6.32 - Take-Over

[Lhbizness]

I love anything that features badass Steed and his sideburns. Bonus points for not having to deal with Tara.

Adams actually reminds me a lot of Jean Dujardin, who also played an overconfident secret agent in the OSS 117 films. Grenville's characterization makes me angry from the word go, which is great for the episode. I think you're quite right: Grenville wants to be a man like Steed, but is incapable of it. He pretends to be an aesthete, uses overly aristocratic language, and cannot stand being bested. One of the great attractions of Steed's character is that he's masculine without ever trying to prove it.

[Rhonda]

3 from me. Like the quizes.

[darren]

I randomly decided to stick this one on.

It's such an unusual and strong thriller of an episode.

Patrick Macnee shows what a superb dramatic actor he was - the subtlety with which you see him noticing that things are wrong whilst playing the eccentric dandy socialite!

[Ian Wegg]

I was dreading coming here to write a review, I knew I was going to be out on my own. Almost ... I find myself in the rare position of agreeing with Ron.

Liked the vintage car in the hallway and the LWB truck cab Land Rover.
Nice to see John Comer, shame he was killed off in the first few minutes.

Otherwise 50 minutes of tedium broken only by the glaring continuity error of Circe shaking hands with Tara with her right hand.

The ending was a joy, in the same way as an extraction is a joy after toothache.

I could see that this would be an episode that people would love but for me the overall enjoyment level was very low.

3/10

[dissolute]

I've always felt this wasn't an Avengers episode at all, it's too nasty.

[Ian Wegg]

I've always felt this wasn't an Avengers episode at all, it's too nasty.

Yes, I think you've put your finger on it.

I've just finished watching Pandora; it has the same basic setup of a victim trapped in a house by villains, but I found it hugely more enjoyable.

[darren]

It's psychologically nasty. It gets at you due to the manners of the house invaders. If they were properly thuggish and brutish, it would seem more natural. It's the unease and tension that arises from their politeness (There's a much better word but it's not coming to me presently).

I've always found Murdersville nastier. The villagers aren't diabolical masterminds, they're just simple village folk who got greedy - Mickel and Hubert being in some particularly unpleasant scenes where they're deliberately enjoying tormenting Forbes before they kill him.

I like Take Over a lot but it's not at atmosphere or tone I'd want the whole show to have.

[johnnybear]

Hilary Pritchard was another of those beauties who should have made more appearances in the series! Tom Adams obviously knew a good looking woman when he saw one even if she wasn't interested in him! she died in 1996 I believe!
JB