6.05 - Get-A-Way!

[peabody]

Discuss, review and rate Get-A-Way!.

Written by Philip Levene
Directed by Don Sharp

[darren]

This is a grower for me. I wasn't impressed the first time and whilst it isn't perfect, there are quite a few aspect that impress.

Steed's relationship with his two colleagues is given real weight and depth. It's not treated glibly. Steed is shown to actually be moved by what they mean to him. Steed isn't as detached as normal.

Steed's connection to Ezdorf allows for some strong scenes. Macnee and Bowles play off one another so well:

Ezdorf: You have killed - I have killed.
Steed: No, there's a difference. I kill when I have to. You, because you enjoy it.

Bowles is always a great addition to the cast and he never disappoints. He really comes over as Steed's equal.

The Prison/Monastry setting is a lovely idea with the warders wearing habits. It's a really good set.

Don Sharp is not a stylish director but he's pretty good on the dramatic, he draws out the tension really well. It's probably his best one and he improved as he went along. I can see some of John Hough's hand on the second unit location work.

The red paint spewing under the door of Paul Ryder's flat after he gets shot. It's a show that never showed blood but this is wonderfully invent way of doing it and later with the foot print from the unseen murderer.

Philip Levene clearly had so much more to give that it's a shame he and Clemens apparently fell out.

Johnson's score is fittingly atmospheric.

This episode has the famous Linda knickers showing moment in the tag - where she was halled before a board of executives as they discussed it and Macnee jumped to her cause saying she was never to go to those meetings without him again.

The episodes weak point is probably the method of escape. For such a serious, straight episode, it's just a bit too outlandish. In season 5 it would probably fit right in but it's just a bit too silly. It's a nice idea but not very practical (one of the Monk extras runs into the spot where Rostov is standing).

7/10

[Rhonda]

6 from me. Like Steed's victory.

[Ian Wegg]

This is one of the episodes that made an impression on me on the original broadcast; the concept of invisibility was very exciting to the pre-teen me. One of the opening scenes with the monks chasing the escaping agent into an apparently empty dead-end reminded me a lot of an episode of the BBC comedy All Gas and Gaiters in which Patrick Newell plays a ghost who disappears through a cathedral wall. The visual effects in both cases were unremarkable by today's standards but half a century ago certainly got us all buzzing in the school playground.

Great to see this again and as good as I remembered. I can't quite call this my favourite but nearly there.

9/10

[Allard]

Rewatched this even though not one that sticks in my memory as particularly good one. Yet I enjoyed it more than expected.

The elements are all pretty good, a top secret prison disguised as a monastery, invisibility, master-spy vs. master-spy, Peter Bowles, both Steed and Tara do some good sleuthing, an eccentric charterer or two.

The execution just falls short. For example the agents stand where the invisible person is standing, the going invisible is a bit too obvious camera trickery. A bit more ambitious special effects and filming would have done a lot to safe it.

[Lee]

This one gets a solid 8 from me. Recently watched it with my wife to introduce her to Tara. She now quite enjoys TNA - trying to get her a little more into the original. She's watched some Emma in colour, but not really much Tara.

This is an episode I remember really quite clearly from the early / mid 80s when Channel 4 showed the monochrome Emma's and the 'final' 7 of the original colour series. I think it was 6pm on a Tuesday evening.

Get-A-Way was an episode I audio taped, along with the other final 5 from that time, so I often listened to it over again, trying to remember the way it had looked on the screen.

An interesting setting: a monastery disguised as a prison, with monks being the prison guards, sombre music giving a the whole opening a grave feeling, and not as much of the 'uniquely' British eccentricity in evidence making the whole programme seem a little more believable.

The opening scene in Steed's apartment was quite different. People from Steed's past altogether saying how important they are to each other - obviously they are going to be bumped off. A little concerning how they all seem to be ogling Tara, when she is noticeably young enough to be their daughter, but I suppose that was a bit of a different age. There is some emotion attachment that Steed demonstrates towards these close friends, but it seems to be lost later in the story. It would have been interesting to see those feelings maintained in his visits to the monastery and in discussions with his own assassin, perhaps even influencing more of his thinking and judgements.

Linda seems to be finding her way more in this story, and is perhaps a little less doe-eyed than she is in some up to this point. I do appreciate the ore serious tone to the story which was lacking during series 5. There are still the out-of-the-box elements (as already stated about the monastery) but the threat feels more real.

I do feel that The Avengers started to become more introspective from this era. More about the department, threats to the department, people after Steed etc than avenging what is happening in the world. This was something I feel went too far with TNA, and I usually prefer the stories where our heroes are not the reason for the plot, but part of it, solving the crime and avenging its consequences. Series 3/4/5 were good from this reason - very few assignments given by 'authority' figures, even though we know Steed / Emma / Cathy must be working for somebody. When you introduce more of a hierarchy and a department, it becomes more and more tempting to use them to drive the plot, rather than the events that warranted Steed et al's involvement.

Having said all that, there is room for the occasional story along those lines and I think this one works.

All-in-all, an enjoyable was to spend 50 mins.

[Frankymole]

A little concerning how they all seem to be ogling Tara, when she is noticeably young enough to be their daughter, but I suppose that was a bit of a different age.

Why concerning? People of different ages have always married. It was a different age: one with less ageism. Wasn't Charlie Chaplin quite old when he had his last child? His wife must've been considerably younger. Tara is no child and knows the facts of life. The men are single, I assume, and also respectful.

[mousemeat]

A little concerning how they all seem to be ogling Tara, when she is noticeably young enough to be their daughter, but I suppose that was a bit of a different age.

Why concerning? People of different ages have always married. It was a different age: one with less ageism. Wasn't Charlie Chaplin quite old when he had his last child? His wife must've been considerably younger. Tara is no child and knows the facts of life. The men are single, I assume, and also respectful.

old Charlie always had a thing for younger flesh. and he was a first class womanizer...and lived to a ripe old age...I remember, he was persona non grata in the U.S. in the mid 50's...due to his political views.

[Lee]

A little concerning how they all seem to be ogling Tara, when she is noticeably young enough to be their daughter, but I suppose that was a bit of a different age.

Why concerning? People of different ages have always married. It was a different age: one with less ageism. Wasn't Charlie Chaplin quite old when he had his last child? His wife must've been considerably younger. Tara is no child and knows the facts of life. The men are single, I assume, and also respectful.

Personal opinion, I think. Tara was younger than Emma, fresh out of training. The men are visibly older. I don,t think it has anything to do with people from different ages marrying. I think there is a difference between getting to know someone of a different age and ogling them - particularly older men and younger women, but it does apply the other way round.

Perhaps my thoughts on that we're expressed a little strongly in the review, but it did stand out to me. Seeing it as a child, everyone was older and there being nothing noticeable about it - you use different lenses as an adult.

I think a lot of it - as most things in life - comes down to motivation. I have had friends, married , with large age gaps.

Again, I can't comment on Chaplin, but I would wonder about his motivations.

[mousemeat]

A little concerning how they all seem to be ogling Tara, when she is noticeably young enough to be their daughter, but I suppose that was a bit of a different age.

Why concerning? People of different ages have always married. It was a different age: one with less ageism. Wasn't Charlie Chaplin quite old when he had his last child? His wife must've been considerably younger. Tara is no child and knows the facts of life. The men are single, I assume, and also respectful.

Personal opinion, I think. Tara was younger than Emma, fresh out of training. The men are visibly older. I don,t think it has anything to do with people from different ages marrying. I think there is a difference between getting to know someone of a different age and ogling them - particularly older men and younger women, but it does apply the other way round.


Perhaps my thoughts on that we're expressed a little strongly in the review, but it did stand out to me. Seeing it as a child, everyone was older and there being nothing noticeable about it - you use different lenses as an adult.

I think a lot of it - as most things in life - comes down to motivation. I have had friends, married , with large age gaps.

Again, I can't comment on Chaplin, but I would wonder about his motivations.

Chaplin got in hot water with his political beliefs, that went against poplar opinion in the U.S. add to the mix, his somewhat taboo choice of relationships

as far as age difference between men and women, I can certainly understand..for example..I'm 68...going on 69....and widowed....yet, there's a younger women in one of my rental properties...who's 28th...and has always showed interest in me...bordering on a relationship with (cough cough) benefits..If I decided to throw caution to the winds....Being an artist, I'm used to that type of mindset, and interest....but the age difference to me, is kinda over the top...hence, I keep her at a arm's length.....but overall, we have similar interests...and fairly interested conversations.....but honestly, that's as far as I would like it to go....sheesh...(lol)