The Avengers Forever: Rodney's Reviews

	Rodney's Reviews Page 6 of 42

Castle De'ath
By Rodney Marshall

Despite a wafer-thin plot, this is an enjoyable episode. As in "Too Many Christmas Trees" and "The Joker," a haunting atmosphere pervades the castle, helped by Laurie Johnson's bagpipe-inspired score.

I like the fact that the deadly mastermind's identity remains a mystery until close to the end, a series of red herrings pointing to Ian De'ath (rather than his brother Angus) as the culprit. With the benefit of hindsight, I should have guessed that the baddy would be the one who wants to exploit the castle's macabre history in the name of tourism, rather than the fiercely loyal laird Ian, wonderfully played by Gordon Jackson.

The writer manages to avoid the tempting cliché of Mrs. Peel being tortured on the rack and there is plenty of humour in the script, from our introduction to "Jock McSteed"—and his feeble excuse for lacking a Scottish accent—to the look on his face as he struggles to digest the traditional porridge at breakfast. Not quite a four-bowler, IMHO, but great fun, nevertheless.