6.11 - All Done With Mirrors

[peabody]

Discuss, review and rate All Done With Mirrors.

Written by Leigh Vance
Directed by Ray Austin

[anti-clockwise]

This one clearly showed Tara's competence. The fight scenes were spectacular. And it looked like she did most of them herself. The one where she fell of the cliff was a surprise as I figured she would have thrown the motorcyclist off the cliff. I think the next part was the most unrealistic but OK it's the Avengers. Walking away without a cut or bruise and completely dry. Not sure if this was an omission on their part or it was intentionally done that way. Ray Austin directed so I guess it's not too surprising that the fight scenes were so well coordinated and spectacular. Loved the scene with Tara's voice transmitted to Steed in his car. Good lines where he thinks she's died and he's talking to a ghost. And perfect ending with dinner made in the bonnet of his car.

[Frankymole]

It is a 10/10, sure-fire four bowler winner for me. One of the very best Avengers episodes and so one of the very best episodes of any television shows ever made. Definitely a highlight of the Tara era, along with "Fog". Even if a lighthouse is the opposite of Fog

Brilliantly directed and very tense, with some very good action set pieces and an intriguing premise.

The only downside for some may be that Steed isn't in it much, but that allows the strength of Tara to be established (the foolish who go on about her fighting style being "a brick in a handbag" should watch the fight with the ginger giant in this, and anyone who can't cope with her being chloroformed in some episodes - due to the double-banking of episodes' production, where one or other lead actor had to be taken out of the action - can take solace in the way that most Avengers girls on their own are portrayed as "victims", tied up or falling to pieces a bit (House That Jack Built, Don't Look Behind You, The Joker). Tara totally owns the situation here, even when run off a cliff - it just makes her more determined!

This is one of the best "gateway" episodes to start watching the series as it shows just how good it can be, and how strong and effective the female lead can be, essentially the heroine in an action-adventure thriller where other shows of the 60s (and 70s, and 80s, and 90s, and 00s, and...) invariably have a man in that role.

[anti-clockwise]

This was actually a complete role reversal, with the men hanging out at the pool while Tara is doing the heavy lifting.

[darren]

10/10

I look at My Wildest Dream as the episode when Linda finally looks really comfortable. But then she gets her first chance to really grab the limelight with this episode.

Linda excels in this episode, she really shows that she deserves to be an Avengers girl/lady. I hope that Brian Clemens was pleased with her after All done With Mirrors as she deserved him to be. She gets one of the best fights in the whole series and she carries the whole episode with such confidence and verve. I'm sure it helped having Ray Austin as director to give her that push of encouragement. Steed is such a lynchpin of the series but I don't miss him here as Tara is so capable and doesn't even need the bumbling Whatney.

Ray Austin has a strong style and gives the episode a really breezy fresh feel. You can really believe that it's by the sea despite most locations being nowhere near. It's a beautiful summery episode. Robert Jones does some great sets, I love the colour in the research institute.

Howard Blake's score is so effective. It was great to hear the unused fight music in full on the Soundtrack release. They used the Never Never Say Die music and Blake's fight music was finally used in Who Was That Man I Saw You With?

Shame that Leigh Vance didn't do more Avengers. I understand he was more a Saint writer before going to the US to write for Mission Impossible and eventually produce shows like Hart to Hart.

[MikeR]

Yes Leigh Vance really wrote this one to Tara's strengths and it really worked very well. He then did a Strange Report and departed for the States, where he became involved with Mission: Impossible.

[cyberrich]

10/10. One of the very best Tara's, if not the best. Great script, terrific location (probably the best in the Avengers history) and loads of action including Tara's best fight scene. Rich.

[peabody]

I will have to echo everything Rich said above: Great script, terrific location work and loads of action including Tara's best fight scene. A great score by Howard Blake, too. It was an absolute joy watching this with live commentary at the Chichester event (although I can't remember anything of what they said now, memory like a goldfish). 9/10.

[mariocki]

I remember them talking about camera angles and how Ray liked to go for the unusual such as filming at ground level or through a pair of glasses etc.

[shaunodan]

This one clearly showed Tara's competence. The fight scenes were spectacular. And it looked like she did most of them herself. The one where she fell of the cliff was a surprise as I figured she would have thrown the motorcyclist off the cliff. I think the next part was the most unrealistic but OK it's the Avengers. Walking away without a cut or bruise and completely dry. Not sure if this was an omission on their part or it was intentionally done that way. Ray Austin directed so I guess it's not too surprising that the fight scenes were so well coordinated and spectacular. Loved the scene with Tara's voice transmitted to Steed in his car. Good lines where he thinks she's died and he's talking to a ghost. And perfect ending with dinner made in the bonnet of his car.

Agreed !Tara very under-rated !