User Reviews

In this minor episode, Inspector Bill Henderson and Clark Kent allow a small time hoodlum to escape so they can tail him and find out who he is working for. It's all a scheme and soon Henderson is set up, blackmailed. The bad guys make it look like he is on the take for a million dollar robbery. At one point, he actually cleans out his desk. Clark feels terribly because it was actually his plan that went bad. Meanwhile, Lois and Jimmy exacerbate the situation by reading Kent's mail and going to the place where the whole plot was hatched. Their actions remove any chance for the Inspector to clear himself. Once again they become liabilities (which happens over and over in these shows. Now it is up to Superman (using his brain rather than his brawn) to figure out a way to return Henderson to credibility. As one of the crooks takes the police commissioner to the spot where the bribe money supposedly is, Superman must figure this out ahead and circumvent their plan.

Robert Shayne, who hasn't seen a lot of air time in seasons three and four, is the main subject in this episode.

After Superman nabs a crook involved in a $500,000 heist (that's millions today), it turns out the money in his possession is not part of the theft. The little guy was just luring Superman away as the big boys got away with the loot. Inspector Henderson (Shayne) and Clark Kent devise a plan to let the little guy "escape" from custody so Henderson can follow him to the bosses and the money. He takes a chance knowing that if the police commissioner knew he deliberately let the thief escape, he could be in trouble, but it's a gamble he's willing to take.

Along come our two flunkies: Lois Lanes and Jimmy Olsen. Believe-it-or-not, they have stethoscopes so can snoop into everyone's business! They listen in on Kent's door at the paper as he and Henderson discuss what I just mentioned. They decide they'll be the heroes, of course, and capture Mr. Big so that Henderson won't get in trouble.

Unfortunately, from that point the story goes downhill as Henderson is blackmailed and then has his secret discovered and is disgraced, being temporarily suspended from the force. He moans and groans about it with Kent for several uncomfortable scenes and the story loses its appeal. However, even though it's a somber story, there are some good comedic touches with one of the crooks. In all, a very strange but not particularly likable, episode.