User Reviews

I would have rated this episode even higher had it not been for the sloppy ending. We are led to believe that Senta Berger, a THRUSH agent intentionally shot the double for Napoleon Solo out of love for him. Come on. At the episode's beginning she sprayed gas on the real Solo which led to his capture and imprisonment by THRUSH agents.

There were missed clues that should have led the agents to right away know that they had a Solo double in their midst. For example, the dedicated UNCLE agent who smelled a different type of cologne that the fake Napoleon was using should have given it right away.

The chase scene on the motorcycle was interesting

THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. – The Double Affair – 1964

This is the eighth episode of 1964 to 1968 spy series, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. The series ran for a total of 105 episodes. The first season was filmed in B/W with the remainder shot in colour. Robert Vaughn plays agent Napoleon Solo while David McCallum plays Illya Kuryakin. Leo G Carroll plays Mister Waverly, the boss of the secret agency known as U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law & Enforcement) Their main enemy is THRUSH, an organization out to take over the planet.

This one has Vaughn and McCallum being assigned with several other UNCLE agents, to deliver a top secret vault combination. The vault contains a ultra-destructive bomb, which is being keep as sort of a doomsday device in case the Earth is invaded by aliens. (Yes, it does sound silly) Needless to say, THRUSH wants the device for their own nefarious reasons. The twist here is that THRUSH has kidnapped Vaughn and replaced him with a surgically altered double. THRUSH intends to swipe the combination and then kill the real Agent Solo later.

A monkey wrench is tossed into THRUSH's plans when an old girlfriend of Vaughn's puts in an appearance. She becomes less than amused when the double has no idea who she is.

Of course McCallum and the rest finally tumble to the impostor and the chase is on. The real Vaughn escapes from the THRUSH lair and sets off a self-destruct device. Then we have a cliff edge fight between the real, and the fake Vaughn.

This is really a rather weak episode with all sorts of loose ends left hanging. Maybe it was a story line that they never picked up again. The distaff side include, the always gorgeous, Senta Berger, along with Sharon Farrell and 1950's big screen actress, Paula Raymond.

*Spoiler/plot- Man from U.N.C.L.E. The Double Affair. 1964. The evil international Thrush organization has a plan to seek to control "Project Earthsave" stored deep in Switzerland under extremely tight security. This TOP SECRET item is an special energy source that's so powerful it's to be used if Earth is ever invaded from extraterrestrials. Thrush has used plastic surgery to make one of its operatives into a double for Napoleon Solo of U.N.C.L.E the protector's of the secret facility housing the power source. Mr. Solo is scheduled to lead a team of UNCLE agents who are acting as couriers with the new combination for the Project Earthsave combination vault. Drama ensues when the faux Solo is discovered by another U.N.C.L.E. agent of the team.

*Special Stars- Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, Leo G. Carol.

*Theme- The European/American good guys can solved every plot against the world.

*Trivia/location/goofs- TV series. LOcations are the roads and the Griffith Observatory in the Hollywood Hills. Much of the plot and scenes are compiled by the feature film called 'The Spy with my Face'. (That film was terrible and a cheat on fans like myself) This episode's opening scenes featuring a robotic attack on UNCLE's headquarters front door tailor shop in New York with agent Kuriyakin defending it really features two 'Ideal' toy robots, "Robot Commando". LINK: http://youtu.be/fErCtYb_9uM

*Emotion- A fun and exciting plot story. More of the excellent acting and spy action we have got use to from this hit TV show of the 60's. Well worth the time to experience.

*Based On- Recent 60's spy craze.

The Man from U.N.C.L.E. episode - 'The Double Affair' unwinds slowly to reveal a ludicrous plot. (But I suppose it kept the kiddies amused in the mid-sixties) This first series episode, with all of it's B&W monochromatic charm. Is not meant to be taken seriously, and that was probably for the best.

The story revolves around the 'otherworldly' idea that a 'power source' has been discovered, ( that makes nuclear weapons obsolete ) and that the only way to utilise this enormous power, is to build a bomb? Why? Well kiddies, so that our beloved Earth is not to be … "Assaulted from beyond the stars" as Mr.Solo, so wryly points out.

This intimating of an imminent Alien attack… to which a pithy, matriarchal female scientist says… "It is more than a theory, but less than a proved fact" (I could of easily of told her as much) Leads to a secret 'code' being sent half way around the world. This deadly 'code' unleashes the terrifying bomb. The code has to be carried of course, on a commercial jet? ( An incredibly bizarre 'switching' of brief cases is made on board - which has to be seen to be believed ) Once the code is safely in the vault, the Aliens are done for. ( Then all we have to do… is get those pesky aliens down into the vault )

We see Mr.Solo's cosmetically altered doppelgänger ( As seen in so many other 'special agent' related series - including a couple of times in the Bond series of films ) take centre stage for most of the episode. Brought into being by U.N.C.L.E's arch-nemesis 'Thrush' ( Which I can tell you is nasty, but not deadly ) They want the code and the bomb ( but not the Aliens obviously ) This leaves us strangely, seeing most of this episode through the doppelgänger's viewpoint and it's confusing… should we really be rooting for him, or the original? Or is there any difference between the two of them?

As for Mr.Kuryakin, he's a walking mannequin throughout. ( Revealing how excruciatingly boring this job must actually be - if it weren't for Mr.Solo's coquettishness intonations ) Mr.Kuryakin supposedly relentless intellect… couldn't even fathom the real from the simulacrum, given their special relationship and working camaraderie? Again, is he permanently comatose from the prosaic nature of the job? And apart from his 'surreal 'early run-in with a couple of 'crazy-eyes' toy robots, he's just blond scenery. So it's up to Mr.Solo, to go completely solo, on this particular show.

But never fear, all of your questions will be answered… Will Mr.Solo be destroyed by the auto- destructing 'astro observatory'? Will he deactivate the Austrian bombshell that was Senta Berger? How many deadly 'karate chops' can one episode harness? …by the episode's end.

And finally, as this weapon is kept safe in a vault deep underground. Our austere female scientist warns… "a word of extreme caution, you must remain at a safe distance from the vault. The electro- magnetic-gamma-rays, create a kind of rapture and an hypnotic effect… that causes anyone that looks directly into it, to throw themselves into the vault"

So, stay away Aliens… You have been warned!

Solo is kidnapped and replaced by a surgically-created double whose mission is to transport the secret combination lock of a high-security vault in Austria, that protects a powerful energy source designed to fight back against a potential alien invasion from outer space.

SAY WHAT???

UNCLE season 1 generally features the best writing, directing and acting in the entire run of the series. NOT THIS ONE, though.

The plot involving a Thrush doctor (Harold Gould, who's got more charisma than any other guest-actor in this episode) creating a fake Solo (too bad Robert Vaughn didn't get paid double for playing 2 parts, heh), the fake exhibiting virtually NO personality whatsoever (shouldn't anyone have noticed this, especially Waverly, his boss, and Ilya, who was good friends withy him in seasons 1 & 4), is problematic enough.

It's the "McGuffin" part of the plot that makes this fall right thru the floor. Every step-by-step as they go dealing with the security for the code, the attache case, the airplane, the entrance to the base, the descent into the vault area, the techs in charge, the EXPLANATION of what the vault is keeping secure, what it's for, how it "works", what it does if you accidentally aren't wearing protective glasses... it's all INSANE. It is the single WORST writing, directing & acting in the whole of season 1. (I don't even want to compare it to seasons 2, 3 & 3B, they had an entirely-different kind of problem.)

I looked up Clyde Ware. This was one of his earliest scripts, it was his ONLY episode of UNCLE, and the one thing he did the most of was 17 episodes of GUNSMOKE. I'd say he was completely out of his depth here. I also looked up John Newland. AHA. His main claim to fame was the series ONE STEP BEYOND. I wasn't surprised. The whole "Project Earthsave" plot did NOT fit on this show, it felt like it was a rejected VOYAGE script, or a script leftover from the 2nd season of THE OUTER LIMITS. This gives me the impression that Newland was more responsible for the content of this story than the writer was.

I also get the feeling this may have been filmed earlier than it was broadcast, since Ilya has so little to do with the story, it may have been written before they began to expand David McCallum's part on the show.

I've read that this was filmed IN COLOR in order to expand it into a Euro feature film (THE SPY WITH MY FACE). One very odd thing, watching it on DVD, is that somehow, the entire soundtrack sounded like it had been BADLY dubbed onto the episode. The sound quality was so "harsh", I couldn't escape the feeling that something strange had gone on technically behind-the-scenes before it was aired. (I wonder if it was like this back in 1964?)