4.08 - Room Without A View

[peabody]

Discuss, review and rate Room Without A View, produced c. Thursday 15th April 1965 to Thursday 29th April 1965.

Teleplay by Roger Marshall
Directed by Roy Baker

[darren]

Such potential.

Emma's quite moody in this one and there's still a hint of Cathy Gale with Steed fixing up a job for her that she isn't keen to embrace (although her later keenness lands her in trouble of course). She seems largely rather absent from this episode, certainly underused. Her interaction with Peter Jeffrey's Varnal's is quite fun if heavy-handed. Jeffrey is so dependable.

Steed has more fun in this one like when faking his Mr. Gourmet routine.

Harry Pottle's design work is lovely with the chess inspiration for the hotel. Chessman's penthouse is a wonderful large area with a big window over looking London.

It got some great ideas, the hotel being a cover for brain washing important scientists etc in order to get a foothold in other countries and expand the hotel empire. Chessman is a fun character.

The flaws are probably down to Roy Baker. His direction is very much time filler. He's a competent professional but he just doesn't lift the material and make the most of it. There are no interesting camera angles that I expect from the show.

It's still a decent episode and one that's grown on me.

7/10

[Lhbizness]

Someone on tumblr pointed out that Emma's annoyance with being put into a receptionist's job might be a professional woman's reaction to being placed in a position that she'd considered menial. Emma has spent a career reinforcing the fact that a woman can be a CEO, a respected scientist, etc. etc., and now she's put into a job that would be considered "proper" work for a woman.

Best moment is when Steed remembers torture at Ni San.

[darren]

Someone on tumblr pointed out that Emma's annoyance with being put into a receptionist's job might be a professional woman's reaction to being placed in a position that she'd considered menial. Emma has spent a career reinforcing the fact that a woman can be a CEO, a respected scientist, etc. etc., and now she's put into a job that would be considered "proper" work for a woman.

I'd hope that Emma isnt as petty minded and snobbish as that. It would be "I'm better than women who do that" kind of attitude which I don't think she ever displays.

The best examples of top business people are those who get their hands dirty, who've worked their way up. I see her more in that light. And as the episode demonstrates she's very resourceful and goes beyond the call of duty.

I think her reaction must be more to do with how she's being manipulated by Steed (as a hangover from Cathy's reactions).

[Lhbizness]

Someone on tumblr pointed out that Emma's annoyance with being put into a receptionist's job might be a professional woman's reaction to being placed in a position that she'd considered menial. Emma has spent a career reinforcing the fact that a woman can be a CEO, a respected scientist, etc. etc., and now she's put into a job that would be considered "proper" work for a woman.

I'd hope that Emma isnt as petty minded and snobbish as that. It would be "I'm better than women who do that" kind of attitude which I don't think she ever displays.

The best examples of top business people are those who get their hands dirty, who've worked their way up. I see her more in that light. And as the episode demonstrates she's very resourceful and goes beyond the call of duty.

I think her reaction must be more to do with how she's being manipulated by Steed (as a hangover from Cathy's reactions).

I wouldn't consider it a particularly petty reaction, given both the time period and the position that intelligent women are forced to occupy in society. It's more a reaction against the implicit "proper place" for women, as receptionists, secretaries, shop assistants, etc. - intelligent and otherwise capable women put into menial position where she's unlikely to be respected. She has worked her way into a position where she's been respected in several fields and now she's being told that she has to do a job she never wanted to have to do.

She's also reinforcing her sovereignty - "I won't do it." She doesn't WANT to work in a hotel.

[Rhonda]

I gave 6

[Mona]

I wouldn't consider it a particularly petty reaction, given both the time period and the position that intelligent women are forced to occupy in society. It's more a reaction against the implicit "proper place" for women, as receptionists, secretaries, shop assistants, etc. - intelligent and otherwise capable women put into menial position where she's unlikely to be respected. She has worked her way into a position where she's been respected in several fields and now she's being told that she has to do a job she never wanted to have to do.

She's also reinforcing her sovereignty - "I won't do it." She doesn't WANT to work in a hotel.

I consider it petty! In an secret agent investigation, it's not all tiaras, and faking being a CEO. Agents have to do any role they need to to get the information they require. One wonders what being a secret agent means to her, if she is too superior to act like a desk receptionist in a nice hotel for only a couple of days.

I think us learning that Steed was apparently an inmate of this jail Nee San for who knows how long is very telling. We do not really know where this would fit into his biography, but probably very early on, in his early years of being an agent, when perhaps he had Asian assignments. It seems later his assignments were mostly in Arabic, African, but especially European countries.

Chessman was a great character the odd "cold, fat man". Of course making Steed take off his jacket due to the heat works for me!

The fight scene at the end was good, nicely choreographed.

[Dfrise]

I consider it petty! In an secret agent investigation, it's not all tiaras, and faking being a CEO. Agents have to do any role they need to to get the information they require. One wonders what being a secret agent means to her, if she is too superior to act like a desk receptionist in a nice hotel for only a couple of days.

I agree with Mona. Britain's own Sidney Reilly, called The Ace Of Spies, posed as an industrial tycoon down to a Works Fireman. He got the job done.

[MaxRebo120]

5/10

My least-favorite of the monochrome Emmas and possibly my least-favorite Emma episode period. It's a shame though, because there is potential. Steed and Mrs. Peel infiltrating a hotel really could have been a fun episode. But save for a few scenes, it's just a bore. Was the script a holdover from the Cathy Gale era?

Also, I wish the villains were just an independent group of baddies (merely selling off agents to "the other side") rather than actual Red China. It would have spared us some dismal yellowface.

[Frankymole]

But save for a few scenes, it's just a bore. Was the script a holdover from the Cathy Gale era?

All of Cathy's are better than this! Might be a Venus Smith one though