This is a very good episode which includes a story segment that starts out quite interesting. It then veers unexpectly into some pretty shocking territory. A territory which viewers of Adam-12 couldn't possibly have seen coming. Turns out, our heroes, Officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed... are jewelry thieves! WHAT???
More on that in a moment, but hey... Not to worry.
Adam-12's patrol day kicks off with Malloy and Reed having to round up a no good, low down, ornery horse thief. At a riding stable, the stable owner is being confronted by an area rancher. The rancher says the stable owner has one of the rancher's horses. The horse had been stolen several weeks earlier right off the rancher's land.
It's always nice when the show has M & R venturing outside of their usual city locations. Of course, this isn't something that would happen in real police patrolling. On the show, this sort of thing has been happening since the show first hit the airwaves. On occasion, the change of locale was acknowledged on screen. Such as when the partners were loaned out to LAX Airport, or headed skyward to patrol Los Angeles in helicopters. Other times it's sort of as if M & R just felt like driving way out into the mountain-surrounded countryside. Or out by the ocean to do some boat docks patrolling.
Speaking of boat docks, through-out the episode, Reed keeps begging Malloy to go in on the purchase of a boat with him. Not just a row boat. This thing has a lower deck cabin and everything. Reed is like a little boy, hardly able to sit still in his seat as he keeps asking Malloy to, "Please, let's drive past the boat. Please? PLEASE?!" Malloy eventually gives in and does drive the excited, wildly grinning Reed to where the boat sits in the current owner's driveway. When they get there, Malloy rather rudely pulls the squad car up into and across the next-door neighbor's driveway. He parks the car there while he and Reed go over to look at the boat. Very naughty, Officer Malloy!
So, about that jewelry that Malloy and Reed have stolen...
Of course, they've done no such thing. But a woman whom the partners have just helped - in a major way - says that they did. How dare she! These are two of the most consumately professional Police Officers to have ever graced the surface of Planet Earth! This storyline is just simply incredible. This accusation comes completely out of left field. M & R have just conducted an investigation which has led to a quick arrest. In fact, in a mere matter of about an hour or so, the partners have cracked a major ring of home robbery criminals.
Guest Star actress Doris Dowling is absolutely wonderful as the wealthy, nasty and vicious harpie who makes the accusation against Malloy and Reed. The entire ordeal, from the stakeout of a restaurant valet service, to the take-down of the burglar, to the home owner's sneers of contempt toward our heroes, to Sergeant MacDonald's arrival on scene, to the revelation of what really happened to the $20,000.00 diamond ring - is just simply great story telling. Great acting, great direction, great writing and great production. It's just crazy seeing Malloy and Reed put into this situation. Malloy's final response to the harpie's mistaken concluding thought aimed at all police in general, is perfectly damning.
This jewelry theft storyline could have carried an entire episode all on it's own. Having both Malloy and Reed put into a perilous situation like this for the whole 30 minutes would have made for a 100% excellent outing of Adam-12.
More on that in a moment, but hey... Not to worry.
Adam-12's patrol day kicks off with Malloy and Reed having to round up a no good, low down, ornery horse thief. At a riding stable, the stable owner is being confronted by an area rancher. The rancher says the stable owner has one of the rancher's horses. The horse had been stolen several weeks earlier right off the rancher's land.
It's always nice when the show has M & R venturing outside of their usual city locations. Of course, this isn't something that would happen in real police patrolling. On the show, this sort of thing has been happening since the show first hit the airwaves. On occasion, the change of locale was acknowledged on screen. Such as when the partners were loaned out to LAX Airport, or headed skyward to patrol Los Angeles in helicopters. Other times it's sort of as if M & R just felt like driving way out into the mountain-surrounded countryside. Or out by the ocean to do some boat docks patrolling.
Speaking of boat docks, through-out the episode, Reed keeps begging Malloy to go in on the purchase of a boat with him. Not just a row boat. This thing has a lower deck cabin and everything. Reed is like a little boy, hardly able to sit still in his seat as he keeps asking Malloy to, "Please, let's drive past the boat. Please? PLEASE?!" Malloy eventually gives in and does drive the excited, wildly grinning Reed to where the boat sits in the current owner's driveway. When they get there, Malloy rather rudely pulls the squad car up into and across the next-door neighbor's driveway. He parks the car there while he and Reed go over to look at the boat. Very naughty, Officer Malloy!
So, about that jewelry that Malloy and Reed have stolen...
Of course, they've done no such thing. But a woman whom the partners have just helped - in a major way - says that they did. How dare she! These are two of the most consumately professional Police Officers to have ever graced the surface of Planet Earth! This storyline is just simply incredible. This accusation comes completely out of left field. M & R have just conducted an investigation which has led to a quick arrest. In fact, in a mere matter of about an hour or so, the partners have cracked a major ring of home robbery criminals.
Guest Star actress Doris Dowling is absolutely wonderful as the wealthy, nasty and vicious harpie who makes the accusation against Malloy and Reed. The entire ordeal, from the stakeout of a restaurant valet service, to the take-down of the burglar, to the home owner's sneers of contempt toward our heroes, to Sergeant MacDonald's arrival on scene, to the revelation of what really happened to the $20,000.00 diamond ring - is just simply great story telling. Great acting, great direction, great writing and great production. It's just crazy seeing Malloy and Reed put into this situation. Malloy's final response to the harpie's mistaken concluding thought aimed at all police in general, is perfectly damning.
This jewelry theft storyline could have carried an entire episode all on it's own. Having both Malloy and Reed put into a perilous situation like this for the whole 30 minutes would have made for a 100% excellent outing of Adam-12.
