50 Years with Uncle Kevin

[Bobbi]

Tonight 50 years ago, CBS aired S06E08 "Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies?"

The episode is about a questionable business name Reversions Inc. run by Zachary Talbot (Murray Matheson). Talbot is suave but hell-bent on ripping off as many people as possible while raking in the dough.

Reversions is set up to pay out inheritances to people before their benefactors pass. Reversions is more than happy to do this once contracts are signed to make sure the company gets loads of money. The problem is that Talbot doesn't wait and speeds up the process of death of both the benefactors and the heirs!

The muscle that does most of the dirty work is Luke Foster (Lee Stetson). He's responsible for blowing up boats, helicopters, wrecking racecars, running over people and pushing them off balconies. (At least I think he's responsible for all that, we know about the boat and chopper for sure).

Five-O is immediately interested of course and they have to figure out a way to bait Reversions. Fortunately for them, Manicote (Glenn Cannon) knows of a visiting assistant DA from the CONUS who is in Hawaii for a research project. Calvin Cutler (Lawrence Pressman) is an unusual cat. He'd rather soak up some sun on the beach during his off time but is willing to help Five-O.

The team sets him up with a false ID and benefactor, "Uncle Kevin" who is seen in some photos at his estate but never his face.

Although Reversions is getting ready to move to Zurich, they can't help but be pulled in by the insane amount of money they can haul in. Foster is lured and later trapped in a house to assassinate Kevin. He spills the beans when he realizes he can't escape his homemade bomb blast. Only Five-O has already neutralized the threat.

Five-O nabs the entire Reversions board including Talbot with McGarrett seeming more satisfied than usual.

Mr. Mike's review is here: https://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log6.htm#128

Again, not one of my favorites – I dislike the uber organization episodes because they seem too big to fall but they prove no one is above the law. However, seeing Calvin's transformation and getting some 'behind the scenes' work there was neat.

I did enjoy the trapping of Foster too. He was genuinely scared because he planted the bomb and had NO way out. Calvin proved his worth too with the ability to think on his feet.

Happy 50th, "Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies?"!!!

[barnzoboy]

I always think about this episode when I see one of those TV commercials for those outfits that want to purchase your life insurance policy for cash. Slightly different process than the scheme in this episode, but along the same lines.

[epaddon]

The brief appearance of Frances Asher always sticks out in my memory when it comes to this episode.

[John Chergi]

Season 6 Hawaii Five O 🌊 Anniversary Series Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies? 3.75 Stars Out Of 4 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

I have always enjoyed Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies? and the Season 6 episodes. Classic HFO 🌊 on the top of its game. This episode highlights Reversions Inc. An Insurance Company specializing in the Inheritance business. They have been around 35 years and in good standing. Mr. Talbot is the leader of the organization. Due to the remoteness of Hawaii, they will be locating to Zurich, Switzerland. This piques McG curiosity as Switzerland is know for neutrality and it is difficult to extradite people back to the United States. McG & HFO 🌊 realize 5 wealthy men have recently died from accidental deaths. They all died within a 6 month window 🪟. All had an heir that signed over their inheritance to Reversions Inc. McG decides to test Reversions Inc guilt or innocence by creating a reclusive millionaire Uncle Kevin Baines. A wealthy man worth 12 million dollars. Assistant DA Calvin Cutler is recruited for a possible dangerous mission pretending to be Edgar Baines. He is on a research project in Hawaii and is given a good recommendation by DA John Manicote. McG pretends to be Uncle Kevin and Cutler agrees to be Edgar Baines. A young man living beyond his means and someday waiting to collect his inheritance when Uncle Kevin Dies. Cutler is transformed into Edgar Baines with a good shave 🪒, a shorter haircut and change of clothing. He looks like a different person.

Edgar meets Reversions Inc point of contact Luke Foster at a bar. He proves to be an expert killer. Mostly through planted bombs. Charles Privit-Yacht Bomb & Jeremy Privit-Helicopter Bomb are some of his handiwork. My guess Luke Foster is also involved in the "accidents" of some of the benefactors seen in flashbacks. We later see Luke Foster as a point of contact when Frank (Lawyer Working Through HFO) delivers Uncle Kevin's will to the Ala Moana Bank. Miss Natalie Harper an employee at the bank makes contact with Foster at the cafe. Reversions Inc decide to take a bite of the apple 🍎 and cash in 1 more time before heading to Zurich. The Uncle Kevin Baines 12 million is too big to pass on. Reversions Inc cover all bases doing research on Edgar and Kevin including monitoring Edgar's phone calls. Prof Tomkins one of the Reversion Inc Board also looks at some newspaper articles that were planted through McG's direction. Reversions Inc decides to mark Uncle Kevin and Edgar for death. However, McG is too intelligent setting up Luke Foster in an elaborate trap. Foster has a propane bomb ready to explode in the Uncle Kevin house 🏘️. Looking like an accident. Foster quickly finds out all the doors🚪lock behind him. HES TRAPPED INSIDE WITH HIS OWN 💣!!!! Foster very nervous and scared spills his guts to McG and HFO outside implicating Reversions Inc. The bomb has already been neutralized unknown to Foster. Baines is also saved by Danno from Reversion Inc goons. They were ready to throw Edgar out of the apartment window 🪟. Some stories down. McG , Chin, and other HPD go to Reversions Inc to apprehend and round up the board and their leader Mr. Talbot. They were about to leave for Switzerland.

Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies? is an excellent episode. This is extremely plausible for a company to become greedy enough to collect on the benefactors and heirs death. Luke Foster is an expert murderer through his effective bombs killing both Privits. He also is an important associate and point of contact for the organization. Mr. Talbot is a worthy villain with his intelligence and English accent. He does his due diligence but outsmarted by McGarrett. 1 of my FAV episodes. JC

[Todd]

Just watched this one now. I had only seen it once previously -- close to 30 years ago.

It was an okay episode. The entire setup of Reversions was FAR too complex, FAR too costly, and involved FAR too many people to potentially screw up the operation. Amazing that they even had a newspaper man working with Five-O, somehow foreseeing that Reversions would come down and check for back issues of the paper! How many other people/businesses did they set up just in case they were checked?

There was also little mystery or suspense. We knew early on who actually committed the murders, we knew who hired them, and we knew (most of) the motive. The only thing we were waiting for was to see the bad guys get caught in the trap!

Five-O had too many episodes where the serial conmen (who also sometimes commit murder) want to get in "just one more job" before leaving the island, and they inexplicably continue with the operation despite a strong suspicion that they're falling into a trap.

Once again with that theme, Reversions CEO Zachary Taylor increasingly suspected that this was "entrapment", yet he arranged the two murders regardless. It also didn't make sense how his "attorneys" could collect the inheritance despite the intense suspicion of both Uncle Kevin and his nephew dying on the same day (the day after signing the contract), and with the entire board running off to Zurich. Since collecting is so unlikely, why engage in this last scheme at all?

How strong were those doors in "Uncle Kevin's" house? Once Foster got trapped in there, he was unable to push down or kick down the doors. Were these fortified in advance?

Foster's admission of murder under duress (the belief the police had trapped him in the house with his own ticking bomb) would never hold up in court, nor would his agreement to cooperate. It may have been a satisfying scene to watch the cruel Foster panicking like that, but in reality it could have jeopardized the entire case!

There were simply too many "accidents" within months of these policies being purchased. This would obviously result in arrests, even without the trap McGarrett set. Simply arresting the mole at Ala Moana Bank (identified early in the episode) could have allowed these dominoes to fall. Speaking of which, we never got to see that woman arrested!

And speaking of that woman, the uncredited character of "Natalie Harper", I saw that Mike wrote that some attributed the role to Gretchen Corbett, best known for "The Rockford Files".

Here's Natalie Harper:





She does look somewhat like Gretchen Corbett, which I noticed before even reading Mike's review. But is it her? I don't think so. Corbett actually DID appear on Five-O in 1975, in "Study in Rage". :




Above she looked just like she did on Rockford. The Natalie Harper character, while similar in look, is played by a different actress, likely a Hawaiian local. Note that this was a bit part, and Corbett did NOT live in Hawaii.

[Mr. Mike]

I think there are several episodes where, despite the bad guys being busted, the evidence would not hold up in court. I should make a note of these ... some day.

[John Chergi]

Todd
Want to thank you for your solid comments and review on Why Wait Till Uncle Kevin Dies? It's 1 of my FAV episodes. Season 6 was a very strong season. I think what I enjoy about the episode...

1. DA Manicote talked about checking out Reversions Inc 49 different ways or something. They checked out according to him. Cutler as Edgar Baines had to go on the dangerous mission. It was suspenseful to see what would happen to Cutler.

2. I liked McGarrett as Uncle Kevin Baines. McG changed his voice and Edgar painted Uncle Kevin as an interesting character.

3. Reversions Inc did plenty of checking and researching. Covering all bases. It's probably why they had been getting away with these "accidents" for many months.

4. The Uncle Kevin House 🏠 was a beautiful trap with the closing doors 🚪 and Luke Foster was locked inside with his propane bomb💣. One of my FAV scenes in the series. I remember first seeing this in the late 1980's as a teenager. Thought it was ingenious.

5. The leader Talbot was an intelligent and organized man. He wanted that last big score before going to Switzerland. I agree that it would be difficult explaining the Benefactor and Heir dying on the same day. However, by that time, they would already be in Switzerland. That happens several times in the series. Criminals thinking they can commit crimes in Hawaii and leaving. McG & The HFO 🌊 team very determined and sharp. They would apprehend the criminal.

6. Luke Foster did plenty of the dirty work. Planting the bombs and blowing up the yacht and the helicopter 🚁. He also was the point of contact with the people. Did an outstanding job in that role.

JC