Episode Guide - Season Five

Pheasant Under Glass Airdate: Friday, Sept. 26, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Chris Hayward and Arne Sultan Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: ***

KAOS has kidnapped Professor Pheasant and imprisoned him in a nuclear-glass cube. Max and 99 break into KAOS HQ to break him out, but they're unable to break the glass and forced to flee. As they're escaping, 99 reveals that she's pregnant, causing Max to get so excited that he reveals his identity as a secret agent to a reporter. This renders Max useless as an agent and eliminates CONTROL's plan to free the professor by having  The Singing Agent, Rosa LaCosta, sing a special note that can shatter glass and have Max go undercover as her accompanist. To save his job, Max visits Dr. Proctor, who has discovered a way to spray paint a new face on people, and Max tries out several faces before picking one to help him infiltrate KAOS headquarters and rescue the professor.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* It's makeover time for the show, which switched to CBS for the season. Max's apartment and the Chief's office get redecorated. Max also trades in the Sunbeam Tiger for an Opel and the theme song gets updated.
* The show also now regularly uses mugging to the camera as a comedic device, especially at the end of the episode.

Characters:
* Cameos from Martin Landau and Phyllis Diller bring this one up a notch.
* Larabee
 

Ironhand Airdate: Friday, October 3, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: ***

KAOS is taken over by Ironhand, who, oddly enough, has an iron hand. Ironhand tries to steal the AAAMM (The Anti-anti-anti-missile missile) plans, which 99 is transporting in an armed baby buggy. KAOS is foiled by means of Operation Baby Buggy Switch, which requires 15, and only 15 agents.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The movement of the baby buggies was choreographed by June Taylor and Dorothy Adams (Don's wife), who was once a member of The June Taylor Dancers.
* The Chief's office now looks out on the White House, as opposed to being underground.

Characters:
* Famed Little Person Billy Barty plays the informant Marco, who suffers the fate of all KAOS informers.
* Al Molinaro makes his first appearance as Agent 44 in this episode. Though you wouldn't think it from watching The Odd Couple or Happy Days, Molinaro looks a great deal like Dave Ketchum in this episode.
* Aunt Rose appears walking down the sidewalk.
* Larabee

  Catchphrases:
* "Sorry about that Chief." 
 

Valerie of the Dolls Airdate: Friday, October 10, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Les Colodny and Ed Haas Director: Charles Rondeau Carl's Rating: **1/2

Somehow KAOS is smuggling in a secret formula for an explosive that they will use to blow up California. CONTROL traces the smugglers to Miss Valerie's School for Expectant Fathers, in which Max and the Chief then enroll. Max accidentally switches his practice baby doll for a baby doll containing a secret formula. KAOS steals the doll from Max, but the Chief and Max beat KAOS to Los Angeles to defeat their plan.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* 99 states that their apartment is on the second floor of the apartment building.

Characters:
* Mondo is played by Henry Cordon, who was one of the two voices of Fred Flintstone and he sang the classic song, The Bedrock Twitch.
* Little Louis Dunlap is played by Caroline Adams, Don's daughter.
* Larabee
* Despite having an airport scene and a counter in the background, Aunt Rose is nowhere to be seen in this episode.

  Catchphrases:
* "The old secret supply room in the supply room trick."
* "Sorry about that Chief." 
 

Widow Often Annie Airdate: Friday, October 17, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Charles Rondeau Carl's Rating: **

The Chief order Max to marry Ann Cameron, a widow who marries CONTROL agents and then kills them. Forced to romance Ann on the night of his wedding anniversary, Max receives a ton of grief from 99 over the assignment. The Chief talks 99 into letting Max continue on the assignment and Max succeeds in getting Ann Cameron to marry him. A pregnant and weepy 99 shows up at their wedding, which is officiated by the Chief. Max must then avoid being killed by Ann Cameron before his wedding night, which 99 would kill him for taking part in!

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The title is a play on the successful comic strip and radio show Little Orphan Annie.
* Though you can't tell it from his play here, Don Adams was an avid tennis player and even had a court at his house.

Characters:
* Larabee
 

The Treasure of C. Errol Madre Airdate: Friday, October 24, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Chris Hayward and Bob DeVinney Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: **1/2

Max and Larabee are delivering CONTROL's payroll to the bank when KAOS manages to hijack it. This forces the Chief to move his office into an elevator and shut down CONTROL temporarily. There's only one way to refinance CONTROL - Max must pretend to be prospector Frogsie Debs and link up with Debs' former partner, C. Errol Madre. They each have half of a map that leads to a gold mine whose resources could reopen CONTROL. Unfortunately, a gang of banditos and Madre's double-cross make it likely Max will never get the gold.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* This episode is a parody of the Humphrey Bogart classic, Treasure of the Sierra Madre.
* This was one of Don's favorite episodes, mainly because he loved playing the Bogart-styled Frogsie Debs.

Characters:
* Madre is played by Highway Patrol star Broderick Crawford.
* Don's brother Richard Yarmy and Hugh Hefner have bit parts as CONTROL agents in the elevator scene.
* Larabee
 

Smart Fell on Alabama Airdate: Friday, October 31, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Alan Rafkin Carl's Rating: **

KAOS Agent Bohrman is carrying their new code book strapped to his chest and Max is assigned to replace it with a fake code book. Unfortunately, Bohrman is a beautiful woman and Max can't bring himself to untape the book from her chest. Now, Max must break into the plantation of Colonel Kyle K. Kirby and retrieve the book. To help him, CONTROL springs three convicts from prison and promises them freedom if they help in the robbery. Max trains them into an effective team. Would you believe a slightly competent team? They then break into Kirby's mansion, all the while Max is receiving updates on 99's labor pains on his wristwatch phone.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* This episode is a parody of The Dirty Dozen.
* According to Robert A., the title is a parody on the old Billie Holiday song, "Stars Fell on Alabama."

Characters:
* Colonel Kirby is a parody of Colonel Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame.
* Larabee

  Catchphrases:
* "Sorry about that." 
 

And Baby Makes Four Part I Airdate: Friday, Nov. 7, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Arne Sultan and Chris Hayward Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: *

99 is incredibly close to giving birth, which is making Max nervous and unable to pay attention to his job. He spends all of his time trying to find the shortest way to get 99 to the hospital. At the same time, CONTROL is desperately trying to find the new location of KAOS HQ. It's made more urgent because Simon the Likable is coming to town to steal the Huffiker Plans from the Pentagon. Simon is unstoppable because everyone that sees him instantly likes him and will do anything for him. Max and Simon get their directions mixed up and Simon goes to the maternity hospital while Max takes 99 to KAOS HQ, Sunny Slope Sanitarium.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* Despite it being a fan favorite, I've never been a big fan of this two-parter. The opening driving sequence is overlong and unfunny. Max suddenly becomes the idiotic expectant father of 60's sitcoms and I've never been able to reconcile that with the real Max.
* The Smart's apartment has moved from a suburban street to a busy city block.

Characters:
* Simon the Likable is played by noted character actor Jack Gilford.
* KAOS Agent Kruger was played by Dana Elcar, who would go on to play the Chief in The Nude Bomb.
* Larabee
* 99's mother
 

And Baby Makes Four Part II Airdate: Friday, Nov. 14, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Arne Sultan and Chris Hayward Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: *

Max and 99 escape and manage to get to the correct hospital in time for her to have twins, a boy and a girl. While everyone is congratulating Max, Simon tries to escape until he runs into the one person who doesn't like him, 99's mother.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The twins were actually played by boy twins, the Everling brothers.
* 99's mother reveals that her husband looks just like Simon the Likeable.
* This has always been a very weak episode to me, with the worst point being the first six minutes of the show are spent in a recap of part one. It also seems to me like the car scenes are drawn out, which leads me to suspect that this was written as a one-episode script and stretched out into two episodes for ratings purposes.

Characters:
* Richard Deacon (The Dick Van Dyke Show) has a cameo as a doctor.
* Aunt Rose appears in a wheelchair and kisses Simon.
* Larabee
* 99's mother

  Catchphrases:
* "I asked you not to tell me that" - said by 99. 
 

Physician Impossible Airdate: Friday, Nov. 21, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Alan Rafkin Carl's Rating: *

CONTROL is transporting vicious killer Big Eddie Little to jail by pretending to run in a marathon with him. Little breaks away from Max, but not before Max shoots him in the shoulder. Little gets away, vowing to kill Max. Max ignores his threats and goes to visit 99 and the twins in the hospital. Dressed in hospital scrubs, Max and 99 are taken for a doctor and nurse by KAOS and taken to a remote cabin to remove the bullet from Little's shoulder. Only by pretending to remove the bullet can Max escape from the cabin alive.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* More than any other, this episode shows how the show changed in the 5th season. Villains in Get Smart were always serious and played straight to create a real sense of danger. Without that tension, the show becomes Scooby Doo and that's what we've got in this episode. The criminals are played buffoon-like and are so shallow and cartoon-like that they're unbelievable and create absolutely no dramatic tension.

Characters:
* Larabee
 

The Apes of Rath Airdate: Friday, Nov. 28, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Richard Benedict Carl's Rating: ***

CONTROL agents are receiving bananas in the mail and then being murdered, completely puzzling CONTROL. What they don't know is KAOS is using Chucko, an ape made to look like a human being, as the assassin. The plot thickens when Max receives a banana in the mail and a new agent, Chuck Armstrong, is assigned as his protector. Unfortunately, Armstrong is actually Chucko the Ape. Before Max discovers Armstrong's real identity, Armstrong reverts back to Chucko and takes 99 to the roof of Max's building, just like in King Kong.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* Max's apartment undergoes a radical change to make this parody work. In most episodes, he lives on a tree-lined residential street. In this episode, the building magically changes into a tall, city building. In addition, a window has magically appeared next to the fireplace in the place where the bar used to reside.
* The title is a play on The Grapes of Wrath and the show is a mild parody of King Kong.
* This episode won a Writer's Guild Award for its script.
* There's a nod to Gilligan's Island with the life preserver from the S.S. Minnow hanging on the wall at the docks.

Characters:
* Larabee

  Catchphrases:
* "The old fake fingertips on the fire escape trick."
 

Age Before Duty Airdate: Friday, Dec. 5, 1969, 7:30 PM Writer: Bob DeVinney Director: Harry Falk Carl's Rating: **

Max goes to meet CONTROL Agent Carruthers and finds Carruthers dying of old age. The problem is that Carruthers is only 28 years old. After that, more and more agents are rapidly aging and dying, thanks to a new invention by KAOS, Dorian Gray Paint. The paint ages the real person once it's put on a picture of that person. They turn  Max, 99, and the Chief into senior citizens right before they locate KAOS HQ.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
*Dorain Gray Paint is based on the book, The Picture of Dorian Gray, where Dorian Gray stays young while his picture ages.
* Director Harry Falk is the brother of Peter Falk.

Characters:
* Larabee
* John Fiedler returns as a guest star, this time as Felix, the inventor of Dorain Gray Paint.
* Aunt Rose can be seen hanging out in the sailor bar.
 

Is This Trip Necessary Airdate: Friday, Dec. 12, 1969, 7:30 PM Writer: Dale McRaven Director: Ron Joy Carl's Rating: ***

Everyone important in Washington suffers bad dreams and the president orders CONTROL to discover why. At that moment, KAOS' Mad Pharmacist Jarvis Pim appears on TV to demand $50 million in ransom. If he doesn't get it, he'll use his new hallucinogenic drug on the entire population of the city. Max and 99 track Pim to the Dartfoot Spring Water Company, where Pim captures them using "the old mortar in the mortar trick."

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The Anti-Pro-Anti-Sodium Calcium Chloride scene is another brilliant scene that captures the tone of the first seasons.
* Though not the first couple to do so, Max and 99 are seen sleeping in a double bed.

Characters:
* Larabee
* Vincent Price turns in a great performance as Dr. Pym.
* Aunt Rose is a member of the tour group.

  Catchphrases:
* "The old pestle in the mortar trick."
* "The old mortar in the mortar trick," - said by Dr. Pym.
 

Ice Station Siegfried Airdate: Friday, Dec. 19, 1969, 7:30 PM Writers: Arne Sultan and Chris Hayward Director: Reza S. Badiyi Carl's Rating: **

The planet is being subjected to a second Ice Age due to the weather machinations of Professor Stanislavski. Max and the Chief get stuck in Miami because of snow, so 99 and CIA Agent Quigley (Bill Dana) journey to the North Pole to solve the case. They meet up with Mounties Siegfried and Shtarker to find Stanislavski's great weather control device - a giant fan.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* Don Adams refused to act in this episode, claiming that the script was merely a pale rewrite of an earlier episode. Adams demanded the script be tossed and a new one be used, but as the episode was both funny and original, the producers refused. Adams then called in sick the day shooting started and his good friend Bill Dana was asked to fill in for him. A cover story that Don was "too sick to perform" was issued and that cover story lasted until 1998 when it was first revealed to be false in conversations in The Get Smart Group. This was later publicly confirmed by Adams several times. With no time to revise the script, Max's jokes were done by Dana, whose style is so different from Adams that they mostly fell flat. It's a shame Adams refused to do the episode, as it would have been a great episode with Max as the lead and it wasn't duplicative at all. What most likely happened is that the intense pressure of being responsible for the success of a series that was in trouble after years of success was getting to Adams and this just happened to be the episode that arrived when he was about to explode.
* The several jokes about the Stanislavski Method refer to a popular acting method.

Characters:
* Al Molinaro makes his second and last appearance as Agent 44 in this episode.

  Catchphrases:
* "Ve don't do do here." 
* Shtarker does an excellent imitation of Siegfried, taunting him to say "Zis is KAOS, ve don't (machine gun noise) here."
 

Moonlighting Becomes You Airdate: Friday, January 2, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Chris Hayward Director: Alan Rafkin Carl's Rating: ***

The Chief worries that living with Max has made 99 clumsy, but she convinces the Chief to give her another assignment to prove her competence. He sends her to work undercover on Hannibal Day's radio show, which KAOS is using to send information to its agents. Max joins 99 as the sound effects person and they try to stop the KAOS broadcasts.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* Barbara Feldon proves herself a deft physical comedienne in this episode.
* The after-effects of Don Adams' "sickout" on the previous episode can be seen in his limited screen time in this episode.

Characters:
* Larabee
* Noted actor Victor Buono plays Hannibal Day.
* Maudie Pricket, who played Aunt Bertha in season one played Naomi Higgenlooper

  Catchphrases:
* "Sorry about that" - said by 99.
* "Sorry about that Chief."
 

House of Max, Part I Airdate: Friday, Jan. 9, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Chris Hayward Director: Tony Leader Carl's Rating: **

Max and 99 are in London to help Scotland Yard solve a brutal series of murders supposedly committed by Jack the Ripper. Jack tries to kill 99 but is stopped by Max, who discovers that Jack is a wax figure brought to life. Max and 99 join Inspector Sparrow of Scotland Yard in infiltrating Duval's House of Wax, where Duval is bringing wax figures to life. Duval sends a wax werewolf to kill Max and 99.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* This is a loose spoof of the Vincent Price classic House of Wax.

Characters:
* Aunt Rose is a tourist in Duval's Cave of Wax
* Ed Platt is not in this episode.
 

House of Max, Part II Airdate: Friday, Jan. 16, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Chris Hayward Director: Tony Leader Carl's Rating: *

Max goes undercover in Duval's Cave of Wax as Hitler while 99 wears a blonde wig and romances Duval to distract him. Max's disguise is discovered and he manages to break free by pretending to actually be Hitler, which distracts the KAOS agent. Duval then brings all of his wax figures to life and sends them out into the museum to find and kill Max.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* As with And Baby Makes Four an overlong summary of episode one (six minutes) is used to pad the episode.
* The episode is not very sharp and the tedium is increased by prolonged sequences of wax figures imitating Laurel & Hardy and W. C. Fields.

Characters:
* Ed Platt is not in this episode.

  Catchphrases:
* "Sorry about that" - said by Inspector Sparrow.
 

Rebecca of Funny-Folk Farm Airdate: Friday, January 23, 1970, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Charles Rondeau Carl's Rating: ***

Max is serving as a courier on board an airplane when he is forced to release his package from the plane, sending it to land on  the roof of Hester Van Hooten's mansion. The only problem is Van Hooten hasn't allowed visitors to her house in 20 years and she and her brother aren't about to start now. CONTROL arranges for a storm to get them into the house, but only 99's resemblance to Hester's dead sister gets them inside. The drawing room interrogation of the Van Hooten's is very similar to a routine from Don Adams' stand-up days.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* This show features Max's classic exchange with a dinner guest:
     "Did you just call her 99?
     Yes.
     May I ask why?
     I don't know her name."
* The title is a play on Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm.
* This episode uses the bizarre painting of 99 that hung in Max's apartment in the first season.

Characters:
* Larabee

  Catchphrases:
* "I asked you not to tell me that," - said by Hester.
 

The Mess of Adrian Listenger Airdate: Friday, January 30, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Chris Hayward Director: Charles Rondeau Carl's Rating: ****

Six CONTROL agents are killed and the common denominator is that they all played on the CONTROL training school's baseball team. The only surviving members are Max, the Chief, and Adrian Listenger, a spy school failure. The Chief and Max join up with Ace Weems, an insurance investigator who first discovered the baseball team link. When Listenger turns up dead, Max and the Chief suspect each other.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* Max's apartment is again located on a city block.
* The title is a takeoff on the movie, The List of Adrian Messenger.

Characters:
* Larabee
* The late Pat Paulsen is wonderful as Ace Weems.
 

Witness for the Execution Airdate: Friday, February 6, 1970, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Alan Rafkin Carl's Rating: ***

KAOS Agent Dietrich agrees to defect to CONTROL and testify for KAOS. They send Earl Kibbee,  known as The Exterminator (William Schallert), to kill Dietrich. As they do with all defectors, CONTROL hides Dietrich at Max's apartment, where he poses as the Smart's nanny, an elderly Jewish woman.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* It's another change for Max's apartment. There's now an apartment building directly across the street and Max's apartment has an underground parking garage.
* The title is a take-off on Witness for the Prosecution.

Characters:
* 99 has a very limited role in this episode.
* Larabee
* William Schallert gets to appear without his admiral's makeup in this episode.

  Catchphrases:
* "The old bomb in the bon bon box trick."
 

How Green Was My Valet Airdate: Friday, Feb. 13, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Gloria Burton Director: Dick Carson Carl's Rating: **

Dr. Harper dies, leaving the only sample of his rocket fuel behind and KAOS finds it first. Max and 99 have to pose as a valet and maid at the Bulmanian Embassy to recover the stolen fuel. When 99's mother can't babysit, the Chief and Larabee are forced to take care of the twins so the Smarts can go to work at the embassy. Meanwhile, Max must get into the wine cellar to find the fuel, but the only key is around the neck of the ambassador.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* It's a family show as writer Gloria Burton is Don Adams sister and director Dick Carson is Johnny's brother.
* The title is a play on How Green Was My Valley.
* Hiding rocket fuel in a wine cellar was also used in the Hitchcock classic, Notorious.

Characters:
* Larabee
* Jonathan Harris (Lost in Space's Dr. Smith) plays the Ambassador. Harris and Adams also worked together on The Bill Dana Show.

  Catchphrases:
* "Sorry about that."
* "Once again the forces of niceness and goodness have triumphed over the forces of evil and rottenness."
 

And Only Two Ninety-Nine Airdate: Friday, Feb. 20, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Arne Sultan Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: ***

KAOS kidnaps 99 and replaces her with an impostor (What a supply of look-alikes KAOS had!). The real 99 is held prisoner at Melnick's Department Store (Put a Red in Your Bed Melnick), while the fake 99 keeps feeding Max large meals. The real 99 escapes to try and save Max, because there's poison in the food she's feeding Max.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* Melnick Archer is another in-joke aimed at Dan Melnick.
* Because it's not 99 and is an imposter, the Smart's bed is now two twin beds.

Characters:
* Larabee

Smartacus Airdate: Friday, Feb. 27, 1970, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Charles Rondeau Carl's Rating: **1/2

The Roman Bath Spas are being used by KAOS to sweat secrets out of people by using truth serum in the steam. The Chief and Max try out a steam, only to find the truth serum forcing them to exchange how they really feel about each other. Owner Montague Leach fancies himself a Roman emperor and when he captures Max and the Chief, he forces Max to fight gladiator style for his life.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The title is a play on the classic movie, Spartacus.

Characters:
* Larabee
* Ronald Long played Montague Leach in this episode and Leadside in Season 4.

  Catchphrases:
* "The old Professor Peter Peckinpah all purpose anti-personnel Peckinpah pocket pistol under the toupee trick."
* "I hope I wasn't out of line with that crack about a big ugly gorilla."
* "The old bug in the towel trick."
* "Sorry about that," said by the Chief.
 

What's It All About, Algie? Airdate: Friday, April 24, 1970, 7:30 PM Writers: Arne Sultan and Chris Hayward Director: Don Adams Carl's Rating: ***

KAOS Agent Algernon DeGrasse owns a nursery (DeGrasse is Always Greener) that uses its plants to spy on important people in Washington. After a CONTROL agent disappears, Max goes to work in the nursery to crack the case. While he's working undercover as a Japanese gardener, 99 stocks up on plants for their apartment.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The title is a parody of the classic movie and song, Alfie.
* Max reveals that if he is fired, Larabee moves up to agent to replace him.

Characters:
* Larabee
 

Hello Columbus, Goodbye America Airdate: Friday, May 1, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Pat McCormick Director: Alan Rafkin Carl's Rating: *

When an ancient document shows up in Italy, Christopher Columbus's descendant Gino becomes the owner of America. Max is assigned to keep Gino happy and keep KAOS away from Gino so that Gino can return the country to the president. Unfortunately, KAOS kidnaps Gino and Max right away. Fortunately, 99 is backing up Max and they all manage to escape. To allow Gino to get to the White House, Max disguises himself as Gino and allows himself to be kidnapped by KAOS, who again use an unusual torture method on him.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* This episode is another yawner, with plot points so ridiculous that they ruin the entire episode. It was voted the worst episode by fans.
* I'm not Italian but even I find the stereotypes in this episode off-putting.
* The title is a play on Goodbye, Columbus.

Characters:
* Larabee
* Vito Scotti plays Gino Columbus and he made a career of playing Italians in sitcoms in the '60's and '70's.
* Billy Barty returns, but this time he plays KAOS Agent Gemini, or at least the top half of Gemini.
* CONTROL Agent Munchkin is played by Jerry Maren, an original Munchkin from the Wizard of Oz.
 

Do I Hear a Vaults Airdate: Friday, May 8, 1970, 7:30 PM Writer: Chris Hayward Director: Alan Rafkin Carl's Rating: ***1/2

The Chief has written a book, "Who's Who in Control," and KAOS has discovered its hidden location - the public library. Max gets the book out of the library and away from KAOS, but he can't come up with a good plan to safeguard the book. The Chief decides to put the book in a bank vault and Max and Larabee drive it there. Unfortunately, Max locks the Chief and Larabee in the vault, where they will run out of air before the time lock opens the vault. Max and 99 then must find a safecracker to open the vault.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* In perhaps the lowest point in the show's history, an entire scene is reused. The scene where Max and Larabee arrive at the bank and survey the CONTROL agents protecting them was lifted entirely from The Treasure of C. Errol Madre. I don't mean that they just redid the scene, they actually used the same film from the earlier episode, not even cutting it differently. They didn't even bother to ensure that the uniforms matched when Max and Larabee got out of the armored truck. My guess would be that everyone knew that the series was ending and when the script was a little short, they just reused the old film instead of writing and blocking a new scene because it was cheaper and easier and didn't matter much.
* If you don't take into account the reused scene this is one of the best episodes of the final season.
* The title is based on the song, Do I Hear a Waltz?

Characters:
* Larabee
 

I Am Curiously Yellow Airdate: Friday, May 15, 1970, 7:30 PM Writers: Lloyd Turner and Whitey Mitchell Director: Nick Webster Carl's Rating: ***

The Whip has a special gong that places people under his control after they hear it ring. Max gets hypnotized and steals the NARCO 512 for the Whip. Cured of his hypnotism by a pill, Max, Larabee, and the Chief capture the Whip. As the final episode of the series ends, Larabee hits the gong, placing the Chief and CONTROL in his power.

CONTROL Insider's Report:
* The Whip's aide has a great name, Abe Fu Yung.
* There were several continuity errors in this episode. First, Yung's suit is ripped BEFORE the Whip whips him. Secondly, Max and the Chief call it the "NARCO 512" in the first half of the show, but the Whip calls it the "MARCO 512." In the second half, everybody uses "MARCO." Don Adams had a habit of unconsciously changing names and I'm guessing they shot the opening scenes last and when Don changed it to "NARCO" Ed Platt followed along and nobody noticed.
* The episode's title is a takeoff on the movie I Am Curious (Yellow).
* Though not the full-blown final episode of series in the 1980's and beyond, it's nice to see them end the show with Larabee in charge.

Characters:
* Larabee
 

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All of the screen captures on this page were taken from Time-Life/HBO's DVD release and are copyright HBO.

Copyright 1995-2008 Carl Birkmeyer
No portions of this episode guide can be reproduced or used on another web page without my explicit, written permission.

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Copyright 1995-2006 Carl Birkmeyer