Ep 4. A Vigilante Ripped My Sports Coat

Rob Petrie (played by Dick Van Dyke), a comedy writer for the fictional Alan Brady Show, finds himself in quite a predicament in The Dick Van Dyke Show season 4 episode 4, titled "A Vigilante Ripped My Sports Coat."

The episode opens with Rob returning home after a long day at work to find that his favorite sports jacket has been torn apart by someone lurking in the shadows. He immediately calls the police, but when they arrive, they seem to brush off his concerns and offer little in the way of help. Rob is left feeling frustrated and helpless, unable to do anything but stew in his anger.

That is until his neighbor Millie (played by Ann Morgan Guilbert) suggests that he hire a private investigator to catch the culprit. Rob is hesitant at first, but when Millie insists that the private investigator she knows is the best in the business, he decides to give it a try.

The private investigator, named Sam (played by Dick Van Patten), agrees to take Rob's case for a fee of $350. He sets to work immediately, investigating every lead and questioning everyone in Rob's building, from the janitor to the doorman. But despite his best efforts, Sam seems to come up empty-handed.

Meanwhile, Rob's wife Laura (played by Mary Tyler Moore) becomes increasingly involved in the case, much to Rob's chagrin. She begins searching for clues on her own, and even goes so far as to confront one of the potential suspects in the parking lot. Rob is worried that Laura's meddling will only make things worse, but Laura insists that she is only trying to help.

As the investigation drags on, tensions in the Petrie household begin to rise. Rob becomes increasingly paranoid and mistrustful of everyone around him, and Laura is frustrated by his lack of faith in her. But when Sam finally comes up with a promising lead, Rob starts to feel hopeful once again.

The lead leads to a confrontation that nobody has anticipated! Everything is revealed in the end, and the mystery is finally solved, much to Rob's relief. But as the credits roll, viewers are left to wonder what other adventures might be in store for the Petrie family in future episodes of The Dick Van Dyke Show.