The Avengers International Fan Forum

peabody · Posted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 9:50 pm Post subject: 5.09 - The Correct Way to Kill

Discuss, review and rate The Correct Way to Kill, production completed early February 1967.

Teleplay by Brian Clemens
Directed by Charles Crichton

Frankymole · Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 7:57 pm Post subject:

My review:

http://www.theavengers.tv/forever/peel2-9vr.htm

"How do you subtle your way past that?"

A five-bowler joy from start to finish. this could be the quintessential Avengers episode. What do we have? An immensely elegant Steed, Emma as gorgeous as ever she was, a cast of stellar talent (the steely Peter Barkworth — later the magical Merlin in "The Morning After" — saturnine Philip Madoc, and unnervingly-affable Terence Alexander in the same episode? Heaven.)

Charles Crichton's direction is a cut above. The wet-weather shop's waders first appearing to be a hanged man, the umbrella-impalings, Steed's swordstick, that glorious unguarded-blade fencing in the final combat (with a synchronised kill from Emma and Olga) matched to perfect music, the nods to Chaplin's The Great Dictator (Nutski bouncing an inflatable globe whilst expounding his plans for domination) and "The Cybernauts" (Emma wheels herself around in a wheelchair in two scenes with Michael Gough — surely an in-joke). We even get a regiment of "gentlemen" doing Hitler-salutes with their swordstick umbrellas chanting "Hail! Hail!" (hailing a taxicab!). Television doesn't get much cleverer, or more fun, than this.

The sets are atmospheric, Steed and Emma's costumes are elegant (for once the Emmapeelers aren't OTT) and Diana Rigg's acting is superb (her bemusement at the chiropractor, her reactions in Nutski's shop, her interplay with Steed in the tag scene — see below).

The dialogue is chock-full of gems: on tying up Olga with "the old school ties" ("the bonds of the old school tie are almost impossible to break"), "we're not prodding a balloon, we're killing the enemy," and Emma sparkles: "I can assure you my cheek will be nowhere near his jowl!", and the double-entendre laden tag scene... Emma: "And what did you give her?" Steed: "A reassessment of the decadent English male. Coffee? ... I've been embraced to the bosom of the glorious Motherland. Figuratively speaking." Emma: "36-24-36, or a more sort of... cultural exchange?" Steed: "The evening was heavily instructive. But lacking..." Emma (knowingly): "A certain bourgeois, capitalist, decadent touch?"

Five bowlers, indubitably. My admiration of Brian Clemens, if ever in doubt, soared on seeing this. A wonderful affirmation of the heights of Avengerdom, and one I'll watch again, many times. 11/10.
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darren · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:30 am Post subject:

I watched this yesterday evening. It's never been an episode that really grabbed me (nor does the original really).

What I like:

The guest cast (Madoc, Quayle, Gough, Alexander, Barkworth).
The What The Butler Saw music that is a perfect fit for the episode.
Just Olga from the Bolga. Anna Quayle just seemed to be in everything from that era.
There are some good lines even if they're mostly repeated ones. The guy falling down the lift shaft line works as does the Dardanelles line as shooting on film allows them to keep straight faces (unlike the laughing in the original).
It breaks away from the formula of the earlier season 5 episodes. It's sort of really glib in it's delivery of dead bodies, getting them out of the way.

Somehow it just doesn't quite work for me. Charles Crichton was a great director but I don't think he's on form with this one. I think I feel the same about this as The Charmers, neither is better than the other, they both have pluses and minuses.

7/10

anti-clockwise · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:41 am Post subject:

I agree with Franky. 20/10. This is probably my favorite of Avengers.

What was the acronym SNOB? Love it. And the first meeting with SNOB is teaching the SNOB members how a proper Englishman catches a cab?

And nice touches like Emma seeing a pic of Steed with the warning instruction Dangerous. Handle with care." And Emmas pic warning, "Dangerous. Don't handle at all."
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cyberrich · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 11:54 am Post subject:

Although this is clearly a wonderful episode, it's not one of the standout season 5 episodes IMHO. I do prefer The Charmers, mainly due to the presence of Fennella Fielding, my very favourite guest star. This episode has a great cast though, and Anna Quayle does a splendid job as Olga. I'd give it 8/10. Almost top marks, but not quite, as I do feel this episode has a sense of deja vu (not just because it's a remake), and it doesn't have a unique enough feel to set it apart from other episodes. Rich.

Frankymole · Posted: Sun Sep 29, 2013 9:32 pm Post subject:

paulpdjh · Posted: Wed May 28, 2014 11:00 am Post subject:

Interesting that most people seem to like this one. It's another season five episode that I'm really not keen on as it has none of the drama that made The Charmers such compulsive viewing. On a more positive note, watching the two episodes consecutively makes me realise just how much I like Cathy Gale - she might even start challenging Tara as my favourite female Avenger!
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Lhbizness · Guest

I like this one, but it is very different from The Charmers - despite sharing a lot of dialogue and plot. I enjoy the addition of Olga rather than the somewhat annoying actress in The Charmers (although she has her moments too). Michael Gough is great fun, and the final fight scene comes off great. Like The Joker/Don't Look Behind You, The Correct Way to Kill/The Charmers are different enough that I think they can both stand on their own merits.

Dan · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2014 4:58 pm Post subject:

9/10, mainly for the humor. This might be the funniest Avenger episode of all time. Love the bit where the Russian comes barreling into Steed's apartment, lands in a chair, and is offered a glass of wine by Steed.

Rhonda · Posted: Sat May 09, 2015 2:24 am Post subject:

I gave 5
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Ron
Last Watched : My Wildest Dream

Lee · Posted: Fri Jul 09, 2021 12:36 pm Post subject:

As this one was at the bottom of the pile and no one had commented on it for 6 years, I thought I'd make this my next watch. I'm quite enjoying choosing the episode at the bottom of a season and watching it. It's probably that long since I've seen some of these.

When the videos first came out, I loved this story. Its slightly quirky nature made it a hit with its typical Britishness: politeness, charm, gentlemen, stiff-upper-lip. I knew it was a remake of a Cathy Gale episode which I had seen but that was ok.

Watching it now, it still is a strong story: the idea of the double cross done in a different way. However, I think the slightly more realistic interpretation of The Charmers has the edge over this. Almost all the characters, except for Steed and Emma seem to be caricatures of stereotypes, from the over over-the-top Russian Agents to the quintessential British gentlemen. The idea of an actor employed to accompany Steed whom she believes to be a method writer in The Charmers, gives the story a little more edge because she never realises how much danger she is in, and the stories with which she regales Steed which he misinterprets as agent activity is quite sublime. Even Philip Madoc , who was an amazing actor (even in My Wildest Dream which I watched at the weekend) always turns in an amazing performance, but was a little OTT here as Ivan. I think The Avengers works best when yes, one foot is leaving the ground, but there is still another foot on it - the balloon seems to be pulling both feet off here simultaneously.

Having said that, I enjoyed it more than the last time I watched it - perhaps familiarity breeds contempt and a little distance increases viewing pleasure. May be I over dosed on the colour Emma stories in the past and little space was needed. Having said that, some of my all-time favourite stories do come from this year.

The music seemed to be a little on the back burner in this one, but it was nice to hear some of the cues I enjoy from series 4 which were on the whole ignored this year.

Overall, I give this.....

Hmmm - I've talked it down a little, but have just really enjoyed myself.

Come on, go for it....

......

7 - there, I've said it.

It would have been higher with a little more straight acting to increase the sense of tension and danger.
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