It Takes a Thief “The Packager” #2.6 (1968) (TV)

“Since when do thieves know how to write shorthand?”  24 October 2019

Mundy is blackmailed by a wealthy man into stealing nuclear fuel capsules from a secure facility in Florida.  Mundy faces a variety of roadblocks, including: getting into the walk-in safe where the capsules are stored, taking the capsules through the front gate without setting off the geiger counter alarm, and dealing with the man who hired him who’d just as soon see him dead.  

I’ll start this by saying that I really enjoyed The Packager.  Despite the episode’s many flaws (that I’ll get to), it’s still very entertaining.  Mundy’s cover, as a pomegranate-carrying member of the Junior Chamber, is about as funny as any he’s used so far. I appreciated the heist elements of Mundy’s mission - but who doesn’t love a heist.  Too often, Mundy is just dropped on an island or behind enemy lines with a mission laid out and a ready-made cover. Here, because he’s on his own, Mundy has to “case the joint” and think on his feet.  Finally, what’s not to like about Lee Meredith? She might not have been the best actress to appear on It Takes a Thief, but she has to be one of the most fun. Her dumb blonde rountine is a hoot. The fact she’s incredibly easy on the eyes is a plus.  

However, as much as I enjoyed The Packager, the plot’s not nearly as clever as it wants to be.  Too much is left to coincidence and luck. There are details about the nuclear facility’s operations that Mundy would have had no way of learning from his limited guided tour.  And when things go wrong, Plan B seems to be konk people on the head. This isn’t the most detailed, thorough, thought-out plan.   

7/10