User Reviews

This is so noiry that it was only the music that assured me that this was truly a h2h episode I was watching. It was pretty creative, actually. But back in the day, if the opening titles had not just rolled, you might not know what you were watching till 8 minutes in.

I should be amused by this episode where the tables are turned and J&J are the servants to Max when his pen pal, Elizabeth, whom he's been lying to, shows up unexpectedly. But instead, it felt kind of uncomfortable. I mean there were funny moments for sure, but it just seemed to play like a big plate of awkward. And what is it about these last episodes of the series being about house guests that aren't all that welcome causing all kinds of havoc? I think as soon as they started naming episodes without the word "Hart" in it, that must have caused some kind of wack voodoo.

Here at the end of the series run we got a third dose of J&J getting a little tiffy with each other. Turns out Jennifer is a terrible cook and can, apparently, dish it out but not so much take it.

So, J&J switch roles with Max so completely that they're even in each others' rooms. More squick! Elizabeth, played by June Allyson, is tracked to the Hart's house by her nephew (a second visit from Joe Pantoliano) where he is tracked by his own bad guy, Robert Davi, who is creepy no matter what decade his bad guy role is in.

This episode introduces a new, pretty comprehensive set, the new wine cellar. I imagine that if the series had continued we'd've gotten more wine cellar scenes.

I gave this a lower rating. I think June Allyson, while ten years younger than Lionel, was poorly cast. She looked older, is not the type he would go for, and turned in a relatively weak performance. Robert Davi was great, though, and RJ was pretty good, too. Lionel, however, gave quite the little nuanced piece of subtle you can. That's why he was a good actor. He knew how to make you believe you ere watching a real guy, really named Max, who really knew how to please everyone. I didn't love this episode, but I did love him.

This was one of my favourite episodes. The plot was cleverly executed, with the finicky wine security expert Cecil (Garth Wilton) setting up an elaborate system to protect the Hart's wine cellar containing their valuable collection. It was complete with a back-up generator to ensure the wine always stayed at the proper temperature, as well as an alarm system alert to Cecil's company ('Grape Guard'). This all came into play when the Harts were in their weekly deadly danger.

June Allyson guest starred as Max's wealthy pen pal, and it was great to see her since her appearances had become less frequent. Her acting was somewhat subdued, but then that's what the part called for. I was fascinated to learn that the exterior of the Hart's house was the home where Allyson and her husband actor/producer Dick Powell lived, and that it was Robert Wagner, a friend of Dick's, suggested using the exterior of the house as the Hart's home.

Anyway, Max never thought Allyson would turn up because she was afraid to fly. Ah, but as my mother would say: Take the train! She does, and shows up on short notice. The Harts pretend to be Max's servants since he had fabricated his life in his letters, claiming all the Harts' stuff as his own. Of course, Max gets too far into the part, becoming an obnoxious, constant-bell-ringing employer. However, the funniest part was the scenes where Jonathan & Jennifer were acting as servants. Jonathan, especially and quite humorously, bore the brunt of Max's over-zealousness. The fight scene in the cellar, complete with Cecil and his assistant, was very funny as well.