A young detective is shot and killed by a thug who is robbing a store. Kojak and his men are soon on the scene and Theo discovers that the only witness to the murder is the girlfriend of an embittered mobster with whom the Lieutenant has had run ins in the past. The woman refuses to cooperate and disappears, making Kojak's investigation difficult. On top of this the FBI warns Kojak not to interfere with the witness as she is of immense importance to one of their operations...
Kojak is back with a bang in this first episode of the show's 5th and final season with a soaring new theme tune(check it out on Youtube). This episode was a glorious breath of fresh air for the series which had begun to turn rather stale with the onset of the mostly disappointing season 4. Telly is firmly back in the saddle in one of his best performances of the series, once again firing on all cylinders with his passionate charisma and sardonic demeanour which make the show a joy to watch. The mesmerising Greek is supported by a more than competent cast: Paula Kelly as the gangster's moll who is not what she seems, Charles Cioffi as the cruel mobster Arnie Brace and Edward Power as federal man Robinson. Robust support also comes from series regulars Dan Frazer, Kevin Dodson and George Savalas. The episode also benefits from an engaging script with some memorable lines of dialogue, throw in a couple of riveting foot chases and it succeeds fully.
A promising start to the final season of Kojak which returns to the quality of seasons 1 and 2. 10/10.