Last night I watched The correct way to kill. Not one of my favourite season 5 episodes, but as I love most episodes with Emma, I still enjoyed it immensely. Being a remake of a Cathy story(The Charmers) the episode is obviously more studio bound. I think this works well in season 3, but I do prefer the episodes in seasons 4 onwards to open up a bit more and have some location shots. What I love about this episode is the banter between Steed and Emma, a reminder of season 4, and proof they could still enjoy themselves even towards the end of Emma's time. The cast is also second to none. Spot the famous guest stars. I counted five. Overall, a very good episode, but I prefer The charmers, primarily because of Fenella Fielding's cookie performance. I'd love to hear your views.
RATING 8/10 18TH BEST SEASON 5 EPISODE
The Correct way to kill-have your say
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Frankymole
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My review
Here's my review from "The Avengers Forever".
The Correct Way to Kill
"How do you subtle your way past that?"
A five-bowler joy from start to finish. this could be the quintessential Avengers episode. What do we have? An immensely elegant Steed, Emma as gorgeous as ever she was, a cast of stellar talent (the steely Peter Barkworth — later the magical Merlin in "The Morning After" — saturnine Philip Madoc, and unnervingly-affable Terence Alexander in the same episode? Heaven.)
Charles Crichton's direction is a cut above. The wet-weather shop's waders first appearing to be a hanged man, the umbrella-impalings, Steed's swordstick, that glorious unguarded-blade fencing in the final combat (with a synchronised kill from Emma and Olga) matched to perfect music, the nods to Chaplin's The Great Dictator (Nutski bouncing an inflatable globe whilst expounding his plans for domination) and "The Cybernauts" (Emma wheels herself around in a wheelchair in two scenes with Michael Gough — surely an in-joke). We even get a regiment of "gentlemen" doing Hitler-salutes with their swordstick umbrellas chanting "Hail! Hail!" (hailing a taxicab!). Television doesn't get much cleverer, or more fun, than this.
The sets are atmospheric, Steed and Emma's costumes are elegant (for once the Emmapeelers aren't OTT) and Diana Rigg's acting is superb (her bemusement at the chiropractor, her reactions in Nutski's shop, her interplay with Steed in the tag scene — see below).
The dialogue is chock-full of gems: on tying up Olga with "the old school ties" ("the bonds of the old school tie are almost impossible to break"), "we're not prodding a balloon, we're killing the enemy," and Emma sparkles: "I can assure you my cheek will be nowhere near his jowl!", and the double-entendre laden tag scene... Emma: "And what did you give her?" Steed: "A reassessment of the decadent English male. Coffee? ... I've been embraced to the bosom of the glorious Motherland. Figuratively speaking." Emma: "36-24-36, or a more sort of... cultural exchange?" Steed: "The evening was heavily instructive. But lacking..." Emma (knowingly): "A certain bourgeois, capitalist, decadent touch?"
Five bowlers, indubitably. My admiration of Brian Clemens, if ever in doubt, soared on seeing this. A wonderful affirmation of the heights of Avengerdom, and one I'll watch again, many times.
The Correct Way to Kill
"How do you subtle your way past that?"
A five-bowler joy from start to finish. this could be the quintessential Avengers episode. What do we have? An immensely elegant Steed, Emma as gorgeous as ever she was, a cast of stellar talent (the steely Peter Barkworth — later the magical Merlin in "The Morning After" — saturnine Philip Madoc, and unnervingly-affable Terence Alexander in the same episode? Heaven.)
Charles Crichton's direction is a cut above. The wet-weather shop's waders first appearing to be a hanged man, the umbrella-impalings, Steed's swordstick, that glorious unguarded-blade fencing in the final combat (with a synchronised kill from Emma and Olga) matched to perfect music, the nods to Chaplin's The Great Dictator (Nutski bouncing an inflatable globe whilst expounding his plans for domination) and "The Cybernauts" (Emma wheels herself around in a wheelchair in two scenes with Michael Gough — surely an in-joke). We even get a regiment of "gentlemen" doing Hitler-salutes with their swordstick umbrellas chanting "Hail! Hail!" (hailing a taxicab!). Television doesn't get much cleverer, or more fun, than this.
The sets are atmospheric, Steed and Emma's costumes are elegant (for once the Emmapeelers aren't OTT) and Diana Rigg's acting is superb (her bemusement at the chiropractor, her reactions in Nutski's shop, her interplay with Steed in the tag scene — see below).
The dialogue is chock-full of gems: on tying up Olga with "the old school ties" ("the bonds of the old school tie are almost impossible to break"), "we're not prodding a balloon, we're killing the enemy," and Emma sparkles: "I can assure you my cheek will be nowhere near his jowl!", and the double-entendre laden tag scene... Emma: "And what did you give her?" Steed: "A reassessment of the decadent English male. Coffee? ... I've been embraced to the bosom of the glorious Motherland. Figuratively speaking." Emma: "36-24-36, or a more sort of... cultural exchange?" Steed: "The evening was heavily instructive. But lacking..." Emma (knowingly): "A certain bourgeois, capitalist, decadent touch?"
Five bowlers, indubitably. My admiration of Brian Clemens, if ever in doubt, soared on seeing this. A wonderful affirmation of the heights of Avengerdom, and one I'll watch again, many times.
Last watched: "Concerto"
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cyberrich
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I think you've hit the nail on the head. What is so impressive about this episode is the witty dialogue as it positively bounces from one character to another.
How about this one from the incomparable Anna Quayle on being told that SNOB is a breeding ground for gentlemen.
"And where do they breed?"
Only in the Avengers!
How about this one from the incomparable Anna Quayle on being told that SNOB is a breeding ground for gentlemen.
"And where do they breed?"
Only in the Avengers!
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Strange Young Man
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Frankymole
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Please do! I saw it for the first time after a longish gap of no Avengers, and it was a perfect pick-me-up. From the bit where Philip Madoc's assassin-character inadvertently somersaults a chair to be handed a glass of wine by his intended target I knew it was going to be special, and it didn't disappoint. Each time I rewatch it I see something new to enjoy in the performances. I think it has very nearly the best cast of any story, all at their peak.
Last watched: "Concerto"
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frank
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To me Correct Way to Kill exemplifies perfectly the never never world Clemens was after. Everyone is witty and stylized yet you can still suspend disbelief, even with the murders and fight scenes.
Frankymole you forgot to mention the exchange in the elevator with the 2nd murder: STeed: "...What we need is a drink", Emma: "That you haven't said"
Personally while The Charmers is more realistic, Fenella Fielding is priceless and the villain is more fleshed out as often the case from the Gales to the Peels, I find Correct more effective and the story fits better.
One of the things that really pops to mind is the dialog is delivered with much more innuendo. Some of the dialog is directly carried over into the remake like the "cheek to jowl" and "Dardenelles" lines but are far more sexual or charged.
More importantly the members of SNOB are better written than in the Gale version. The killer in the Charmers is just another thug with almost no dialog. He comes across like a typical crude enforcer except he's wearing a bowler. In Correct...Algernon and Perceival are clearly 2 polished gentlemen true to their old school ties. They are well mannered and kill with sublime execution.
Even the character of Hilda played by Joanna Jones is presented in a much more refined and elegant manner than her earlier incarnation. Note she never displays any overt emotion nor breaks her english reserve.
It's amusing that Felding is the most outrageous and fun element of Charmers while Anna Quayle in an odd sort of way the most grounded and realistic charcacter in Correct Way to Kill.
Frankymole you forgot to mention the exchange in the elevator with the 2nd murder: STeed: "...What we need is a drink", Emma: "That you haven't said"
Personally while The Charmers is more realistic, Fenella Fielding is priceless and the villain is more fleshed out as often the case from the Gales to the Peels, I find Correct more effective and the story fits better.
One of the things that really pops to mind is the dialog is delivered with much more innuendo. Some of the dialog is directly carried over into the remake like the "cheek to jowl" and "Dardenelles" lines but are far more sexual or charged.
More importantly the members of SNOB are better written than in the Gale version. The killer in the Charmers is just another thug with almost no dialog. He comes across like a typical crude enforcer except he's wearing a bowler. In Correct...Algernon and Perceival are clearly 2 polished gentlemen true to their old school ties. They are well mannered and kill with sublime execution.
Even the character of Hilda played by Joanna Jones is presented in a much more refined and elegant manner than her earlier incarnation. Note she never displays any overt emotion nor breaks her english reserve.
It's amusing that Felding is the most outrageous and fun element of Charmers while Anna Quayle in an odd sort of way the most grounded and realistic charcacter in Correct Way to Kill.
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moorlock2003
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I love The Correct Way to Kill, but also like The Charmers. The one line I miss from The Charmers that isn't in The Correct Way to Kill is the one where the head of the school is teaching a lesson and instructs the men to perfect the art of the "short stab in the back, otherwise known as showbusiness".
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VA_Avenger
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It's one of my favorite color episodes - at least those of the tongue-in-cheek sort. Very witty banter throughout.
The fincing SNOBs found out what we all know about Mrs. Peel. "She's very dangerous - do not handle at all!"
The fincing SNOBs found out what we all know about Mrs. Peel. "She's very dangerous - do not handle at all!"
As soon as I heard that, I knew where this episode was heading - a sendup of upper-class Brits.Is he dumb or something? No, he's British
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Timeless A-Peel
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The Correct Way to Kill is great fun! I watched it the day after The Charmers, and it was a bit odd to hear the exact same lines delivered, but by different actors. One thing it really lets us do is compare Honor and Diana's characters. Lines delivered with venom and annoyance by Honor get a wry humourous spin when Diana takes them on. Aside from no one noticing Emma's different hair colour when she swipes the other girl's fencing girl, this one is great fun, as is the original. Both are favourites of mine in their respective eras.
