The Avengers International Fan Forum

Discuss, review and rate The Rotters.

Written by Dave Freeman
Directed by Robert Fuest

The Rotters - starring Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson

Very enjoyable episode to finish the evening's viewing today. The titular Rotters themselves are a wonderful double act: two perfect English gentlemen with a sideline in murder, played straight for maximum comic effect by legends of the small screen Gerald Sim and Jerome Willis. The SF/fantasy element of this episode really rather good, and has a suitable faux-scientific background with a new Dry Rot formula developed from experimental fungus which is fired from a spray gun. The effects that along with this are also cut together for comic effect, as whole objects made of wood simply disintegrate and vanish! There's the usual blend of great fashion (Linda Thorson's green mini inparticular *cough* what there was of it), classic cars tearing around country lanes and through water fords, catchy incidental music, well arranged fight scenes, and some wonderful eccentric characters. As well of course, we have another great little name for a company or organisation with the gothic sounding Wormdoom. Great stuff. It would be 8/10 except for the blooper during Tara's attempted escape where the metal shackle around her ankle disappears the moment she leaves the room. The acid only broke the chain, and she was still wearing the shackle as she escaped the room. If the acid had gone through the shackle, it would have gone through her ankle too! And she didn't have time to remove it be any other means. Such things do happen on television, but it is quite obvious and this was a show that had good costume continuity.

7/10

Spaceship Dispatcher wrote:The Rotters - starring Patrick Macnee and Linda Thorson

Very enjoyable episode to finish the evening's viewing today. The titular Rotters themselves are a wonderful double act: two perfect English gentlemen with a sideline in murder, played straight for maximum comic effect by legends of the small screen Gerald Sim and Jerome Willis. The SF/fantasy element of this episode really rather good, and has a suitable faux-scientific background with a new Dry Rot formula developed from experimental fungus which is fired from a spray gun. The effects that along with this are also cut together for comic effect, as whole objects made of wood simply disintegrate and vanish! There's the usual blend of great fashion (Linda Thorson's green mini inparticular *cough* what there was of it), classic cars tearing around country lanes and through water fords, catchy incidental music, well arranged fight scenes, and some wonderful eccentric characters. As well of course, we have another great little name for a company or organisation with the gothic sounding Wormdoom. Great stuff. It would be 8/10 except for the blooper during Tara's attempted escape where the metal shackle around her ankle disappears the moment she leaves the room. The acid only broke the chain, and she was still wearing the shackle as she escaped the room. If the acid had gone through the shackle, it would have gone through her ankle too! And she didn't have time to remove it be any other means. Such things do happen on television, but it is quite obvious and this was a show that had good costume continuity.

7/10

Which series of Avengers/New Avengers impressed most 1. Fashion wise 2. Plots 3. Fight Scenes 4. Baddies ...

A new writer for the show, more familiar to writing comedy. I believe Dave Freeman was known to script editor Terry Nation from their time scripting for Tony Hancock.

It's quite a witty script in the season 5 mould - the pattern of a connected group of men being systematically killed off. The bad guys are fun. I love the scene of Steed and the villains going through the niceties of afternoon tea with the old lady who likes plastic flowers before having a fight.

"John! Put those keys back in the piano... Where ever it is..."

It's definitely Robert Fuest's weakest outing. He flourishes on the more surreal and dramatic episodes than the comedic ones. Don Chaffey or James Hill would have been more suited. It's got a good cast but it needs a lighter touch and the lighting is too gloomy.

5/10

A fun episode which is played for laughs despite the actual rather serious threat of the Rotters weapon (the instant rot element not the spore spilling postboxes), some good old school eccentrics too. A few technical fluffs such as the appear and disappearing chain on the wooden gate and Tara pretty much spending the episode as a knickers showing contest.

great baddies and a wonderfully British tea scene with conversation about the weather before the piano collapses.

I'm trying to give these episodes a fighting chance - I really am - but...how incredibly dull. The whole episode has an odd stilted feel to it, as though the actors aren't quite certain how to deliver their dialogue. And that goes for everyone, from the two leads on down to some excellent Avengers character actors who are usually better than this. The plot is ridiculous but perfectly in keeping with The Avengers as a whole, so there's no quibble there. It just all falls curiously flat through to the frankly dumb tag scene. Every scene goes on for too long. The biggest point of interest was how Linda Thorson manages not to flash anyone - points to her. I think they even use the Cybernauts music there at the beginning, which is just obnoxious.

I don't know if this is a fault of the script, the direction, or a combination of both. It just really does not work.

Lhbizness wrote: The biggest point of interest was how Linda Thorson manages not to flash anyone - points to her.

Charlie Parker wrote:A few technical fluffs such as the appear and disappearing chain on the wooden gate and Tara pretty much spending the episode as a knickers showing contest.

Does she show her knickers or not?

(Not that Emma Peel minded doing so!)

Frankymole wrote:

Lhbizness wrote: The biggest point of interest was how Linda Thorson manages not to flash anyone - points to her.

Charlie Parker wrote:A few technical fluffs such as the appear and disappearing chain on the wooden gate and Tara pretty much spending the episode as a knickers showing contest.

Does she show her knickers or not?

Not that I noticed - and in that green dress I imagine it was a challenge. The fact that this is the main question surrounding this episode I think pretty much says it all.

(Just in matters of comfort (and as a female) wearing a costume where your underwear is on display is slightly different, in terms of awkwardness, than wearing a dress that you're constantly having to shift around in to avoid flashing everyone. So props to Diana for being able to deal with those costumes and look cool about it, and props to Linda for working through it and not appearing awkward).

Lhbizness wrote:

Frankymole wrote:

Lhbizness wrote: The biggest point of interest was how Linda Thorson manages not to flash anyone - points to her.

Charlie Parker wrote:A few technical fluffs such as the appear and disappearing chain on the wooden gate and Tara pretty much spending the episode as a knickers showing contest.

Does she show her knickers or not?

Not that I noticed - and in that green dress I imagine it was a challenge. The fact that this is the main question surrounding this episode I think pretty much says it all.

It's not the main question, but I'm finding the Tara-bashing a bit inconsistent. One poster claims she spends the entire episode showing her knickers, another claims she doesn't show them at all. That's a big gulf of perception. They can't both be right!