In 1950 North Korea ( under deadly Kim II Sung) invaded South Korea and the United States correctly came to the latter's defense. See my other reviews like about Mash!
In this ep a colleague of Joe's from the above war meets up with him. Somebody is following the colleague's wife and trying to kill her. This ep was virtually remade a few years later with the same actress ( Jessica Walter) in both shows. Perhaps the latter ep is a speck superior as it is about the run for big time polotical office and this episode is only about Joe's old colleague trying to be a bank president.But the ep has its superb moments like a car scene where the car's brakes are gone and comely women Mannix meets in a bar and him rescuing his friend's wife in that same bar scene!
9 Reviews
Joe the shrink
filmklassik2 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
"I'm here to listen, Phil."
The wife of an old Korean War buddy hires Joe to look into who's been trying to kill her and why. The reasons, we discover, are not at all what you'd expect.
It is now official: Goff and Roberts cannot do a boring show. Even when they take a few liberties with the plot (such as why Joe would be so quick to believe that a name engraved on a locket he finds in his client's car would be significant to the case. Or why hardened Mafia killers didn't simply just SHOOT their intended victim weeks before), you can't look away from the action.
And the lovely Jessica Walter, a year or so away from playing a psychotic femme fatale in Clint Eastwood's PLAY MISTY FOR ME, here plays a woman with emotional issues of her own.
The show only implies what her character's been doing at the bar she has been frequenting under a different name: Picking up strange men. I suppose even in the early 70s, network TV couldn't be too overt about this stuff.
Walter's quite good, and so is this episode.
Another solid entry in the MANNIX casebook.
The wife of an old Korean War buddy hires Joe to look into who's been trying to kill her and why. The reasons, we discover, are not at all what you'd expect.
It is now official: Goff and Roberts cannot do a boring show. Even when they take a few liberties with the plot (such as why Joe would be so quick to believe that a name engraved on a locket he finds in his client's car would be significant to the case. Or why hardened Mafia killers didn't simply just SHOOT their intended victim weeks before), you can't look away from the action.
And the lovely Jessica Walter, a year or so away from playing a psychotic femme fatale in Clint Eastwood's PLAY MISTY FOR ME, here plays a woman with emotional issues of her own.
The show only implies what her character's been doing at the bar she has been frequenting under a different name: Picking up strange men. I suppose even in the early 70s, network TV couldn't be too overt about this stuff.
Walter's quite good, and so is this episode.
Another solid entry in the MANNIX casebook.
The Bradys were out of town that weekend
shino13 July 2016
Act I opens with Joe entering a sophisticated Tudor-style mansion, but once inside, he finds himself right in the middle of the Brady living room, even that big Mondrian is above the foot of the stairs.
In early 1970 I suppose that set was not quite so iconic as it is today.
Of course, in a couple of years Mike Brady himself Robert Reed would portray Mannix's police counterpart Lt Tobias, working Mannix concurrently with his Brady day job.
The XKE-driving costar is Jessica Walters, famous today as the matriarch of Arrested Development.
In early 1970 I suppose that set was not quite so iconic as it is today.
Of course, in a couple of years Mike Brady himself Robert Reed would portray Mannix's police counterpart Lt Tobias, working Mannix concurrently with his Brady day job.
The XKE-driving costar is Jessica Walters, famous today as the matriarch of Arrested Development.
Something I noticed
yellohrn24 September 2021
The home in the beginning of the episode where the cocktail party is being held is very similar to the Brady Bunch house. If I didn't know any better, I would say it's the same house, just altered a little for the party or altered for the Brady family. The episode is pretty good otherwise. Not one of the best though.
THE MYSTERIOUS LADY ANGLE?
tcchelsey22 March 2023
An early episode for renown director Reza Badiyi, and you know its going to be good. Badiyi handled many episodes for the series, some of them the most violent and the most popular.
WHO IS SYLVIA has a psychological slant, co-starring Jessica Walter as the wife of Joe's Korean war buddy (Robert Colbert). The catch is that someone is trying to kill her, not her husband? Of course, the proverbial question remains, what's her deal??
One thing to note is Mannix had lots of friends in Korea (both good and bad), making for some interesting relationships. I agree with the last reviewer that there's a PLAY MISTY FOR ME connection, in an indirect way for Walter, only no Clint Eastwood. She began her career in the mid 60s, appearing in such classic tv shows as BEN CASEY. Colbert, a fine actor himself, is best known for the MAVERICK tv western series, and many other appearances in Warner Brothers tv shows of the 50s and 60s. He turned up at nostalgia shows around the country for years, appearing at Beverly Garland's hotel in North Hollywood, the site for many conventions with old tv stars signing autographs.
Yes, an obviously a move to save money, the BRADY BUNCH living room is used here for a cocktail party scene, and will be used right through the end of the series. At the time, the Brady Bunch set was really not as famous as it is today.
To note, Reza Badiyi was also long associated with HAWAII FIVE O, and worked as a cinematographer and came up with the "big wave" idea at the start of each episode. Perhaps the most famous opening of any tv show. He also held the record for directing the most episodes (17) for MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Also associated with BARETTA and the ROCKFORD FILES. Some super trivia material here for tv buffs.
Great late night intrigue, and for Jessica Walter fans. SEASON 3 EPISODE 19 remastered CBS dvd box set.
WHO IS SYLVIA has a psychological slant, co-starring Jessica Walter as the wife of Joe's Korean war buddy (Robert Colbert). The catch is that someone is trying to kill her, not her husband? Of course, the proverbial question remains, what's her deal??
One thing to note is Mannix had lots of friends in Korea (both good and bad), making for some interesting relationships. I agree with the last reviewer that there's a PLAY MISTY FOR ME connection, in an indirect way for Walter, only no Clint Eastwood. She began her career in the mid 60s, appearing in such classic tv shows as BEN CASEY. Colbert, a fine actor himself, is best known for the MAVERICK tv western series, and many other appearances in Warner Brothers tv shows of the 50s and 60s. He turned up at nostalgia shows around the country for years, appearing at Beverly Garland's hotel in North Hollywood, the site for many conventions with old tv stars signing autographs.
Yes, an obviously a move to save money, the BRADY BUNCH living room is used here for a cocktail party scene, and will be used right through the end of the series. At the time, the Brady Bunch set was really not as famous as it is today.
To note, Reza Badiyi was also long associated with HAWAII FIVE O, and worked as a cinematographer and came up with the "big wave" idea at the start of each episode. Perhaps the most famous opening of any tv show. He also held the record for directing the most episodes (17) for MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. Also associated with BARETTA and the ROCKFORD FILES. Some super trivia material here for tv buffs.
Great late night intrigue, and for Jessica Walter fans. SEASON 3 EPISODE 19 remastered CBS dvd box set.
Joe plays marriage counselor
KatieBell23023 March 2023
Warning: Spoilers
More than half a century ago, in the big city where I Iive, a sweet young girl from a close knit, ethnic neighborhood fell in with the wrong crowd. She was brutally murdered and dismembered, not for something she knew but for something her killers thought she knew about the location of a stash of drugs. The story in Who is Sylvia hit close too close to home for me to see plot holes.
It remains in my top ten episodes, though, because it starts with is a strong script that keeps you guessing. Jessica Walters, a fine actress, did a credible job as "Sylvia", the poor little rich girl. She portrayed a woman whose life with her banker husband, yet another war buddy of Joe's, was so empty that she invented a promiscuous alter ego who chased risk just to be able to feel. The supporting cast did nice work. Joe doubled as a marriage counselor as he listened patiently to both sides without rushing to judgment, then engineered the opportunity for them to reunite at the end. This was a damsel-in-distress episode where Joe 's heroism was on ample display; he saved both Peggy and "Sylvia" from an eye-patched assassin - and his powers of deduction were present in equal measure as he figured out why "Sylvia" was a target in the first place. One hopes his banker friend paid Joe for services rendered as he certainly had the means. Joe not only saved the banker's wife, he saved the banker's marriage. For me, Mannix is always at his best when he has the chance to display his character - and courage tempered with compassion is a great combination.
It remains in my top ten episodes, though, because it starts with is a strong script that keeps you guessing. Jessica Walters, a fine actress, did a credible job as "Sylvia", the poor little rich girl. She portrayed a woman whose life with her banker husband, yet another war buddy of Joe's, was so empty that she invented a promiscuous alter ego who chased risk just to be able to feel. The supporting cast did nice work. Joe doubled as a marriage counselor as he listened patiently to both sides without rushing to judgment, then engineered the opportunity for them to reunite at the end. This was a damsel-in-distress episode where Joe 's heroism was on ample display; he saved both Peggy and "Sylvia" from an eye-patched assassin - and his powers of deduction were present in equal measure as he figured out why "Sylvia" was a target in the first place. One hopes his banker friend paid Joe for services rendered as he certainly had the means. Joe not only saved the banker's wife, he saved the banker's marriage. For me, Mannix is always at his best when he has the chance to display his character - and courage tempered with compassion is a great combination.
Joe should stay away from his army pals
Guad4226 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Another episode where Joe gets together with an old army buddy from the war and, as usual, it does not go well. This is the third or fourth time. Anyway, the buddy's wife is being stalked and almost killed and she doesn't know why. Turns out she is leading a double life as a woman who likes to visit a certain bar and get friendly with the guys. She is really friendly with the bar owner who is in with the Mafia. The bad guys think she overheard something and are after her over it. As one reviewer stated, they could have just shot her and been done with it. Why do bad guys always get so elaborate in their killing schemes? The wife kept visiting the bar during this time. They could have easily got her then. Jessica Walters is always good but some of the lines in the script do her no favors. Robert Colbert as the husband/army buddy is adequate. Larry Linville makes his second to last appearance as the cop helper. As always, Mannix refuses to call the police when trouble is at hand but, fortunately, Peggy does. Mannix does some marriage counselling at the end so it ends on a happy note. Mannix isn't paying Peggy near enough. At least, Joe doesn't get wounded or knocked out. Not sure he got paid. (Again!)
They're bringing in the horses
pkfloydmh14 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is a good episode and is one of the better ones from this season. It's about a woman whose boss is trying to kill her because she overhead them talking about "bringing in the horses" and it turns out what they were actually bringing in was a horse of a different color. The woman was also leading a double life.
Joe actually doesn't get shot at or clobbered over the head in this one, so that's a plus. There are a couple of good fight scenes too.
Peggy's line at the end about her new chair is really funny and so is Joe's reaction. Great stuff. I also liked the mob guy with the patch over his eye.
The worst part of the episode is the scene involving the other private detective, who made it VERY OBVIOUS he was following Joe. Then when Joe confronts him, he demands to know the name of the other private detective's client, which is highly hypocritical because we all know that Joe himself would NEVER reveal the name of his client to ANYONE. He then proceeds to lecture the other detective on professional ethics and then like a wimp the other detective reveals his client's name to Joe just because Joe demanded it. Totally absurd and ridiculous.
I also didn't like how Joe was able to magically conclude that the phone number on the pad had something to do with the case and that Sylvia would be found at the bar when he had no way of knowing that. Also, once again we have the overused cliche where Joe tells his client not to leave a certain place and of course she doesn't listen to him, and in fact she does it TWICE in this episode. Yes, that's right - TWICE. In one of these instances, Peggy was also told not to leave and she also didn't listen. She should be fired - she's too unreliable and can't obey orders.
But the positives do outweigh the negatives and overall this is a good episode.
Joe actually doesn't get shot at or clobbered over the head in this one, so that's a plus. There are a couple of good fight scenes too.
Peggy's line at the end about her new chair is really funny and so is Joe's reaction. Great stuff. I also liked the mob guy with the patch over his eye.
The worst part of the episode is the scene involving the other private detective, who made it VERY OBVIOUS he was following Joe. Then when Joe confronts him, he demands to know the name of the other private detective's client, which is highly hypocritical because we all know that Joe himself would NEVER reveal the name of his client to ANYONE. He then proceeds to lecture the other detective on professional ethics and then like a wimp the other detective reveals his client's name to Joe just because Joe demanded it. Totally absurd and ridiculous.
I also didn't like how Joe was able to magically conclude that the phone number on the pad had something to do with the case and that Sylvia would be found at the bar when he had no way of knowing that. Also, once again we have the overused cliche where Joe tells his client not to leave a certain place and of course she doesn't listen to him, and in fact she does it TWICE in this episode. Yes, that's right - TWICE. In one of these instances, Peggy was also told not to leave and she also didn't listen. She should be fired - she's too unreliable and can't obey orders.
But the positives do outweigh the negatives and overall this is a good episode.
Perhaps Clint Eastwood is trying to kill her!
planktonrules3 December 2013
In the film "Play Misty for Me", a psychotic woman (played by Jessica Walter) spends much of the movie trying to kill Clint Eastwood. Here in "Who is Sylvia?", Walter plays Kathy-- a woman who someone is trying to kill. Perhaps it's Clint Eastwood---wouldn't that be a neat twist?! But, unfortunately, there is no Eastwood cameo here--and so it's up to Mannix to determine who ELSE might have a reason to kill Kathy!
While "Who is Sylvia?" is generally a decent episode since the plot is reasonably unique, it suffers from some poor acting and dialog--particularly when Sylvia is discovered and she talks. It just came off as overdone and a bit silly. Watchable but very flawed.
While "Who is Sylvia?" is generally a decent episode since the plot is reasonably unique, it suffers from some poor acting and dialog--particularly when Sylvia is discovered and she talks. It just came off as overdone and a bit silly. Watchable but very flawed.
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