On Thursdays, I take a detailed and critical look at a TV show. This year, I will be splitting full seasons into two posts so today I am looking at the first half of Season 4 of Get Smart!
GET SMART: SEASON FOUR
1968-1969
26 episodes
1968-1969
26 episodes
Season Four picks up right where Season Three left out and graded out exactly the same for me. It's another year of very strong episodes for the most part mixed in with some duds here and there. Most notably, the season takes a quick and serious advance in the Max and 99 relationship. While that sort of pairing can doom some shows, it actually seems provide Get Smart with a jolt of energy. The writing and performances are more consistent than they were early on in the show's run and the series continues to make great use of a wide variety of locales. Despite the improved quality in later seasons, the first two seasons were higher rated so this is the final season on NBC. It was cancelled at the end of the season and then picked up by CBS for its fifth season.
Starring
Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (26 episodes)
Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 (26 episodes)
Edward Platt as The Chief (26 episodes)
87. The Impossible Mission (9/21/68)
When Max and 99 are in trouble on a mission, 99 gets Max to agree to marry her if they can escape and then comes up with a plan when he agrees.
Season four of Get Smart kicks off in a major way with an elaborate episode that ends with Max and 99 finally getting together. The show always hinted at a potential romance between the two lead characters and even occasionally dealt with it more directly but it wasn't a constant slow burn the way it might be in more recent times (think Jim and Pam of The Office). So it feels a little bit random that all of the sudden, boom, they're engaged. But that was just the way of doing things back then. The episode is fun and has a lot of good moments even before the sweet ending. It's a strong start to the season.
RATING: 8.5/10
88. Snoopy Smart vs. the Red Baron (9/28/68)
Max and 99 go to Idaho to investigate a KAOS plot to destroy the potato crop and Max meets 99's mother on the way.
Now with Max and 99 engaged, Get Smart needs to start incorporating wedding planning plots into their regular plots and this one has Max meeting 99's mother (a nice guest appearance by Jane Dulo). If you've been reading my Get Smart posts, you are probably not surprised that my interest in this episode wanes somewhat once Siegfried gets involved. If they were going to incorporate him, I would have preferred for it to be more closely related to 99's mother. The scene with the planes is fun and the setting is fun too though so this is still a pretty good episode even with the whole Siegfried thing.
RATING: 7/10
89. Closely Watched Planes (10/5/68)
When government couriers are disappearing mid flight aboard airplanes, Max and 99 go undercover to find out what's going on.
Planes are another sitcom theme that I tend to like for whatever reason, maybe everyone has their favorite sitcom trope settings - mine are golf courses, blackouts, snowbound settings and planes to name a few. Even though the answer to the mystery is a little obvious early on, it's still a little bit of a fun "who done it" story for awhile. We do get a pretty terrible special effect when we see the land below the plane that is very clearly not moving at all nor does it really look like land. There's also a really funny sight gag with the fight occurring and the seat belt sign going on and off. This episode moves along nicely and never gets bogged down.
RATING: 9/10
90. The Secret of Sam Vittorio (10/12/68)
Max and 99 pose as gangsters who are their exact doubles to find out where a mobster has hidden his loot.
This parody of "Bonnie and Clyde" has some really fun elements, a good amount of suspense and a nice twist partway through that keeps the episode moving along. So far in season four, Get Smart has done a great job at avoiding getting too lost in their own jokes because the plots are too thin. The plots have been well developed. The old fashioned mobster setting suits Don Adams well for a lot of jokes and the style of speaking. J. Carroll Naish has a nice guest starring turn in this episode too. Another strong entry.
RATING: 8.5/10
91. Diamonds are a Spy's Best Friend (10/19/68)
Max buys an engagement ring for 99 but stumbles onto a KAOS diamond smuggling ring at the jewelry store.
This episode isn't quite as strong as the stretch that started the fourth season but it still has a couple funny moments. Remember what I said about getting bogged down though? This episode has the perfect example of that as Max and 99 trying to get the ring off of Max's finger goes on entirely too long with entirely too few laughs. The rest of the episode plays better, but it never gets to a point of being particularly funny or suspenseful - at least one of which must be present for a good Get Smart episode. The scene at the bowling alley at the end of the episode plays a little better than the rest of the episode.
RATING: 5.5/10
92. The Worst Best Man (10/26/68)
Every agent that Max asks to be his Best Man ends up getting taken out by KAOS so the Chief tells Max to ask Hymie.
This episode loses points for being a Hymie-centric episode though it is the final Hymie episode. But it also is an example of Get Smart not knowing when to quit. Nearly half the episode is dedicated to an agent getting killed right after Max asks him to be his best man. It was fine when they did it before the credits but then they did it three more times after that. We got the point, we didn't need to see it that many times even with the attempts at different humorous ways for it to happen. Maybe this is my anti-Hymie bias showing but I feel like so many of his episodes are so similar. Yawn.
RATING: 2/10
93. A Tale of Two Tails (11/2/68)
Max is a substitute teacher at the CONTROL Spy School and assigns two agents to tail 99 as a practice mission but she mistakes them for KAOS agents.
This clever episode features a young Fred Willard in one of his first on screen appearances. He already has signs of the great comedian he will become here. The episode is pretty clever with the multiple misdirections it has. I do think it loses a little bit once Max gets involved and they start dealing with the Chinese laundry. But I do appreciate it that they didn't let the tailing bit go too long which, as I mentioned in the previous episode, Get Smart is prone to do. So I'm ok with the pacing of the episode, I just wish the final act was a little better.
RATING: 6.5/10
94. The Return of the Ancient Mariner (11/9/68)
The former Head of CONTROL takes over for Hymie as Max's Best Man and becomes a KAOS target of the evil Chameleon.
This is sort of a continuation of Episode #92 but it's better than that one. It's also the return of Admiral Hargrade, brilliantly played by William Schallert. And there's a strong guest turn by Jack Cassidy. This episode is fun with a lot of misdirection that keeps the audience guessing even if the premise of "The Chameleon" is pretty ridiculous. Usually I think Get Smart is a little more obvious about the direction it's going in so it's nice to have an episode that pulls a bait and switch often. I just wish it had more of a resolution.
RATING: 7.5/10
95. With Love and Twitches (11/16/68)
Max and 99's wedding day arrives but Max gets caught up in a strange case that causes him to almost miss the wedding.
It's finally time for Max and 99's wedding and this episode feels like an "event" episode or at least as close as a 60s sitcom can get to that. The madcap "race to the wedding" is a pretty standard sitcom convention, but it's done well here. The whole episode actually feels pretty frenetic not just because of the plot but also because the show does a lot more quick cuts than it usually does. Maybe because it wanted to pack so much plot in this episode? When it finally settles down, there's several really funny sight gags when the Chief walks 99 down the aisle. The episode ends on a sweet note too (before a funny final scene) as a couple that was always meant to be together is finally married.
RATING: 9/10
96. The Laser Blazer (11/30/68)
Max travels to Hong Kong to pick up a sports jacket but is unaware that it is equipped with a laser function and KAOS is trying to get their hands on it. 99 hires a maid for the apartment.
This episode starts with a very 60s attempt at Asian culture with a scene in Hong Kong. That's always a little cringey to watch many years later. After Max gets back to the states and his new domestic life, the episode picks up to an extent with help from a guest turn by Julie Newmar. But this episode just doesn't ever really get going. Newmar does a great job but is underused in basically her typical "sex kitten" role and we know from her time as Catwoman that she can be much more than that. The sci-fi elements of this episode also didn't age very well.
RATING: 3/10
97. The Farkas Fracas (12/7/68)
Max invites the Chief to dinner and they accept a dessert from a KAOS agent pretending to be a nosy neighbor.
Get Smart is able to mine some comedy out of Max and 99's new domestic setting in this episode. I think this would have made more sense to air as the next episode after the wedding one. From Max and 99's phone conversation to Max surprising her when he comes home, there's a nice blending of spy comedy and domestic comedy. This episode features great guest appearances by Alice Ghostley and Tom Bosley and it's fun to have almost the entire episode take place in Max's apartment. This is a really strong entry that shows the potential of Max and 99 being married, even though the show didn't actually live up to that potential with regularity.
RATING: 9/10
98. Temporarily Out of CONTROL (12/14/68)
Max and 99 are about to leave for their honeymoon when Max and the Chief are suddenly called into the Navy in a ploy by KAOS.
This episode feels more like an earlier episode of Get Smart with Max and another character (either the Chief or 99) on a mission to some interesting locale but with suspect plotting. I think Get Smart gets better with its plotting and storytelling as the series continues. This one is more uneven like more of the early season episodes. There are some good moments between Max and the Chief and there's a lot of action that happens. But it doesn't really have one of the two elements I mentioned before that make a good Get Smart episode: suspense and humor. If it has both (like the previous episode), it's a really strong one. When it has neither (like this one), it's average at best.
RATING: 4.5/10
99. Schwartz's Island (12/21/68)
Max and 99 are their honeymoon in the Caribbean when they are shipwrecked on an island controlled by Siegfried and Shtarker.
Barbara Feldon tells us in the DVD intro that this was shot on the set of Gilligan's Island, but I'm not sure that's completely accurate since that show would have ended over a year earlier unless it was just the standard studio island set? Obviously that is the reference to Gilligan's in the title though. I think this is the episode where Bernie Kopell officially goes too far with the Siegfried character. Even in a funny getup, he just tries to do too much to the point that it's not funny. Despite Siegfried, there are some funny moments especially once the Chief gets involved in the plot and the setting is enjoyable.
RATING: 6/10
Starring
Don Adams as Maxwell Smart (26 episodes)
Barbara Feldon as Agent 99 (26 episodes)
Edward Platt as The Chief (26 episodes)
Robert Karvelas as Larabee (19 episodes)
Bernie Kopell as Siegfried (4 episodes)
King Moody as Shtarker (4 episodes)
Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot (1 episode)
Bernie Kopell as Siegfried (4 episodes)
King Moody as Shtarker (4 episodes)
Dick Gautier as Hymie the Robot (1 episode)
When Max and 99 are in trouble on a mission, 99 gets Max to agree to marry her if they can escape and then comes up with a plan when he agrees.
Season four of Get Smart kicks off in a major way with an elaborate episode that ends with Max and 99 finally getting together. The show always hinted at a potential romance between the two lead characters and even occasionally dealt with it more directly but it wasn't a constant slow burn the way it might be in more recent times (think Jim and Pam of The Office). So it feels a little bit random that all of the sudden, boom, they're engaged. But that was just the way of doing things back then. The episode is fun and has a lot of good moments even before the sweet ending. It's a strong start to the season.
RATING: 8.5/10
88. Snoopy Smart vs. the Red Baron (9/28/68)
Max and 99 go to Idaho to investigate a KAOS plot to destroy the potato crop and Max meets 99's mother on the way.
Now with Max and 99 engaged, Get Smart needs to start incorporating wedding planning plots into their regular plots and this one has Max meeting 99's mother (a nice guest appearance by Jane Dulo). If you've been reading my Get Smart posts, you are probably not surprised that my interest in this episode wanes somewhat once Siegfried gets involved. If they were going to incorporate him, I would have preferred for it to be more closely related to 99's mother. The scene with the planes is fun and the setting is fun too though so this is still a pretty good episode even with the whole Siegfried thing.
RATING: 7/10
89. Closely Watched Planes (10/5/68)
When government couriers are disappearing mid flight aboard airplanes, Max and 99 go undercover to find out what's going on.
Planes are another sitcom theme that I tend to like for whatever reason, maybe everyone has their favorite sitcom trope settings - mine are golf courses, blackouts, snowbound settings and planes to name a few. Even though the answer to the mystery is a little obvious early on, it's still a little bit of a fun "who done it" story for awhile. We do get a pretty terrible special effect when we see the land below the plane that is very clearly not moving at all nor does it really look like land. There's also a really funny sight gag with the fight occurring and the seat belt sign going on and off. This episode moves along nicely and never gets bogged down.
RATING: 9/10
Max and 99 pose as gangsters who are their exact doubles to find out where a mobster has hidden his loot.
This parody of "Bonnie and Clyde" has some really fun elements, a good amount of suspense and a nice twist partway through that keeps the episode moving along. So far in season four, Get Smart has done a great job at avoiding getting too lost in their own jokes because the plots are too thin. The plots have been well developed. The old fashioned mobster setting suits Don Adams well for a lot of jokes and the style of speaking. J. Carroll Naish has a nice guest starring turn in this episode too. Another strong entry.
RATING: 8.5/10
91. Diamonds are a Spy's Best Friend (10/19/68)
Max buys an engagement ring for 99 but stumbles onto a KAOS diamond smuggling ring at the jewelry store.
This episode isn't quite as strong as the stretch that started the fourth season but it still has a couple funny moments. Remember what I said about getting bogged down though? This episode has the perfect example of that as Max and 99 trying to get the ring off of Max's finger goes on entirely too long with entirely too few laughs. The rest of the episode plays better, but it never gets to a point of being particularly funny or suspenseful - at least one of which must be present for a good Get Smart episode. The scene at the bowling alley at the end of the episode plays a little better than the rest of the episode.
RATING: 5.5/10
92. The Worst Best Man (10/26/68)
Every agent that Max asks to be his Best Man ends up getting taken out by KAOS so the Chief tells Max to ask Hymie.
This episode loses points for being a Hymie-centric episode though it is the final Hymie episode. But it also is an example of Get Smart not knowing when to quit. Nearly half the episode is dedicated to an agent getting killed right after Max asks him to be his best man. It was fine when they did it before the credits but then they did it three more times after that. We got the point, we didn't need to see it that many times even with the attempts at different humorous ways for it to happen. Maybe this is my anti-Hymie bias showing but I feel like so many of his episodes are so similar. Yawn.
RATING: 2/10
93. A Tale of Two Tails (11/2/68)
Max is a substitute teacher at the CONTROL Spy School and assigns two agents to tail 99 as a practice mission but she mistakes them for KAOS agents.
This clever episode features a young Fred Willard in one of his first on screen appearances. He already has signs of the great comedian he will become here. The episode is pretty clever with the multiple misdirections it has. I do think it loses a little bit once Max gets involved and they start dealing with the Chinese laundry. But I do appreciate it that they didn't let the tailing bit go too long which, as I mentioned in the previous episode, Get Smart is prone to do. So I'm ok with the pacing of the episode, I just wish the final act was a little better.
RATING: 6.5/10
The former Head of CONTROL takes over for Hymie as Max's Best Man and becomes a KAOS target of the evil Chameleon.
This is sort of a continuation of Episode #92 but it's better than that one. It's also the return of Admiral Hargrade, brilliantly played by William Schallert. And there's a strong guest turn by Jack Cassidy. This episode is fun with a lot of misdirection that keeps the audience guessing even if the premise of "The Chameleon" is pretty ridiculous. Usually I think Get Smart is a little more obvious about the direction it's going in so it's nice to have an episode that pulls a bait and switch often. I just wish it had more of a resolution.
RATING: 7.5/10
95. With Love and Twitches (11/16/68)
Max and 99's wedding day arrives but Max gets caught up in a strange case that causes him to almost miss the wedding.
It's finally time for Max and 99's wedding and this episode feels like an "event" episode or at least as close as a 60s sitcom can get to that. The madcap "race to the wedding" is a pretty standard sitcom convention, but it's done well here. The whole episode actually feels pretty frenetic not just because of the plot but also because the show does a lot more quick cuts than it usually does. Maybe because it wanted to pack so much plot in this episode? When it finally settles down, there's several really funny sight gags when the Chief walks 99 down the aisle. The episode ends on a sweet note too (before a funny final scene) as a couple that was always meant to be together is finally married.
RATING: 9/10
96. The Laser Blazer (11/30/68)
Max travels to Hong Kong to pick up a sports jacket but is unaware that it is equipped with a laser function and KAOS is trying to get their hands on it. 99 hires a maid for the apartment.
This episode starts with a very 60s attempt at Asian culture with a scene in Hong Kong. That's always a little cringey to watch many years later. After Max gets back to the states and his new domestic life, the episode picks up to an extent with help from a guest turn by Julie Newmar. But this episode just doesn't ever really get going. Newmar does a great job but is underused in basically her typical "sex kitten" role and we know from her time as Catwoman that she can be much more than that. The sci-fi elements of this episode also didn't age very well.
RATING: 3/10
Max invites the Chief to dinner and they accept a dessert from a KAOS agent pretending to be a nosy neighbor.
Get Smart is able to mine some comedy out of Max and 99's new domestic setting in this episode. I think this would have made more sense to air as the next episode after the wedding one. From Max and 99's phone conversation to Max surprising her when he comes home, there's a nice blending of spy comedy and domestic comedy. This episode features great guest appearances by Alice Ghostley and Tom Bosley and it's fun to have almost the entire episode take place in Max's apartment. This is a really strong entry that shows the potential of Max and 99 being married, even though the show didn't actually live up to that potential with regularity.
RATING: 9/10
98. Temporarily Out of CONTROL (12/14/68)
Max and 99 are about to leave for their honeymoon when Max and the Chief are suddenly called into the Navy in a ploy by KAOS.
This episode feels more like an earlier episode of Get Smart with Max and another character (either the Chief or 99) on a mission to some interesting locale but with suspect plotting. I think Get Smart gets better with its plotting and storytelling as the series continues. This one is more uneven like more of the early season episodes. There are some good moments between Max and the Chief and there's a lot of action that happens. But it doesn't really have one of the two elements I mentioned before that make a good Get Smart episode: suspense and humor. If it has both (like the previous episode), it's a really strong one. When it has neither (like this one), it's average at best.
RATING: 4.5/10
99. Schwartz's Island (12/21/68)
Max and 99 are their honeymoon in the Caribbean when they are shipwrecked on an island controlled by Siegfried and Shtarker.
Barbara Feldon tells us in the DVD intro that this was shot on the set of Gilligan's Island, but I'm not sure that's completely accurate since that show would have ended over a year earlier unless it was just the standard studio island set? Obviously that is the reference to Gilligan's in the title though. I think this is the episode where Bernie Kopell officially goes too far with the Siegfried character. Even in a funny getup, he just tries to do too much to the point that it's not funny. Despite Siegfried, there are some funny moments especially once the Chief gets involved in the plot and the setting is enjoyable.
RATING: 6/10
Tomorrow: The Friday Five - Top 5 TV news stories of the week!
Next Thursday: A look at Part 2 of Season 4 of Get Smart!
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