Barnaby Jones (TV Series) The Marathon Murders (1977) User Reviews

Entertaining episode

[kellielulu · 9/10 · 14 June 2023]

Not an unusal plot by any means but well done. Lynne Marta plays a woman so unbalanced it's hard to know how she got this far without more trouble for her or others. Her mother though seems oblvious and just thinks there is no reason to get professional help for the mind. Barnaby plays it cool though as usual and learns by letting people reveal thmeselves .

Lorriane (Marta) is in a group encouter therapy weekend but leaves for a while she uses a supposed condition to gain sympathy but in this case also as an albi so she can murder the wife of the man she thinks loves her. He's also in the group. Another woman Sally played by Lynette Metty is also interested in the husband but with none of the tricks or games or interference in his failing marriage.

Robert Hogan plays the man central the plot and he catches on to Lorraine but she scares him into not telling the police. Lorriane also murders the group encoutner therapist before he can tell Barnaby about Lorriane. Barnaby though stays on the trial. Hogan's character realizes it's Sally he wants and that of course endangers her but all works out before Sally is really harmed .Betty and JR do their share in this one but it's mostly Barnaby in this one. Nice ending that is a bit lighter and some relaxation for all.

What's with the two foot five babysitter?

[imdb-25288 · 7/10 · 28 May 2021]

I really don't like this Mark Shera character at all. I already didn't like him back when they aired reruns of SWAT. WHY exactly does Barnaby need a caretaker? It looks ridiculous. Is he nurse? "Time to take your medicine"? I don't get it.

And boy! Was Lynne Marta typecast or what?! She plays the same nasty, evil woman throughout every old TV show I tune in. "Evil, spiteful, jealous woman commits murder, looks at everyone with her evil, justified eyes." At least, she looked a bit younger (and NICER) in her first few scenes, to the point I didn't recognize her at first.

Otherwise, it's an O. K episode with a blonde who looks like a 70's C. C. Babcock (from The Nanny). Jones has been wearing the same suit jacket, shirt and tie in the past 3 episodes, at least. They just gave him a blue one but the problem is it's patterned with skinny stripes so that his lapels are causing a weird pink and blue flashing rainbow on-camera, hurting my eyes.

We have avocado curtains. All 70's TV shows had avocado curtains, or wall paint or carpet and even avocado fridges, kitchen counters and vases. A midly boring show, but then again, most 70s TV shows ere like that. It's a step above Cannon, this one is better filmed than Mannix. Watch it if you woke up at 4:00 AM like I did.

There's Lynne Marta and her Marilyn mole doing Lynne Marta things again, 5 min from the end. Very predictable but she did her thing and earned a paycheck. Pity she never had her own series. Somme of these recurring guest stars, you have to wonder after a while, why they never got their own show. Always a guest, never a star! She even guest starred in David Soul's life, never married her, though: he was already married to Carolyn Carlson. Makes you wonder if she pulled a Lynne Marta on him, too? (Or her.) The end.

YOU'RE MINE... ALL MINE!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 17 February 2024]

Quinn Martin cast of regulars in a very tense murder caper, with some dark humor implied as the lead character is as bad as they come.

As I have written earlier, Lynne Marta was at her best playing genuinely crafty ladies, and here she's one of the worst yet. She plays Lorraine, a woman with some obvious psychological problems and member of an out patient therapy group. Quite cleverly, she manages to sneak away from the retreat to kill the wife of a man she is in love with, who doesn't have a good marriage in the first place.

The wry catch is that although she's got her fair share of mental problems, she's smart enough to corner the guy (played by Robert Hogan) and make it clear should he call the police --she'll implicate him in the murder.

True, it's not the first time something like this would be concocted, but it's done quite well, special thanks to writer Worley Thorne (also known for FANTASY ISLAND). Robert Hogan, who regulary appeared in cop shows and tv movies, usually playing the good guy, is well cast as Ken, the hopeless man in the middle. Pretty Lynette Metty, famous for playing nurses on MASH, also guest stars, yet ANOTHER woman who happens to like Ken. Is she next?

Perhaps best described as a soap opera crime drama, and waiting for homicidal Lorraine to eventually get her due. A-plus direction from series director Walter Grauman who makes Lynne Marta the queen of mean. Lynne was also a singer, associated with David Soul, who passed in early 2024.

For all us spot the location fans, partly filmed at beautiful Marina del Rey, not too far from Venice Beach, CA. Expensive, but a nice place to spend the day.

SEASON 5 EPISODE 16 remastered color CBS/Paramount dvd box set.

I know I might be jumping to conclusions, but I kinda think Lorraine has some issues.

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 28 July 2021]

It's a shame that there are a few minor plot problems with "The Marathon Murders" as its "Play Misty for Me" sort of plot is pretty exciting. Still, it is pretty interesting and neat to see Barnaby acting like an action hero at the end!

The story begins at a weekend marathon encounter group. Apparently, this therapy group runs the entire weekend, but unexpectedly Lorraine leaves...feigning illness. However, what she really is going to do is kill a group member's wife. After all, she's fallen in love with him and he did say he hates the wife!

After killing the wife, Lorraine essentially tells Ken that she killed his wife....and Ken is apparently too scared of her to tell the cops! And, she threatens to accuse him of the murder if he does. Soon after, she meets with the leader of the therapy group...and he deduces that she might just have murdered Ken's wife. But before he can go to the police, Lorraine kills him as well! Next, she notices that another woman is interested in Ken...and perhaps she'll have to kill her next!

The plot problems are that Ken clearly SHOULD have called the police and why he didn't isn't really clear...and it's a definite plot hole. The same with the therapist...he really should have played this better considering he believes the woman is a murderer!

On the positive side is the exciting ending. When Barnaby hears screams, be runs through the locked door and confronts the knife-wielding woman! He's so cool!