User Reviews

This episode sees Steed and Mrs Peel spending a fair amount of time with their friend Paul Beresford, although their meetings are frequently interrupted as they hear of a series of kidnappings involving prominent scientists. They quickly realise that it was a Cybernaut that took the men although they have no idea who is controlling it; Clement Armstrong, the inventor of the Cybernauts, had been killed in a previous episode. While Steed and Mrs Peel don't know who is behind the attacks the viewer is shown; it is none other than their friend Paul! He is Armstrong's brother and he wants the scientists to develop a way to make Steed and Mrs Peel suffer. Not all of the scientists are willing to help but two are and they create a device that will override the mind of a victim; leaving then fully conscious but unable to control any of their actions. Paul charms Mrs Peel and gives her a watch which acts as a controller; this leaves it to Steed to rescue his friend and thwart Beresford's plans.

The Avengers has featured some great guest stars over the years and this features one of the best as Peter Cushing appears as villain Paul Beresford. He does a fine job as this apparently friendly character; we see him charming Mrs Peel and sharing fine wine with Steed before it is revealed that he is behind the abductions and that his intentions are far from friendly. He may be the main villain but he isn't the only one; in fact two of the abducted scientists are almost as bad as they are more than happy to help Beresford for the money he offers. It was fun to see Steed getting a little jealous as Mrs Peel enjoys the attention Beresford gives her. The Cybernaut itself is a good 'monster' although one wonders how nobody noticed it walking back to Beresford's house with the abducted men slung over its shoulder! Not that this really matters as I can't imagine many people expect realism in The Avengers. Overall an enjoyable episode that gets series six off to a good start.

While his Hammer co-star Christopher Lee made 2 appearances on THE AVENGERS (perhaps due to his lifelong friendship with Patrick Macnee dating back to 1931 when they were both 9 years old!), this would be the one and only appearance for the great Peter Cushing. A sequel to the previous season's third broadcast "The Cybernauts," this episode casts Cushing as the brother of the wheelchair-bound cybernaut creator originally played by another frequent co-star, Michael Gough ("Horror of Dracula" being the most notable, "Top Secret" being the last). As Paul Beresford, Peter is constantly entertaining an enthralled Emma Peel, stoking the jealousy of the gentlemanly Steed, all the while plotting to avenge his brother's death at their hands. Returning from the earlier episode is Frederick Jaeger (also seen in "Death of a Great Dane") as dedicated assistant Benson, who helps to conduct the kidnappings of noted scientists who are blackmailed into creating a means to transform Steed and Emma into human cybernauts. Other notable veterans include Charles Tingwell ("The Nutshell"), Fulton Mackay ("You'll Catch Your Death" and "Bizarre"), Anthony Dutton ("All Done with Mirrors"), and Noel Coleman ("Traitor from Zebra"). Filmed in June 1967 before two of Cushing's lesser starring efforts ("Corruption" and "The Blood Beast Terror"), this standout TV episode shows the actor at the peak of his form, displaying a disarming charm masking the underlying menace and revealing the depths of the incomparable relationship between Steed and Emma (sadly nearing its end). For anyone unfamiliar with Cushing's TV work during the 1950's which made him Britain's most popular television star of that era (and for which he was most coveted by Hammer Films), this appearance would probably be the most easily available, along with the 1954 broadcast of "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (as Winston Smith) and his 1976 return in the first episode of THE NEW AVENGERS, "The Eagle's Nest." There are also six surviving episodes of his 1968 SHERLOCK HOLMES series that are available on Region 2 DVD, co-starring Nigel Stock as Watson.