User Reviews

Ever wonder what Michael Robbins was doing before he became 'Arthur' in 'On The Buses'? Look no further. This 'Avengers' caper casts him as 'Cavell', an enemy agent. Sporting a wig and wearing a smart suit, he looks unusually dapper by Arthur's standards. And he gets to fight Tara!

Penned by Terry Nation, the plot has Steed and Tara coming into possession of a red briefcase which is carrying information as to the identity of a top level traitor. It cannot be opened as it is booby trapped. When the correct key is inserted into the lock, it talks - giving the name of the next contact. Our heroes follow it from one location to another, from a seedy hotel to a dancing school for girls to Captain Tim's ( John Ronane ) karate school.

A novel idea and it's well executed; Robert Fuest's direction being noticeably less flashy than usual. As well as Robbins, you'll find Penelope Keith as 'Audrey' ( no, not the frightful 'Audrey' of 'To The Manor Born' ). This 'Audrey' is a snooty dance teacher. Her niece, Sally ( Elisabeth Robillard, giving an excellent performance ) is the real contact! A good all-round episode.

There is a high level traitor operating within the ministry and the only way to identify him is to follow a mysterious red case through a chain of contacts. The case can't be opened by anybody but its final recipient or it will explode and each member of the chain must follow precise instructions from a recording within the case which is activated by their own key. The keys themselves vary; most are regular keys but there are also vocal and musical keys required to get it to deliver its message. Steed and Tara manage to intercept the case and follow the chain; each time they meet the next contact they must either acquire the key or trick the contact into giving the necessary details. The contacts are quite varied; a young girl at a ballet school, a karate instructor and a musician to mention just three.

This episode is based on a fairly simple idea but it works perfectly; the talking case is an imaginative idea and the chain of couriers is interestingly varied. Each of the links led to an enjoyable meeting with the next contact; the most fun being the young girl who extorted a bribe from Steed and Tara's fight with the karate instructor. There were plenty of exciting moments along the way and for once the bad guy nearly gets away with it but ultimately slips up in a rather simple way which I won't spoil here. The cast, both regulars and guest stars perform well in an episode which is classic Avengers in style without some of the more silly elements of many episodes.