The Angels investigate after two shootings in a local massage parlor (the Paradise!) reveal the establishment to be a front for prostitution; the anonymous heavy running the show is a dirty cop on the take, with two cadets from the police academy acting as his stooges. Sabrina goes undercover as an adviser in the Vice Division while Jill and Bosley take over management at the Paradise (thus affording Farrah Fawcett-Majors the opportunity to wear some skin-hugging outfits, which she amply models). Kelly goes back to the academy to ferret out the un-dedicated cadets, and apparently attracts the precise duo on her very first day (these Angels move quickly!). Somewhat of a silly shakedown, and not one of the better episodes from the series' first season, however it was the last one La Fawcett filmed before bidding goodbye to the show (she would later return in guest spots under court order); her chemistry with David Doyle's Bosley is very easy and likable, and the camera does love her curves. Kate Jackson's Sabrina appears to get a mild crush on their chief suspect (Ed Lauter, doing his usual slimeball routine), though she gets left out of the big showdown in an auto wrecking yard (in which Jaclyn Smith's Kelly quite casually saves Jill from being shot). This is the essence of '70s era "jiggle TV," but the action moves swiftly, the supporting cast is solid and the L.A.-area locations are well-captured.
6 Reviews
Thin Blue Angels
adamcshelby25 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The final episode of the 76-77 season sees the Angels going after corrupt cops who've been shaking down massage parlors that serve as fronts for prostitution.
Sabrina goes 'undercover' as a cop from Phoenix brought in to investigate which cop or cops in the dept are the corrupt ones. The only real problem with this is that she USES HER REAL NAME. Which is bat guano crazy. It leads to a scene in which her ex husband, a cop himself, blows her cover with the very same corrupt cop shaking down the parlors. It's completely ridiculous and nothing less than lazy writing. However, I do like the fact that there was some continuity with Sabrina's ex returning for a brief scene.
Jill goes undercover as a massage parlor worker, because why not? Kelly goes undercover as a police academy recruit who is there to smoke out two recruits who are involved with the corruption. Joanna Kerns (Growing Pains), makes an appearance as a hospitalized massage parlor worker who can finger the corrupt detective. Sabrina almost catches the detective in the hospital room trying to kill the Kerns character, but saves her by merely showing up. They don't get much info out of her anyway.
The whole show is building toward the finale staged at a junkyard, where Kelly and Jill use their acrobatic abilities to disarm the two academy recruits (Jill throwing a hubcap at one of them). The detective brings Sabrina to the junkyard where Kelly and Jill lay in wait. Once the detective knows he's been had, he shoots himself in the stomach. We never find out if he survived or not and the Angels don't seem to care either.
This is Farrah's final appearance as a regular and it's a shame she left.
Cheryl Ladd had big shoes to fill (as well as her t-shirts).
Sabrina goes 'undercover' as a cop from Phoenix brought in to investigate which cop or cops in the dept are the corrupt ones. The only real problem with this is that she USES HER REAL NAME. Which is bat guano crazy. It leads to a scene in which her ex husband, a cop himself, blows her cover with the very same corrupt cop shaking down the parlors. It's completely ridiculous and nothing less than lazy writing. However, I do like the fact that there was some continuity with Sabrina's ex returning for a brief scene.
Jill goes undercover as a massage parlor worker, because why not? Kelly goes undercover as a police academy recruit who is there to smoke out two recruits who are involved with the corruption. Joanna Kerns (Growing Pains), makes an appearance as a hospitalized massage parlor worker who can finger the corrupt detective. Sabrina almost catches the detective in the hospital room trying to kill the Kerns character, but saves her by merely showing up. They don't get much info out of her anyway.
The whole show is building toward the finale staged at a junkyard, where Kelly and Jill use their acrobatic abilities to disarm the two academy recruits (Jill throwing a hubcap at one of them). The detective brings Sabrina to the junkyard where Kelly and Jill lay in wait. Once the detective knows he's been had, he shoots himself in the stomach. We never find out if he survived or not and the Angels don't seem to care either.
This is Farrah's final appearance as a regular and it's a shame she left.
Cheryl Ladd had big shoes to fill (as well as her t-shirts).
Swan Song for the Original Angels
hypestyle31 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This episode is a kind of swan song for the original charlies angels trio of Jill, Sabrina, and Kelly. They would technically be reunited in two season 3 episodes after show producers' lawsuit against Farrah Fawcett was settled out of court, but for those episodes, Cheryl Ladd would also be playing Kris.
In this episode, a Los Angeles massage parlor is the scene of a crime-- two men end up being shot and killed, apparently by a police lieutenant who oversees LAPD's vice squad. The "Bad Lieutenant" was heading up a protection racket for the massage parlor. There was a dispute during the last "negotiation" and the Lieutenant killed the men.
The Chief of police himself contacts Charlie to solve the case since he thinks there may be some corruption in the mix.
Sabrina goes undercover as a Phoenix detective on assignment to Los Angeles to look into the incident. Kelly goes undercover as a former drop out police cadet to find two in-training cops who may be involved. Jill poses as a masseuse, with Bosley as the new manager of the business.
The mystery unfolds with some occasionally interesting action, but much of it comes after the women's covers are blown, inadvertently, when Sabrina's police detective ex-husband accidentally runs into the corrupt Vice Lieutenant.
Jackson gets to dress in a "lady of the night outfit" -- to her character's chagrin, at one point. (This is a relatively rare outing for Sabrina to wear a 'sexy' ouffit during her tenure on the show). Fawcett seems to work sans bra in several outfits, to the presumed delight of the male viewing audience.
The climax is at an auto junkyard, and is handled with aplomb by the Angels.
In this episode, a Los Angeles massage parlor is the scene of a crime-- two men end up being shot and killed, apparently by a police lieutenant who oversees LAPD's vice squad. The "Bad Lieutenant" was heading up a protection racket for the massage parlor. There was a dispute during the last "negotiation" and the Lieutenant killed the men.
The Chief of police himself contacts Charlie to solve the case since he thinks there may be some corruption in the mix.
Sabrina goes undercover as a Phoenix detective on assignment to Los Angeles to look into the incident. Kelly goes undercover as a former drop out police cadet to find two in-training cops who may be involved. Jill poses as a masseuse, with Bosley as the new manager of the business.
The mystery unfolds with some occasionally interesting action, but much of it comes after the women's covers are blown, inadvertently, when Sabrina's police detective ex-husband accidentally runs into the corrupt Vice Lieutenant.
Jackson gets to dress in a "lady of the night outfit" -- to her character's chagrin, at one point. (This is a relatively rare outing for Sabrina to wear a 'sexy' ouffit during her tenure on the show). Fawcett seems to work sans bra in several outfits, to the presumed delight of the male viewing audience.
The climax is at an auto junkyard, and is handled with aplomb by the Angels.
Starbuck! Faceman!
robrosenberger13 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Starbuck! Faceman! Dirk Benedict!! The producers didn't know Farrah would be leaving, so there's no "exit" plot line. How she catapulted into the pop stratosphere couldn't be more of a non-mystery. She made Jaclyn, one of the most beautiful women in TV history, look like a wet rag. She gave America something we'd never seen. Holy-almighty-above, say it with reverence...nipples. It was mostly simple physiology. The caprices of evolution gave this young woman from Texas two nipples so pokey they resembled beautiful, over-sized erasers. It's possible that she had them iced before her scenes, but it's also possible there was no need. Nearly every episode, they came bursting out of one of her costumes. Week in, week out, she somehow scored the lion's share of the action sequences too. In this one, she takes down a bad guy from eight feet away with an aluminum pie tin. Chew on that, Wonder Woman! Bend over and pucker, Zena! On top of it all, she had this sweet, accessible, open quality (those nipples might have been obvious and trashy on anyone else). In her final scene, she's down on the floor with Bosley, demonstrating some of the massage moves she'd learned undercover. Sigh. America never had a chance.
Blue-fringed Pantsuit
neilclack29 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
You have to pity Kate Jackson in this one. She has to wear the 'Blue Fringed Pant-Suit', just about the worst costume in the history of Charlie's Angels. Actually make that possibly the worst ever costume in the history of television per se!
It starts out all well and good for Jackson's character, Sabrina Duncan, as she is tasked with going undercover in a police department's vice division where there's suspected corruption going on, and, on her first day at the office, she looks radiant in a classy long navy skirt with matching waistcoat and jacket, and a large-collared white blouse, which was the fashion of the day. But her new boss, Leautenant Howard Fine (played by Ed Lauter) wants her to go undercover as a prostitute at a new massage parlour that's opened up. "I'll need to wear something that's a little more conspicuous", says Sabrina.
"Well there's a terrific number in the wardrobe. Blue fringed pantsuit. You'll love it", says the Lieutenant.
As if wearing this hideous torquoise mid-70s flared-trousered one-piece with tassels around the chest wasn't enough, a car tries to run Sabrina down and kill her in a back alleyway while she's on her way to the massage parlour, but she survives by climbing up some railings, which must have been quite a difficult manoeuvre in those ludicrously wide flares.
Sabrina maintains her sense of humour though. Back in the office, still in the 'Blue-fringed pantsuit', the three Angels and Bosley are discussing who it could be that tried to kill her. "Maybe it was a couple of angry fashion designers", quips Sabrina.
The two young men who did carry out the deed are actually trainees at the police academy, in cahoots with Leautenant Fine. Here the characterisation doesn't quite work as handsome Dick Benedict playing John Barton has far too an angelic face - he could be David Cassidy in the Partridge family. Also I'm not sure the police academy would allow its recruits to have shoulder-length hair as long as Benedict's (nor the heeled shoes that Kelly wears when she joins the academy undercover).
And to make matters worse for Sabrina, her ex-husband suddenly turns up at the police department, and, foolishly, without thinking, blows her cover. Surely, as he knows she is a private detective, and seeing her name plate on a desk, he would've had the intelligence to realise she must be there undercover. But instead Bill Duncan blurts out to Lieutenant Fine that Sabrina's a private detective, working for the Townsend Agency, and adds that her colleagues are called Kelly and Jill for good measure. He's not even good looking, so no wonder Sabrina had divorced him!
By the way Ed Lauter is excellent as Lieutenant Howard Fine, giving a very convincing portrayal of a corrupt police officer. Actually you would've thought it would've been pretty obvious for the Angels to work out it must have been him collecting the extortion money from the start.
Jill, Farah Fawcett's character, also has to go to work in a massage parlour, but comes out much better in the fashion stakes, as she's given a stylishly-cut red/orange dress to wear, and then a kind of Country & Western cowgirl low cut top with tassels, which she naturally wears without her bra (see one of the previous reviews on here (by robrosenberger) - can't really add to that!)
There's a rather surreal comedy scene in which a character with a Russian accent called Brechnik goes on about bodies being wrapped in leaves (the president of the Soviet Union at the time, at the height of the cold war, was Brezhnev).
This was the 23rd and last episode of the iconic first Charlie's Angels series, which at the time was causing a sensation, topping the TV ratings, and really this episode is a microcosm of the series as a whole, especially as they're dealing with prostitution, a common theme that features in a number of Charlie's Angels episodes, both before and after this one.
There's humour, plenty of costume changes, with all three Angels looking stunningly beautiful, suspense, danger, an angel in jeopardy at some point, and action at the end (this time at a large car wrecking yard, where the villains are knocked out with a car tyre and a wheel hub) before the debrief back in the Townsend agency office at the end, in which Charlie, on the speaker phone, makes a remark with a sexual innuendo.
When this episode first aired in May 1977 noone knew Farah Fawcett was leaving the programme, except perhaps Farah herself, although, whenever it was that she made her decision, I'm sure she probably didn't realise just quite how perfect Charlie Angels was for her, and that she would never find a better role that so suited her look, personality, and quirky but limited acting skills, not to mention the obvious chemistry and camaraderie she shared with her colleagues Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and David Doyle.
It starts out all well and good for Jackson's character, Sabrina Duncan, as she is tasked with going undercover in a police department's vice division where there's suspected corruption going on, and, on her first day at the office, she looks radiant in a classy long navy skirt with matching waistcoat and jacket, and a large-collared white blouse, which was the fashion of the day. But her new boss, Leautenant Howard Fine (played by Ed Lauter) wants her to go undercover as a prostitute at a new massage parlour that's opened up. "I'll need to wear something that's a little more conspicuous", says Sabrina.
"Well there's a terrific number in the wardrobe. Blue fringed pantsuit. You'll love it", says the Lieutenant.
As if wearing this hideous torquoise mid-70s flared-trousered one-piece with tassels around the chest wasn't enough, a car tries to run Sabrina down and kill her in a back alleyway while she's on her way to the massage parlour, but she survives by climbing up some railings, which must have been quite a difficult manoeuvre in those ludicrously wide flares.
Sabrina maintains her sense of humour though. Back in the office, still in the 'Blue-fringed pantsuit', the three Angels and Bosley are discussing who it could be that tried to kill her. "Maybe it was a couple of angry fashion designers", quips Sabrina.
The two young men who did carry out the deed are actually trainees at the police academy, in cahoots with Leautenant Fine. Here the characterisation doesn't quite work as handsome Dick Benedict playing John Barton has far too an angelic face - he could be David Cassidy in the Partridge family. Also I'm not sure the police academy would allow its recruits to have shoulder-length hair as long as Benedict's (nor the heeled shoes that Kelly wears when she joins the academy undercover).
And to make matters worse for Sabrina, her ex-husband suddenly turns up at the police department, and, foolishly, without thinking, blows her cover. Surely, as he knows she is a private detective, and seeing her name plate on a desk, he would've had the intelligence to realise she must be there undercover. But instead Bill Duncan blurts out to Lieutenant Fine that Sabrina's a private detective, working for the Townsend Agency, and adds that her colleagues are called Kelly and Jill for good measure. He's not even good looking, so no wonder Sabrina had divorced him!
By the way Ed Lauter is excellent as Lieutenant Howard Fine, giving a very convincing portrayal of a corrupt police officer. Actually you would've thought it would've been pretty obvious for the Angels to work out it must have been him collecting the extortion money from the start.
Jill, Farah Fawcett's character, also has to go to work in a massage parlour, but comes out much better in the fashion stakes, as she's given a stylishly-cut red/orange dress to wear, and then a kind of Country & Western cowgirl low cut top with tassels, which she naturally wears without her bra (see one of the previous reviews on here (by robrosenberger) - can't really add to that!)
There's a rather surreal comedy scene in which a character with a Russian accent called Brechnik goes on about bodies being wrapped in leaves (the president of the Soviet Union at the time, at the height of the cold war, was Brezhnev).
This was the 23rd and last episode of the iconic first Charlie's Angels series, which at the time was causing a sensation, topping the TV ratings, and really this episode is a microcosm of the series as a whole, especially as they're dealing with prostitution, a common theme that features in a number of Charlie's Angels episodes, both before and after this one.
There's humour, plenty of costume changes, with all three Angels looking stunningly beautiful, suspense, danger, an angel in jeopardy at some point, and action at the end (this time at a large car wrecking yard, where the villains are knocked out with a car tyre and a wheel hub) before the debrief back in the Townsend agency office at the end, in which Charlie, on the speaker phone, makes a remark with a sexual innuendo.
When this episode first aired in May 1977 noone knew Farah Fawcett was leaving the programme, except perhaps Farah herself, although, whenever it was that she made her decision, I'm sure she probably didn't realise just quite how perfect Charlie Angels was for her, and that she would never find a better role that so suited her look, personality, and quirky but limited acting skills, not to mention the obvious chemistry and camaraderie she shared with her colleagues Kate Jackson, Jaclyn Smith, and David Doyle.
Major holes were required to support the plot
whitecaps28 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
There are major logic holes in this episode:
1.When Sabrina gets chased down by the car they all realize that somebody on the inside of the police must have known she would be there. But, when asked who would have known, she said "The Lieutenant (she said his name) or anybody else in the department." That's absurd, she was working under The Lieutenant (who was the guilty person) so there was no reason anybody else in the department would have known. Of course, had she said "Only the Lieutenant" the rest of the episode would have been shot.
2.For no practical reason at all, for the first time Sabrina Duncan goes under cover using her real name. The reason she had to use her real name is this way The bad lieutenant finds out that her cover story is a cover story.
In that regard, the episode might have been more fun had she gone under the name Kate Jackson and the Lieutenant found out she was a TV actress and he wasn't really a Lieutenant!!!!!!
1.When Sabrina gets chased down by the car they all realize that somebody on the inside of the police must have known she would be there. But, when asked who would have known, she said "The Lieutenant (she said his name) or anybody else in the department." That's absurd, she was working under The Lieutenant (who was the guilty person) so there was no reason anybody else in the department would have known. Of course, had she said "Only the Lieutenant" the rest of the episode would have been shot.
2.For no practical reason at all, for the first time Sabrina Duncan goes under cover using her real name. The reason she had to use her real name is this way The bad lieutenant finds out that her cover story is a cover story.
In that regard, the episode might have been more fun had she gone under the name Kate Jackson and the Lieutenant found out she was a TV actress and he wasn't really a Lieutenant!!!!!!
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