Grand Illusion
The opening episode for the third season. They still haven't decided who is going to be the regular foil for Rick and AJ. They'll introduce a couple of homicide cops in this episode. One has some history with the brothers, but we'll never see him again.
Donald O'Conner stars as a magician who has part of his stolen by an upstart. He hires the Simon Brothers to find out how. Before they can find an answer someone murders the upstart!
Was it the magician? His lovely wife/stage partner? His loyal to the death prop maker?
Gigi and I won't tell. Not this time. We were surprised to see that Rick has been interested in magic since he was a kid. Never knew that. At 12 he used to fool AJ with tricks, but AJ claims it was only because he was 6 or 7. So Rick has five years on his brother?
Gigi found this episode often "silly." Though she was concerned during the final chase. "The bad guy is going to hit Rick!" Which he does moments later. "See, I told you!"
Quotes:
AJ: Where did you get a knitting needle?
Rick: AJ, you just witnessed a minor miracle and you're worried about where the props come from.
Rubio: That's why homicide is such boring work. Things usually turn out to be exactly what they seem.
Rick: We must be getting pretty good at terrorizing people. I didn't thing we pushed Lebeau that hard.
AJ: Oh, nervous man. Quick too. We hadn't even finished leaning on him.
Rick: My kind of suspect.
AJ: Dr. Rib must be losing his touch with his Soul Sauce. It hardly pitted the floor this time.
Rick: (reading from Barnaby's book) "The only real magic in the world is the magic of one mind totally manipulating another. That is the grand illusion. The black art. To make you see what isn't there while looking right at what really is."
AJ: "The wit and wisdom of Barnaby"
Rick: "Maybe the M.O. of Barnaby is more like it."
Rick: "What good is a chili cheese omelet without a beer to wash it down with?"
AJ: Why did you hire us? I know it was part of your plan. But why take the risk?"
Barnaby: For the illusion. For the misdirect. You know how these trick work. People look for the deception. So we show them a few. But not the real one. You were supposed to be only good enough to follow the clues. Just not good enough to understand the whole illusion.
AJ: Sorry to disappoint you.
Trivia:
AJ mentions that the '57 is now Rick's.
AJ: Now when it was my car I could understand it. That's just the way you treat my things. But now that's your car..."
Donald O'Connor, in fine Hollywood tradition, even tweaked his age in this episode. Barnaby mentions he is 57, a year younger than the actor.
This was Deborah Ryan's last TV appearance. It seems when the police took Lorna away they locked her up for good.
Rick pretends to be "Ernie Boyer", scam investigator from Sacramento. He holds up his detective license prop.
AJ plays "Percy Faversham" alias "Lord Denton Wilke-Duke" alias the "Earl of Dunbarton"
AJ's lamp that is shot by Billie in The Skeleton Who Came Out of the Closet is back. However, the fight in this episode breaks another living room table. Gigi's take: "I guess they gotta get a new table."
This is another episode where a kid with lines doesn't get a screen credit. Weren't there rules about that sort of thing?
There is a director error in this episode. In the medium shot Rick is holding Lorna's letter on the right side. In the close-up of the letter "he" is holding it by the bottom.
The visible text of Lorna's letter:
"Oliver, I need you more than life itself. I cannot bear the thought of life without you. We had such lovely times together. You made me so very happy. I thought we would be together forever. Please reconsider and at least see me.
All my love, forever,
Lorna"
The City of San Diego Police Department building shown in this episode was used until 1987. It was at 801 West Market Street.
Barnaby calls Zoltan a quisling.
Credits:
Original air date: September 29, 1983 - Production Code: 57713
Writer: E. Jack Kaplan
Director: Vincent McEveety
Guest Stars:
George DeCova/Barnaby the Great....Donald O'Connor
Rubio...................................................Luis Avalos
Zoltan..................................................Barrie Ingham
Oliver Twist........................................David Elliott
Lorna..................................................Deborah Ryan
Maurice Lebeau.................................Gino Conforti
Insurance Agent................................James Karen
Co-Starring: (closing credits)
Dooley...........................Bill Zuckert
Knudson........................Rick Fitts
Cody..............................Richard Wright