Rodney's Reviews
Page 7 of 42
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Rodney's Reviews |
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The Master Minds This belongs to the cluster of monochrome episodes which have a perfectly reasonable basic idea but which end up being a little dull. The upside-down Professor seems to be an eccentric touch crudely tacked on. Far more amusing is Davinia, the flirtatious daughter of Sir Clive, who adds a genuine breath of fresh air. The other rare moments of humour take place in Steed's bed-sit at the girls' school: first he compares his muscles with those of a male pin-up on a locker door and then he smiles knowingly at a sign recommending that if you can't sleep, "call for a mistress"; as always, Patrick Macnee plays this solo scene to perfection. It makes a refreshing change to have a female deadly mastermind and one whose identity is only revealed at the very end. I also like Steed's reliance on Mrs. Peel to pass the IQ tests. Despite the various clever touches, "The Master Minds" never quite comes alive. It passes the time pleasantly enough but lacks all the key ingredients one finds in the best episodes: a disturbing undercurrent, a memorable baddy, a range of interesting, eccentric guest characters... all whisked together in a stylish script. |
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