The Devil You Say

Great Halloween episode from the beloved NBC detective series - suspenseful with a few surprises. Hudson, Saint James, and Nancy Walker made a great team. You can watch it on YOU TUBE.

While Sally and Mildred are visiting a hospital looking for a friend, Mildred witnesses a murder in another room. But when Sally and staff come back there, it's empty. Eventually, some kind of Satanic cult is involved. I'll stop there and just say this was quite scary and funny with fine turns from Werner Klemperer (yes, the former Colonel Klink of "Hogan's Heroes") and Keenan Wynn who I just also watched in an ep of "Kolchak: The Night Stalker" as well as Robert Hooks. I also liked the small part of John Fiedler as a coroner. Oh, and I also loved the music score that played throughout this particular ep. So that's a recommendation of "The Devil You Say".

I enjoy Halloween TV episodes, both those from the classic series of my youth, and more modern entries. I particularly like shows that combine fun with light scares, and my all-time favorite in this category is "The Devil You Say," a 1973 episode of McMillan & Wife, which I view each year during the Halloween season. It has everything you could ask for in a Halloween episode--a Satanic cult, past-life regression, trick-or-treaters, and a Queen of Witches, one who is thought to be slumbering in the body of Sally McMillan (Susan Saint James), if only the Satanic cult's mysterious Halloween gifts would awaken her. If Serena, the witch/goddess, doesn't awaken, poor Sally will be sacrificed during an elaborate ritual. Will dashing police commissioner Mac (Rock Hudson) arrive in time to rescue Sally? It's the most Halloween fun with one of the most adorable TV couples ever!

With the making and release of The Exorcist, satanic worship became quite fad in the 70s for the big and small screen. This episode from McMillan&Wife is not one of the best examples of the genre.

Satanic worship is alive and well in San Francisco and as Jim Jones's cult was at its height when this episode was aired why wouldn't it b? There are a few covens operating at the time and one of them thinks Susan Saint James is the reincarnation of the Egyptian goddess Serena. Her presence is demanded for their big vent on Halloween.

Such folks as Werner Klemperer, Keenan Wynn, and Robert Hooks are in the cast and so is Barbara Colby, victim of a real life tragedy.

Not one of the better stories.

This is a Halloween themed episode that falls flat. Keenan Wynn and Werner Klemperer are guest stars in a very hokey episode about devil worshiping cultists who are after Sally. The episode has no redeeming value and is a total waste of Wynn's and Klemperer's talents. It's not campy or funny and it's certainly not scary; there are no real plot surprises or twists. It starts out when Mildred opens a door at the hospital only to see someone being strangled, but when others arrive to her screams, no one is there. At first, it seems like Mildred's being "gas-lighted," but then the plot jumps to satanic cults, past life regressions and other nonsense. At that time in the 70's, scary movies involving witchcraft and satanic cults were becoming popular. Later that same year (1973), The Exorcist was released. Unfortunately, this was an overall poor and unbelievable plot for this show.