User Reviews

I have been working my way through all the "Mannix" episodes. After all, I find an old crime show is great company when I'm on my treadmill and I long ago finished all 12 seasons of "Hawaii Five-O". I'm up to the middle of season six of "Mannix" and liked this show but also felt it was best seen by someone who hasn't already watched all the episodes of the series. After all, in season two's "End Game" the plot was very, very similar to this one...too similar to be believed if you've watched all the shows. BOTH shows feature an angry guy Mannix knew during the Korean War who's out to kill EVERYONE who served with him!! Back in 1973, this wasn't so bad...after all, this second episode came out four years later and many fans wouldn't have recognized that the shows were in many ways virtually the same. But for folks watching on DVD, there will certainly be too many similarities between the shows. Fortunately, at least, "The Man Who Wasn't There" is better made...so at least it marks an improvement in the original idea.

The show begins with Joe and his friend, Lt. Tobias (Robert Reed) at a boxing match. Suddenly, some nut up in the rafters shoots one of the boxers and makes his escape. When I heard it was a 9mm bullet, I thought the writer screwed up as this is NOT the sort of thing a sniper would use--it's more a bullet for a handgun or an Uzi. However, when it turned out the guy was NOT trying to kill anyone but was doing it all in an elaborate plan to torment Mannix before killing him, this made a bit more sense. What follows is a cat and mouse sort of game that often was exciting to watch...mostly because the baddie, played by Clu Gulager, was extremely menacing and effective. His laugh was nightmare fodder! So even though the show isn't too original and had a few logical flaws (such as, once again, Mannix shooting like an expert marksman while using a snug-nosed .38--and a person with a decent knowledge of guns will tell you his hitting folks at 100 yards and the like is utterly ridiculous), it is engaging and worth seeing.

America went up against a big mass-murdering, conquering North Korean tyrant named Kim II Sung in the Korean War (they never mentioned this on TV's Mash). Mannix's character is supposed to be a long ago returned Korean War vet. This ep is about one of his military company cohorts not adjusted well back into society. Clu Galager (sp?) plays the maladjusted murderous vet who knew Mannix in Korea. This medicore show is not as well-done as the other reviewer says as the psycho's vet's scenes are not as chilling as they should be. Also, Mannix eps usually have Joe introduced to a new pretty girl suspect or witness or accessory to crime or victim and there is no such girl in this ep. Peggy Fair is attractive to look at but we have seen her lots of times before this ep. Another minus.

We're in the middle of season 6 so it is reasonable to assume some plots would be redone with minimum changes. Unfortunately, the recycled plot is episode 2/19 where Steve Ihnet boobytraps a building. That episode was over the top but it was original. This story is lifted from that - right down to the "traitor in the prison camp" as a motive. Many of the Mannix clichés make an appearance here. Joe interacts with an ol' military "comrade" (for the 7th time), Peggy is kidnapped, Peggy's friend suffers an injury, Joe freezes out the police information-wise, Joe turns down protection, Joe is the best shot in the world with a snub nose revolver, Joe doesn't get paid. If the writers could have figured out some way for a child to hire Joe then it would have been a grand slam.

Clu Gulager, as Lyle Foster, is the bad guy here. The crazy laugh is a bit much but Gulager is an intense actor who seemed to play the tightly wrapped bad guy throughout his career. He is out to kill Mannix as revenge from their POW experience. We're not quite sure why it is Mannix's fault that Foster is a traitor. He makes a little speech about wondering if he would ever be recognized etc etc. Since he is officially dead, that doesn't really wash. How he got away from the North Koreans, got back to the U. S. and been busy for twenty years is never explained.

In the Season 2 episode, Ihnet killed off several prison comrades and said Joe and then-Sgt Malcolm were the last would-be victims. Apparently, that wasn't true as Foster killed off two men before getting to Mannix. Anyway, Foster toys with Mannix for awhile and then, in the ultimate showdown, Mannix triumphs and poor Lyle dies due to an amazing gunshot.

There is a nice supporting cast who all seem to have one scene each. Robert Reed is Lt Tobias in this one. He has a few more lines than normal but the police lieutenants are all interchangeable by now. The last three outings have been Malcolm, Ives, and now Tobias. Did you really notice?

This isn't a good episode at all. Logic is not a strong player in this one and originality decided to sit this one out. Joe should have joined the Air Force and been stationed in Japan or Germany.

In don't remember the details but I know there was another episode where some old war buddy was killing off old friends. How many different groups of old war buddies did Mannix have? Seemed like a tired re-hash of an old story. Poor Peggy; she should get hazard pay for all the times she's been kidnapped.

I used to like Clu Gulager, and thought he was a pretty good actor. Boy, was he bad in this. He over-acted, made ludicrous faces, kept panting while he talked, kept yelling Joe's name, and that stupid annoying laugh was over the top ridiculous. He missed Mannix the first time he shot at him, why not just try again? Instead, he goes through this long, drawn-out ridiculous story to put Mannix back where they began. This one is really unwatchable.

Mannix and Tobias enjoy a boxing match. A man with a rifle walks the catwalk of the auditorium and shoots one of the boxers, Al Ramon, Peggy's friend. Mannix and Tobias have front row seats. After the shooting we are in the locker room where the boxing manager Sloan nervously paces and he is approached for questioning by Mannix. Where is Tobias? Why is Mannix allowed to walk around freely and question the boxing manager? The whole place is a crime scene. Police should be swarming the building, conducting an investigation and closing off the area to the public, including Mannix.

Mannix interviews a boxing promotor who Sloan suspects was involved but the promotor put $100k down on Ramon and cannot collect because the fight was stopped before a winner could be declared.

Tobias lets Mannix review the fight footage. By slowing down the film they realize that Ramon lost his balance and got in the way of the intended target, Mannix. This is not difficult because Mannix soon receives a call from someone who threatens him.

I was hoping for an episode about fixing boxing matches. Once again Mannix must work for free this time to figure out who wants him dead. Peggy thinks it could be Emmett Trask who Mannix helped put behind bars. Mannix goes to find Trask. This turns out to be another dead end.

Mannix returns home at night to find Detective Gifford watching his place. Mannix invites Gifford in for a drink but he notices his door is opened. He hears someone taunt him and sees a dummy sitting in his chair that looks like him. A gunshot is fired through the window hitting the dummy and when it falls over you can see the tape recorder behind it. The voice starts laughing hysterically. Tobias comes to investigate and determines the killer is a professional.

Detective Gifford was of no use in preventing the bad guy from getting in the office and placing the dummy and recorder there.

Mannix refuses Gifford's help and no sooner have Tobias and Gifford left, Mannix receives a call from the man who wants to kill him. The crazed man agrees to meet Joe at lookout mountain in fifteen minutes. As Mannix starts his car a bomb goes off. The deranged killer calls him on the car phone and taunts him some more. It is at this point, the killer reveals his face to the audience.

Next scene, Mannix is looking at pictures of his old Korean war buddies. He knows the killer's voice because one of the guys he fought with sounded the same. But that man, Lyle Foster, played by Clu Gulager died in Korea so it is not possible he would be the guy. We get the burial flashback scene. As Mannix speaks, a Korean soldier hits him over the head.

Mannix tells Tobias it was Foster because of the way he tied his rope, and says "kay" all the time. Mannix thinks the funeral was now a phony. Mannix asks Tobias to help him get a positive identification on Foster. Peggy calls Mannix and tells him two of the men he served with died within the past few weeks and month. That's when Foster stupidly walks in and confronts Peggy with a gun. He takes the gun from Peggy and orders Mannix to return to the office alone or he will kill Peggy. "Kay?"

Mannix stupidly tells nothing to Tobias and returns to the office. His car is just fine now though it was damaged in the bombing the day before. Foster is watching as Mannix drives up. He's got Peggy gagged and tied up. Mannix enters from the upper apartment but when he walks down to the office and reception room, no one is there. If he had Tobias's help, the police would have probably seen Foster leave with Peggy and apprehended him.

Next scene, Tobias is with Mannix in the office. He gets another call from Foster who has Peggy tied up on the floor. Foster says he knows Mannix went to the police. I am not sure how Foster knows this. Mannix reveals he knows he is speaking with Foster who is shocked Mannix figured it out. Foster tells Mannix to meet him at yet another location. If he brings police, Foster says he will kill Peggy. Mannix tells Tobias he cannot help him because Foster said so. Tobias listens instead of acting and helping to resolve a hostage situation. Isn't that dereliction of duty by Tobias?

Mannix goes to meet Foster at a hotel which then leads him to a funeral home where Foster has another one of his goofy audio tapes mocking Mannix. Once the tape ends, Foster immediately calls Mannix from a pay phone. How did he know when the tape ended? Foster tells Mannix to meet him at the boxing arena.

When Mannix walks into the boxing arena he is a dead man. There is no way he comes out alive because Foster has the advantage because he is positioned in a box above. He is using a shot gun though. He wastes time blathering on and on to Mannix. Yet, this is the moment that boxer Ramon decides to walk in and startles Foster. Mannix takes a shot and makes a perfect shot which hits Foster and knocks him down. He lands in the boxing ring dead.

In the final scene, as Tobias leaves with Foster's corpse, Peggy, with no sign of trauma from being kidnapped and held hostage, indignantly, asks Ramon what he doing out of the hospital.

This episode insults the audience. It should have never made it to broadcast. It represents the worst, over the top cliches about the Mannix series:

• What is Foster's motive to kill Mannix? This is not clear.

• Why go after Mannix 20 years later?

• Why risk going to the office, setting up bombs, taunting Mannix and so on? Why not follow Mannix and kill him in a dark street with a silencer and then leave? Everyone thought he was dead anyway.

• Anyone who served with Mannix in Korea is trouble.

• This story line has been done and was done much better in season two episode 19, "End Game" which starred the late, great Steve Ihnat.

• Why would Tobias allow Mannix free run to question people at the boxing stadium after the shooting? This is a police scene. Why is Mannix getting involved at this point? He is a private investigator and not a police department employee. He has nothing to gain by investigating the case. Tobias should be there asking the questions and he should have politely asked Mannix to leave.

• Why did Tobias let Mannix go along to confront Foster? Tobias knew Foster had Peggy as a hostage. Why didn't the police department take over? Tobias is guilty of dereliction of duty. I wonder if Robert Reed who was known for throwing tantrums about the script had a tantrum during filming?

• There is violence in the office again, a gun shot through the window, a break in and kidnapping, a bomb exploding in a car. There is no way Mannix remains at Paseo Verde. The residents would scream for his eviction.

• Peggy is kidnapped and held hostage. There is no way Peggy would continue to work for Mannix because she is the sole support of her young son. She would not be calm right after she was freed. She calmly asks Ramon a question. This is not true to her character. The audience is not stupid enough to believe this.

• Clu Gulager was a terrible choice to play Foster. He was annoying. A more skilled actor would be frightening and menacing.

Truly, this episode deserves a ¼ star out of ten. This was a terrible and disgraceful episode which only served to insult the audience.