ok episode

Joe figuring out the name kidnapper gave was the name of a horse out of nowhere just didn't fit well I thought.

Disagree, 'cause I called that one well before Joe did; of course, many of us think like TV cops and not real cops, and LOOK for ridiculous assumtions and plot-twists. A longshot, but it is TV. Just like you knew from minute one who Imir's father was; why Joe didn't suspect it sooner surprised me. My original guess was that the wife knew all about it and was trying to screw her huysband, ESPECIALLY after her press conference.

As long as you could believe the assumption that they were looking for a gambler, it wasn't that much more to guess that 'Ishmael' wasn't complettely made up.

Still love those opening r/c shots....

I really enjoyed this episode. I knew once the idiot kidnapper started negotiating with the DA w/o a lawyer, the FBI would nail him on federal charges.

I thought the wife was going to be behind it as well.

Don't know why you think that associating that name with a horse was a longshot. They knew he played the ponies so why not?

I really liked this episode. After watching both Dragnet and Boomtown for a while, I found that Dragnet was a much better show consistently. Have to wait two weeks for the next one though, which looks like it has Frank Smith, and Dr. Gloria from Oz...

I was figuring some kind of Moby Dick reference would lead them to the kidnapper, since if memory serves "call me Ismail" is the first line of moby dick
but it wasn't that far fetched, the guy was using cell phones last used at a race track, it'd wouldn't be too hard for the cops to glance at the list of horses at that track and see the same name

Did you go to City College along with Detective Frank Smith?

Good episode. This show is great, hands down. Let's hope it sticks around.