Polly Bergen had a long, successful career in television and film, but I am never sure if she found her defining role. In another world, Selena might have been that role.
Available in a 15-minute pilot form only (a full series was ordered, then rescinded), the end result benefits from the tight timeframe, along with confident direction from John Frankenheimer that is particularly on display in action scenes.
The idea of a woman who wants to be a secret agent but does not rely on guns (or any real violence) can be read as a contrast to the increasing popularity of leather-clad, butt-kicking heroines like Cathy Gale or Emma Peel of Avengers fame, although I'm not entirely sure how much impact they'd had Stateside by this point. (The Avengers would have a variation of this theme in its final year, with Tara King).
This idea could be seen as sexist and might be in a world where many views of female characters are still defined by Buffy Summers, but Bergen manages to carry the message with grace and without feeling out of place. There's a line she has when James Daly (a good scene partner) urges her to start using a gun: "I'm a woman, and I wanna stay that way." With those words from Bergen's lips, you don't roll your eyes - you believe it.
The highlight of the pilot is a fashion show marred by a gas attack, but honorable mention goes to a boisterous train sequence, where Carroll O'Connor appears in a way you would never expect.
