4/5 Do you take this Smart...?
  by E. A Solinas (MD USA)
For three seasons, Maxwell Smart and his partner 99 have flirted around with a sorta-kind-attraction. If only he weren't so oblivious.

But things change drastically in the fourth season of the classic spy spoof. Oh, there's still the usual struggles on behalf of the forces of goodness and niceness, with plenty of whacked-out spoofery and weird plots, but the real focus here is on the new developments in Max and 99's relationship. First comes love, then comes marriage... what next?

A mission at a TV station leads to some interesting problems for Max and 99 -- when cornered in Chaplin costumes, Max confesses his feelings to 99. And she interprets it as a proposal!

On their way to the altar, Max and 99 have other problems to deal with, including impersonating the infamous bank robbers Connie and Floyd, unfortunate "accidents" that befall Max's best men, andSiegfried's diabolical vegetable-decimating scheme... right down the street from 99's mother. And the wedding itself is thrown into KAOS when Max is fed a secret map which requires him to stay vertical for 48 hours.Obviously this may cause problems for the wedding, not to mention the honeymoon.

And the newlyweds are confronted by many other problems: a laser blazer, disappearing couriers, toxic neighbors, a giant diamond, an invisibility formula (by a gorgeous female scientist), the infamous Leadside, missile explosions near gold courses, a budget cut that forces 99 to get a new job, an awkward visit by Max's doppelganger (the king of Coronia!), the Chief dating a very young woman, undead KAOS couriers sent by a mad scientist, and KAOS kidnapping countless Control agents.

Obviously the biggest change in "Get Smart: Season 4" is that Max and 99 finally get together, get engaged, and marry. It does take away some of the simmering tension now that they've reached the romantic finish line, but fortunately the fourth season still has enough insane Evil Plots and clever film spoofs ("Ironside," "Frankenstein," "Rear Window," "Great Escape") to compensate.

Along the way, there are plenty of bizarre plots by the evil KAOS (KAOS zombies stealing trucks!) and bizarre puzzles that Max and 99 somehow work out, often by putting themselves in comical danger, ranging from airfights to fencing matches with a wheelchair-bound art-lover. But there are also some more down-to-earth problems that the newlyweds face, such as Max meeting his future mother-in-law, or 99 freaking out at Max's lateness to the wedding.

And the dialogue and comic relief are absolutely priceless ("HOLY KUMQUAT!" a poor tailor howls as Max drives him off the deep end), and fortunately wedding bells don't signal the end of gutsplitting comedy (Max gets shot in the backside). Seriously, it hardly ever gets serious -- even the wedding has 99 and the tattered Chief solemnly stepping over unconsious bodies.

Don Adams is the heart of the series, with his quirky face, nasal voice, odd body language and confident catchphrases ("And loving it!"). Barbara Feldon plays a wonderful straight woman to Max's goofiness, and they both fit well as both romantic and professional parters -- even when they end up marooned on a KAOS island for their honeymoon. Only 99 could put up with the kind of things Max does... like blow up the boat and discard the paddles.

On the supporting side, Edward Platt is just wonderful as the long-suffering Chief, and Bernie Kopell gets to have LOTS of fun as "Ziegfried." Not only does he get to be the Red Baron, pilot a floating island, and be the commandant of POW camp Camp Gitchee Goommee Noonee Wa-Wa ("When they get here and find we are running a prisoner of war camp without a license, we'll be arrested!").

"Get Smart Season 4" loses the romantic tension, but it still has plenty of hilarity and insanity -- secret plans, spies, and the occasional evil maid.