'So it's come to this, an Avengers clip show.' What a shame that Malcolm Hulke and Terrance Dicks should return to write such a half-arsed episode.
There's some initial excitement when two old ladies appear to be preparing to assassinate 'Mother' - and Rhonda gets to do a two-handed lightning pistol draw - but we're not here for action, these are his aunts and this is a framing device for a story about how Steed and Tara took on Intercrime, who appear to have expanded considerably since the story of the same name.
What enjoyment there is is in the tricks with form, and self-references to running out of plot and 'the big fight'. There's a good freeze frame and resume at one point when the aunts interrupt the story.
The reuse of clips from other stories isn't very satisfying, that always just feels like they can't be bothered.
Note how the fake phone call from the Prime Minister's office turns up again in Hulke's Green Death.
Donald 'Beyus' Pickering from The Winged Avenger as Cartwright. His face would fit more in one of the older BW stories, he seems out of place in this.
Tara wears a fantastic pair of boots in this story, they're probably the best ones seen in the show.
Rhonda nearly gets to speak in the closing gag, but sadly we're disappointed.
I suppose I liked the idea that the government has fake versions of all Britain's art treasures in storage, so that if the originals are removed for safety in wartime, public morale will be kept up. But I feel like this episode is a fake version of an Avengers story. Not one I shall remember with pleasure. It's no Girl Who Was Death.
Previously and also seen: Bryan 'Alf Roberts' Mosley from The Gravediggers.
Also seen: Edward 'War Chief' Brayshaw, Kristopher 'Fu Peng' Kum, Stephen 'Petrov in The War Games' Hubay, Gertan 'Ola/King Pengvin/Washy time!' Klauber, Kevork 'Rudkin in Wheel In Space' Malikyan.
Previously seen: Mary Merrall from The Girl From Auntie,
Gerald Harper in his third appearance, Ann[e] Rutter from Super Secret Cypher Snatch.
