A crook (Joe Mantell) breaks into a psychiatrist's office and steals client files. Using this information, he begins blackmailing patients NOT to divulge their secrets. When Mannix is hired to make one of these payoffs, he takes it on himself to not just make the delivery but to investigate and stop this creep. Things get really serious when it turns out that one of the patients whose records were stolen turns out to be a dangerous mobster--and then things get really interesting.
I loved the plot of this show. A similar but better version of the story was done on "Hawaii Five-O"--where instead of a guy stealing patient records, a sociopathic creep places listening devices all over a psychiatrist's office and learns all kinds of secrets. Both are very compelling but a minor quibble I have with "Mannix" is that in reality, most therapists (at least the competent ones) keep minimal notes and should not have any documentation of incriminating information--in case of burglary or court subpoena (which was definitely the case when I was a therapist). But, most folks wouldn't know that and it doesn't negatively impact this exciting episode.
By the way, in keeping with tradition, Mannix gets knocked out in this episode. In fact, it happens twice!! Considering he was knocked unconscious over fifty times in the series AND suffered countless other head injuries, his brain should have been the consistency of tapioca!!
I loved the plot of this show. A similar but better version of the story was done on "Hawaii Five-O"--where instead of a guy stealing patient records, a sociopathic creep places listening devices all over a psychiatrist's office and learns all kinds of secrets. Both are very compelling but a minor quibble I have with "Mannix" is that in reality, most therapists (at least the competent ones) keep minimal notes and should not have any documentation of incriminating information--in case of burglary or court subpoena (which was definitely the case when I was a therapist). But, most folks wouldn't know that and it doesn't negatively impact this exciting episode.
By the way, in keeping with tradition, Mannix gets knocked out in this episode. In fact, it happens twice!! Considering he was knocked unconscious over fifty times in the series AND suffered countless other head injuries, his brain should have been the consistency of tapioca!!