(TV Series)

(1979)

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7/10
Pretty routine...and that's not so bad.
planktonrules21 April 2013
An airliner crashes and the coroner's office is brought in to help identify the bodies as well as determine if there is anything about the bodies that could help them determine why the plane went down. Along the way, Quincy goes off in one direction and ASSUMES that evil big business is behind the wreck (which they weren't) but he also, coincidentally learns that three bodies seated next to each other ALL had the same cancer at the same stage! It turns out the three worked together and it's statistically impossible for them not to have gotten it the same way. So, Quincy tries, in vain, to get their employer to cooperate, though it turns out that this really IS an evil big business! He also, near the end, comes up with a wild theory as to what brought down the airplane.

This is a pretty interesting episode. Seeing the methods they use to determine identities is worth seeing, but what I really liked is that this episode was less soap boxy than usual. In other words, more emphasis is on the work of the coroner's office and less on Quincy screaming and going off on a crusade! Of course there is some, otherwise it wouldn't be "Quincy"! OSHA
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7/10
Decent episode featuring plane crash investigation
rayoflite2421 September 2015
Aftermath begins with Quincy (Jack Klugman) being called to the site of an airplane crash where he assists the investigative team in collecting evidence and trying to determine a cause. Later back in the coroner lab, Quincy and Sam (Robert Ito) start the slow and difficult process of identifying the charred bodies and conducting autopsies. This uncovers some unusual findings, one being that three men sitting together on the plane who worked for the same company were all in the advanced stages of the same cancer which is a statistical anomaly. Quincy begins to suspect that the home insulation materials they were in charge of developing are toxic and caused their illnesses which pits him against their corporation which was also transporting industrial materials in the cargo hold of the plane. Did this also cause the crash, or was it a mechanical malfunction or even an act of nature?

While not the most exciting episode, this is a fairly decent one that does feature a multi-layered mystery into the cause of the plane crash and whether or not there was a corporate cover-up. If you like the Quincy episodes where he is battling against the greedy big business types, then you will definitely appreciate this one as there are some great impassioned speeches.

Overall, an enjoyable Season 4 episode which is pretty nuts and bolts but still manages to entertain.
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7/10
Solid if unspectacular
vosgesmountains24 September 2015
A lot of avenues for Quincy to walk which makes the episode a little disjointed. As mentioned above, Quince is knee deep in some heavy science which limits some of the action but is technically strong. The plane crash was quite a set to build if indeed that is what it was. Some classic formulaic material including big business turning a blind eye to the dangers of its new miracle insulation. Episode is capped by a signature line delivered deadpan to Quincy: "It was a million to one shot, but you hit it right on the nose." Perfect. You also get a heavy dose of Sam and some of the gentle ribbing that made their relationship so comfortable. At one point Quincy goes so far to put his arms across Sam's back in a brotherly, almost affectionate way. At certain points Sam surprisingly Points out facts to Quincy which is rare indeed. Any episode lacking the Lieutenant (until a brief appearance at the end) is, of course, an automatic one point deduction in my book. Without his skepticism and frustration Quincy lacks the fire that he can especially bring to those he knows well. At least Astin manages to wring a few bucks out of Quincy by cutting his overtime which we all know is quintessential Astin.
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5/10
Average Quincy episode.
poolandrews12 February 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Quincy M.E.: Aftermath starts as Columbia Airlines flight 788 to Los Angeles carrying 121 passengers crashes just outside the city, Los Angeles medical examiner Quiny (Jack Klugman) is one of the first on the scene & is horrified at the devastation. All the bodies are collected & taken to the pathology laboratories for autopsy & identification while John Wiggins (John Larch) & his team of air crash investigators get to work on figuring out what happened. Due to the badly mutilated bodies Quincy is having a hard time identifying anyone & several autopsy results reveal some surprising findings about the cause of the crash & wider issues with those involved in it...

Episode 16 from season 4 this Quincy story was directed by Tony Mordente & is alright but I thought was lacking a certain something overall. Obviously revolving around the aftermath of a plane crash the main story focuses on several of the unlucky passengers, be it Quincy having trouble identifying one of them & as such the insurance company won't pay his widow & child, one of the cabin crew had traces of a drug called asatol which helps Quincy solve the mystery of how the plane crashed all on his own & the fact three dead passengers all had lung cancer from being exposed to dangerous substances & chemicals where they worked. So really the plane crash is nothing more than a spring board for several of these little sub plots none of which are overly great & the program ends fairly abruptly with all the loose ends hurriedly tied together at the end in Danny's with Quincy explaining so & so did that & such and such are doing this. As a whole Aftermath is a bit fragmented as it tries to juggle it's various bland sub plots which have all arose because of the plane crash & I am not convinced Quincy would be able to solve why the plane crashed all on his own where a full team of investigators couldn't. Also one has to say what on earth was a medical examiner & coroner doing investigating why the plane crashed anyway? It's not exactly part of his job description is it?

Not know for it's style there's a surprisingly effective shot at the start of Aftermath as Quincy is flown to the plane crash site in a helicopter & the camera is placed inside with him & there's a nice looking sequences where we get to see the crash site from inside the helicopter as it flies in & circles the site, it's a fairly long & impressive sequence which is quite imaginative for a cheap TV show. The acting is alright but as usual the regulars as far better than the guests, veteran actor Burr DeBenning makes the first of his two Quincy guest appearances & is someone I always remember from The Incredible Melting Man (1977)!

Aftermath is an alright episode of Quincy, I don't think it's a classic & by the generally very high standards of season four isn't great in that respect either. Fans of the show should like it but the story was too bitty for me.
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