Warshowsky ( Gil Perkins ), a defecting THRUSH scientist, reveals to Mr.Waverly the existence of a top secret poison gas factory in the Mohave desert. Solo and Kuryakin break in at night, fight with guards, and blow the place up. The scientist then slips out of U.N.C.L.E.'s grasp to rescue his precocious son Bartlett ( Jay North ) from a THRUSH boarding school in Switzerland. The boy's intellect is so high it goes beyond genius levels. THRUSH think he may one day become its new leader.
Kuryakin gets a job as hairdresser to the boy's aunt, an overbearing actress by the curious name of 'Elfie Van Donck' ( Angela Lansbury ), while Solo masquerades as a salesman of novelty toys...
Its hard to think of another U.N.C.L.E. episode with an opening as exciting as this one. The raid on the factory is good enough to pass muster as a Bond pre-credits sequence. Sadly, nothing that happens after that is as good. The decline starts with the introductions not only of 'Elfie', but also Diane McBain as her friend 'Joanna Lydecker'. Usually in stories like this its the child who emerges as the most irritating character, but here the two women compete for the honour.
A joke is made out of Illya being more desirable to Joanna than Solo, a possible reference to David McCallum's popularity among female viewers.
Some nice action stuff, as well as the opening, there's Illya on a motorbike being shot at by THRUSH, a toy plane containing a bomb, a fight at an airport in which Illya manages to leap athletically over suitcases, and poison gas erupting as our heroes try to reach a helicopter. So not at all bad, but could have been better.
Kuryakin gets a job as hairdresser to the boy's aunt, an overbearing actress by the curious name of 'Elfie Van Donck' ( Angela Lansbury ), while Solo masquerades as a salesman of novelty toys...
Its hard to think of another U.N.C.L.E. episode with an opening as exciting as this one. The raid on the factory is good enough to pass muster as a Bond pre-credits sequence. Sadly, nothing that happens after that is as good. The decline starts with the introductions not only of 'Elfie', but also Diane McBain as her friend 'Joanna Lydecker'. Usually in stories like this its the child who emerges as the most irritating character, but here the two women compete for the honour.
A joke is made out of Illya being more desirable to Joanna than Solo, a possible reference to David McCallum's popularity among female viewers.
Some nice action stuff, as well as the opening, there's Illya on a motorbike being shot at by THRUSH, a toy plane containing a bomb, a fight at an airport in which Illya manages to leap athletically over suitcases, and poison gas erupting as our heroes try to reach a helicopter. So not at all bad, but could have been better.