This is the very first episode of the TV show "Quincy"--the adventures, so to speak, of a determined pathologist to get to the truth behind the latest death. In most of the episodes, you see the following pattern:
1. There is a death and it's assumed that it was by natural causes. In most of these cases, it's actually murder.
2. To Dr. Quincy, the case "just doesn't seem right" and he won't close the case--wanting to take more time with the autopsy or do some investigating on his own.
3. His boss, Dr. Asten, argues with Quincy to just wrap it all up due to either time constraints or pressure from outside sources. In essence, Asten is a bureaucratic weenie and Quincy a crusader for truth.
4. Quincy's friend, Lt. Monahan, wants to close the case because he KNOWS that it either wasn't a murder or he's blaming some innocent guy for the crime. Oddly, despite the Los Angeles Police Department being one of the largest ones in the world, somehow Monahan is almost always on the case--he's apparently a very, very busy guy--as is Quincy!
5. If he's on vacation, there will be a death that he investigates. This will either be re-opening an old case, a plague of some sort or a murder. Like Jessica Fletcher or Charlie Chan, death just seems to follow him!
6. In the end, Quincy is vindicated. Yet, despite this, by the time they do the next episode, they once again begin this same process!
What makes this pilot episode a bit different is that at the time, no one knew about this formula--so there was some doubt. Also, unlike most of the later episodes, Quincy is a bit more actively in the middle of things--and barely escapes death twice as if he's some sort of action hero! First, he jumps out of a car careening off a cliff. Second, in a fight with a HUGE attacker who is a serial killer, he manages to win--though I admit it was less because of his machismo and more because he knew about human anatomy.
Overall, it was one of the better episodes--with a fascinating plot involving corruption, rape and murder. Plus, it's really interesting now looking back at it and seeing the evolution of the characters. Asten, for example, has a different hair color and Monahan is a bit more hard-headed and disagreeable....and of course, Quincy is a super-hero!
FYI--The first season of the series was NOT a stand-alone show, but was part of the "The NBC Mystery Movie"--a series of different detective shows with various casts and themes. When "The NBC Mystery Movie" ended the following season, Quincy became a its own series. This explains why there were so few episodes of Quincy for season one.
1. There is a death and it's assumed that it was by natural causes. In most of these cases, it's actually murder.
2. To Dr. Quincy, the case "just doesn't seem right" and he won't close the case--wanting to take more time with the autopsy or do some investigating on his own.
3. His boss, Dr. Asten, argues with Quincy to just wrap it all up due to either time constraints or pressure from outside sources. In essence, Asten is a bureaucratic weenie and Quincy a crusader for truth.
4. Quincy's friend, Lt. Monahan, wants to close the case because he KNOWS that it either wasn't a murder or he's blaming some innocent guy for the crime. Oddly, despite the Los Angeles Police Department being one of the largest ones in the world, somehow Monahan is almost always on the case--he's apparently a very, very busy guy--as is Quincy!
5. If he's on vacation, there will be a death that he investigates. This will either be re-opening an old case, a plague of some sort or a murder. Like Jessica Fletcher or Charlie Chan, death just seems to follow him!
6. In the end, Quincy is vindicated. Yet, despite this, by the time they do the next episode, they once again begin this same process!
What makes this pilot episode a bit different is that at the time, no one knew about this formula--so there was some doubt. Also, unlike most of the later episodes, Quincy is a bit more actively in the middle of things--and barely escapes death twice as if he's some sort of action hero! First, he jumps out of a car careening off a cliff. Second, in a fight with a HUGE attacker who is a serial killer, he manages to win--though I admit it was less because of his machismo and more because he knew about human anatomy.
Overall, it was one of the better episodes--with a fascinating plot involving corruption, rape and murder. Plus, it's really interesting now looking back at it and seeing the evolution of the characters. Asten, for example, has a different hair color and Monahan is a bit more hard-headed and disagreeable....and of course, Quincy is a super-hero!
FYI--The first season of the series was NOT a stand-alone show, but was part of the "The NBC Mystery Movie"--a series of different detective shows with various casts and themes. When "The NBC Mystery Movie" ended the following season, Quincy became a its own series. This explains why there were so few episodes of Quincy for season one.