Emily

Steed, Gambit and Purdey are in Toronto once more on the trail of The Fox, an elusive master criminal whom Canadian Intelligence want badly. Problem is nobody has any clue as to his identity. However, a lead finally surfaces when the mastermind leaves a palm print on the roof of a collaped out old car called Emily as it is named by its dotty owner Miss Daly (Lane Mallet). The Avengers embark on a treacherous journey across the countryside to transport the car to forensics to identify the criminal, in which Steed is forced to tape his bowler hat to the roof in order to preserve the print. Along the way, The Avengers face enemy agents bent on destroying them and the car as well as the police after Gambit is forced to shoot and kill a spy at a filling station. "You're looking for an old Plymouth disguised with a bowler hat" the gobsmacked police sergeant tells his men who can hardly believe it either!

Just about the last gasp from this classic series, which went rapidly into decline when financial trouble raised its head and production moved to Canada due to the producers securing financial backing there. The result is a feeble chase comedy that does no credit to the original series or its predecessors. Macnee, Hunt and Lumley are sadly wasted here except for one amusing scene where Gambit attempts to subdue a hard nut with a taste for home made scrumpy and Purdey gets the better of him by being the one to knock him out and Gambit cannot bare Purdey being the one to get the better of his opponent and knocking him out for him. Apart from that this is a one joke film and a joke that's not very funny- three agents (portrayed as bunglers here which they most certainly were not) as they are forced to drive across Canada in a rough old car with a bowler hat stuck to the roof. Avengers purists will hate it as even Dennis Spooner who contributed to the series on and off since the Honor Blackman days is at a loss here. This is the episode that tends to disappear from the TV schedules during repeats, hardly surprising!

This is one of the favorites of the New Avengers series. The series was hemorrhaging funding and they found themselves with backers out of England. This led to the New Avengers in Paris, and the final four episodes were The New Avengers in Canada.

Some rip this episode and that's fine but I feel the humor in this episode is in keeping with the offbeat nature of the series. The old spinsters in Build A Better Mousetrap, the various strange minor characters during the Emma Peel era, the clowns, these added to the eclectic feel of the Avengers. "Emily" for me, captures that.

It is more than a little obvious that the series is broke and running on fumes. The story, much like Complex, makes the episode. 'Emily' has a cat and mouse type script. The New Avengers are on the hunt for a double agent known as "the fox." His allusive nature has made him impossible to identify except for fingerprints. The fox narrowly escapes a tail by Steed, Purdey and Gambit. In his haste, he leaves a full hand print on the top of a vintage car and the chase is on. Our heroes are on the hunt for the car, the fox is on the hunt for the car. Gambit crosses hairs with an alcoholic strong man. There's a boatload of funny moments and it's not cheap laughs, it's offbeat humor.

Like all of these Canadian episodes, Macnee, Hunt and Lumley work with a Canadian based cast. Some may recognize the costars. Leslie Carlson who has appeared in Cronenberg movies is in this episode. Peter Aykroyd makes his screen acting debut in this as well. This predates his work writing and appearing from time to time on SNL. His attempt at a Russian accent offers good entertainment value.

I recommend viewing this much more than Forward Base and The Gladiators, both were also among the Canadian episodes. I do put it behind Complex which was among the best in the second season for me. It also borrows nicely from a Season Six episode I love but just saying the name may give away the story to devout fans who haven't tracked down the New Avengers episodes to watch and enjoy.