As this episode opens Colonel Wayne-Gilley is about to be interviewed on television then, just as he is about to start speaking, he drops dead. It turns out he had ingested a large dose of cyanide in a capsule that contained a tiny intricate timing device. Whoever orchestrated the killing must have been expensive as every capsule in the colonel's pill container had been replaced by such a device to ensure he swallowed the right one. The only suspect is an expensive hit-man known as 'Mr Teddy Bear'. With no idea who he actually is it is decided that Cathy will contact him to take out a contract on Steed! She makes her way to the contact point and is confronted by the sight of an actual teddy bear; the killer is watching via a television camera and talking to her via a speaker in the bear
if they are to catch the man behind the bear Cathy will have to go through with putting a contract on Steed; something that will be very dangerous as so far 'Mr Teddy Bear' has never failed and the only client to cross him ended up dead.
This, the first episode featuring Cathy Gale to be broadcast, is a good story although it doesn't really serve as an introduction to her character not surprising given that it wasn't actually the first episode made to feature her.
In some ways this feels like a much later episode thanks to the 'talking teddy bear' that stands in for the real hit-man when Cathy meets him to take out the contract; it is still a bit grittier overall though especially when at one time it looks as though Steed has been killed! This scene is pretty good even though I'm sure nobody will think he is really dead; there is still the question of how he survived for the viewer to contemplate. 'Mr Teddy Bear' is an interesting antagonist as we don't actually see him until near the end; he also seems genuinely dangerous; the way he hides himself makes him creepy rather than funny. This episode is also notable for the appearance of Steed's boss 'One Ten'; a character I don't recall seeing before this may of course just be because I've yet to see many episodes from this era. The cast do a fine job; Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman are on good form as Steed and Cathy and Bernard Goldman is suitably intimidating as Mr Teddy Bear without being obviously evil. Overall this is a good early instalment in this classic TV series.
This, the first episode featuring Cathy Gale to be broadcast, is a good story although it doesn't really serve as an introduction to her character not surprising given that it wasn't actually the first episode made to feature her.
In some ways this feels like a much later episode thanks to the 'talking teddy bear' that stands in for the real hit-man when Cathy meets him to take out the contract; it is still a bit grittier overall though especially when at one time it looks as though Steed has been killed! This scene is pretty good even though I'm sure nobody will think he is really dead; there is still the question of how he survived for the viewer to contemplate. 'Mr Teddy Bear' is an interesting antagonist as we don't actually see him until near the end; he also seems genuinely dangerous; the way he hides himself makes him creepy rather than funny. This episode is also notable for the appearance of Steed's boss 'One Ten'; a character I don't recall seeing before this may of course just be because I've yet to see many episodes from this era. The cast do a fine job; Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman are on good form as Steed and Cathy and Bernard Goldman is suitably intimidating as Mr Teddy Bear without being obviously evil. Overall this is a good early instalment in this classic TV series.