February 14, 1975
Written by: Arthur Rowe
Directed by: Don McDougall
Guest Stars: Erik Estrada, Ramon Bieri, Mickey Gilbert, Pippa Scott, Victor Campos
This episode has a wild, sophisticated plot with intricate details about Aztec myths. It has time cycles (like the Ripper), human sacrifices, and even a mummy! It sounds neat. It isn't. In the end, it is just plain silly. There are certain scenes that are brilliant, while others are just ludicrous and unrealistic. I don't think it's deserving of a failing grade, but I can't imagine it making anyone's top ten list.
Grade: D
18. The Knightly Murders
March 7, 1975
Written by: Michael Kozoll & David Chase
Directed by: Vincent McEveety
Guest Stars: John Dehner, Hans Conried, Robert Emhardt, Shug Fisher
A good episode. It's hard to screw up a Knight with poor effects. The knight may not seem so scary as he slowly lumbers toward his prey (shouldn't they just run?) but he is played straight which is all we can ask. The dialogue in this one is just great - David Chase is clearly evident here. The discussion between the police captain and Kolchak near the beginning is just a classic! Way over the top but great fun. The plot is a bit silly - a 12th century knight is angered over a plan to convert a medieval museum into a disco - you see, this knight was a puritan and despises human pleasure! Well, in spite of all that, the show works. It is a series of great scenes patched together into a story that works well enough as a whole to hold up.
Grade: C+
19. The Youth Killer
March 14, 1975
This is one of the worst. Here we find Helen of Troy running a computer dating service in 20th century Chicago. She was promised eternal youth as long as she continued to offer young, beautiful people as sacrifices to the goddess Hecate. Sounds stupid and it is. Cathy Lee Crosby plays Helen in her typical wooden fashion. The episode starts promising, with young people aging rapidly before our eyes and dying. The first third of the show indicates great promise and keeps us interested. Unfortunately, from there it goes down hill quickly and ends with a scene very reminiscent of The Devil's Platform. That episode was pretty bad. This one is very bad.
Grade: F
20. The Sentry
March 28, 1975
Written by: L. Forde Neale & John Huff
Directed by: Seymour Robbie
Guest Stars: Kathie Browne (McGavin's wife), Tom Bosley, Frank Campanella, Craig Baxley
The final episode of the series and not a good way to end it. The episode starts strong, with Kolchak fleeing through the dimly-lit corridors of an underground corporation, fleeing from....something. From there the story flashes back to the beginning, where we find Kolchak investigating the deaths of workers at Merrymount Archive, Inc. As it unravels, we discover (along with Kolchak) that the deaths are the result of a giant prehistoric reptile looking to regain eggs stolen by seismologists excavating in the corporation's chambers 10,000 feet below ground. Kolchak encounters the reptile several times. The biggest mistake was allowing *us* to see this creature! It takes the prize for the most unrealistic creature to ever appear on the show. If they'd have kept the creature in the dark, this might have made the top ten. The story has its strengths, but it cannot overcome the downright cheesiness of its monster. A sad way to end the program's run. It's obvious the show was running on fumes as season one ended. This doesn't mean the show couldn't have rebounded and became even better in a second season. Ultimately, though, there were too many factors working against it. Not the least of which was an unhappy star.
The final episode grade: F
