Episode 131: Tara King Era
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Tag
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A.K.A.
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Other Viewpoints |
Ne
m'oubliez pas
Auf
Wiedersehen, Emma.
Il
non ti scordar di me
No
Me Olvides
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Production completed: 19 January 1968
UK Premiere (London, Season 7): 25 September 1968
US Premiere (New York, Season 3): 20 March 1968
Agent Sean Mortimer learns of a traitor in The
Organization, but by the time he reaches Steed and Emma, the amnesia-inducing drugs used on him take
effect, and he can no longer remember his own name, let alone his urgent message. Just as
Emma is making some headway coaxing information out of Mortimer, she, too, is hit with the
drug. Meanwhile, Steed encounters trainee, ahem, number 69, A.K.A. Tara
"Rah-boom-dee-ay" King, and thanks to her phone number tucked
in his shoe, he has a tenuous link to reality when he at last is drugged as well, and
Mother is forced to put him on the "suspect" list.
IMHO |
Sorry, but Tara King is just too dopey to be believable as a super-spy, and I find it difficult to accept that she makes the transition from ham-handed trainee to fully-fledged agent during the course of an hour. Plus I have less trouble with telepathic man-eating plants from outer space than with amnesia drugs that are conveniently selective in which memories they block and when. It's sad enough that Emma has to leave, but sadder that she does so in such a lackluster episode. Despite all of this, I always get choked up seeing her touching and tender farewell to a tearful Steed. "Always keep your bowler on in times of stress," she whispers, "and watch out for diabolical masterminds." Oh, it rips my heart out!
As bad as it is, "Knot" is probably a good deal better than the 90-minute "Invitation To A Killing" John Bryce had originally created to introduce Tara King, judging from the surviving bits recycled in "Have Guns - Will Haggle."
Trivia |
*This unofficial subtitle is by Yours Truly.
On Location |
The village and pond that Burton and Steed drive past is Letchmore Heath.
Best Scene |
Without a doubt, Emma's farewell is the most touching scene in the entire series, one that can choke up even the most hard-hearted fan. Indeed, it has been noted that Patrick Macnee, after filming the scene, returned to his dressing room and cried.
Essential Reading |
- Mrs. Peel... We're Needed by Piers Johnson