Kojak (TV Series) Before the Devil Knows (1974) User Reviews

A pretty good episode.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 15 September 2018]

"Before the Devil Knows" is a very good episode of "Kojak" and I am glad I watched it. It's cleverly written and unique.

The show startes with a burglary...as two crooks preak in to an apartment. The man of the house (David White) catches one of them in the act and kills him....and when the cops come to investigate he doesn't tell him he killed the guy. In fact, he is dishonest in other ways....and there WAS something stolen by the guys that he doesn't tell the police investigators. However, the next day, the wife arrives---and implicates her husband in stealing some securities! Obviously, she is no loyal and doting wife!

With the information she gave Kojak, the police are able to determine that not only is the husband a crook, but he's been working with the mob. To make it worse, he's also arranging to have a hitman find the surviving robber and kill him! What's Kojak going to do?

The episode has lots of twists and deception...as well as great forensic work. These make it quite memorable and worth your time. Well written.

Respect for a professional

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 8 August 2019]

Usually Theo Kojak is not about passing out compliments to members of the criminal profession. But Henry Darrow is considered the Muhammed Ali of cat burglars. There are never any fatalities in any case he's involved in.

So when a partner is killed during a burglary Telly Savalas knows, just knows that Darrow didn't do it. And Darrow isn't about to let a murderer escape either, especially a murderer of his partner.

You have to love the scenes with Darrow and Savalas. Kojak never gets a scrap of evidence that Darrow was on the scene.. They talk around in hypotheticals. It's brilliant.

As is the episode.