, who slightly resembled Anthony Zerbe, plays Lytell, a mob boss from New Orleans, who fancies beautiful flowers and is out to bury an informant ASAP. Enter Mannix and it appears his gateway into the mob is Angela (played by Nancy Kovack). She began her career as a model and was one of tv's great femme fatales. A rare episode where Joe actually falls in love with a mobster's lady(?), and it's a real deal relationship.

Superior "find the fink" story with some terrific acting. Robert Mandan plays Coden, one of the gang, and Robert Reed returns as Tobias, filling in for Malcolm (Ward Wood). He has some good exchanges with Joe, note the slick dialogue in this script. The moody music also plays a role. Credit Arthur Ross, who wrote many scripts for Hitchcock's tv show and created the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON (1954).

The flowing garden and fountain background was filmed at the LAPD Rock Garden, dedicated in the 1930s and now a historical landmark. Yes, the park was used as backdrop for many TARZAN movies. Located at 1880 Academy Drive, Elysian Park, near Dodger Stadium.

Is Peggy a bit jealous of Joe's relationship? You be the judge. Part adventure, part soaper for Mannix fans. 10 Stars.

***Joe shooting at the stick of dynamite in the street (in the end) and blowing up a car is something to see, and looks like the Lincoln really got BOMBED. Strong guess it was inspired a few years earlier by a real life incident (in Springfield, MO) where a truck carrying dynamite was shot at from a distance and blown to bits. Either way, it's Classic Mannix.

Nancy Kovack retired early in her career, her final appearance in 1976 on an episode of CANNON.

SEASON 6 EPISODE 6 remastered color CBS/Paramount dvd box set. Famous Six Bullet Box.

What Martin Hafer said. I think. I dunno, I caught this at the end. I never really get this show but it's very pretty to look at with the comfy chair in his office, the Paseo Verde (why Paseo? Why Verde?) and the arches inside his office, the clown lamp shade (I want that! Who's got it? Dibs, I tell ya!) and so on. You watch for the clown suits that Mannix wears and for the pretty Peggy.

This one had pretty witch with the misplaced silicone cheekbones. Why witch? Because she figuratively tried to steal the (literally but fictitious) witch's husband Darrin Stephens. (Trust me: you had to be there!)

So I'm feeling like Margot here: we have pretty/pretty and then Mannix is sucking face with Kovack (the pretty witch husband wanna-be stealing witch, got that?) and her lilac sweaters and makeup. And there's like Theramin music playing while they do the tonsil Conga. (Yeah: not sax for sex, Theramin from The Day The Earth Stood Still, the first!)

As I was sayin', I caught this from the end. And Peggy asks if Mannix fell for Miss Not-1-Hair-Outta-Place with the cheekbones. Before he answers, during Joe's dramatic pause, the cam suddenly cuts to Peggy. Oh Em Gee!!! Did y'all see that? (Of course you did!) She totally freaks out, subtly. So first you think she's got the hots for Mannix, but it was forbidden back then, to even entertain those piano keyboard naughty thoughts. (Think Elton John here, folks!)

And even though this is 2021, and you're hip and forward and progressive and not giving a 2nd thought to these matters, suddenly you're trapped in the 70s zone and you're one of them. "Peggy, how could you?!" No, you're not disapproving of such thoughts, you're feeling sorry for Peggy: it can't happen (wait... this wasn't filmed in 1872, was it? Weren't they cool with this stuff back then? Well maybe not on TV, dunno: it was before my time!)

So then you're freaking out, just like Peggy is cos you forgot they don't exist and you're watching a show, you're now Peggy's BFF and she's just realized the man she loves is cheating on her, except not really because it can never be and there's never been such "tension" to begin with. But Peggy is so sad, and you're sad along with her, so you reach for the tissues box but it's empty and you wonder if 7/11 is open at this hour so you can restock.. when all of a sudden, you remember!

Peggy does not love Mannix, folks! She's just worried about her paycheck! Silly me! Cos if Mannix marries the other pretty lady, then that's it for Peggy? She'll take her job? Or she'll come at the most worstest of times with a picnic basket and Peggy can never again take orders, food orders that is, for her Joe Mannix. Gone are those sexy separate fish and chips meals, her behind her desk, him in his office, closed door, while Peggy daydreams of doing the bare Conga with Juicy Joe, Manly Mannix. And then the intercom rings "In my office now!" and she opens the door and...

But that's a whole other review, so we'll let you figure out if she wakes up or it happened for real. In the interim, I decided that Peggy was worried about her paycheck? Why? Because I once saw that episode where she gets kidnapped and somehow the bro and her were so well matched, in my universe they got married, and that former bad guy waits for his Peggy to come home and make dinner and he don't want none of that Jungle Joe Mannix stealing his love.

8/10 because Kovack is always brightening a show and for Peggy's expression at the end. Ok and for the lamp, too. The striped one, the clown lamp. I gotta have it. Anyone know where it ended up? Call me. And what did you expect, a normal review? At least I entertain those with a sense of humor and I freak out the pearl clutchers. And that's why there's 2 buttons besides my here words: use one to let off the steam, now!