The Young Avenger
Page 102 of 110

Obsession
By Joseph A.P. Lloyd

Direction: Three out of five. Perhaps it is the unsuitable content for good direction, but Ernest Day does have some really good shots in here, such as the courier on his bike as it goes along the road is filmed from the side of the engine! "Angels of Death" was better, though.

Plot: Three and a half out of five. No holes in the plot, and a really well executed one with revenge, old flames, fathers and all sorts of things coming into it. However, although it is a good plot in general, it really does not fit into the series very well, which was a very unemotional thing on the whole. Shame really, "Murdersville" had lots of real sentiment as well.

Music Cheese Factor: Three out of five. There is some really cheesy drum music when Larry's two goons break into a warehouse in the RAF base, but apart from that, it uses some serious soft saxophones, and high pitched melodies, which nowadays sound pure kitsch. Good, but cheesy.

Wittiness: Two out of five. There are some good exchanges between Steed and some of his friends at the party, but no lines spring off the screen at you. Just watch the wonderfully mushy romantic scenes.

Action: Two out of five. There are no real fights as in punch ups in this episode, but we see the nasty side of Larry rather too much for my liking, and when he threatens to kill Purdey, I cannot take much more. Then we also have Gambit, who decides that he will not get run over standing in the path of a truck. The worst is his father, who tries to face down some machine gunners in his Saab. Not a good plan.

Cars/Sets/Locations: Five out of five. Interestingly enough, the producers managed to cram so much different footage into this episode, that it looks as if it was filmed in two different seasons. The car park outside Steed's house makes interesting viewing if only for the fact that a VW Golf is parked next to a Jaguar. Whose is the Golf? Larry also has a Mercedes, and his house is rather nice, but the real thing is the lawn where the house was going to be built. I love it, for some reason.

Introduction: Four out of five. I really am fond of this episode, especially when it starts with that ballet scene, where Purdey looks fabulous. Shame we do not get to see the rest. Apart from this, we see that her lover is neither Steed nor Gambit, but Martin Shaw without an afro! Then there is the cut to the Middle East, and his father being shot. A real romantic haven.

Freeze Frame: Larry's father about to be shot by a firing squad. However, earlier, there was an opportunity to do better, as his car was kicked off a cliff by some Arabs. What about it?

Overall Impression: Strong performances from Shaw, Collins, Joanna Lumley, and even Hunt, for a change, really make this a feast for the eyes, and it is just so sappily emotional. Steed is not wasted either, when he saves the day by parking his Range Rover on top of the missile in a very stylish way. A rare trip into emotions for the series, and it actually works quite well. However, Larry's father is one awful actor, and Wolach is the most realistic RAF man I have ever seen! Well done to come up with something so fresh!

Rating: Seven and a half out of ten.

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Page last modified: 5 May 2017.

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