Easily the worst first season episode. Not a single thing the killer pulls off makes a lick of sense. Frank Gorshin is so over the top as a crazed impressionist/comedian working for the cruise line that the Angels reaction shots to his epic scenery chewing resemble frustrated eye rolls that the scene kept dragging on interminably. Yeah, this one was awful.
Beyond the horrible script and hammy acting, the episode has a drab look, with the cruise ship's interior coming off as a cargo vessel rather than a luxury cruise ship. Definitely no Love Boat vibes here.
Gorshin's villain is able to accomplish feats that defy belief, like blowing the Angels cover before they even get on board, to say nothing of his ability to run around the ship (unnoticed) killing passengers in fantastical fashion. Gorshin, from an acting standpoint, is given far too much room to prattle on. One scene, shot mostly in closeup, seems to stretch for fifteen minutes. It's the first time all season that I wanted to fast forward an episode.
The finale involves each of the Angels diffusing a bomb while receiving instructions over the phone from a bomb expert. The show closes with the Angels lying on deck chairs while they tell Charlie they plan on enjoying the rest of the cruise. In keeping with the episode's poor writing/directing, the scene appears shot on a soundstage and lacks the atmosphere to convince anyone that they'd want to stay on that ship for a second longer.
Beyond the horrible script and hammy acting, the episode has a drab look, with the cruise ship's interior coming off as a cargo vessel rather than a luxury cruise ship. Definitely no Love Boat vibes here.
Gorshin's villain is able to accomplish feats that defy belief, like blowing the Angels cover before they even get on board, to say nothing of his ability to run around the ship (unnoticed) killing passengers in fantastical fashion. Gorshin, from an acting standpoint, is given far too much room to prattle on. One scene, shot mostly in closeup, seems to stretch for fifteen minutes. It's the first time all season that I wanted to fast forward an episode.
The finale involves each of the Angels diffusing a bomb while receiving instructions over the phone from a bomb expert. The show closes with the Angels lying on deck chairs while they tell Charlie they plan on enjoying the rest of the cruise. In keeping with the episode's poor writing/directing, the scene appears shot on a soundstage and lacks the atmosphere to convince anyone that they'd want to stay on that ship for a second longer.