User Reviews

THE DETECTIVES – The Fourth Commandant - 1962

This one is episode 94 of the 97 episode run of, THE DETECTIVES. This series starred Robert Taylor and ran between 1959 and 1962. The first two seasons ran at a half hour and the last season had a runtime of an hour. The series followed the detective squad in a big city precinct. Cast regulars included, Mark Goddard, Russell Thorson, Tige Andrews, Lee Farr and Adam West. Robert Taylor headlines as Police Captain, Matt Holbrook.

In this episode Ben Wright has just been released from prison after doing 8 years. The man was convicted of using sub par materials in a school he built. The school had collapsed killing several people. Wright's grown children, James Douglas and Aneta Corsaut, believe that their father had been set up. Douglas decides to hunt down those he thinks are responsible for his father's time in jail.

The first man, he kills by tossing him down an elevator shaft. For the second victim, Douglas arranges for the man's car to go off a handy cliff. Next on the list is Police Captain, Robert Taylor.

Taylor is spending the weekend at his cabin out in the woods. There is a game of cat and mouse with Douglas before he is subdued. The twist here is that Wright really was guilty.

Not a great episode, but by no means a waste of time.

It begins with Charlie Banks about to kill himself. He went to jail for housing fraud where a building collapsed due to shoddy materials. Now out, he faces new charges. There is no end to his suffering.

His son Ted Banks is distraught as to how his father has been persecuted and continues to be persecuted.

Ted is a fan of the book The Count of Monte Cristo, a book he reads to a group of kids at the start of the episode.

Now Edmond Dantès returns to wreak vengeance on three of the men who testified against him all those years ago. One of them is Captain Holbrook.

Ted believing his father to be innocent, makes two of the deaths look like accidents. Even though the first died of a heart attack.

Captain Holbrook would be the final victim as he heads to his cabin in the woods.

This is not the strongest of episodes, Ted acts deranged. At least his father finally admits his guilt to his children. Just a series of lies he continued with even after leaving jail.