I have a soft spot for TV movies and episodes from the seventies that had any type of occult angle. Good thing there are lots of them.
I love the opening that starts in the middle of a police chase on the streets of San Francisco. It turns out this is Mac wrapping up another case. It's actually a big pet peeve of mine when shows start in the middle of an action scene, then everything freezes and a title says "24 hours earlier". It's such a cheap, hacky way to start with a bang. The cliff hanger is rarely compelling. Instead, in this case, we get all the action up front, without any clichés.
Then the plot really starts with a seance that includes typical seventies effects and melodrama. The characters in this episode seem to live in homes straight out a Hammer movie crossed with the Munsters, which is a good thing and feeds the atmosphere of mild mannered, scary only to kids horror.
There are all sorts of good, comical throw away moments like when Mac is trying to get Mildred to pour him some coffee but she's too busy talking to give him any, or when Mandini asks Enright to pick a card from a trick deck but Mac cuts off their fun, or later when Mildred is getting herself something to drink in the middle of the night. Or the final fight that includes magic props. The cast always seems to be having a great time and it's part of why I love this show. John Astin plays yet another memorable, hilariously off beat character of a CSI type who is occasionally recurring.
The clothes are cravable boho chic, especially Sally's menswear suit with big tie and trenchcoat contrasted with her long hair. More amusing is Eileen Brennan's housedress (?) with fur cuffs. BTW her big scene is so melodramatic over the top, it would fit right into a parody like Murder By Death or The Carol Burnett Show.
I can only dream of getting to live in the lakeside, mid-century A-frame Mac and Enright track one clue to. The friendship and camaraderie between those two is good as ever. Enright's bad tooth gets to be a bit too much but it leads to a clue so it does have a point. And we all know to be suspicious if ever a corpse has its face or head damaged beyond recognition. It's amazing crimes were ever solved in the days before DNA.
The ending does get a little overly convoluted involving a bit of telling us, not showing us. But the exact ins and outs of a mystery are not really why I watch and love this show. It's the characters, their relationships, and what they get up to. Their warmth and affection for each other is something I miss from many more modern crime shows.
I love the opening that starts in the middle of a police chase on the streets of San Francisco. It turns out this is Mac wrapping up another case. It's actually a big pet peeve of mine when shows start in the middle of an action scene, then everything freezes and a title says "24 hours earlier". It's such a cheap, hacky way to start with a bang. The cliff hanger is rarely compelling. Instead, in this case, we get all the action up front, without any clichés.
Then the plot really starts with a seance that includes typical seventies effects and melodrama. The characters in this episode seem to live in homes straight out a Hammer movie crossed with the Munsters, which is a good thing and feeds the atmosphere of mild mannered, scary only to kids horror.
There are all sorts of good, comical throw away moments like when Mac is trying to get Mildred to pour him some coffee but she's too busy talking to give him any, or when Mandini asks Enright to pick a card from a trick deck but Mac cuts off their fun, or later when Mildred is getting herself something to drink in the middle of the night. Or the final fight that includes magic props. The cast always seems to be having a great time and it's part of why I love this show. John Astin plays yet another memorable, hilariously off beat character of a CSI type who is occasionally recurring.
The clothes are cravable boho chic, especially Sally's menswear suit with big tie and trenchcoat contrasted with her long hair. More amusing is Eileen Brennan's housedress (?) with fur cuffs. BTW her big scene is so melodramatic over the top, it would fit right into a parody like Murder By Death or The Carol Burnett Show.
I can only dream of getting to live in the lakeside, mid-century A-frame Mac and Enright track one clue to. The friendship and camaraderie between those two is good as ever. Enright's bad tooth gets to be a bit too much but it leads to a clue so it does have a point. And we all know to be suspicious if ever a corpse has its face or head damaged beyond recognition. It's amazing crimes were ever solved in the days before DNA.
The ending does get a little overly convoluted involving a bit of telling us, not showing us. But the exact ins and outs of a mystery are not really why I watch and love this show. It's the characters, their relationships, and what they get up to. Their warmth and affection for each other is something I miss from many more modern crime shows.