The Avengers International Fan Forum

highflyingbird · White Dwarf Joined: 09 Dec 2013 Posts: 9

Very sadly Peter Vaughan passed away yesterday. Thoughts are with his family at this time. But 93 was certainly a fair old innings.

Ian Wegg · Have Fingers... Will Type! Joined: 15 Sep 2011 Posts: 420

Good strong episode with great supporting cast.

If this had been the first innocent people brainwashed to commit murder plot then it would have been 10.

But it wasn't.

8/10

Lee · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 6:19 am Post subject:

I haven't seen this one in a while, so I thought with an hour to myself to 'kill' I'd watch this again.

First saw this on Channel 4 in the mid 80s, broadcast in a 6pm time slot. I've since read that many ITV stations either gave this episode a miss or screened it late at night due to the content. I can see why. This is very knife wielding heavy with direct shots of chest stabbings, even if half of them are against dummies....

The director (Robert Feust) does a great job. There are some great shots, such as shooting up beneath a glass table in Yagger's office, or framing the fight between Tara and Dyson in patterned glass in the optics room. I'm sure that fight with Mrs Peel would have looked a lot more fantastical, but here Tara is using brute force as Mrs Gale would have done. Some great long shoots, too, such as when Tara and Steed head of to his car after visiting the victim in his darkroom with the daffodils framed in the near shot. The music is good,too. Hadn't realised it was a Howard Blake, but nice to hear some of Johnson's cues from series 5 used.

There are a few nagging points in the plot:

How did Tobias and Nurse Owen know each other?

Why was Steed chosen as the witness? Dyson said he has researched him thoroughly. If so, how could he not think that Steed wouldn't get that close to their operations?

Why was a witness needed? With Frank Tobias behind all of this, suspicion might fall on him as the only board member left. If others saw the murders, then it puts him in the clear, I suppose.

Why did Frank want to control of the board? His motives are not made clear.

Why choose Steed? Perhaps this is the beginning of the not-so-secret-agent as we see more in TNA where people just seem to be able, to locate him. I think there could more convincing ways for our heroes to become involved.

Had others from Dr Yager's office gone on to do such heinous crimes, or we're these the only examples? Did he know of Nurse Owen's schemes? I imagine not.

Still, tight story telling, with a hard edge.

I've always thought that this and its predecessor in production Look, (Sop me if you've heard this one).... Are basically the same story. A board of directors is being bumped off, and there is a traitor on the board organising it. The motives in the latter are more clear. However, this one is realised as a thriller, and Look..... Is realised as a comedy. The diversity of the show can accommodate both both and place our heroes within it.

Is it me, or is Steed's voice seemingly lower now?

Overall, I give this an 8.
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You really must have a word with that cleaning lady....

mousemeat · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 7:16 am Post subject:

Frankymole · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2021 11:39 am Post subject: