Cruising for 50 years

[Bobbi]

Tonight 50 years ago, CBS aired S06E23 "Killer at Sea".

Not one of the best Season 6 episodes but here goes.

Vincent Gordon (Curtis Keene) goes to several banks and makes large withdrawals. He's acting squirrely and for good reason – he's being forced to do this. The thug at his side is the first clue.

At the last location, a shootout ensues killing the thug and injuring a security guard. On top of that, a 'civilian' is shot and later dies in surgery. Turns out, that guy was a US Congressman for Hawaii.

The driver escapes to the port and gets lost in the boarding of a ship bound for the mainland. Gordon isn't much help and keeps trying to throw Five-O off. So much so, McGarrett, Danno and Gordon get on the ship. They have until the docking at San Francisco to figure out what's going on.

Along the way, there's an emergency drill where Gordon can't pick out his kidnapper. Also, McGarrett meets Elena Lewis (Gail Strickland) and Duffy Malone (John Byner). Malone is an unfunny comic who provides entertainment during one of the dinners.

When all is said and done, McGarrett and Danno corner Frank Fallon (William Devane) who was part of a conspiracy with Gordon (no wonder he wasn't helping) to rip off investors. The pair is arrested in San Francisco thanks with help from SFPD.

Mr. Mike's review that covers everything is here: https://www.fiveohomepage.com/5-0log6.htm#143

I'm not super excited by this episode. As a matter of fact, at one time when I was rewatching this it occurred to me that Malone wasn't funny at all. Talk about forced writing.

Elena is an okay character, but she isn't given enough time to delve deeper into character development. Not only was she a red herring, she was a total distraction and not needed. The writers would have been better off concentrating on the main story and not throwing in these extra people. But that's my two cents.

Happy 50th, "Killer at Sea"!!

[John Chergi]

Season 6 Killer At Sea 2 Stars ⭐⭐ Out Of 4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.

The Killer At Sea ⛵ is a disappointing Season 6 episode. It does have an exciting beginning as Vincent Gordon is forced to withdrawal several thousands of dollars at several bank stops. A mysterious figure at his side. After 1 of the stops, a shootout commences where a security guard is injured and a US Congressman from Hawaii is killed. Vincent is later found unharmed and brought back to a cruise ship. The criminal and killer movements traced to possibly boarding a cruise �� ship ready to set sail. With many people in the process of boarding and leaving the ship, it's difficult to know if the criminal boarded the ship. Vincent the man withdrawing large sums of money has the opportunity to point out the man who forced him to make the bank stops. The Killer At Sea. McG cannot convince the Captain to stop the sailing and the cruise ship �� commences with a possible killer aboard. Some suspicion falls on Frank Fallon who has a criminal record. He's a loner type who enjoys playing cards. Duffy Malone (Comedian) provides some great comedy on the cruise. I liked his comedy routine and he could be a suspect. However, he has a back problem which would make him an unlikely Killer at Sea. The criminal had to move quickly to jump from bank to bank with Gordon and make the cruise in time. McG has a chance for some romantic time and some assistance in the matter with Journalist Elena Lewis. She could have tried to find out the killer but McG freezes her out. There's a suspenseful moment where Vincent Gordon looks at cruise passengers lined up during an emergency drill. He cannot point out the Killer at Sea. Time is running out as the cruise ship �� will soon dock in SF. McG and Danno guess right the Killer At Sea brought the large amount of cash on board ship. He or She would have to make their move and retrieve the money ��. Fallon locates the money �� but eventually loses it trapped inside closing ship doors. I love the scene where the doors are slowly closing and Fallon's bag is stuck in the doors. He is eventually captured. There's a quick out of nowhere ending where McG points to Vincent Gordon as part of the conspiracy. Fallon and Gordon working together splitting the profits from the money taken from the banks. McG explains that Gordon had to take off his suit jacket to shoot it at close range. Leaving powder burns. I think a better ending would have Fallon and Gordon splitting the money at a SF hotel. Drinking champagne �� and thinking they beat the system. Instead, McG and Danno interrupts knocking on the door. They apprehend both Fallon and Gordon with money stacked in plain view.JC