I’ll be honest; I found this one a little confusing. After thinking it over, I finally worked it all out. I feel like I should watch it again one more time, but I simply don’t have the time to do that. This case actually has two stories with only a threadbare connection between them, plus it involves an elaborate con played on none other than our own Carl. Even the opening is unusual: we don’t start out with the usual Kolchak talking into his recorder at the end of the case and then going back to the beginning. Instead, we just go right into it, with only Carl’s narration referencing the terror to come. What causes the confusion is that Kolchak arranges to meet with a snitch named Mickey to get some information on a mob-related extortion case. But before meeting with Carl, Mickey is busy doing something else – taking advance photos of Madame Trevi’s fashion line presumably to sell to her competitors or blackmail her into buying the photos back. He is attacked by the mannequins in her office and tossed out the window to his death. This draws Kolchak by sheer chance into the Madame Trevi mystery. It seems Madame Trevi’s success is partly due to a witch on her payroll, but one she keeps in line with some hidden charms, chants and objects. The witch is Madelaine, and she latches onto Carl as the pawn to help set herself free. She convinces him that Madame Trevi is the witch who is killing off some of the models as a way to show her powers. Kolchak does research on witches which leads him to a coven where he is told what objects Madame Trevi is using to keep her powers and where they are hidden. Carl breaks into her office finds the charms and spells and burns them all, thinking he is putting an end to her witchcraft once and for all but instead setting the real witch – Madelaine – free to unleash her full evil potential.

Meanwhile, on that mob extortion story, Kolchak is threatened by a pair of goons who want the information that Mickey was supposed to have given him, but he never got. He manages to wheel and deal with them to get 60 hours to do it. Another snitch tries to give him the information but he is killed – not by supernatural forces, but by machine gun fire from the mob. Later, Carl is chased down by a mob car. Oh no, wait – that was actually Madelaine using her magic. Yes, it’s confusing. At one point, the mob ransacks the INS office as a warning to Carl to move faster. Luckily, in the final confrontation with Madelaine she demonstrates her powers by telling Kolchak just what the information is (cancelled checks) and where they are hidden (in a shoebox with Mickey’s mother in a rest home.) Miss Emily goes to the rest home and retrieves them. (Too bad they didn’t have time to show that part; it might have made a fun or funny couple of scenes.) INS prints the tale and one of Carl’s stories actually sees the light of day, sans any reference to the witch storyline of course. I guess that ruins the mob and they are unable to carry out their threats against Mr. K.

For the final showdown, Carl breaks into Madame Trevi’s office again and finds the voodoo-style doll she was using to slowly choke Madame T. He is armed with a mojo bag and some knowledge. The mannequins knock it away at first long enough for Madelaine to explain her plans and invite Carl to be her partner in crime after telling him the mob secret he desperately needs. He breaks some mirrors to distract her (witches hate the sound of breaking glass) retrieves his bag to ward off the mannequins and then get Maddie to chase him out into the street where he accuses her of witchcraft in public which destroys her. His last entry into his recorder is that she was committed to an asylum with a form of medieval pox that hadn’t been seen in over 500 years.

Okay, strengths and weaknesses:
Strengths: Kolchak the jerk is nowhere to be seen this week. He has a genuine mob story which he handles bravely as well as the monster of the week who bewilders and bedevils him before he gets the better of her. The closest he comes to jerkdom is after the mob ransacks the INS and Vincenzo complains that they smeared peanut butter all over his best hat. Carl seems to laugh at his friend’s misfortune, but in all likelihood the specter of Tony talking about peanut butter on his hat and how it will now always smell like a child’s sandwich just struck him as too funny not to laugh about.

We find out that Kolchak is not a fashion expert. He mispronounces the phrase “haute couture” as “hot coture” and hilariously calls Madame Trevi’s salon a saloon. I was LOL, literally. And when forced to sit through a fashion show while waiting for Mickey, he looks like he’d rather be anywhere else! We also learn that Tony has a brother-in-law named Rocco who asks him every year to join him in his venetian blind business. “This year, I may do it,” he tells Carl.

And kudos to the casting of Lara Parker as Madelaine. I’m old enough to remember her as the wicked, sexy witch Angelique on DARK SHADOWS. And we find out what Dr. Adam Bricker does when he’s not on a Love Boat cruise. (I'm surprised that Madpac didn't bill Bernie Kopell as Dr. Adam Bricker)

Weaknesses: There are quite a lot. The whole attack of the mannequins is almost comical. It’s obvious that some are real mannequins and some are real women standing still. They’re the ones that turn their heads menancingly, which is the only real chill. The rest is just mannequins obviously being pushed from behind. It’s not hard to believe they could surprise a photographer who was not expecting any resistance, but they don’t seem like any real threat to Carl.

The information about witches that Carl gets is sketchy at best – using the Salem witch trials as Gospel? A witch can’t be drowned? That was the lame test which was a lose-lose for accused witches. Dunk them in water for a long time. If they come up breathing, they’re a witch and must be hanged. If they drown, they were not witches, but now they’re dead! The whole revelation is pointless anyway. Carl dunks Madelaine’s head in a vat of blue dye, but why? If he’s trying to prove she’s a witch, he risks killing her if she really wasn't a witch. And why does he need to prove it? Not only did she virtually confess to him already, but if she wasn’t a witch she would not be harmed by being accused in public. It’s not like he had to drive a stake through her heart or something, which would kill anyone – witch or not.

That was one of the weakest ways to dispose of a “monster”, just accusing her in public. McGavin does a nice selling job of it, hopping up on the back of a truck and Lara sells the other side by doing a near-insanity style breakdown. (The pox growing on her face was a nice touch, too.) However, earlier in the story when it was revealed that the coven Kolchak was observing was all an act, Lara removed her hood and did the same insane laugh which was totally over the top for someone just laughing at how well she had fooled Carl. It was similar to the way she acted when Kolchak broke the mirrors and when he was accusing her of witchcraft in public, and made the latter use of it a little weaker.

Finally, that hack witch writer “expert.” He said that the witches were tested prior to being burned. I researched the Salem witch trials for a story I wrote. There were no “witches” burned at Salem. Almost all were hanged, save for one who was pressed to death under stones. Some expert! Where did that “accused in public” remedy really come from? If it was that simple, why did they need all the dunking stools, search for “witch marks” and all the other shameful “tests” which make the term “witch hunt” so popular today? Instead, just accuse every suspect in public and see who collapses to the ground.

So, lots of weak points but I liked seeing Carl doing a publishable story on the side, the casting of Lara Parker (and Nina Foch was also solid support), and seeing some variances on the standard storyline. All that combined for me to give this 7 happy goats who realized they were not really being sacrificed but were just props to sell the whole coven idea.

For your gag credits of the week, naturally I caught John Glover as the Devil (Brimstone). And I think you thought everyone missed your "Directed by Darren McGavin" last week, which you repeated this week, but if you look at my post from last week you'll see I mentioned it right before I gave the episode a rating. As for your other gag this week, I'll let someone else call it out. Why should I have all the fun?

@brimfin said:

And kudos to the casting of Lara Parker as Madelaine. I’m old enough to remember her as the wicked, sexy witch Angelique on DARK SHADOWS. And we find out what Dr. Adam Bricker does when he’s not on a Love Boat cruise. (I'm surprised that Madpac didn't bill Bernie Kopell as Dr. Adam Bricker)

He sounded really familiar, but I was too tired and didn't recognize his name in the credits immediately. Otherwise I would've billed him as Dr. Siegfried, though I agree that " Love Boar Doctor" would've been perfect.

For some reason, the names of all those "Love Boat" folks always escaped me. I know there's the bald captain who's not Piccard, Dr. Siegfried, The cute blonde who was the most competent, the funny young dark-haired man who carried stuff and was abused, and the funny black bartender guy. But not a single name...

First thing to say is that " someone" had been watching Dr Who. Attack by mannequins is an iconic scene in Who from 1970, so much so that it was revisited in episode one of the rebooted show.

Kolchak attempting to drown Madeleine can only be seen as Kolchak convincing himself of her guilt, presumably if she started drowning he would have stopped.

Was it a good idea for mobsters to trash INS? Isn't it a bit dicey giving a news agency evidence of mob handiwork.

Why was Madeleine operating anyway around Madam Trevi ? Are witches lured by Glamour Fashion ?

6/10

Well, Brimfin's fine retelling of the episode covered a multitude of my telling. The Dr Who reference I got out of the mannequins was the angel statues, which I'm not really sure where or when to place within the series, as I only got into it a little bit in the '80s when The Doctor wore a long scarf.

Also that when the lady was "inexplicably" choking to death she was being treated by the doctor from The Love Boat.

"Music by Marilyn Manson," who at the time was getting the idea for the concept of his act from Alice Cooper.

Other odd observation: When Carl was in the model's dressing room getting disinformed, the blonde in curlers had such a strong chin that at first glance I thought she was a he.

Still, more fun a watch than the previous eps. since I rejoined the group. 8 driverless attack cars with windshields made of single-panes instead of the laminated ones that have been required since long before this show was made.

@BobPeters61 said:

"Music by Marilyn Manson," who at the time was getting the idea for the concept of his act from Alice Cooper.

Manson is the big name behind the music of "Salem", a modern show about witches, by the way. Yes, Alice Cooper would be more into the time period.

@brimfin said:

Finally, that hack witch writer “expert.” He said that the witches were tested prior to being burned. I researched the Salem witch trials for a story I wrote. There were no “witches” burned at Salem. Almost all were hanged, save for one who was pressed to death under stones. Some expert! Where did that “accused in public” remedy really come from? If it was that simple, why did they need all the dunking stools, search for “witch marks” and all the other shameful “tests” which make the term “witch hunt” so popular today? Instead, just accuse every suspect in public and see who collapses to the ground.

My interpretation of that issue was that the accusation had to have conviction for there to be conviction... So, an empty accusation wouldn't work. And Kolchak's accusation was done after he had investigated her case a great deal and they had had a confrontation.

The whole thing is weird. The episode's idea is entirely based on the fiction that the Salem Witch trials were legitimate trials, when in fact it was a period of intolerance, superstition and madness. In any case, I believe the accusers in Salem at the time (who most certainly were delusional) truly believed the accused were witches, so perhaps an empty accusation would've worked according to the logic of the episode.

If reality were like the episode, then the expression "Witch Hunt" would have a total different meaning today. "This Senate investigation is becoming a real witch hunt!" "Good!" A witch hunt would be something good, right, because it would uncover the guilty and give them what they deserve.

For your gag credits of the week, naturally I caught John Glover as the Devil (Brimstone).

That was especially for you.

And I think you thought everyone missed your "Directed by Darren McGavin" last week, which you repeated this week, but if you look at my post from last week you'll see I mentioned it right before I gave the episode a rating.

I missed that one, so I repeated. Remember my comment last week?

Really finally, there's one last gag credit that is rather absurd and would put the action in a whole different direction, but nobody seemed to notice that one, and it's big, so I I hope you cut me some slack because I won't mention it so I can use it again soon!

Lots of clues there!

I liked this episode much more than the most recent ones. Kolchak's reaction to high fashion was a great way to show the character's inadequacies in certain circles (who would've imagined an haute couture saloon? I just wish they had used Updyke as the counterpoint. I can easily imagine Updyke being totally comfortable with that kind of subject. And one thing has nothing to do with the other, but it just occurred to me that if this show had been made now, Updyke would probably be a sophisticated gay man.

For once the villain was given a deeper dimension as a character, and the lovable Lara Parker was a great cast choice. She started as a seemingly shallow woman in search of easy fame. (Well, she was after that, but much more, like marrying a prince or a president, so she had high goals concerning fame and wealth.) In the beginning, I was ready to point out that, once more, Kolchak finds himself interacting with a beautiful woman, but the chances of something sexual developing between them are zero. Now, in retrospect, we can say Kolchak always knew, deep inside, that she could not be trusted entirely and didn't buy whatever she was selling. At least until he did buy it and was manipulated to destroy the only thing that kept her at bay, but for that she needed a whole charade of theatrics that involved several people, so it wasn't just her charm and her charms.

And finally she's revealed as the big villain and there's the final confrontation. Once again, Kolchak is offered all the riches he wants, but, like with that politician, he stands for his principles and lies so badly that she sees through his pretense. She's smart.

The only thing I didn't like about the story premise is that it glorifies the Salem Witch Trials, when in fact that was something shameful. But following the logic of the show, drowning is part of the established ritual. Yes, in reality it was stupid, because the victims would die either drowned (as humans) or in the stake (as witches). But in this fantasy, one could always claim that the accusers were enlightened enough to pull an innocent woman out of the water when they saw she was drowning, but wasn't dead yet. Or even if she were killed, she would die as a Christian, and not under the devil's influence, which wouldn't seem much for the dead, but at least their soul would go to heaven so I call that a win-win situation! In fantasy, of course.

Finally, accusing in public would be the culmination of the entire process. A witch's power would rest on the ability to fool and deceive everybody. They say the devil may trick you, but he can't force you to do anything evil. It's always your choice. So once exposed, the devil and his minions would be powerless, as is darkness when light comes in. Besides, what would the neighbors say? A good woman would rather be dead over being the subject of all gossip in town. Again, in fantasy, at least.

Oh, before I forget, yes, the mannequin scene was campy and hilariously bad. Rod Serling approached the subject in a much more effective way. I know what they were trying to do. I wonder if that worked for the undemanding audiences of the 1970s, but for today's public, it was just too bad. Well, it's the thought that counts.

The other story showed Kolchak is a busy reporter and I commend the writers to show that Kolchak can have too much on his plate. Just because he's fighting witches, life doesn't stop and he still has crime stories to write. The scene in which Kolchak negotiates with the gangsters abut a deadline for them to come back and break his legs or even kill him is simply hilarious. "They gave me 60 hours." "How did you manage to come up with that," said Vincenzo, considering the odd number of hours involved. The best part was that Kolchak skillfully negotiated and justified why he would need a sensible amount of time to get "it", while it seemed he had absolutely no clue what he had to get, so there was no way he knew how long it would take him to get "it," whatever the heck it was. He just wanted as much time as possible to solve the case. Also, Kolchak had no sexual sparks with Madelaine, but Tony and Carl argue like an old couple. Vincenzo even had to check this pulse to find out if Kolchak would finally give him that heart attack which is an accident waiting to happen.

Once again we see that Kolchak would comfortably fit in the Supernatural universe (including the idea of a "mojo" or "hex" bag), and I really wish the Winchesters could occasionally consult a very old Kolchak in search of guidance for their cases. That really shows that Kolchak was the precursor for so many modern shows with this theme.

.

Gangster - "Sorry, but I can only give give this episode only 1 mojo bag."

Reporter - "Are you insane? It's so good it deserves not only 10, but 20 hex bags!"

Gangster - "I may be convinced to give it 4 killer mannequins."

Reporter - "Have we seen different episodes? 14 incriminating checks in a box under a bed."

Gangster - "OK, OK, 8 spy cameras with illegally-obtained fashion secrets in it."

Reporter - "No. 10 evil witches in disguise."

Gangster - "Make it 9 public accusations of witchcraft and we have a deal."

Reporter - "Deal. 9 sexy witches soaked in blue paint who won't even be pretty anymore."

Witches are in Kolchak's cross hairs this week. Much like with the Zombie, the story uses different aspects of these myths to keep a commonly used idea feeling fresh.

The episode does a nice job playing around with Madeline and Madame Trevi as suspects.
As now seasoned Kolchak watchers we know someone cause those dummies to attack and later the cat on the model Ariel.
Initially the stare from Madeline especially after she has just learned Ariel won't work with her makes her a suspect.
But then it gives us another seemingly more likely suspect in Madame Trevi. She has a motive for bumping off Mickey Patrick with the dummies for stealing her designs and for the attack on Ariel who was going to leave her show.

Madeline could easily have been another of Kolchak's female sidekicks.
She is very seductive when she first meet him but is also upfront with what she wants in return for helping Kolchak. Maybe she picked up on his asexual nature.

The episode also mixes up the helpful informant in the Witch expert and the coven he point him to. This time they manipulate Kolchak feeding him false information to get him to help the enemy.
Although Kolchak smartly learns from this to create his own protective ward.

The end of the coven scene is the first misstep, as the reveal of Madeline is undermined by her ridiculous laughing and mad eyes.
Kolchak did get a measure of revenge stealing back his donation before leaving.

I did appreciate that they went for the trouble of giving Madame Trevi a tracheostomy, which would be the only option if her throat closed up. It reinforced the seriousness of the curse.

I got a bit worried for Tony after he was shouting at Kolchak. The way he gasps and almost staggered was quite shocking.
I thought it was forboding a heart attack in store for him.
I nearly jumped out of my seat when he kicks over the box in the office post it's ransacking.
The way he slips and how Kolchak moves to support him made me think the heart attack was here.
I suspect the series will stick to the reset each episode approach, so i don't think Tony is in trouble in the future or at least i hope so.

I quite liked the dummy attack. It reminded me strongly of Doctor Who's "Spearhead from Space" with the similarly shop dummy like Autons attacking.
I thought they did a good job mixing real dummies with actors with only a few poor moments.

The side plot of the gangsters was almost completely unnecessary but does show Kolchak's life doesn't stop just cause a monster is in town.

The final showdown was pretty tense. I did wonder why Kolchak tried to drown Madeline in hair dye as he knows it's the one way he can't kill her.
It did make her look more crazy so i suppose did help with the whole lost her mind ending.
The fact accusing a witch robs of their power was a nice twist.

Really enjoyed this weeks episode
9, not that nominal, donations out of 10

@cloister56 said:

The final showdown was pretty tense. I did wonder why Kolchak tried to drown Madeline in hair dye as he knows it's the one way he can't kill her.
It did make her look more crazy so i suppose did help with the whole lost her mind ending.

I was in doubt between "paint" and "ink". (I couldn't stop thinking of ink because I'm reading a Lemony Snicket book which features an ink company, "Ink Inc.") Anyway, it turns out it was "dye", which I had forgotten about. Oh, the joys of the English language.

@mad-pac said.
I was in doubt between "paint" and "ink". (I couldn't stop thinking of ink because I'm reading a Lemony Snicket book which features an ink company, "Ink Inc.") Anyway, it turns out it was "dye", which I had forgotten about. Oh, the joys of the English language.

Well dye is so close to ink anyway I realised it was probably not hair dye buy ore likely clothes dye.