Ep 15. Loser Takes All

The episode titled "Loser Takes All" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the classic crime drama series Kojak. The show revolves around a bald, lollipop-sucking New York City detective named Theo Kojak, played by Telly Savalas. In this episode, Kojak and his team investigate a string of burglaries that have been occurring in a high-end residential building.

The episode begins with a wealthy couple returning home from a weekend getaway to find their apartment ransacked. Kojak and his team are called in to investigate, and they soon discover that several other apartments in the building have been burglarized as well. The burglars appear to be targeting valuable jewelry and other high-end items, and they have been getting in by using a master key on the building's front door.

Kojak interviews several of the residents and building staff, but nobody seems to have seen anything suspicious. However, when Kojak learns that the building's superintendent recently won a large amount of money in a poker game, he begins to suspect that the burglaries may be an inside job. His suspicions are confirmed when the superintendent's wife is caught trying to pawn some of the stolen jewelry.

The superintendent's wife, named Rita, is brought in for questioning, but she claims that her husband had no involvement in the burglaries. Kojak, however, is not convinced, and he begins to dig deeper into the superintendent's background. He discovers that the man has a history of gambling and debt, and he begins to suspect that the burglary spree may have been an attempt to pay off these debts.

As Kojak continues to investigate, he discovers that the superintendent has a partner in crime: a young gambler named Stan. Stan and the superintendent had been working together to plan and execute the burglaries, with Stan doing the actual breaking and entering while the superintendent provided the master key and helped to fence the stolen items.

With this new information, Kojak and his team are able to arrest both the superintendent and Stan. However, they soon realize that they have only scratched the surface of a much larger criminal operation. The superintendent and Stan were working for a powerful gambling syndicate, and the burglaries were just one small part of a much larger scheme. Kojak and his team must work quickly to unravel the complex web of criminal connections and bring the entire network to justice.

"Loser Takes All" is a classic episode of Kojak, showcasing the series' signature blend of gritty crime drama and intelligent detective work. Telly Savalas delivers another strong performance as Theo Kojak, showcasing the character's relentless determination and sharp investigative mind. The episode is also notable for its depiction of the seedy world of underground gambling, which adds an extra layer of intrigue and danger to the story. Overall, "Loser Takes All" is a must-watch episode for fans of classic crime dramas.