Discuss, review and rate The Curious Case of the Countless Clues.
Written by Philip Levene
Directed by Don Sharp
6.03 - The Curious Case of the Countless Clues
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darren
- Diabolical Mastermind
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This was the episode that Clemens and Fennell returned on, Clemens made some quick rewrites.
I think in terms of script it's one of Philip Levene's absolute best. It has such a perfect opening scene. Two seeming police detectives investigate the scene of a crime and check the clues, a man enters and asks what's going on and who has been murdered. He is told that it's him and gets shot, falling neatly into the outline on the floor.
It's such an intriguing set up. Anthony Bate (died last year aged 84) and Kenneth Cope make such great bad guys and they feel unstoppable; they're real opponents for Steed and Tara.
It's got a very good guest cast including the wonderful Peter Jones as Sir Arthur Doyle complete with cape and deerstalker (that must be a Clemens addition). Edward De Souza is always excellent in everything I've seen him in. You really feel for Flanders being blackmailed. It has almost Avengers girl Tracey Reed as his sister, an old ex of Steeds. And George A Cooper, a man who always looked the same through his whole acting career. There's even a young Tony Selby.
While Steed does all the leg work, Tara is prevented by her skiing injury but that doesn't hold her back. Her injury allows for some of the tensest moments in the whole series as she races to lock her doors. She's all set up to be the next victim only to use every household item at her disposal and what a great fight ensues. It's brilliantly topped off with Steed entering the disarray to find Tara flicking through a magazine - that's sooo Avengerish.
With such a good script and cast it's a shame that the episode doesn't shine more. Sadly it's due to some particularly awful set design and just very average direction from Don Sharp has a no Avengers style. This script directed by Robert Fuest could have given us another Take Over. Also Johnson's music doesn't work for me, a bit too marimba based.
8/10
I think in terms of script it's one of Philip Levene's absolute best. It has such a perfect opening scene. Two seeming police detectives investigate the scene of a crime and check the clues, a man enters and asks what's going on and who has been murdered. He is told that it's him and gets shot, falling neatly into the outline on the floor.
It's such an intriguing set up. Anthony Bate (died last year aged 84) and Kenneth Cope make such great bad guys and they feel unstoppable; they're real opponents for Steed and Tara.
It's got a very good guest cast including the wonderful Peter Jones as Sir Arthur Doyle complete with cape and deerstalker (that must be a Clemens addition). Edward De Souza is always excellent in everything I've seen him in. You really feel for Flanders being blackmailed. It has almost Avengers girl Tracey Reed as his sister, an old ex of Steeds. And George A Cooper, a man who always looked the same through his whole acting career. There's even a young Tony Selby.
While Steed does all the leg work, Tara is prevented by her skiing injury but that doesn't hold her back. Her injury allows for some of the tensest moments in the whole series as she races to lock her doors. She's all set up to be the next victim only to use every household item at her disposal and what a great fight ensues. It's brilliantly topped off with Steed entering the disarray to find Tara flicking through a magazine - that's sooo Avengerish.
With such a good script and cast it's a shame that the episode doesn't shine more. Sadly it's due to some particularly awful set design and just very average direction from Don Sharp has a no Avengers style. This script directed by Robert Fuest could have given us another Take Over. Also Johnson's music doesn't work for me, a bit too marimba based.
8/10
Overall I tend to enjoy this episode. The decision to turn to realism (or sort of) is clearly evident here: Steed hitting his head with the pendant lamp, driving a tow truck in order to rescue Tara, Steed talking of “routine police matters”. Nevertheless, this “realistic” bits blend rather well with the series’ usual elements of fantasy.
The character of Sir Arthur Doyle is, in my view, the biggest liability of this episode: I find him to be more clumsy than eccentric, lacking some spark and flare.
Every time I watch this episode I can’t help to wonder whether Bryce had actually managed to shoot at least a tiny bit of it before getting the sack...
The character of Sir Arthur Doyle is, in my view, the biggest liability of this episode: I find him to be more clumsy than eccentric, lacking some spark and flare.
Every time I watch this episode I can’t help to wonder whether Bryce had actually managed to shoot at least a tiny bit of it before getting the sack...
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darren
- Diabolical Mastermind
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This episode was in production when Brian Clemens and Albert Fennel were re-appointed. Don Sharp, the director said how after a short break, they got an adjusted script and reshot sequences that were already filmed. There's probably location stuff that John Bryce was producing but I think the studio scenes were after the change.
Levene's original script had Sir Arthur Doyle with a female assistant called Watson but Clemens wrote this element out.
Levene's original script had Sir Arthur Doyle with a female assistant called Watson but Clemens wrote this element out.
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Allard
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Re: 6.03 - The Curious Case of the Countless Clues
In my memory this was one of those compromised early Tara episodes.
But I'll recant. It certainly isn't bad. Except for the large dash of BRIEF FOR MURDER it feels however more like a Department S episodes or so. Nice premise, a bit of quirky sixties spy-fi, but it lacks the Avengers sparkle.
But I'll recant. It certainly isn't bad. Except for the large dash of BRIEF FOR MURDER it feels however more like a Department S episodes or so. Nice premise, a bit of quirky sixties spy-fi, but it lacks the Avengers sparkle.