The Avengers Forever: Rodney's Reviews

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You Have Just Been Murdered
By Rodney Marshall

In my top twenty Rigg episodes—like our webmaster I find a top ten too restrictive—there are an almost equal number of monochrome and colour ones, despite the fact that the colour series contains far more duds. The black and white series begins with a number of four bowlers; in colour, we are made to wait. Most of the "diamonds" IMHO appear late on. "You Have Just Been Murdered," for me, is one of these.

I cannot recall an episode with more style, better plot or a more memorable deadly mastermind. Nathaniel Needle's "high class protection racket," with calling cards distributed to the millionaire victims, is a fabulous idea. Skelton, one of the blond-haired hit men, offers a sinister smile, all the more chilling as he rarely says anything.

A lot of the humour is of the black variety: Gilbert Jarvis, despite facing the barrels of a gun, still finds time to re-adjust the valuable painting he has backed into; Skelton uses a joke knife and reports back to his boss—after pinning Unwin to the car park wall—that he has "damaged his orchids." When Nichols, one of the other hit men, describes Mrs. Peel as "tall, slim, auburn-haired," Needle snaps back, "Never mind her attributes, deal with her quickly!" Even the ensuing fight scene raises a smile as Emma proffers an ever-decreasing stick for him to chop away at.

Diana Rigg is on top form, the score adds an extra dimension to the fast paced plot and I love Needle and his haystack headquarters. As he warns Unwin, "Dying is a very serious business. It's so permanent." Can one award five bowlers?