The Avengers International Fan Forum

Written by Brian Clemens

Directed by Bill Bain

Production completed: 6 December 1963

10/10

A perfectly constructed script from Brian Clemens, with the right amount of characters all with something interesting about them. The set design is perfect and Bill Bain keeps things moving. Wonderfully atmospheric.

I try to watch it every year at New Years.

So do I, it's a lovely spooky episode, reminiscent of Arnold Ridley's play The Ghost Train with everyone thrown together, suspecting each other, stranded in a station with a hidden adversary at work.

Watched this one this morning, loved it. I'd only seen it once previously and that was at least 15 years ago. A terrifically atmospheric episode with some great characters and a brilliantly constructed, authentic looking set. Leonard Rossiter's character is the sort of obnoxious git I always get lumbered with at a party. Honor was on top form as usual with Cathy's obligatory fight scene being well staged. The only let down for me was Anneke Wills, who simply sets my back as tight as a piano chord in anything I see her in, and I really don't think Patrick can pull off what is supposed to be a genuine laugh as an actor. 10/10.

I know a lot of people love this episode but I found the script to be shockingly flawed and full of logic holes. Which is surprising because there's a lot of good things to the script

Ironically the script is both superior and inferior to its descendant, The Superlative Seven

the Good:

The basic premise is sound and original

The characters are intelligent and written in a believable manner. They are realistically written and pretty rational except for 1 glaring issue. They become understandably suspicious of Steed but then logically have their doubts. Their attentions shifts in an organic way without having to be spoonfed.

Anneke Wilkes's Pussycat is a nice example of this fleshed out character. On the surface she's a bit ditzy and flirty with Steed. She has some doubts about him but still cautious enough to not help him escape. There is a killer loose and she's not 100% sure Steed is innocent.

The BAD:

THe plot falls apart in terms of murder. There's no reason for it. There's no reason to have killers set up around the perimeter. The goal is to keep them from claiming their land parcels and keep them prisoner for one night. Why didn't the villain just drug them and then lock them up?

Cathy is skulking about in a monk's robe for the first half of the story. From her scene with Steed, it's clear he didn't bother to tell her what's going on until then. That doesn't make any sense he would wait so long

The biggest issue of all is Cathy passing herself off as the guest dressed as a highwaywoman. Excuse me but that was utter nonsense!!!

The story makes a point of showing the other guests as fairly sharp and intelligent. Yet not one person, even the one from the government, could not tell she was an imposter? True they all met that night. But even with a mask you can see it's a different person. Plus Cathy's voice is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT from the other woman's. The other woman's voice was higher in pitch and meek, mousy in manner

I can see this is a popular episode and I had high hopes.

Regrettably, for reasons I can't exactly pin point, this just didn't meet my expectations. The limitations of the studio set really started to grate on me and I found the story dragging in the middle. A great cast though which lifts if above average, if only just.

6 from me.

10 for me. Everything about it is excellent from the script to the great cast's performances making it an example of TV drama to be proud of.

Hadn't seen in quite a while. Pleasantly surprised, an excellent episode. It builds tension and story very well (I didn't notice the plot holes or cared about them). It has the typical Avengers playfulness, more common to the later episodes. Steed and Cathy at their finest, good lines, sharp detecting / spy work. Also the adding of some alternate scenes and shots: the opening scene, train and track footage a few more wide or long distance shots of the sets made this one a lot less confined than the typical Gale era episode.

Alexander Davion was another actor that never returned to the series and he had the look of a great enemy spy against Steed! I know he was with John Gregson soon after but there were other opportunities surely?
JB