6.08 - My Wildest Dream

[peabody]

Discuss, review and rate My Wildest Dream.

Written by Philip Levene
Directed by Robert Fuest

[darren]

Philip Levene's final episode for the show and he went out on a good'un. I love the darker edge that he developed. His episodes were very formulaic at the start of season 5 but there's some good stuff as it goes along and he breaks away from the forumula. It's good to have a "friend" albeit a rather forced upon one, of Tara's who doesn't die (or maybe that's more a New Avengers thing). Teddy's very amusing and well played by Edward Fox. There's a great two hander between Steed and Dr. Jaegar. Macnee is very measured and shows what a great TV actor he is. You just know the idea of living out the fantasy killings is mad enough for it to actually be inspired by a real thing.

Of course the script is helped by having the debut of one time Avengers designer Robert Fuest. Inspired by working with Peter Hammond, Fuest had previously directed the film Just Like A Woman starring Wendy Craig for which he also designed by the sets.

You can tell that he pushed designer Robert Jones into thinking a little wilder as there are some fantastic sets. The observation room was probably scripted as just a room but with Fuest and Jones it becomes the massive expanse of white with the words "OBSERVATION" emblasened across the back wall. A set that only the Avengers would do. The optics factory with all the glass panes allows for great shots.

The fight scene between Dyson and Tara is so well shot and Linda really goes for it (no obvious use of Cyd Childs). Its far more gungho than many of the Rigg fights.

The lighting in the episode is very strong as well, Frank Watts' only Avengers episode (doing many ITC series). And it also marks the debut of Howard Blake on scoring duties and his style is so right for the show.

10/10

[cyberrich]

A very strong Tara episode. Great plot which Clemens used several months later for one of the best Champions episodes, Autokill. One of Tara's most convincing fight scenes at the photographers. Psychological mind games worked very well in The Avengers. Stay Tuned is another classic in this genre. Wish there'd been more like this! 10/10.

[Rodders]

great stuff, including some wonderfully surreal shots from the director. The dream murders are more scary than the real ones with the dummy being stabbed.

[mariocki]

A great episode for the reasons already outlined above - great script from Philip Levene and direction to match from Bob Fuest. One that I remember very well from first viewing.

[Lhbizness]

This is a pretty good one, all things considered. The secondary characters are excellent - especially Edward Fox, always a joy to watch - and the plot suitably creepy/bizarre.

In watching it, it occurred to me that Steed offers a great deal to Tara in the way of a new perspective on life - unlike the other ladies, whose lives are fully formed and functional before they meet him, the impression is that he gives her direction and purpose. She's very young and he helps to direct her energies. Although I still find it unfortunate they went the route of her developing a crush on him, it's quite a sweet relationship in some ways.

Steed, however, seems to lose a lot of his sense of humor. He becomes more heroic, more "perfect" in the sense of dedication to duty than in any previous season, but the joy seems to have gone out of it. He's become quite melancholy.

[Timeless A-Peel]

An excellent episode all the way around, suitably creepy and tense at all the right moments. It was given a later timeslot for violence, I believe, which goes to show how effective it is, given that most of the violence is aimed at inanimate objects standing in for people!

This one seems to draw on The Champions' equally memorable "Autokill", which was written by Brian Clemens. I wonder if Clemens gave Levene the idea to work off of, or if Levene recycled it consciously or unconsciously. They were always reusing scripts, after all, and the premise seems too similar to have come up twice within a couple of years by accident. Anyone heard anything along those lines regarding this episode?

[Frankymole]

Although I still find it unfortunate they went the route of her developing a crush on him, it's quite a sweet relationship in some ways.

Much like Purdey's crush on Steed (as painfully evident in her conversation about his shoulder)...

Steed, however, seems to lose a lot of his sense of humor. He becomes more heroic, more "perfect" in the sense of dedication to duty than in any previous season, but the joy seems to have gone out of it. He's become quite melancholy.

I suppose his character would develop (again), all those deaths and departures must leave a mark on a man. This was developed further in The New Avengers, of course, with Steed eventually pontificating on how the job changes people, even him.

[Lhbizness]

Although I still find it unfortunate they went the route of her developing a crush on him, it's quite a sweet relationship in some ways.

Much like Purdey's crush on Steed (as painfully evident in her conversation about his shoulder)...

Steed, however, seems to lose a lot of his sense of humor. He becomes more heroic, more "perfect" in the sense of dedication to duty than in any previous season, but the joy seems to have gone out of it. He's become quite melancholy.

I suppose his character would develop (again), all those deaths and departures must leave a mark on a man. This was developed further in The New Avengers, of course, with Steed eventually pontificating on how the job changes people, even him.

All the ladies love Steed.

Yeah, it is a new development for the character, but it makes the whole thing a little sad and melancholic. A very energetic, joyful character has lost some of the humor that made him so lovely. It's another one of those places where Season 6 jars just a little - in the midst of some of the oddest, most outlandish plots, Steed becomes the most serious and intense.

[Frankymole]

Probably had to due to the demand (from the USA?) that the series get more "down to earth" (the whole - official - reason for bring Bryce back) - if the plots won't, the characters have to!