Murdersville-is this the best season 5 episode?

[DiVicenzo]

Oh gosh! I can't stand this episode. Sorry. Although it's dark and in some ways quite clever, it's let down by too many plot holes. Just a couple of things that irritates me: If the village 'goodies' have been tied up in the library all that time, they look remarkably clean! And not one of them appears to have needed the toilet since being locked in the stocks. Perhaps they're released several times a day to wash, shave, change, use the toilet, eat, get their hair done... And if the 'bad' villagers are that ruthless, then why didn't they just kill them all instead of locking them up in the library any way? Er.... And isn't it a bit daft that cold blooded killers, who bump off anybody for a price, suddenly get squeamish about ducking Mrs Peel in the pond? I could go on....

O, Johnny, Johnny... the villagers aren't the killers, they take payments from people to allow them a green light to kill whomever they want in the village. They couldn't bring themselves to kill their neighbours when they refused to be part of the scheme.

Oh, and this is Sixties TV - no-one goes to the lavatory (does that even happen nowadays?)

Er... I don't think so! But I will be more than happy to stand corrected. I watched the episode about a month ago and the villagers did commit some of the murders. They murdered Paul's Bat Man for example and there's a scene in the pub where one of them takes a rifle, goes outside and shoots someone, then comes back in and carries on drinking. Alas though, I'm not prepared to go and watch it again to check. Sorry.

The man with the gun I think was one of the hired assassins or that's what I have always thought since I first saw it in the 60's.

[Timeless A-Peel]

I flip flop on this one. For awhile it was a favourite, but as soon as the episode is one of those "solo" ventures, I feel it loses something. Lots of good bits--Emma's phone call to Steed, the end fight scene with the pies (and then the carryover into the tag with Emma having issues with her helmet), and a rare "real life" moment for Emma with the loss of her childhood friend. The scene where she chops the life out of the doctor is quite effective--doesn't she pick up a phone or something after he's out, and it's clear she's pondering smashing his head in, or something? Very cold-blooded for an Avengers girl. We certainly never see her going for a revenge kill in any of the other episodes, so this is probably the closest we get to a real Emma, as opposed to the superwoman. And Steed does stroll in at the end in classic Steed style, so it's not as if he's completely absent.

But best of the season? I don't know. It's Avengerland bizarre, but it's one of those episodes that I don't give as many viewings compared to others from the same season. Maybe because it's too dark? You've got me thinking now--considered objectively, it probably is one of the better-written entries in the series, but then a lot of the really well-done episodes tend to highlight the series' darker moments: Take-Over, Dead Men Are Dangerous, Stay Tuned, The Wringer, Obsession. But they don't always neccessarily translate into personal favourites. And I think the same goes for this episode.

[Sam]

O, Johnny, Johnny... the villagers aren't the killers, they take payments from people to allow them a green light to kill whomever they want in the village. They couldn't bring themselves to kill their neighbours when they refused to be part of the scheme.

Oh, and this is Sixties TV - no-one goes to the lavatory (does that even happen nowadays?)

Er... I don't think so! But I will be more than happy to stand corrected. I watched the episode about a month ago and the villagers did commit some of the murders. They murdered Paul's Bat Man for example and there's a scene in the pub where one of them takes a rifle, goes outside and shoots someone, then comes back in and carries on drinking. Alas though, I'm not prepared to go and watch it again to check. Sorry.

The man with the gun I think was one of the hired assassins or that's what I have always thought since I first saw it in the 60's.

That's what I've always believed.

[Whiskers]

O, Johnny, Johnny... the villagers aren't the killers, they take payments from people to allow them a green light to kill whomever they want in the village. They couldn't bring themselves to kill their neighbours when they refused to be part of the scheme.

Oh, and this is Sixties TV - no-one goes to the lavatory (does that even happen nowadays?)

Er... I don't think so! But I will be more than happy to stand corrected. I watched the episode about a month ago and the villagers did commit some of the murders. They murdered Paul's Bat Man for example and there's a scene in the pub where one of them takes a rifle, goes outside and shoots someone, then comes back in and carries on drinking. Alas though, I'm not prepared to go and watch it again to check. Sorry.

The man with the gun I think was one of the hired assassins or that's what I have always thought since I first saw it in the 60's.

That's essentially how I saw it, though I'm not sure there were any hired assassins. I thought it was all about rich businessmen, crooks etc, paying for the privilege of killing their rivals themselves.

As for the batman's murder, that was Mickle and Hubert rather than the villagers.

[Johnny O]

The man with the gun I think was one of the hired assassins or that's what I have always thought since I first saw it in the 60's.[/b]

That's essentially how I saw it, though I'm not sure there were any hired assassins. I thought it was all about rich businessmen, crooks etc, paying for the privilege of killing their rivals themselves.

As for the batman's murder, that was Mickle and Hubert rather than the villagers.[/quote]

So Mickle and Hubert lived somewhere else did they? Mmmm.... And who killed Paul?

[Allard]

Not my favourite season five episode. it's a bit to demure, everything takes place in this boring village. No diabolical mastermind with a great plan, little Steed and Emma interaction. But for what it is well done, and a welcome break from the usual season five set-up. Just not my cup of tea.

[skintp]

ALLARD: Surely the idea was to show not everything is as demure as it may seem! "Murdersville" (& "The Town of No Return") challenges our conservative ideas of how a village like this would be. The show was nearly always about this - that despite winning a major world war life in goody two shoes England goes on... but not as we know it!! Steed and Emma are not tied at the hip. They are EQUAL trained professionals. Her whole appeal was her ability to adequately function without Steed (& vice versa). It's no coincidence the show depicted this. It's the 60s and female emancipation is bourgeoning through to the masses!!! We should celebrate this because it's the one factor which lifts the show above any other spy series being made at the time. I loved it!!

[skintp]

In view of the previous & most scintilating discussion on "Take Over" - (Alas I never saw it ), does anyone know where I might be able to catch a snippet or even the full episode?

[darren]

In view of the previous & most scintilating discussion on "Take Over" - (Alas I never saw it ), does anyone know where I might be able to catch a snippet or even the full episode?

Murdersville is on youtube. Though judging from the quality it's probably from someone pointing a camcorder at a TV.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxxvIkLco3Y

[Allard]

ALLARD: Surely the idea was to show not everything is as demure as it may seem! "Murdersville" (& "The Town of No Return") challenges our conservative ideas of how a village like this would be. The show was nearly always about this - that despite winning a major world war life in goody two shoes England goes on... but not as we know it!! Steed and Emma are not tied at the hip. They are EQUAL trained professionals. Her whole appeal was her ability to adequately function without Steed (& vice versa). It's no coincidence the show depicted this. It's the 60s and female emancipation is bourgeoning through to the masses!!! We should celebrate this because it's the one factor which lifts the show above any other spy series being made at the time. I loved it!!

Youre right, but my problem with this episodes is the little change of scenery and the little time the two Avengers spend together. The best Peel and the best Gale episodes allmost always have a lot of Steed and Peel/Gale combined scenes. And as I said it's well done just no MY cup of tea.