Ep 24. The Expendable Agent

Maxwell Smart is an agent for an American intelligence agency called CONTROL, which is tasked with foiling the plans of KAOS, a terrorist organization that seeks to destabilize the world. In this episode, titled "The Expendable Agent," Max is called in to investigate the disappearance of a CONTROL agent who was working undercover in KAOS as a janitor. The agent had been gathering intelligence on a secret weapon that KAOS is developing, but he has vanished without a trace.

Max and his partner, Agent 99, start by questioning the staff at KAOS headquarters, but they don't find anything useful. They then decide to have Max go undercover as a janitor himself, hoping to pick up where the missing agent left off. Max gets the job and starts poking around, but he quickly finds that his cover is blown. KAOS agents put him into a pit and he is saved by Agent 99 and some of the fellow janitors with whom Max bonded.

Max finds out that KAOS is developing a device called a neutron disintegrator that can vaporize anything within a 50 mile radius. He tries to report this to his superiors at CONTROL, but they dismiss it as absurd. Max then takes it upon himself to stop KAOS from using the weapon, so he goes back to headquarters to steal the plans.

Max successfully infiltrates HQ and makes off with the plans, but not before he is caught by KAOS agents who try to take him down. He makes a daring escape and heads back to CONTROL, where he is hailed as a hero. However, the plans he brought back are not complete, and Max knows he will have to go back and get the rest of them.

This episode showcases the physical comedy, satire, and witty wordplay that made Get Smart a hit. Max's bumbling attempts at espionage are tempered by his courage and resourcefulness, and he is always ready to save the world from KAOS's nefarious schemes. Agent 99 is a capable partner who helps keep Max on track, and the rest of the supporting cast – which includes the Chief of CONTROL, desk jockey Agent 13, and the inept KAOS agent Siegfried – provide plenty of laughs as well.