The central conceit of this - putting people in the frame for crimes by meticulously planting false evidence, then blackmailing them - is a good one, but I was put off by the silliness of the Sir Arthur Doyle character (Peter 'The Book' Jones returning from The Thirteenth Hole). Why does he dress up like Holmes? Who is he - Steed's boss or the eccentric chief constable? Are the blackmailers relying on his gullibility for their plan to work?
I can't fault it for failing to push buttons though: I found my indignation thoroughly aroused during the blackmail scenes, and there's some crude but extremely effective tension at the climax where the temporarily wheelchair-bound Tara is struggling to put the chain on her front door before the villains arrive.
Similarly, Steed completely fails to co-operate with the blackmail scheme when it's tried on him. He simply beats up the henchman (Tony 'Glitz' Selby) and steals his landrover, as the easily-manipulated viewer cheers.
I'm putting them down for doing it by numbers, but they do have enough originality to defuse the tension of Steed hurrying through the night to rescue Tara by having her sort it all out by the time he arrives.
Pedantry alert with Steed's line 'I'll tell you in words of one syllable: your life is in danger.'
Previously and also seen: Kenneth 'Vic Spanner/Packard' Cope returning from The Bird Who Knew Too Much. George A. 'Mr Griffiths' Cooper returning from The White Dwarf.
Also seen: Reginald Jessup (Savar in The Invasion of Time).
Previously seen: Edward de Souza from Six Hands Across a Table
