Show215
Follow the Tracks To prove evidence of Tracey's drug use, Andy lifted up Tracey's sleeve to reveal a long scar. Unless he repeatedly dragged the needle across his arm, that scar was not from IV drug use. Even the acting of the supposed desperate drug addict was ridiculously overplayed.
Burger's Power Trip It seemed a bit high handed and probably illegal for Burger to bar Rachel's attorney from seeing her. He had no right to do that. And on what grounds did he order this? He wanted to be the only to talk to her? That is not something that should be done under a democratic system. Burger always seems to forget that he is only one party in the case. Just because he is prosecuting her does not give him the right to decide she should not have access to counsel. Even defendants who seem obviously guilty have rights and are still innocent til proven guilty. Particularly in light of the fact that it was eventually decided she was not the responsible party. She could have and should have sued. Burger's power trip is getting worse and worse with every episode. DellaMason
Stone Faces Very strange when Rachel is screaming in agony after being burned; and the reaction of everyone else in the room is to just stare at her. The overly loud crash of the pot coupled with her blood-curdling screams should have been enough to get at least one of them to rush over to try to help. DellaMason
I think this episode offers some commentary on doctors’ rather liberal use of sedatives and other powerful drugs in the 1960s, 1970s, and even today, especially on “hysterical” women. I have seen people do things in their sleep while under the influence of prescribed sedatives and hypnotics—things of which they have absolutely no memory the next day. Good for Raymond Burr (or whoever is responsible)! Submitted by gracenote, 4/1/2011.
In Perry's first office meeting with Bruce Jay, Della is lovely in a fuzzy sweater and a beautiful pearl drop necklace. jfh 26Jan2017.
I was trying to figure out just what it was about Bruce Jay that seemed odd, then it hit me - the pupil of his right eye is noticeably larger than the left. DOD 02/26/20
Backlot Set: Anybody know which studio was home to the "T" intersection and streets where the drug bust happened? I have seen that location in at least a dozen productions. Submitted by H. Mason 4/7/15
+ very noirish scene!
++ I can't identify the studio for sure, but it looks like the Warner Brother lot because of the short lamp posts. The marquee on the cinema facade when this episode was filmed read "Arcadia Theatre" -- so if you see that in an early to mid 1960s film, it would be positive identification.
The quote mentioned at the end of the episode is from the Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 1881 book "The Common Law", "LECTURE I. — EARLY FORMS OF LIABILITY." Some context, from the Project Gutenberg copy: "It is commonly known that the early forms of legal procedure were grounded in vengeance....The appeals de pace et plagis [of (breach of) peace and wounds] and of mayhem became, or rather were in substance, the action of trespass which is still familiar to lawyers. But as the compensation recovered in the appeal was the alternative of vengeance, we might expect to find its scope limited to the scope of vengeance. Vengeance imports a feeling of blame, and an opinion, however distorted by passion, that a wrong has been done. It can hardly go very far beyond the case of a harm intentionally inflicted: even a dog distinguishes between being stumbled over and being kicked." lowercase masonite, 4/12/16.
Memorable Quote: "How much is it worth to be a sick, empty creature, drained of every drop of the joy of life ??" (And it turns out to be not just rhetorical!!)Submitted by Notcom, 042216.
A very entertaining episode with a real twist. The first half has a classic country house murder atmosphere, the second half more a film noir feeling. That staircase set appears yet again - it seems pops up about every third or fourth show. In his first conversation with Tracey, Perry mentions the legal defense of "irresistible impulse". This same defense comes up in that great legal thriller "Anatomy of a Murder". DO 1/30/18
Agreed. Did not see that ending coming, along with a few other twists. This episode makes up for the horrible --IMHO-- previous episode (which I couldn't even finish watching.)-yelocab 21JUN18
+ Your "horrible opinion" of the previous episode "TCOT Scandalous Sculptor" was consistent with IMDB reviewers: they ranked that prior episode as 266/271 - fifth worst! In contrast, this episode was ranked 44th. Rick P 10-31-21
I knew what the "twist" would be as soon as she fired the bullets, because it's been used in other shows; I am wondering if this was maybe the first use of the "hiding a murder by confessing to the murder" bit. cgraul 7.9.20
Coronary insufficiency as a result of criminal human agency'. Quite an evaluation by the Medical Examiner on the witness stand. jfh 26Feb2020
IMDB tells us that Richard Hale played "roles...from kindly, but strict, priests to sinister villains." Given his four roles on PM - which ranged from cantankerous old men in the daytime to cantankerous old men in the nighttime - it's kind of hard to picture the former, isn't it ?? Queried by Notcom, 062819.
+ Richard Hale did play Gaspar, one of the three wise men--maybe the cantankerous one?--present at the Nativity, in the movie classic "Ben Hur" (1959). Submitted by BobH, 28 June 2019.
William Woodson, who played the medical examiner, was the booming voice that narrated the radio program 'This is your FBI'. Submitted by Wick 3/28/2022
For only the 2nd or 3rd time in the show's history, Burger actually arrests the murderer, although he later lets them go. Submitted by PaulDrake33. 31 December 2014.
+ It's not clear that (s)he is actually arrested; maybe "in custody" would be a more precise description. Submitted by Notcom, 042216.
++When the police hold a person who thereby does not have the free will to leave, it is, in fact, an "arrest." If the person, for example, it placed in the back of a police car and told "we are going to the station," that person is owed the constitutional admonitions because this "custody" is viewed by the person as a barrier to walking away. cgraul 7.9.20
> Point taken!! Of course in this case it appears the arrestee is unconscious - she quite literally lacks present capcity to "walk away"!! - but would it have made a difference - legally - if they had taken her to other than the police hospital??hmmm.... Notcom, 071020.
The Case of the Upside-Down Law Books: In this episode, an upside-down law book actually furthers the plot. (see Comments to episode 179). jfh 26Jan2017.
+ I cannot help but wonder if the previous instances of set-decorator hanky-panky going on with the upside-down law book in Perry's office led the writer to use this element for the storyline. Submitted by catyron, June 17th, 2018
The killer's use of an "antidote" drug is eerily echoed by the use of Narcan to save opioid addicts. DO 1/30/18
The Fourth Shot we didn't hear much about this one, but it's where Rachael shot herself in the foot: for all her pains at creating a failsafe scenario, all she really succeeded in doing was establishing her uncle was murdered. Had she simply slipped him the overdose, given that he was under a doctor's care (with a known medical condition), it's likely his death would have been ruled natural causes and no autopsy. At worst she would have been one of a several suspects - altho perhaps the leading one - but with an excellent alibi. 'course it wouldn't have been much of an episode. Notcom, 072421.
The episode title gives away the mystery, no? Ed Zoerner, 6/4/24