Ep 18. Cutback at CONTROL

In the season 2 episode 18 of the classic spy sitcom Get Smart, entitled "Cutback at CONTROL," our bumbling hero Maxwell Smart finds himself in the midst of a serious budget crisis at his workplace, the top-secret spy agency CONTROL. With funds drying up and threats to national security mounting, Max is forced to come up with ingenious ways to save money and maintain his cover as Agent 86.

The episode opens with Max and his partner Agent 99 attending a meeting with their boss, the Chief, who delivers some distressing news: CONTROL's budget has been slashed and they are facing a 30% cutback in funding. This means that many agents will be laid off and some operations will have to be scaled back or eliminated altogether. Max is determined to do his part to help out, even if it means taking on some unusual assignments.

Meanwhile, a devious KAOS agent named Jarvis is plotting to steal a top-secret CODEX machine that controls the launch codes for the country's nuclear arsenal. He enlists the help of an unsuspecting CONTROL agent named Hodgkins, who agrees to help him in exchange for a cut of the profits. Hodgkins is unaware of Jarvis' true intentions, and thinks they are simply stealing some office supplies.

Max and 99 are assigned to a new task force that is responsible for finding ways to cut costs and streamline operations. Their first order of business is to save money on transportation by using bicycles instead of cars. They strap on helmets and pedal their way to their destination, much to the amusement of onlookers.

Next, Max and 99 are tasked with finding a way to save money on surveillance equipment. They visit a thrift store and buy a beat-up old camera and a rickety microphone, which Max rigs into a makeshift listening device. When they test it out, however, they hear only gibberish and static.

As the episode progresses, Max and 99 find more and more creative ways to save money, including using paper clips instead of staples and reusing envelopes. But their efforts are complicated by the fact that they must also foil Jarvis' plan to steal the CODEX machine. Max and 99 use their wits and spy skills to track down the machine before it falls into the wrong hands.

Eventually, Max and 99 discover Hodgkins' involvement in the theft and must race against time to stop Jarvis and his cohorts from launching a missile strike. The tension builds as Max and Hodgkins engage in a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse, with the fate of the country hanging in the balance.

Overall, "Cutback at CONTROL" is a classic episode of Get Smart that blends humor, suspense, and political commentary. By lampooning the bureaucracy and inefficiency of government agencies, the show highlights the absurdity of the Cold War mentality that dominated American society in the 1960s. At the same time, it showcases the talent and chemistry of its lead actors, Don Adams and Barbara Feldon, who bring a unique brand of slapstick comedy to the spy genre.