There's at least one other case of the victim making the mistake of NOT being a blackmailer. I know I've said it nearly a dozen times, but Lenore Kennecut announces to Brimmer that she's going to expose him to her husband as a blackmailer after confessing her affair, when it would be a lot better to use "counter-blackmail," since each of them can cause trouble for the other. Or promise NOT to cause trouble for the other.

Have to agree, Verdammt. I probably didn't think enough about the ABC series, but yeah, "poor, Lenny"....all of that anger, telling Alex how he's going to ruin him...and then suckering into Alex' ploy to get him to hold off until he shows him the film was a fake.