Steed and Tara are called in to investigate a series of rather strange murders. The victims are forced to play a game related to their fields of expertise; a game where to lose is to die. Each victim has several jigsaw pieces left with them; pieces that all come from the same puzzle. There is another clue; Steed knows the dead men from his time in the army; they were all part of a six man jury at courts martial during the war. Steed and Tara rush to try to stop the killer but he manages to get five of the men on the list before his attentions turn to number six; Major John Steed. The villain has something different planned for Steed; if he doesn't succeed in his game time will be up for Tara who has been placed in a giant hour glass
or in her case a six-minute glass.
There are no break-ins at secret bases or plots to bring down governments; just a man seeking revenge and what a delightful method he chooses. The games the victims play nicely mirror their professions; the soldier's game was particularly entertaining as was the way Steed and Tara found him propped up in a Land Rover driving towards them! Even his wasn't as good as game Steed is forced to play a series of convoluted tasks to be solved before Tara potentially drowns in sand all on a set that is simultaneously a bit cheap yet impressively creative. The story is classic 'Avengers' with bizarre murders and a sense of danger. Peter Jeffrey does a good job as the villain; simultaneously a threatening yet slightly pathetic character he is now a successful businessman but still feels a need to get revenge on those he believed wronged him many years before. There are a few weak moments; the snake that kills one victim looks so fake it would have been better if the death took place off screen and the scene where a jigsaw specialist solves a rather simple puzzle where the film is clearly sped up is just silly still a couple of small quibbles that don't spoil an overall fun episode.
There are no break-ins at secret bases or plots to bring down governments; just a man seeking revenge and what a delightful method he chooses. The games the victims play nicely mirror their professions; the soldier's game was particularly entertaining as was the way Steed and Tara found him propped up in a Land Rover driving towards them! Even his wasn't as good as game Steed is forced to play a series of convoluted tasks to be solved before Tara potentially drowns in sand all on a set that is simultaneously a bit cheap yet impressively creative. The story is classic 'Avengers' with bizarre murders and a sense of danger. Peter Jeffrey does a good job as the villain; simultaneously a threatening yet slightly pathetic character he is now a successful businessman but still feels a need to get revenge on those he believed wronged him many years before. There are a few weak moments; the snake that kills one victim looks so fake it would have been better if the death took place off screen and the scene where a jigsaw specialist solves a rather simple puzzle where the film is clearly sped up is just silly still a couple of small quibbles that don't spoil an overall fun episode.