"Quincy M.E." Across the Line (1982)

User Rating:

(awaiting 5 votes)

Director:

Georg Fenady

Writers:

Fred McKnight (writer)
Glen A. Larson (creator) ...

TV Series:

"Quincy M.E." (1976)

Original Air Date:

8 December 1982 (Season 8, Episode 9)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery | Crime

Plot:

Plot Keywords:

Coroner | Murder | Cult Favorite | Courtroom | Amateur Detective

Cast

Jack Klugman	...	Dr. R. Quincy, M.E.
Garry Walberg	...	Lt. Frank Monahan
John S. Ragin	...	Dr. Robert Asten
Val Bisoglio	...	Danny Tovo
Robert Ito	...	Sam Fujiyama
Joseph Roman	...	Sgt. Brill
Jack Kehoe	...	Police Sgt. Brian Taggart
Lonny Chapman	...	Mr. Tourneau
Spencer Milligan	...	Police Captain R. Biddles - Internal Affairs
Frank Campanella	...	Police Hearing Board Chairman
Maria O'Brien	...	Jean Taggart
James A. Watson Jr.	...	Deputy DA Jim Barnes
Ron Pinkard	...	Police Detective Jackson
Jim Malinda	...	Sergeant Meadows
Joe Carafello	...	Policeman (as Joseph Carafello)

A good crime solving Quincy episode.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Quincy M.E.: Across the Line starts outside the L.A. branch of the Frasier Pacific Bank where Lt. Monahan (Garry Walberg) is on a stakeout after an anonymous tip that an armed robbery was going to take place, sure enough two men rob the bank at gunpoint. A gunfight between the cops & robbers takes place where one robber is shot dead while the other hijacks a car, he forces the female driver a Sally Tourneau to put her foot down & get him as far away from the bank as possible but another cop called Brian Taggart (Jack Kehoe) shoots at the speeding car & kills Sally. It seems like a clear case of excessive force & a bad shooting so Taggart is suspended & more than likely to be kicked off the force, Taggart asks Quincy (Jack Klugman) to defend him in a tribunal even though he knows Quincy thinks he's guilty. Reluctantly Quincy agrees but all the evidence points to Taggart having needlessly killed an innocent woman...

Episode 9 from season 8 this Quincy story was directed by Georg Fenady & I think it's a really well balanced one which hasn't always been the case during season 8 so far. I must say that I thought the season started off really badly & hated the first few episodes but things have definitely picked up & this is a good solid mystery with a social message about trigger happy cops which the producers were obviously so keen on including. I must admit I really liked the idea that Quincy has to prove Taggart innocent even though everyone including Quincy himself thinks he's guilty of killing an innocent woman although as a plot I'm not sure how much sense it makes, I mean would you let someone represent you in what is basically a murder trial who has publicly admitted they thought you were guilty? No, I wouldn't either but it's an interesting notion that makes for a good Quincy episode where he has to use his medical knowledge & knowhow to get to the truth which is actually a surprise for once. At less than an hour in length it moves along at a nice pace, it never bores & Klugman is just so watchable as usual.

This one starts with a shoot out between the cops & robbers, some of the 'ordinary' cops are actually armed with machine guns! Don't you think the LAPD would have a special firearms unit that carried machine guns rather than give them to your average cop? Also wouldn't there be more cops besides two in a van & three hidden behind some beams of wood? It's nice to see all the regular cast, Asten, Monahan, Brill, Danny & Sam all have reasonable sized parts in Across the Line as so far season 8 hasn't been kind to them. The guest cast do a pretty good job here as do the more familiar faces.

Across the Line is a good solid & throughly enjoyable Quincy episode, season 8 is definitely getting better as it goes, I liked this one & thought the story was unusual & interesting while still remaining entertaining & Quincy-like.