Originally Posted by epaddon View Post
I think this is a good episode. It comes in the era where Watergate was influencing scripts more and more by showing us villains who were supposed to be above reproach figures from the trustworthy political and government institutions (and who wouldn't have been depicted as the villains in 1968-69 when the showe debuted) In this case, Porter comes off as a disturbed individual who has indeed clearly snapped after what was undoubtedly an unblemished career and his abrupt suicide at the end shows just how far he has snapped. The fact it takes him just a few seconds to decide to kill the flight attendant rather than even go through the motions of toying with her and disposing of her later shows just how ruthlessly fanatical he is. No trace of his more famous role as Sally Field's father on "Gidget" in this performance!

Dodson's presence I'm sure came about because of Bob Sweeney, who had directed over 100 episodes of the Griffith Show (and no doubt also accounted for Griffith's own guest shot).
Interesting ideas about Watergate influencing these kinds of stories on Five-O. Not something I thought of but it makes sense.

As for the Jack Dodson/Bob Sweeney connection… Sweeney was long gone as director of TAGS by the time Dodson joined the show (in the show’s last 2 seasons). By then I think it was Alan Rafkin and Lee Philips who were the resident directors. In fact Sweeney left after season 3 so basically in the middle of the show’s black&white Barney run. Sweeney didn’t direct this episode of Five-O but I think he was the producer. He did direct “I’m a Family Crook” where Andy Griffith of course was the main guest. I can definitely see Sweeney playing a part in getting Andy for that episode. With Dodson? I’m not so sure. I’m sure he probably knew that Dodson had been on TAGS but Sweeney wasn’t involved that late in the show’s run.