(TV Series)

(1955)

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9/10
Kidnappers Get Theirs
biorngm24 February 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Review - The Big Tar Baby S 4 Ep 29 Aired 3-17-55 Friday, Smith are working night watch Homicide. Friday takes a call, possible wife kidnapping. George Cabot greets the officers, saying he has tried all the sources, his wife, Ethel Cabot, said she would meet him at his business, Cabot's Tavern. There is no sign of her. Historically, Ethel would drive down there every night to help with the cleanup.

A call comes, Cabot answers, it is obvious to Friday, Smith the phone call was the kidnappers based George's responses, he however, tells the officers to forget about it, sorry he called them. Friday and Smith each try talking him into letting the police help find the people doing this to her. Friday narrates George Cabot was not going to cooperate with the police to help him and his wife. George insisted in taking care of the matter himself.

Since they were not going to get anywhere with George, they tried talking to the ditzy neighbor next door. All they got was a photograph and some information that was dubious at best based on the neighbor. Police procedure followed the checks of the Cabots. Ethel Cabot is in the hospital, severely beaten, covered in tar, in shock unable to identify her attackers.

George's employee helps Friday, Smith with suspects, one name, and an address. Friday, Smith arrests the suspects before George had a chance to kill them both. They are in the State Penitentiary, San Quentin where they belong.

Not a bad entry for the Dragnet episodes, worth watching, despite the crude title.
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8/10
Despite the VERY politically incorrect title, this one is well worth seeing.
planktonrules17 November 2013
In 2013, you DON'T use terms like 'tar baby'...ever! It's racist and dumb. However, despite this, "The Big Tar Baby" is well worth seeing. Plus, it is NOT about black people but the episode actually involves tar.

Friday and Smith are dispatched to a bar to see the guy working there. He is very worried and thinks something's happened to his wife. According to him, she visits him at work to pick him up at the same time every day like clockwork. He's sure something bad must have happened. Suddenly, in the middle of this interview, there's a phone call and now the bartender tells the police it's all a mistake and they should go. Despite Friday and Smith assuming this was a call from a kidnapper, the man insists he wants to drop the case.

Later, the detectives stop by and talk with a neighbor about the couple. She describes things VERY differently--that the husband is jealous and abusive. This leads the police to think that perhaps there was no kidnapping and the man staged it all to create an alibi for himself. However, what happens next is very, very different--and it's nice to be surprised! This is a very good episode. Ignore the title and just watch this one. His has some nice twists and is very different from other "Dragnet" episodes.
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8/10
No Politics Please, Assault With Tar
DKosty12317 January 2019
Warning: Spoilers
The plot here is a bartender calls Friday and Smith to report his wife missing. Then when they get to the bar to talk to him, changes his mind about the report. Meanwhile, he gets several phone calls in the bar while Friday is there and the last one obviously upsets him, when he finds out his wife has been taken.

If there is a weakness in this though not obvious, is why the bartender knowns who kidnapped his wife? They have trouble keeping up with the barkeeper as he loses their tail. Eventually they fin the wife beaten in the hospital and catch the bartender trying to kill the kidnappers. It is obvious he does not like these guys but never quite explained entirely why they take his wife and abuse her coating her with tar and beating her.
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