"You better call Kenny Loggins. 'Cause you're in the danger zone.", 31 March 2017
In order to bring more diversity to the workplace, Malory hires black agent Conway Stern. Sterling immediately suspects the worst of Conway, like is he some sort of double agent or is he sleeping with Malory? After a few hilarious run-ins, Archer and Conway head to Miami on a mission. Fortunately for Sterling, Lana doesn't trust Conway either and follows the pair to Miami.
As much as I liked the first two episodes, Diversity Hire is easily the best so far. It's absolutely hysterical. I'm completely enjoying the un-PC humor. The screenplay is full of amazing set-pieces - the locker room scene being an absolute riot. Sterling's relationship with his mother continues to be one of my favorite aspects of the show. Malroy's constant talk of having sex wit Conway, knowing what it does to Sterling, is another highlight. The ending is as "exciting" as anything in the series so far. Really nicely done. I just hope Conway comes back. The voice work in Archer is another strength. I noticed that Conway is voiced by Coby Bell who I know him from another spy show, Burn Notice. He's fantastic.
Favorite Moment: I'll call it "dueling penises".
8/10
"Death of a games mistress in a sports pavilion. Sounds like a highly athletic crime.", 31 March 2017
Poirot pays a visit to school for girls and is asked by the Headmistress, Miss Bulstrode (Harriet Walter), to use his powers of observation to help her select a replacement once she retires. Poirot's powers of observation, however, are soon required for something more sinister when one of the teachers is murdered – a javelin through the heart. Before Poirot can unmask the killer, a second teacher is murdered, another is hit over the head, and one of the students is kidnapped. Poirot must find The Cat Among the Pigeons.
I certainly don't remember every detail, but I do remember enjoying the book, Cat Among the Pigeons. And I'm happy to say that I also enjoyed this production. While a few details have been changed from Christie's original work, from what I remember, it stays fairly true to the source material. All the most significant plot points are here and only minor additions or changes have been made – most necessary for a 90 minute runtime. Similar to what I wrote about Elephants Can Remember, Cat Among the Pigeons has a lot of moving parts – a staff full of suspects, several girls who play the part of witness, a coup in the Middle East, missing rubies, two murders, a knock on the head, and a kidnapped princess. There's certainly a lot going on and director James Kent and screenwriter Mark Gatiss do an admiral job of keeping it all coherent. They also add quite a bit of atmosphere – that kind of sinister atmosphere that I usually associate with a good Giallo. The acting is, as I've come to expect in the Poirot series, first rate. Suchet is very good here. Harriet Walter, Susan Wooldridge, and Lois Edmett (in her only screen credit) stood out to me in the supporting cast. The only negative I can add is in the solution to the mystery. Poirot seems to guess at many of the answers in his denouement without much actual evidence to go on. Still, it's a very well done, entertaining episode.
8/10
"Oh, my god! You killed a hooker!", 30 March 2017
Episode 2, Training Day, is almost as good as the first episode. In this one, Malory is concerned that Lana may still have feelings for Archer. She decides that if Cyril were an actual agent, Lana might look at him differently. Cyril's training will be handled by Archer.
For a show that's less than 30 minutes in length, there's a lot going on here. Between Cyril's training, poison pens, underwear guns, Malory's allergic reaction to zucchini, Pam and Carol's health care selection, a dead hooker, and Lana shooting up Archer's car, there's plenty of action and hilarity. It all seems so random, but somehow goes together nicely to create a very funny episode. The flashback scene to Archer's childhood was a nice and unexpected touch. Because I didn't enjoy Training Day as much as Mole Hunt, so I'm rating this one a 7/10.
Favorite Moment: Archer and Cyril's discussion on hooker vs call girl. Funny stuff!
7/10
"Sterling Archer. Code name Duchess. Known from Berlin to Bangkok as the world's most dangerous spy.", 30 March 2017
Ah, Archer – why has it taken me so long to get on-board? The show is fantastic. It's funny, irreverent, and un-PC. The first episode, Mole Hunt, does an excellent job of setting-up the series and things to come.
Sterling Archer is a spy working for an agency (unfortunately) named ISIS - International Secret Intelligence Service. Archer is a sexist, misogynistic, egotistical, self-absorbed, hard-drinking, dim-witted guy with mommy and relationship issues who just happens to be hysterically funny. In Mole Hunt, Archer has withdrawn thousands of dollars in bogus expense money he can't re-pay. He blames it all on a mole working inside ISIS. As luck would have it, there is a mole. There are plenty of funny scenes, terrific dialogue, and interesting artwork throughout. The music fits nicely with the spy theme. The voice work is top notch. I was especially happy to hear the very funny Jessica Walter as Archer's mother. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the series.
Favorite moment: The Mexican Standoff – what a funny scene!
8/10
It strays from Christie's work, but in this case, that's not a bad thing, 30 March 2017
I've loved Agatha Christie's books for as long as I can remember. But, The Big Four never did anything for me. It wasn't a typical Poirot story – dead body, cast of suspects, gathering information, drawing room denouement. That's the Agatha Christie I enjoy. The Big Four was always more of a spy story and not necessarily what I call a "true" mystery. And, to make things worse, it's a mess of a novel regardless of what you call it with any number of unrelated plot points and themes. As far as turning it into a television production, I couldn't imagine how it could be done. So, I was dreading sitting down with The Big Four. How was it? Well, better than the book – but that's not saying much. Thankfully (and I won't say this about many episodes), the decision was made to strip most of Christie's ridiculous plot and replace it with a more traditional, but equally ridiculous, plot.
What it all boils down to is a man who creates a mind-blowing scheme to win over a woman who rejected him in the past. His plan involves multiple murders, kidnappings, and threats of war between nations just so he can get close to his love. How utterly ridiculous! The idea is completely . . . well, it's just plain stupid. There's no reason to go into any more detail or write any more about it. The Big Four is about as bad as I've seen in the Poirot series.
The only saving grace is the inclusion of Miss Lemon, Japp, and Hastings. I really did enjoy seeing these characters again – even if Miss Lemon and Hastings' screen time is limited. It's like welcoming an old friend who's been gone for a decade. I'm glad the producers saw fit to get the band back together for one last time.
I'm being very generous with a 5/10.
5/10
Impressive, 29 March 2017
Hercule Poirot is approached by his friend, writer Ariadne Oliver, for help with a 13-year old mystery she's investigating. The mystery involves the unusual death of a husband and wife. Was it murder- suicide or some sort of suicide pact or murder by an unknown person? And if it was murder-suicide, who shot who? These are the questions Ms Oliver has been asked to investigate. Poirot, however, has little time for his friend. He has the recent murder of a semi- retired psychiatrist, Dr Willoughby, to investigate. The doctor was gruesomely murdered in the basement of the psychiatric hospital bearing his name in a discarded and discredited piece of equipment originally designed for hydrotherapy. Things get interesting (and fun) when Ms Oliver and Poirot realize that their separate investigations are starting to merge. It seems that someone with vital knowledge of the 13-year old mystery may know something about the new murder.
I haven't read Elephants Can Remember in at least 30 years. Therefore, I have no idea how closely this production stays to every single plot point in Agatha Christie's original work. I remember just enough about the book to know that certain key plot points are the same. Overall, I'm really impressed with this episode of the Poirot series. Elephants Can Remember has, what I call, a lot of moving parts and can easily get confusing. What I mean is that there are a lot of characters with a lot of information, two mysteries separated by 13 years, and two different investigations going on at the same time. It would be easy to forget who's who and who said what, etc. But the people behind this episode did a fantastic job of keeping the confusion to a minimum. Once the two plot threads start to come together, things become very clear. It's an amazing bit of storytelling on the part of the director and screenwriters. And to top it off, they kept everything interesting. The mystery grabbed me from the beginning and kept my interest throughout. Nice work!
I've gone on and on about David Suchet's work as Poirot. He once again gives a first-rate performance. While I may enjoy the lighter Poirot seen in the first part of the series, there's no denying the quality of Suchet's acting here. I've seen Zoe Wannamaker as Ms Oliver in a few episodes now and she's stating to grow on me. I never cared much for the character in the books, so it's taken a while. The supporting cast is as strong as I've come to expect. Vanessa Kirby, Greta Sacchi, and Iain Glen were stand outs for me. The sets, costumes, and most of the technical aspects were, once again, class. My biggest complaint is with lighting. The whole thing was just too dark for my tastes. Otherwise, it's a quality episode that I rate an 8/10.
8/10
"A death for a death", 29 March 2017
Simon Templar meets a young American woman named Sue Inverest while on vacation in Italy. During their tour of the coliseum, Templar is knocked out and Sue is kidnapped. Templar learns that Sue is the daughter of an American Governor (Indiana, I think). The head kidnapper has a brother on death row in Governor Inverest's state. He wants his brother's sentence commuted in exchange for Sue's life. Being The Saint, Templar intercedes to help secure Sue's release.
I'm going to have to disagree with the only other review (as of 3/29/17) on IMDb for The Latin Touch. I really enjoyed this episode. The tension in the episode came through for me. This is television, so you just know everything will be alright in the end, but the tension was still there. I could feel the governor's pain as he struggled with what to do – keep a killer locked-up or save his daughter. And, the trick Templar plays on the baddie was a pretty sweet scene. I suppose the fact that there was someone working for the mob from the inside was a given, it was still fun to watch events unfold. And, once again, I'm impressed with the acting. After just two episodes, Roger Moore continues to be something of a revelation to me. In the supporting cast, Alexander Knox, as usual, gives a good performance. And Warren Mitchell is an out-and-out scene stealer. His cabbie, Marco Di Cesari, is a hoot. Overall, a 7/10 from me.
7/10
"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
A strong first episode, 27 March 2017
A routine flight from Rome to London ends up being anything but routine. The crew and passengers believe they are arriving 30 minutes early. In reality, the plane is six days late. How can this be? Where was the plane for six days? Department S is called in to investigate.
Six Days is my first experience with Department S. The episode seems to be a great way to kick-off the series. It's got a lot to offer. The whole set-up of the show with the mystery of the missing six days is interesting and intriguing. I don't know why, but it reminded me of the type of mystery found in something like Banacek. I really liked the scene at the start with the confused airport officials trying to understand how the missing plane just suddenly appeared. While the solution ends up being fairly routine, it's a treat to watch the mystery unfold. Cyril Fankel's direction is snappy with plenty of action throughout. It's very nicely paced with a few surprises sprinkled in for good measure. It's all very well done.
Department S stars Peter Wyngarde, Joel Fabiani, and Rosemary Nicols as the three main operative. Their working relationships are a bit different from what I've come to expect from this type show – owing mainly to Wyngarde's off-beat Jason King. The dynamic is so different from something like The Avengers or The Champions. I know I'm only one episode into it, but Wyngarde/King is already an interesting watch. I also enjoyed Fabiani's no nonsense style of police work. He's determined and persistent. Nicols is more than a pretty face. She adds some intelligence and reasoning to the show that I liked. They are joined by Dennis Alaba Peters as Sir Curtis Seretse – the head of Department S. It's a very unique role for a black man in 1969. I love it. In this episode, the cast is joined by a very competent group of supporting actors. While none really stood out, all were fine.
I wish the series was easier to get hold of because Department S is right up my alley. I'm rating Six Days an 8/10. Unfortunately, I'm not sure when or if I'll get the chance to watch more.
8/10
The Champions, 26 March 2017
What a fantastic show! It's not perfect, but I enjoyed almost every single episode. The set-up: The Champions tells the story of Richard Barrett, Craig Stirling, and Sharron Macready. They are agents for an organization dedicated to law, order, and justice known as Nemesis. During a mission to China, their plane crashed in the mountains of Tibet. They were rescued by a secret civilization, nursed back to health, and given superpowers to use in their work with Nemesis. They keep their powers secret so they can best us them as they see fit.
The Champions stars William Gaunt, Stuart Damon, and Alexandra Bastedo as Richard, Craig, and Sharon. It's a strong core cast. Each of the three main actors brings something different to the show. They are joined by Anthony Nicholls as Tremayne, head of Nemesis. Each week, a new supporting cast was featured that included some very capable actors. Overall, the cast is a real plus to the show.
Next, the writing and directing are also responsible for making The Champions what it was. While I tend to favor the episodes written by Tony Williamson, there were a lot of talented people writing for the show. As for directors, The Champions employed some of my favorite directors working in England at the time. Names like Freddie Francis, Roy Ward Baker, John Giling, and Don Sharp popped up in the credits each week. It's a talented line-up.
As far as episodes go, I definitely have favorites. My top 5 would include: Project Zero (my absolute favorite), Shadow of the Panther, Nutcracker, The Dark Island, and Happening. It was hard picking just 5 as I rated 12 episodes an 8 or higher. Unfortunately, there were episodes that didn't quite measure up. The Iron Man, Reply Box 666, Twelve Hours, Full Circle, and The Interrogation didn't do it for me. i realize the last pick might be controversial as there are many fans of that particular episode.
While I really enjoy The Champions, it's not perfect. I have three complaints worth writing about. First, the unequal screen time given to the three main characters. As I wrote in a couple of episode reviews, Sharon too often has little to do other than play the damsel in distress. More Sharon would have been a good thing. Second, there are several instances in The Champions where their super powers are put in check for the sake of the plot. For example, in Full Circle, Richard gets destroyed by three attackers who he should have easily tossed aside. Third, even after 30 episodes, Richard, Craig, and Sharon still feel like 2-D characters. We learn almost nothing about them beyond their roles at Nemesis. They never seem like real people. Still, these quibbles are minor when compared to my overall enjoyment of The Champions.
I suppose that if I had to list one more issue I have The Champions it is that it ended after one season. I would have loved more.
8/10
The Champions vs The Champions, 26 March 2017
A Nemesis agent, missing for two days, shows up at headquarters and murders an American officer. Next, Tremayne goes missing for a few hours only to return and attempts to murder a Nemesis doctor. Now, Richard is missing. Can the rest of The Champions find him before he is turned into a killing machine?
Autokill is an excellent episode to end the series. It's as close to a series ending episode as you could get without actually filming a real series ending episode. The story is first rate. Brian Clemens' screenplay is chock full of action and mystery. Director Roy Ward Baker keeps things moving at a brisk pace. Not only are all three of The Champions given something to do in Autokill, but we get to see more of Treayne than in any other episode. The final fight scene is honestly a high point of the series. It's Champions vs Champion. It's also interesting because it includes more blood than any scene I can remember in the series. The supporting cast is good, with Eric Pohlmann and Paul Eddington being standouts. Pohlmann makes a particularly good, obsessed baddie. The final scene is a fitting end to an entertaining series. Overall, an 8/10 from me.
8/10
The Champions Look for Japanese Rifles, 26 March 2017
A gun-runner, Hartington (William Franklyn), in Burma has acquired a cache of WWII-era Japanese rifles. He intends to get them out of the country and into the hands of the highest bidder. The Champions are sent to stop the shipment. When this fails, their off to Africa to use any means available to get the guns.
It's entertaining in spots, but overall, The Gun-Runners is a very inconsistent episode. Other than Craig's escape from a cellar, the scenes supposedly set in Burma are some of the worst of the entire series. We're introduced to far too many characters to keep up with who is who and why we care. It's pretty confusing. I mentioned Craig's escape, now that was terrific. His acrobatic escape was plain old cool. Once things shift to Africa, the episode picks up quite a bit. The scenes where all three sneak through the jungle to get near the shack holding the guns is very well done. And the final explosion and death of Hartington are, once again, plain old cool. The African scenes are as good as the Burmese scenes are bad.
A few other thoughts: 1. The Gun-Runners includes some very tacky looking rear projection. It's laughable. 2. Hartington's head bandage is ridiculous looking. It's impossible to take him too seriously with that thing on his head. 3. I'm sure William Franklyn was a fine actor, but he's hardly menacing enough for The Champions.
Overall, The Gun-Runners is a real mixed bag. I think a 6/10 seems about right. Too bad, I had hoped the second-to-last episode in the series would have been better.
6/10
