Name: A Terminal Case of Vengeance
Genre: Drama
Released: 1971-09-21
Duration: 1 h
Rating: 7.5
Cast: George Kennedy, Jack Albertson, James Wainwright

I liked George Kennedy...but felt this plot could have been better.

"A Terminal Case of Vengeance" is the pilot for a short-lived TV series, "Sarge". As you'd expect from a pilot, it's big on back story and sets the stage for future episodes.

When the film begins, Sarge (Kennedy) is getting married. As they leave the celebration, their car blows up...killing Mrs. Sarge and ejecting Sarge from the car. Instead of going back to work, however, his life is so changed by this event that he decides to quit the force and become a priest.

A few years pass and Sarge is assigned as an assistant to another priest (Bradford Dillman). As for Father Sarge, he's kind of hip and soon collects various misfits to help him in the church.

In the midst of this, the man who was convicted of blowing up Mrs. Sarge is released from prison*...and not surprisingly, this brings Sarge back into the case...which he works until the less than thrilling and awkward finale.

The payoff for finding the man who orchestrated the bombing, to me, wasn't worth the wait...especially how they handled it. It left me flat and for a pilot, disappointing as it didn't leave me wanting more.

*The guy who murdered Mrs. Sarge and tried to kill Sarge served four years in prison and then was released...which, frankly, made no sense at all...especially since he refused to divulge who paid him to do this. Didn't the writer think about this??

The drama genre is a broad category that features stories portraying human experiences, emotions, conflicts, and relationships in a realistic and emotionally impactful way. Dramas delve into the complexities of human life, often exploring themes of love, loss, morality, societal issues, personal growth, with the aim to evoke an emotional response from the audience by presenting relatable and thought-provoking stories.

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Sarge attempts to prevent a murder when Henry, one of his parishioners, upon learning he has only months to live, decides to exact revenge upon a mobster.

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A Terminal Case of Vengeance

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