A standard issue episode of HAWAII FIVE-O, a series that even when merely workmanlike is always worth watching. "Chain of Events" is made more interesting for its presenting what appears to be a wry commentary on the Kennedys, successful politicians despite being notorious womanizers and, in the case of Teddy, responsible for a young woman's death in 1969.
Guest star Linden Chiles as senatorial candidate James Trevor Warren struck a very Kennedyesque portrait throughout the show, frequently seen standing pensively before windows and gazing out onto new frontiers, just as JFK was famously pictured. Warren's rallying the youth with a rousing progressive message of a "brave new world" was yet another parallel to the Kennedys and their unique brand of charisma. Chiles played well the imperturbable politician, whose demeanor and blow-dried hair were never ruffled. I peeked at Chiles' IMDb page, curious to see if he ever played a Kennedy, and surprisingly he never did. He certainly had both the resemblance and the ability, and Chiles was cast as a senator or congressman numerous times over the span of his acting career.
James Trevor Warren--like John Fitzgerald Kennedy--has a rocky marriage and an eye for the young ladies, in this case Linda, a high school student working for his campaign. The scripter took care to shoehorn in a mention that Linda was eighteen and thus of legal age. That's no consolation to her hardhat slob of a father, however, who initially retreats into disbelief upon learning of his daughter's dalliances with a stud slam dunker and later the dashing candidate, about whom Linda was indiscreet enough to gush about in her scrapbook. The producers effectively underscore Linda's youthful naiveté by playing a children's music box tune when the scrapbook is on screen.
There's a subplot here about venereal disease and how the public health department combats it by following the chain of (sexual) events all the way back to the source and encouraging everyone afflicted to get treatment. Somewhat strange was the public health investigator meeting those persons in the chain in discreet locations, like empty parking lots. Why was a personal meeting even necessary? That policy does serve to establish the premise, however, as the killer set out to remove a crucial link from the chain to protect the senatorial campaign from scandal.
All the clues point to Warren being the killer. He had the motive , he had the gun, he had the car with the telltale gash. All that he lacked was an alibi. It was all too neat, and I grew suspicious, especially as Warren was unflappable, even when collared by McGarrett and perp-walked into his office for interrogation. Warren didn't act like a murderer who was caught and cornered like a rat. A guilty party would certainly crack under the unrelenting onslaught of McGarrett's machine-gun questioning, as would be the case by the episode's end. In hindsight, one clue that Warren was innocent of murder was his having been honest with his wife about contracting syphilis. A cover up wasn't his modus operandi.
Where the story stumbles and falls is when the murderer is revealed and turns out to be a minor character we met only halfway through the show. Huh? How does that square with the murder of Kalema? He was shown waiting in the parking lot for Warren, so why did he smile and appear expectantly pleased when an entirely different person pulls up beside his car? The episode's concluding five minutes degenerated fast into a clichéd PERRY MASON finale where the guilty party cracks and confesses all with shuddering sobs. It was unsatisfactory and I felt like the writer dealt us a card from the bottom of the deck.
My initial fear as this episode unfolded was that it was going to one of those dreaded 1970's "very special episodes" addressing venereal disease. It was a real fear as the grainy old stock footage began rolling in earnest! But thankfully all that was simply to establish the premise of the chain of contacts. The discussion of a V.D. epidemic did inadvertently expose the sordid underbelly of the Sexual Revolution, with the consequences of casual sex laid bare. Hapless Walter, lying battered and bruised in a hospital bed, seems to have learned a lesson lost on the toothy clothing buyer.
Speaking of Walter, Dirk Benedict makes his television debut here, and came across as a seasoned pro. He had a real charisma and charm as Walter, and one could see how he could woo women both young and old. The makeup department outdid itself on Benedict post-beating. Hard to believe then he'd someday be playing The Face on THE A-TEAM. Mary Frann was also good, paying her dues with NEWHART still a decade away. I liked her scene fiddling with the old-school Flair pen and finally slamming it down insisting she's a trustworthy person. Maybe not trustworthy, but certainly a dedicated ideologue. Perfectly cast Lou Frizzell played the deranged dad of the murdered girl. He was greasy and unkempt and everything you'd expect. But the show really belonged to Linden Chiles, playing a Kennedy by any other name, and in all likelihood prevailing in that election against all odds.
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