Kojak (TV Series) Web of Death (1973) User Reviews

One jealous cop

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 7 November 2012]

Hector Elizondo at first glance is the kind of go getting cop that any squad would want to have. Even off duty he drives by a drug deal and arrests the purchaser John Karlen. But that's all part of an elaborate alibi he's setting up for himself. You see he wants to murder the smart uptown white shoe law firm attorney who's been seeing Elizondo's wife Barbara Rhoades in a personal love nest.

I won't go into all of it, but his perfect alibi slowly falls apart and he's forced to give Karlen a hotshot of pure heroin to keep him from testifying. And he has another bit of bad luck, his partner comes down with appendicitis and he gets to work the case with Telly Savalas.

It takes a while, but Savalas eventually catches on. And it bothers him because Elizondo was a good cop and something of a protégé.

Kojak may have been honest, even self righteous to a fault, but he was human. This episode shows him at his most human.

An interesting crime....

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 4 August 2018]

The first 10 minutes of "Web of Death" is great....and the writers were really being creative. Detective Nick Farro (Hector Elizando) is a super-cop. Even though he's off duty, he has arrested a junkie and brought him down to the station. What folks don't realize is that it was all a ruse to provide Farro an alibi. While the junkie was passed out in Farro's car, he went inside an apartment building to murder his wife's lover. It all was timed perfectly...but eventually Kojak starts to see some inconsistencies in Farro's story.

As I mentioned, this is a very creative program. It's only the second episode I've ever seen...but makes me want to see more.

Classic TV Episode !

[elshikh4 · 8/10 · 11 January 2009]

I think that wasn't the best of what this show could make only; it was maybe the best of what the American TV could make at the time also.

First of all, I must say: what a solid script. It got good mystery, unceasing suspense, strong characterization, and a smart moral. Its highest point was selecting this killer as nothing like the show's, and every show's, evil stereotypes. Being that clever cop / betrayed husband could have your attention and pity. Look how it coerces the killer cop to work on the murder that he committed. All of that produced rich conflict and attractive case. And it's sad episode after all about the tragedy of good cop but a desperate lover who can't stand his wife's deception or stop loving her as well, so he misused and tarnished the greatest thing at all: his badge, as Kojak's dialogue in the end expresses the lesson wonderfully.

I loved this finale with its sharp lines like Kojak's: "In the end of this circle, it could've been me!". Not to mention, the small details, or the realistic moments; such as the police station's honest décor and lively life, the whole station is clapping in sarcasm for arresting a junky while Kojak is having his coffee, giving the tie to a prisoner for the sake of some information he has, and many more; I believe that's an extract of some real experience indeed.

The cinematography was smooth and cozy. The acting was flawless. The young (Hector Elizondo) mastered it quietly as the adept cop who's hiding a tormented husband. And the directing handled it fine with low tone, being in the killer's mood as seemingly calm but tense under the surface.

I only thought that there was something wrong with its pace; where its third act was too laconic to be convincing, and how Kojak should be the most intelligent cop in history to figure it out the way he did out of so hypothetical evidences and in such short time. In fact, it looks as if this script was written for 60 minutes episode that had been squeezed into 45 minutes to condense discovering so many facts and clues only in the last 5 minutes.

Anyhow, nothing is wholly perfect, but this episode managed to be so close of being one. It's the top of this season for sure, and a classic TV that forced me to respect its exceptional dexterity, and watch it more than once.

Web of Death

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 15 May 2020]

This could had been a Colombo episode. It is only the second episode and Kojak finds himself looking at a homicide and realises someone close to him is the culprit.

Detective Nick Farro (Hector Elizando) kills a lawyer who is having a fling with his wife. He covers the killing by arresting a drug user as his alibi who is whacked out on dope.

Farro finds himself just deeper in trouble. He has to get rid of an item from the crime scene, he then has to kill off the junkie as well. Pretty soon his plan unravels.

There is a grimy look to this episode, the cops are certainly not living the high life here.

It is unusual to see Elizando with so much hair. A good cop bought down by his jealousy.

87% pure! As lethal as a cyanide pellet!

[kapelusznik18 · 5/10 · 19 January 2017]

***SPOILERS*** It was Let. Theo Kojak's, Telly Savalas,luck to be assigned as "Hero" cop Det. Nick Ferro's, Hector Elizondo,partner when Ferro's assigned partner Det. Olney, Burke Brynes, came down with an acute case of appendicitis. This had Let. Kojak be able to keep Let. Ferro from covering up his crime in dealing drugs out of his squad car to neighborhood junkies as well as covering up his murder of his partner Wall Street big wig Qunicy Forythe's- aka Ed Harris- in order to keep him from talking to the police.

It was in fact Ferro's old lady or wife Joanna's, Barbara Rhoades, secret affair with the late Quincey Forythe that ended up cooking his goose that lead straight to him and Ferro's drug trafficking operation. With a piece of jewelry that he bought Joanna for their wedding anniversary left at the scene of the murder and Ferro's partner Det. Olney not around to cover up his crime it was only a matter of time before the noose tighten on him.

***SPOILERS**** Det. Ferro did't help his case by offing, via a drug overdose, his #1 junkie client "Pinky", John Karlen, to keep him from talking to the police because by then Let. Kojak had all the goods on him already! And in him murdering,by giving him a hot load, "Pinky" made things only worse for him. Seeing that the jig is up and he's about to be arrested by his new partner Let. Kojak all that the only thing that Det. Ferro could do is make a run for it straight into the cross hair of Let.Kojak's .38 police special!