The Young Avenger
Page 44 of 110

The Thirteenth Hole
By Joseph A.P. Lloyd

Direction: Four out of five. The golf course, whether it is in a studio or actually the real ground, seems to be a good place for the director of "Too Many Christmas Trees" to film: there are some very good shots in the episode. Just watch the low angle of Emma teeing off, and Steed's time in the clubhouse. Rather better than usual for Baker.

Plot: Three out of five. My dear friend David has said that plot is secondary to execution in the series. Here he is certainly right on the mark. The transmissions to the satellite do not really make sense, as Adams could have been moved to another part of the world, but the bizarre idea of including a golf course in it is certainly worth a few points.

Music: Four out of five. Many good bits from "The Town of No Return" are used here, as is rather a large amount of new music, which, specially written for the occasion, complements the on-screen action very well indeed, especially when Steed shows himself to be a real eccentric.

Wittiness: Two out of five. Williamson, who came up with top marks when he last worked with Roy Baker, does not leave any lasting impression on the humour seekers with this script. I cannot even remember any good lines, but this mark is there for overall impression of the wit.

Action: Three out of five. The fight with Collins in the bunker is well handled, if a little pointless, but the scuffle at the end is immensely amusing, and well done at the same time, especially when Emma makes a growling noise behind her bars at Steed, and the Russians are watching as well. It is rather satisfying.

Cars/Sets/Locations: Three out of five. We all know that the thirteenth hole is really in the studio, so let us not quibble about the set there in comparison with the real golf course, which is brilliant for the purpose. The indoor sets are merely average, but there is not very much that could have been done to improve them anyway. We also get to see the Vauxhall 30/98 from "The Gravediggers."

Introduction/Tag: Four out of five. The random game of golf followed by the call for the .303 is a wonderfully strange occurrence, and definitely fits into the style of so many of the series' episodes, leaving the dead body to be dumped in an alley. Reminiscent of Death at Bargain Prices. The tag is also wonderful.

Overall Impression: This episode proves that Steed and Emma can proceed without eccentrics, in an episode that is principally written for one location, and also one which is not immediately appealing. The plot is very realistic, and silly in the true Avengers style at the same time, the direction is rather good, and the idea of Steed's weather forecasting equipment for a better game of golf is bound to be good for a laugh. Rather satisfying.

Rating: Seven and a half out of ten.

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Page last modified: 5 May 2017.

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