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Another Quincy show
I tried another episode of Quincy, S03E02, "A Blow to the Head... A Blow to the Heart." I figured I would choose a show with some Five-O connections, and there were four of them: actors Nehemiah Persoff (multiple Classic H50 roles), Moses Gunn ("Nine, Ten, You're Dead") and Norm Alden ("Rest In Peace, Somebody")! It was directed by Corey Allen (former actor in "Rebel Without A Cause" who directed "Tricks Are Not Treats" and "The Child Stealers").
This Quincy episode is connected to the world of boxing. Luke Stokes, an up-and-coming black fighter (Rodney Hoston) is matched against Ray Ringo (the blonde and white Randy Shields). Stokes drops dead during a fight, which, of course, gets Quincy's attention.
Because several people are very anxious to know what killed Stokes, Quincy and Sam run themselves ragged performing every kind of test. Stokes' widow Laura (Lynne Moody) is sure her husband's death had some kind of drug connection.
There is something suspicious about Stokes' trainer, Ben McDade (Gunn), who is an old pal of Quincy's. Recently he was the trainer for Ringo, but switched allegiances to Stokes because he was getting concerned about mob connections to Ringo. McDade tells Quincy that he has stopped living the high life, spending tons of money on gambling, which doesn't jibe with what a bookie, Shep Nolan (Alden) tells Quincy. McDade's and Quincy's friendship is sorely tested when Quincy accuses McDade of making money by betting against Stokes.
Quincy has to deal with a bunch of thugs threatening him and his girl friend over the results of the yet-unfinished autopsy. Gloria Manon, the attractive actress playing the girl friend, Jill Adams, was 17 years younger than Jack Klugman (I think Quincy being a stud like this is a trope for the show.)
Finally, Quincy and Sam are able to determine that Stokes was administered some kind of poisonous substance on his mouth guard during the fight, which caused him to collapse and die. (I would like to know if the toxicology behind this and other "solutions" on the show actually make sense.) By analyzing video footage from the fight, they connect this with when the mouth guard was handed to Stokes during the fight by his manager, Matt Dorsey (Persoff).
Quincy confronts Dorsey at a birthday party for Stokes' young son where Persoff is quite the opposite of the brusque, mob-connected figures seen on H50. But there is a mob connection: Dorsey was convinced to help knock off Stokes by guys like those who were threatening Quincy. He is persuaded by Quincy to testify against them in court without much argument, which seems odd, especially considering his life will be likely in serious danger if he does that!
The show ends with another sucky ending. Quincy and McDade, having made up after Quincy's accusations against the latter, are seen coming out of a restaurant with Jill. The same thugs who threatened Quincy before show up, but McDade goes back into the restaurant and brings out "a friend" of theirs, who is the former world heavyweight champion and one of the greatest boxers of all time, Joe Louis! The sight of Louis makes the thugs jump into their car and run away! Huh?
By the way, a point of interest: Robert Ito, who played Sam, Quincy's assistance, is currently 90 years old! And he was born in Vancouver to boot...