It’s been a long time to get through this series, and it must be said that it’s been a lot of fun. As I’ve been keeping score for these reviews, it’s high time for some titles to be awarded! Click on each title to read a full review of the episode…
The Top Five Episodes of Season 2
A chillingly prescient plot, a fine diabolical mastermind and a chilling depiction of a vicious disease add up to a thought provoking and enjoyable episode.
Worthy to be the opener to the season, constantly held at the top of fan lists and symbols pilfered for parodies and spinoffs, this was an excellent sign of things to come. We even begin to see a more personal side to Steed!
A possible introduction for the character of Cathy Gale, as well as the new format as a whole. Quite brilliant, with another welcome performance from Peter Arne, and a story which doesn’t quite fit everything back in the box.
Cathy gets a welcome romance from an equal partner, and sadly Steed has to prove that her lover is up to no good. It’s an old story, but still manages to feel fresh thanks to being part of The Avengers.
Low key beginnings, innocuous locations and a simultaneously insane and plausible enemy scheme. The story is airtight and perfectly played, and represents the best of what The Avengers had to offer at the time.
Honourable Mentions
Through sheer coincidence, the Top Five is full of Cathy Gale episodes! It’s only fair, then, that we have one award each for the best stories featuring the lesser seen sleuths of the second season: songbird Venus Smith and surly physician Martin King!
Not just the best Venus story, but an excellent episode in its own right. Undoubtedly, this is the best to use the concept of Venus’ character, as well as being an immensely fun episode to boot.
Yes, I am damning with faint praise, but Jon Rollason deserved something. He’s not actually bad, but he is terribly banal. This episode at least gives Dr King a love interest and an active part in the plot, and Rollason just rises to meet the challenge.
Finally, of course, what goes up must come down…
The Bottom Five Episodes of Season 2
An insipid scheme and an impotent villain conspire to make this a dud. King is a bit more interesting as he questions his role with Steed, and the episode would have done better to focus on this more.
No doubt that this is the episode from which Venus’ bad reputation stems. The villain is eye-rollingly bad- and our new hero falls for him hook, line and sinker.
Stevens and Macnee do their best, but the wicked scheme is given far more importance than it deserves. Surely the penalty for forging a signature is going to be less than that for treason?
Steed’s organisation is desperate to retrieve a spy: a man so capable that he’s caught by Venus on her day off. No wonder Steed think’s One-Six is a moron.
On the plus side, we have a nun in a submachine gun. On the minus side, we have the 45 minutes of the story leading up to this.
So, there you have it: the highs and the lows of Season 2! Do come back on Sunday for the premiere of Season 3: Concerto!
Buy this set from Amazon.co.uk!
Images appear from the recent Optimum DVD release- no attempt is made to supercede any copyright of Studio Canal, Optimum Entertainment, or the Weintraub Group. Words (C) Brendan Jones, 2010.
Critiqal Theory 