Last Rights (Quincy, M.E.)
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Episode Quote
"A cover-up won’t bury the truth—it’ll just bury innocence with it."
~ Dr. Quincy, in Last Rights
Episode Overview
Last Rights, the Season 5 premiere, aired on NBC on **September 16, 1980**. Quincy travels to a small industrial town to aid his friend—local coroner Dr. Charlie Volmer (William Daniels)—who faces community pressure to falsify two autopsies: a boy’s teenage overdose and a factory worker’s on-the-job death :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}.
Application of The QME Episode Laws
✅ **Law 1 – Seek truth & justice:** Quincy intervenes to reveal that the boy’s overdose was concealed as an accidental drowning and that an industrial workplace degenerated into lethal negligence.
✅ **Law 2 – Social/ethical scrutiny:** He challenges local authorities and factory management, confronting systemic suppression of public health data for reputation’s sake :contentReference[oaicite:2]{index=2}.
✅ **Law 3 – Sensitive complexity:** The storyline treats addiction and occupational safety with compassion, highlighting familial grief and workers’ rights without sensationalism.
✅ **Law 4 – Forensic accuracy:** Quincy employs toxicology, scene analysis, and industrial pathology—reflecting true medico-legal techniques in overdose and workplace accident investigations.
Episode Synopsis
Dr. Charlie Volmer, newly appointed coroner, enlists Quincy’s help when two suspicious deaths emerge: a teenager’s fatal overdose and a factory worker killed on duty. Cover stories obscure heavy methadone use and a malfunctioning safety guard on industrial machinery. Quincy uncovers factory mismanagement, confronts town leaders, and forces full transparency. The deaths spark a safety overhaul, re-open the overdose inquest, and restore integrity to the coroner's office.
Main Cast
- **Jack Klugman** as Dr. R. Quincy
- **Robert Ito** as Sam Fujiyama
- **Val Bisoglio** as Danny Tovo
- **John S. Ragin** as Dr. Robert Asten
- **Garry Walberg** as Lt. Frank Monahan
- **Joseph Roman** as Sgt. Brill
Guest Cast
- **William Daniels** as Dr. Charlie Volmer :contentReference[oaicite:3]{index=3}
- **Warren Stevens**, **Christian LeBlanc**, **Stephanie Braxton**, **Buck Young**
Case File Summary
Victims:
- Teenager (male) – overdose concealed as drowning
- Factory worker (male) – industrial accident misreported
Findings:
- High methadone levels
- Safety-guard failure on factory equipment
Outcome:
- Revised death certificates
- Factory safety improvements
- Volmer retains coroner position
Forensic Science Insight
- **Toxicology screens** demonstrated overdose levels.
- **Accident reconstruction** pinpointed missing safety guard hazards.
- **Medico-legal analysis** corrected official records under threat of corruption.
Themes & Tropes
- **Science vs. Local Politics** – forensic clarity challenges cover-ups.
- **Workplace Safety** – highlighting labor rights and corporate responsibility.
- **Ethical Integrity** – exposing moral and professional conflict faced by Volmer.
Reception & Ratings
Trakt lists it at **7.4/10** from 68 votes :contentReference[oaicite:4]{index=4}. Rotten Tomatoes notes the ethical tension over falsified autopsies :contentReference[oaicite:5]{index=5}. Fans recall the strong commentary on industrial safety and delinquency.
Trivia
- William Daniels later became famous for *St. Elsewhere* and *Boy Meets World*.
- Highlights Quincy's influence on state-level changes in coroner policies in industrial communities.
Season 6 → • Last Rights • A Matter of Principle • Last Day, First Day
See Also
External Links
- [IMDb – Last Rights](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0681800/)
- [Rotten Tomatoes – Quincy Season 6](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/quincy_m_e_/s06/e01)
- [Trakt – Last Rights](https://trakt.tv/shows/quincy-m-e/seasons/6/episodes/1)