I don't like this episode. I do not want to see it again. Great fun all round with the deliciously inventive idea of a reversal of the truth drug. This worked especially well in the hilarious climax where the villains were trying to warn each other but failing miserably.
Mother's hideout is quite simply the best one he ever had. Very iconic. It looks terrific on screen.
This is a five bowler classic, and just sneaks into my Tara King top 10 episodes. 10/10. Rich.
This is a great episode. I have to say it does constantly amaze me how many episodes people who are supposedly fans of the show seem to dislike, and find negative judgment against.
Steed is gorgeously lean. And, when he angrily confronts Melville against the tree, it's very sexy. Steed grabbing a man's tie to keep him right in front of him, and not going anywhere, is a habit of his, when he is upset. Steed is ready to be violent, but his listening to Jeremy and hearing his strident lies, open up the case.
Mixing the serum into milk is very innovative; ah, the lost years when milk was delivered daily to one's home. It's fun camp that Tara winds up being a victim of the serum--"This is very unimportant! I don't want to warn you!"--in the butter machine and Steed is fighting the bad guys. She has the brains at least to try to write out what she needs to say, when she cannot say it.
Mother's office being at the top of a double decker bus is Veddy English, and a lot of fun at least for an American to watch. Mother's rotating offices were an enjoyable part of the Tara episodes.
It is interesting that there seems to be 2 Big Plot Lapses. 1) It may also be some genetically different manifestations of being a victim of the serum: after Melville takes the serum, he seems to believe he is telling the truth, but after Tara was given the serum, she knows she is lying and tries to fight it. 2) the serum seems to be added into a huge vat of milk, but people everywhere aren't noticing the effect of the serum.
All around a fun episode with a delightful reverse play on "truth" serum, instead making a "lie" serum. With Steed looking as good as he does, this episode is well worth watching.
As Avengerholic noted in another context about a month ago, "Each to their own naturally and I'm please someone enjoys them".
He might well repeat the comment here - the great thing about "The Avengers" is that it is all things to all people. The variety of scripts and actors means there's always something to enjoy.
There are episodes I dislike which others love, and vice versa (more often vice versa, to be frank, as I'm an unabashed fan).
I like this episode even though the inconsistencies are annoying - Barry Warren does a very understated look of confusion when he's on lookout duty and saying falsehoods but during the lie detector test is quite calm.
I didn't quite know what to make of this one. As others have said, an overly silly story (hasn't there already been another episode involving drugged milk?) The usually reliable Charles Crighton seems to have been having a bad week, the action dragged a lot.
Steed seemed very out of character when he punches Melville and that whole scene in the woods had an amateurish feel to it with intrusive traffic noise varying in volume between shots.
Nice to see Tara's Lotus Europa although disappointed that Steed is back in the Royce (of course I'm watching in transmission rather than production order). I liked the double-decker setting of Mother's office and the episode received a welcome lift in the concluding scene with the villains all lying to each other.
Ian Wegg wrote:I didn't quite know what to make of this one. As others have said, an overly silly story (hasn't there already been another episode involving drugged milk?)
I though The Hour that Never Was used the dentist's drill to hypnotise the camp, I didn't think the milk was central to the plot except for the dead milkman on the runway.
Great fun all round with the deliciously inventive idea of a reversal of the truth drug. This worked especially well in the hilarious climax where the villains were trying to warn each other but failing miserably. 
