Let's finish up Season 5...
- Klink's in hot water again--it's "Standing Room Only". There's a jealous Kommandant from another camp, and he's there to learn from the Iron Colonel. He finds out how Klink cooks the books, and is about to rat him out. Meanwhile, Hogan has a lot of escaped prisoners in the tunnels. He solves the whole thing by getting some of the prisoners recaptured, and having others dressed as Germans take them away, along with the other Kommandant (Noam Pitlik, in one of his many Hogan roles).
- A beautiful German singer (Marlyn Mason) tells Hogan that the Gestapo has a double agent with info on all underground agents, which also puts their operation in danger. They put Hochstedder off the trail by giving him "Six Lessons from Madame LaGrange" (LeBeau). Howard Caine gets a chance to shine as he dances with Clary (although they are dancing a box step, and not the Foxtrot he's supposedly being taught).
- Burkhalter finds Schultz sleeping on the job, so it's off the the Russian Front for him. Unfortunately, Hogan has been suing him to ferry pieces of a map inside loaves of bread in "The Sergeants' Analyst". To save Schultz, Newkirk hypnotizes him to believes he's a leader of men. The boys then make Schultz look good--maybe too good...
- All the world loves a lover--and Klink, apparently. "The Merry Widow" calls for Wilhelm, mostly since she's an agent and he's unknowingly ferrying microfilm to her. When Hogan finds out it's the wrong film, they get her to call in Schultz. There's a even a Three's Company moment when both Klink and Schultz are in her apartment at the same time. Marj Dusay is back as the "widow".
- It's a return visit from "Critterdon's Commandos"--unfortunately, Crittendon (Bernard Fox) the only one that makes it through to Stalag 13. He was sent to capture Rommel (?!?), so Hogan and the boys step in to assist. Despite Crittendon's "help", they manage to swipe "the desert fox" from a local hospital. However, it turns out to be the one the Allies were going to trade for Rommel, so it all works out.
- The allies are trying to take out a bridge, Hogan is processing flyers who parachuted out, and Klink is entertaining another fraulein (Pamela Curran). Burkhalter arrives and cranks up security. In order to resolve the problem, Hogan gets Klink to LET them escape (in order to "discover" the prisoner escape center). They have to delay the operation until they're ready to blow up the bridge themselves, so Klink gives them more and more ludicrous opportunities. Finally, they give Klink what he wants in a "radio play" via the bugs in the barracks. Klink even provides German uniforms--Hogan's starting to wonder why he didn't do this in the first place in "Klink's Escape". The topper--Hogan has Newkirk drop the tracking device in Burkhalter's car, so Schultz and the troops break into the general's chalet--with the fraulein.
Edward Knight had 6 Hogan roles, along with many others (Twelve O'Clock High, Wild Wild West, Mission: Impossible, Marcus Welby, The Rockford Files) in the 60's and 70's. He's probably better known as the father of Christopher Knight (Peter on The Brady Bunch).
We'll move onto Season 6 next time. Remember, you can play along! The DVD box set is available on Amazon.