6.28 - Pandora

[peabody]

Discuss, review and rate Pandora.

Written by Brian Clemens
Directed by Robert Fuest

[darren]

It occurred to me the other day that this is yet another season 6 episode with a plot similar to Adam Adamant Lives! Episode A Case of Reincarnation - see also Requiem. Adamant is drugged and fooled to believe that he is back in the early 1900's - Requiem had the fake hospital aspect.

This is a favourite of Linda Thorson and the late Robert Fuest.

With Steed in the background and Tara mostly dialogue less, it's really James Cousins and Julian Glover who carry the episode. It's very much a Thriller episode from Clemens. I think it would have made a really nice black and white episode. The acting is excellent throughout. Fuest's direction is quite simple compared to his other episodes but is still strong. Johnson's new score is very effective.

Whilst a good episode, it does lack that certain something that makes it more Avenger-esque.

[Rhonda]

4 from me. Like the music.

[Ian Wegg]

This seems to be a strangely ignored episode. Micheal gives it one of the shortest entries in his book and there are only a couple of responses here.

I really enjoyed this, an excellent cast with lots of characters and good direction. The familiar "trapped in a house" premise but with lots going on to keep the action flowing and plenty of mystery.

The scene where Tara backs into her own portrait I found genuinely chilling and the denouement was memorable.

I've given this 8/10 (but on reflection think it should have been 9.)

[Avengerholic]

Always found this one rather tedious, although I like really the plot idea. Interesting to note that one of the 'The Fierce Rabbit's' lived at Seven Pines, a la 'The House That Jack Built'.

[Allard]

Last Sunday I was feeling a bit under the weather so I decided to not see a favourite, but give Pandora another long overdue viewing.

Sorry, I can't warm to it. Boring plot and boringly executed. Tara is drugged most of the time, an escape attempt, her looking outside and seeing an aeroplane fly over confirming her doubts it all would have made it way more exciting. Or not letting the viewer in on that it is a set-up, go Escape in Time and make it look real to the end.

The Gale/Peel files and John Laurie's scenes save this episode. But for the rest not really Avengerish.


Oddly enough the Dutch dvd set has the Italian title sequence for this episode and this episode only.

[Frankymole]

I'm not keen on this one, either. It's just not very Avengerish in feel. Seems more of a try-out for Brian Clemens' Thriller series (I know it isn't, but the same kind of female-in-distress "having the wool pulled over her eyes" plot).

What is the Italian title sequence like? Is it just different language for the credits or an actual different film sequence?

[Andrew Pixley]

I quite liked this one when I first saw it because it gave Linda Thorson something more challenging to get her teeth into - which I think she does very well indeed - and when I've watched through the Tara episodes subsequently it's been one that's added to the variety of the mix, particularly at this juncture where they're a gnat's whisker from cancellation. They try something more edgy with some of these later scripts and the tone shifts - which I can understand doesn't always go down well with people, although I think I now understand that one of the reasons that I do like "The Avengers" so much is because there are so many different styles and flavours. But for me, this one has the same sort of insane threat and un-nerving menace towards one of Steed's colleagues as "Don't Look Behind You", "The House That Jack Built", "The Joker", etc.

All the best

Andrew

[frank]

I can never embrace this episode. It's a good idea in theory and in keeping with what Clemens did with Don't Look Behind You, Joker and House That Jack Built. However I feel the episode falls apart since it only works by having Tara be drugged and passive. Let's face it, if she were in her right mind, she would beat the crap out of all three of them and just walked out.

While I understand why Linda Thorson picked this as her favorite, I feel it is a reflection of Clemens feelings toward her and Tara King. He'd never would have written an episode like this for Cathy or Emma

[Frankymole]

Brilliantly-put, frank!