****SPOILERS**** Somewhat baffling Ironside episode with Chief Ironside, Raymond Burr, teaming up with ex-SFPD detective and now homeless bum Ralph Meeker who goes by the name of "The Guy with the Brown Coat" to catch this real grad triple "A" nut case Jack Brody, Clu Culager. Brody who for reasons only known to himself murders a local homeless man Red Emery, Bob Gravage, and then breaks into a wear-house and steals a company check protector. It's then that Meeker or "The Guy with the Brown Coat" as Chief Robert T. Ironside calls him comes on the scene and after belting Det Sgt. Ed Brown, Don Galloway, who tried to question him offers his services to find Red's killer. Ironside seems to know this guy, Meeker, when he was a detective on the SFPD and thinks he can help him in this murder investigation.
Meanwhile Brody is going all over the city cashing forged checks, courtesy of the stolen check protector, at mostly local supermarkets at the rate of as much as $300.00 a pop. Brody does that just to spend money and dump the groceries that he bought as if there were the morning garbage! Were never really told what exactly this guy Brody's bag is other then that he's just plain nuts as well as a dangerous menace to society. We do get an insight into Meeker's or "the Man with the Brown Coat" pressing problems in that he holds himself responsible for the deaths of two rookie cops under his command who were gunned down with him, in his squad car stalling, not able to come to their aid.
***SPOILERS*** Eventually Chief Ironside and a squad of police finally corner Brody and in a wild shootout he's gunned down by them with Meeker ending up seriously but not fatally wounded. Now feeling confident that he can do his job as a San Francisco policeman Meeker AKA "The Man with the Brown Coat" decides to rejoin the the San Francisco Police Department but has to take time out to study for a civil service test that he needs to pass in getting his old job back! It's weird that throughout the entire Ironside episode no one including his boss the former SFPD Chief of detectives Robert T. Ironside never mentions what Meeker or "The Man with the Brown Coat's" name really is. Did Chief Ironside , or the screen writers, somehow forget it! As for the deranged and flaky grocery spending happy killer Jack Brody the less said about him the better.
P.S Check out very early in the Ironside episode when Red's body was found under the Golden Gate Bridge a 20 year old O.J Simpson, you just can't miss him, as one of the extras in the crowd scene.
