The Saint "The Talented Husband" #1.1 (1962) (TV)

"It's all very simple, I don't like being a cog in the machine!", 27 March 2017

Simon Templar is concerned about the well-being of his old friend, Madge. She's had an accident and must remain in her bed with no visitors. But was it really an accident? Simon is worried because Madge's husband has had two previous wives who died under mysterious circumstances. Will Madge be victim number three? Not if The Saint has anything to do with it.

I've seen a few episodes of The Saint over the years, but never bothered going back to beginning. I'm amazed that even in the first episode, The Talented Husband, Roger Moore played Simon Templar with such ease that you'd swear he had been doing it for years. He's solid. Not just Moore, but all the acting in this episode is very good. Joining Moore are the gorgeous Shirley Eaton, Patricia Roc, and Derek Farr. Roc and Farr, in particular, give performances you might not expect. They're talent is responsible for taking what would have been an ordinary piece of television and elevating it into something else. These are examples of quality acting.

The rest of the episode is hit and miss with me. The mystery is too easy to solve. If you've seen more than a few mystery/suspense type television shows, you'll know exactly where The Talented Husband is headed. The big twist provides no surprise at all. Maybe I've seen it all too many times before, but I doubt that even the viewers in '62 fell for it. And I'm not just referring to the husband's disguise – I'm include his plan for murder, his pre-arranged alibi, Templar's plan to stop him, and everything else. It's all way too obvious. Still, it's all nicely put together and a fun watch. Even without much suspense, I still enjoyed watching the events unfold. And, as I wrote previously, the acting is outstanding.

7/10