Slow Boat to Madness Part 1 (Quincy, M.E.)

Slow Boat to Madness: Part 1
Series Quincy, M.E. Season 6 Episode 3 (Part 1) Airdate November 11, 1981 Airtime 60 minutes Runtime approx. 60 minutes Production No. unknown Writer Sam Egan (teleplay); story by Sam Egan & Marc Scott Taylor Director Daniel Haller Music by Guest Star(s) Diana Muldaur as Dr. Janet Carlyle; Allan Miller as Dr. Jeff Knight; Ed Nelson as Capt. Edwards; Mimi Rogers as Corrina Girard; others Victim multiple passengers suffering unexplained deaths Autopsy Findings sudden mysterious fatalities; hallucinations; possible infectious agent Network NBC Production Company Glen A. Larson Productions / Universal Television Previous Episode S07E02 – "The Golden Hour" Next Episode S07E04 – "Slow Boat to Madness: Part 2" Previous Season Next Season

Cruise ship scene from 'Slow Boat to Madness: Part 1' showing Quincy aboard ship

Scene aboard cruise ship

Episode Quote

"You only have to be breathed on by the wrong person & you're as good as dead." ~ anonymous passenger’s warning, as illness spreads in Slow Boat to Madness: Part 1

Episode Overview

Slow Boat to Madness: Part 1 (season 6, episode 3) originally aired on NBC on November 11, 1981 :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}. Quincy and Dr. Janet Carlyle—his vacation companion and ship’s doctor—find themselves embroiled in a public health crisis when mysterious deaths begin to occur aboard a luxury cruise ship. Initial autopsies are inconclusive, but spreading hallucinations and rapid fatalities prompt quarantine measures. :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}

Application of The QME Episode Laws

✅ **Law 1:** Quincy seeks truth and justice even while supposed to be on vacation—investigates unexplained aboard deaths. ✅ **Law 2:** This episode explores ethical issues of quarantine, public health, and institutional reluctance aboard a ship at sea. ✅ **Law 3:** The episode addresses controversial themes of contagion, panic, and forced isolation with sensitivity. ✅ **Law 4:** Forensic procedures—autopsies, infectious disease sampling, remote blood analysis—are depicted with medical realism. Samples are helicoptered to LA for testing. :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}

Episode Synopsis

Quincy and Janet embark on a weeks‑long cruise expecting rest, but late at night the captain requests Quincy’s help: a crew member has been murdered—or suddenly died—and others begin hallucinating and dying. Quincy identifies an infectious disease. With limited onboard resources, he arranges samples be flown to Los Angeles. Meanwhile passengers panic; nearby ports deny docking. The episode ends with two sick individuals jumping from the ship to escape and reaching shore as the crisis deepens. :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}

Plot Summary

Dr. Janet Carlyle is introduced as the ship’s doctor and Quincy's romantic interest. When illness strikes and deaths occur, Quincy’s forensic expertise localizes cause as a possible infectious agent. The cruise environment limits tools; he coordinates remote analysis. Panic spreads, medical triage falters, and the ship’s isolation leads to desperate attempts at escape. Quincy's challenge is not only medical but a race against time to prevent an epidemic.

Episode Navigation

← S07E02 • Slow Boat to Madness: Part 1 • S07E04 Season 7 Overview: Full Episode List

Main Cast

• **Jack Klugman** as Dr. R. Quincy
• **Diana Mulyaur** as Dr. Janet Carlyle (ship’s doctor, and romantic companion) :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}
• **Robert Ito** as Sam Fujiyama
• **Garry Walberg** as Lt. Frank Monahan
• **John S. Ragin** as Dr. Asten

Guest Cast

• **Allan Miller** as Dr. Jeff Knight (ship’s physician)
• **