User Reviews

I don't know of a TV private detective program more enjoyable to watch than Barnaby Jones, except for the Rockford Files. Nice photography, thoughtful musical score, and a reassuring hero who moves among quality people, the show is fairly undemanding and pleasant, even though murder is the starter. But the series is also supremely predictable and follows an established formula in most episodes. In almost every episode there are two or three times I just have to blurt out loud, "Oh no, another incredulous moment!" And so it is with "Testament of Power."

Three instances come to mind right away with this one. First, a piece of a rarely seen flower just happens to tear off a plant during the committing of the predicating evil deed and ends up clinging to a fabric to become key evidence. Second, the all-important last will and testament happens to conveniently pop out at a most opportune time in a place of extreme unlikelihood.

But in this episode my biggest beef is during the culminating resolution sequence. This is when the victim is in great peril and Barnaby and J. R. show up just in the nick of time at the victim's house. Inside the poor girl is grabbed and being hustled out the residence's back door to the bad guys' white van, stuffed inside, and rushed away in a kidnapping, all while our two heroes are at the front door knocking urgently, knowing she is in peril here at the house.

Suddenly they see the van, which they know from an earlier encounter belongs to the suspects, speeding out and away from behind the house. The problem for me is that our heroes can't possibly know what is going on with the girl. But at the sight of the van speeding away they run to their own car to begin a hot pursuit of the van, not knowing the immediate situation of the girl. She could be in the house injured, in the house with one of the gang members, maybe fleeing in terror down the back alley away from the house, maybe dead, or indeed maybe in the van being kidnapped. But Barnaby and J. R. wouldn't know, but yet they luck out and indeed make the right choice and follow the van. Well, luckily things worked out.

But even with these frequent story exasperators I always seem to enjoy the episodes. And this is just one more of them.