The Avengers International Fan Forum

Frankymole wrote:

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Very often it's the attitude of the person being chloroformed, captured, trapped etc. Tara is generally a girly-girl and a more traditional female partner. When she is the victim she looks like she's really in trouble.

When it's Emma, she is more likely to take it in her stride and banter with her adversary. When rescued Tara often falls into Steed's arms, Emma is more laid-back.

Usually. Though Emma's lip-trembling terror in parts of "House That Jack Built" and "The Joker" were certainly "girly-girlier" (to paraphrase) than Cathy Gale's reactions in similar episodes...

Please point out the 'lip-trembling terror in parts' to which you refer. I must have watched these hundreds of times and can't remember. Perhaps I have edited versions

Frankymole wrote:

Dandy Forsdyke wrote:Very often it's the attitude of the person being chloroformed, captured, trapped etc. Tara is generally a girly-girl and a more traditional female partner. When she is the victim she looks like she's really in trouble.

When it's Emma, she is more likely to take it in her stride and banter with her adversary. When rescued Tara often falls into Steed's arms, Emma is more laid-back.

Usually. Though Emma's lip-trembling terror in parts of "House That Jack Built" and "The Joker" were certainly "girly-girlier" (to paraphrase) than Cathy Gale's reactions in similar episodes...

You do keep referring to this episodes. There are other Emma Peel episodes y'know ...

Okay. Emma shows fear by the psychological menaces in both these episodes, yes. However, I don't regard these as any stronger feelings of fear that anyone (ie a bloke) would show. She never cries out or breaks down - in fact in THTJB she tells herself off - "work it out!"

Cathy, by the way, is nearly in tears at the end of Don't Look Behind You (the precursor to The Joker) and disappointed the director or Brian Clemens (I forget who). They wanted "tough, tough, tough" (in Honor's words) but she could only play it that one way. And then there is Tara in the equally psychological Pandora, of which I will say no more ...

Purdey however does rather well in her psychological escapade, Complex ...

Dandy Forsdyke wrote: You do keep referring to this episodes. There are other Emma Peel episodes y'know ...

Okay. Emma shows fear by the psychological menaces in both these episodes, yes. However I don't regard these as any other feelings of fear that anyone would show.

You can have it both ways - either Emma is Superwoman or she's human!

Don't worry, I'll cover Emma's lip-trembling moments if you like in my marathon survey...

Frankymole wrote:

Dandy Forsdyke wrote: You do keep referring to this episodes. There are other Emma Peel episodes y'know ...

Okay. Emma shows fear by the psychological menaces in both these episodes, yes. However I don't regard these as any other feelings of fear that anyone would show.

You can have it both ways - either Emma is Superwoman or she's human!

Don't worry, I'll cover Emma's lip-trembling moments if you like in my marathon survey...

Can't wait!

I think what I'm trying to say is Steed and Emma are good examples of the Stiff Upper Lip the Brits are supposed to have - to joke in the face of danger, but with a feeling of real terror underneath. The Dunkirk spirit and all of that.

A good example is Emma strapped to the opticians chair in From Venus With Love. She jokes with the DM about laser beams and peroxide rinses but jumps out of her skin as the beams gets closer and shows real fear. Once she is rescued she's back to the Steed/Emma banter.

What has this got to do with the topic header? Ah, well. It's better than a peroxide rinse ...

DiVicenzo wrote:

Frankymole wrote:

Dandy Forsdyke wrote: You do keep referring to this episodes. There are other Emma Peel episodes y'know ...

Okay. Emma shows fear by the psychological menaces in both these episodes, yes. However I don't regard these as any other feelings of fear that anyone would show.

You can have it both ways - either Emma is Superwoman or she's human!

Don't worry, I'll cover Emma's lip-trembling moments if you like in my marathon survey...

Can't wait!

or hip trembling moments...snicker....

it's all good...as it was mused earlier, the show lasted, due to having it change with the scripts-and-or-times...not many shows can do this.

Cracking jokes is just as much a reaction to fear as being evidently scared through crying or whatever. It's like when people are told bad news, it can manifest in different ways, like laughter.

Director Peter Hammond wanted Honor to play Cathy as tough during her confrontation with Martin but Honor found the scene so affecting that she couldn't play it any other way but distraught.

Hello all: I think for 99% of us, the obvious answer is 'yes'. The positive qualities of the first episode you watched brought you back the next week. If the first heroine you saw was Cathy Gale, she will be stronger in your heart. The same logic should apply to Mrs. Peel & Tara King. Someone earlier found an exception with "Doctor Who". I have this same exception. The first Doctor I watched was Sylvester McCoy, but my favorite is Patrick Troughton. Not so with "The Avengers". My first look was with the Mrs. Peel monochrome season, and Diana Rigg remains my favorite over 40 years later. I wouldn't trade her for any actress on Earth! Best regards, Madelow.

Madelow wrote:Hello all: I think for 99% of us, the obvious answer is 'yes'. The positive qualities of the first episode you watched brought you back the next week. If the first heroine you saw was Cathy Gale, she will be stronger in your heart. The same logic should apply to Mrs. Peel & Tara King. Someone earlier found an exception with "Doctor Who". I have this same exception. The first Doctor I watched was Sylvester McCoy, but my favorite is Patrick Troughton. Not so with "The Avengers". My first look was with the Mrs. Peel monochrome season, and Diana Rigg remains my favorite over 40 years later. I wouldn't trade her for any actress on Earth! Best regards, Madelow.

That would be me! And I think you're right. I think it was because my affection for Doctor Who was a slow burn. With The Avengers it was love at first sight.

To answer the question of the topic : No, the first episode I saw was The Rotters but I prefer b&w Emma Peel that I discovered after TNA in the 70s !