There's a good story in this 1972 Mannix episode. Babe In The Woods starts with a sniper watching a golf game from afar--with a rifle!--dude obviously has agenda. Any veteran watcher of TV detective series cam guess the likely outcome. Yes, he shoots one of the golfers, then departs. The shooter is at a distance that no one notices him;and he exits soon after.
The surviving golfer was well acquainted with murder victim, and was having money troubles with him, although his business dealings with him were legitimate enough, and by today's standards prophetic, as the man who was killed was working on plans for producing small, portable computers (near futuristic sci-fi for when the show aired, in 1972, sufficiently commonplace today to not raise the eyebrow of a five year old).
Joe Mannix comes into play as much as to find the plans that the dead man had in his possession as to find his killer. In this, the story, which becomes stories as the episode moves along, is interesting, as the various strands in the mystery comes together piece by pieces rather than all at once, and it's sometimes difficult for s more "linear minded" viewer (me, for instance) to keep track of the plot threads.
There are a lot of outdoor scenes in this one; and lots of chases; in cars and on foot. It's often difficult to determine what many supporting characters are up to; such as whether they're good guys (or gals) or bad ones. There's a lot to follow here, including corporate intrigue, the mysteries, two, really, not one, and more action than usual for a Mannix.
Overall, there's a well above average story in this series entry, which, if I have a problem with it, is that it's somewhat weak on character development, and in relationships generally. Joe Mannix is pretty much on his own in this one, which moves at a fast pace, and delivers the goods in the thrills and chills department. As to the reason for the title of the episode, well, there is a babe in the woods in it, of the adult female variety; and she's easy on the eyes if not absolutely necessary for understanding what's going on.
The surviving golfer was well acquainted with murder victim, and was having money troubles with him, although his business dealings with him were legitimate enough, and by today's standards prophetic, as the man who was killed was working on plans for producing small, portable computers (near futuristic sci-fi for when the show aired, in 1972, sufficiently commonplace today to not raise the eyebrow of a five year old).
Joe Mannix comes into play as much as to find the plans that the dead man had in his possession as to find his killer. In this, the story, which becomes stories as the episode moves along, is interesting, as the various strands in the mystery comes together piece by pieces rather than all at once, and it's sometimes difficult for s more "linear minded" viewer (me, for instance) to keep track of the plot threads.
There are a lot of outdoor scenes in this one; and lots of chases; in cars and on foot. It's often difficult to determine what many supporting characters are up to; such as whether they're good guys (or gals) or bad ones. There's a lot to follow here, including corporate intrigue, the mysteries, two, really, not one, and more action than usual for a Mannix.
Overall, there's a well above average story in this series entry, which, if I have a problem with it, is that it's somewhat weak on character development, and in relationships generally. Joe Mannix is pretty much on his own in this one, which moves at a fast pace, and delivers the goods in the thrills and chills department. As to the reason for the title of the episode, well, there is a babe in the woods in it, of the adult female variety; and she's easy on the eyes if not absolutely necessary for understanding what's going on.