A friend of the Chief's invites him to stay and then promptly disappears, leaving Ironside to figure out what has happened to him, whilst also running the gauntlet in a town determined to cover up a secret.

Desperate Encounter

Raymond Burr

Don Galloway

Don Mitchell

Barbara Anderson

I, the People

Robert Phillips vs. the Man

A notorious jewel thief named Justin arrives in town at the same time as a shipment of famous jewels arrives for display in a local museum. Ironside must keep the thief guessing about the method of shipment so that the jewels will remain safe; but he is up against a mastermind and there is still an inside man who has to be unmasked.

Shell Game

Ironside is the only witness to a murder, but has to go into hospital for exploratory surgery immediately after the events that he witnessed. The murderer is determined that he should not leave hospital alive, and as the Chief deals with the possibility of maybe one day being able to walk again, his presence in the hospital helps various other citizens right wrongs in their lives. Meanwhile Ed, Eve and Mark deal with their own worries and fears for the Chief as the murder attempts escalate.

Split Second to an Epitaph

A policeman friend of Ironside and the team is the prime suspect in a murder investigation. Is he really guilty, though, or is the evidence just a little too damning?

The Sacrifice

A black rights activist is arrested for murder, and San Francisco's Black community threatens to take to the streets in protest. Commissioner Randall asks the Chief to investigate the case in an attempt to prove Phillip's innocence; but certain citizens do not appear to want to co-operate.

An obnoxious talk show host known as ""The Peoples' Voice"" begins to receive death threats, and the Chief is assigned to protect him. Firstly he must overcome his own feelings of dislike for the man, but are those feelings entirely misplaced? Events escalate when the host's wife is killed by a car bomb apparently meant for her husband.

The Chief is alerted to the murder of a down-and-out by an ex-cop now living on the streets. The trail soon leads to a long line of false cheques, and an extremely unstable man.

Price Tag -- Death

A friend of the Chief's is an obvious suspect in the murder of her husband, but the Chief believes that the evidence against her is too obvious. He soon proves her innocence, but is she really the victim of a frame-up, or is it all rather more complicated than that?

An Obvious Case of Guilt

When Eve is injured during a shooting, the rest of the team recall their early encounters with her, and the Chief wonders if he was right ever to have encouraged her to join the force. Meanwhile, Ed worries over whether he wants to arrest Eve's attacker, or just kill the man outright.

Reprise

A rich man is murdered, and his man-servant is the prime suspect, until a talkative Mynah bird appears which may just have the solution to the whole case on the tip of his tongue.

The Macabre Mr. Micawber

A young pool hustler is coerced into a contract with a crooked promoter when his brother amasses large gambling debts. The Chief steps in, but can he get through to the brothers in time?

Side Pocket

A old woman is murdered, and the only witness appears to be a large, grumpy Alsatian. The Chief enlists his help in a search for the murderer, and uncovers a story of con-jobs and blackmail suggesting that the old woman was far from being just a helpless victim

Sergeant Mike

A painting turns up, apparently painted by an old friend of the Chief's who is presumed dead after confessing to a murder. The Chief believes that he is still alive, and innocent, and sets out to find not only his friend, but also a murderer.

In Search of an Artist

Eve's niece is arrested for possession and use of marijuana, and the Chief investigates her school and friends in a bid to clear her. It soon becomes obvious that she is guilty as charged, but how many others are involved, and just whose fault is it?

Up, Down, and Even

Victoria Ironside, the Chief's aunt, is a member of the Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club. When a fellow member disappears, Aunt Victoria turns to the Chief for help, but what he uncovers turns out to be a very strange and sorry tale.

Why the Tuesday Afternoon Bridge Club Met on Thursday

Mark's old boxing coach, an alcoholic, is found at the scene of a serious assault, and nobody seems prepared to entertain the theory that he might just be innocent. Mark battles to prove that he has been falsely accused, assisted by the rest of the team, and in the process wins the affections of his law school teacher.

Rundown on a Bum Rap

A fortune teller predicts various confusing prophecies for the members of Ironside's team, which begin to come true with remarkable accuracy. Faced with a missing Da Vinci painting, a kidnapped Ed Brown, and a prediction of his own death, the Chief has to find out who is responsible, before the visiting French ambassador becomes too upset at the loss of his country's much loved art treasure.

The Prophecy

An old friend of Mark's calls him to ask for a meeting, but she is kidnapped before he can reach her. It soon transpires that her disappearance is tied to that of movie star Gloria James, who appears to have died or been murdered. The Chief naturally digs further, and finds a tale of heartache and sorrow which leads to the front door of a local mobster.

A World of Jackals

Following a series of robberies amongst San Francisco's richest inhabitants, Eve Whitfield falls in love with one of the victims, only to discover that he is the Chief's prime suspect. Whilst the rest of the team worry about how to catch the thief, however, Eve is wondering if it may be time to quit the force to get married.

And Be My Love

Ed and an old friend uncover a drug running operation whilst having a night on the town, and after becoming implicated in the affair they are suspended. Ed risks extreme wrath from above in order to continue his investigations, whilst the evidence against his friend continues to grow.

Moonlight Means Money

An old friend of the Chief's, recently widowed, is hearing strange voices and receiving threatening 'phone calls. She is afraid that she is going mad, but the Chief is determined to prove that this is just what somebody wants her to think.

A Drug on the Market

An ex-policeman murders his wife, and sets up a complicated false trail and apparently flawless alibi in order to cover his tracks. The Chief has to find a way to crack the man's seemingly perfect defence, in order to prove that he is guilty.

Puzzlelock

A famous baseball player who is an old friend of Ed's begins to receive nuisance mail, which soon turns into something far more sinister. Fearing for his family, he refuses Ed's offers of assistance, and tries to handle the situation alone. Ed has to persuade him to change his mind, before events get out of hand.

The Tormentor

A young woman is found dead in a park, and it soon transpires that she died as a result of an illegal abortion. Greatly affected, Eve disguises herself as a pregnant woman, and tries to discover who the back-street abortionist is.

A Matter of Love and Death

A local college is plagued by false bomb alerts, and the editor of the campus paper is convinced that leftist militants are responsible. However, when the fourth bomb proves to be real, and a member of the bomb squad is killed, the Chief begins to look in another direction.

Not With a Whimper, But a Bang

When an assassin's bullet confines him to a wheelchair for life ending his career as Chief of Detectives, Robert T. Ironside becomes a consultant to the police department. Detective Sergeant Ed Brown and policewoman Eve Whitfield join with him to crack varied and fascinating cases. Ex-con Mark Sanger is employed by the chief as home help but eventually becomes a fully fledged member of the team also. Officer Whitfield leaves after 4 years service, and is replaced by Officer Fran Belding.

Desperate Encounter

Seasons8

Season 2 Episodes25

Cast4

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Episode Summary