[Avengers] "A Sense of History". S04-E24

[Ubiquitous]

by Martin Woodhouse
Directed by Peter Graham Scott

James Broom (Kenneth Benda), a leading economist on his way to a
university is stopped by students involved in Rag Week antics - all
dressed as Robin Hood's merry men - he pays the toll for the road but
turning his back is shot by an arrow from behind.

Mrs Peel arrives at a works garage where Steed fires a toy arrow at her -
he tells he it's a clue, along with it's more lethal cousin, which was in
Broom's back. Emma is stunned; Brooms plans for "Europia", where the
combined economic force of Europe would banish poverty forever, could
suffer a serious set-back. She notices a hand emerging from the boot of
Broom's car and Steed introduces her to Richard Carlyon (Nigel Stock),
Broom's right-hand man, who had been retrieving Broom's briefcase from
its hiding place. Carlyon tells them Broom was heading to a meeting with
a man diametrically opposed to his ideas but had not confided the man's
name; only that he was connected to St Bode's College. Steed decides it's
time Mrs Peel resumed her education.

At St Bode's, Gordon Henge (John Barron) struggles to keep control of a
lecture, the rowdy students led by the brilliant young fascist Duboys
(Patrick Mower), who rules the university with insolence. Mrs Peel looks
on as Duboys nudges John Pettit (Robin Phillips) to ask a question. Henge
maintains that the great events of history have been the result of chance
or coincidence, so Pettit asks him if one man can change the course of
history, citing Professor Acheson's views, and stating they can't both be
right. Duboys wades in and insults Henge openly, causing the professor to
gather his books and storm out. Mrs Peel chases after him but is stopped
by Acheson (John Ringham), whose isometric exercises get in her way. He
indicates where she can find Duboys but when she reaches the door, she's
waylaid by masked students and held at sword-point by Duboys.

Steed meanwhile has set up camp in the woods nearby with Carlyon, who
shows him the thesis purporting to be is not economic at all but becomes
increasingly hysterical and descends into political dogma, "with the
whiff of jack boots", adds Steed.
Duboys meanwhile has apologised to Emma and given her a cup of coffee;
his band - Millerson (Peter Blythe), Pettit, Allen (Peter Bourne), and
Marianne (Jacqueline Pearce) - claim they do not despise Henge, they have
a "negative appraisal of him" and call him "Stone Henge" because he has
outdated opinions. Emma says Henge is highly regarded by his friends,
including Broom; Duboys sneers that Broom was a very intelligent man.
After she leaves, Duboys tells his band to watch her. Steed departs for
the university where he plans, so he tells Emma, to research the co-
relationship between the lesser crested newt and Mrs Sybil Peabody - an
aunt of his who drinks like a fish. Steed complains about Acheson's
isometrics, saying he expects his professors to be stooped and dusty;
Emma replies she likes her students to be eager and innocent - then finds
a pin-up inside a desk. Henge haughtily suggests they ask Grindley, the
archivist abou the thesis when asked about it - "the archive is full of
theses", quips Steed. Steed visits Grindley (John Glyn-Jones), who tells
him there's no filing system at St Bode's. Henge enters afterwards and
warns Grindley that Steed is not a member of the faculty. Grindley tells
him he didn't give him the thesis but he "know what to do about it". As
Grindley collects his notes for a lecture, he is startled by Millerson,
who has come down from a ladder. Millerson informs Duboys that Grindley
has been talking; Duboys replies by pointing his fingers and jabbing them
at Pettit's chest then coerces the students into thumping the desk and
shouting "We want Grindley" because he's running late. Grindley passes
Millerson in the quad, who raises a bow and arrow as he greets him;
moments later, Grindley staggers into the lecture room and collapses, an
arrow in his back.

Steed leaves Emma to sort the dusty volumes in the archives while he
visits Carlyon, but is waylaid by the students. Duboys tells Steed they
bore Grindley's body away as St Bode's tradition dictates and accuses him
of not being an ex-student. Duboys is surprised when Steed gets the
better of him; he orders his minions to get him but Acheson arrives and
disperses them. He tells Steed to report Duboys to the proctor if he
troubles him again and is startled when Steed replies that he'll break
his arm instead. Emma meanwhile is paid a visit by Henge, who tells he
he's now in Charge of the archives.
Steed reaches Carlyon's caravan and learns that the thesis is the work
of a mature mind - or maybe an exceptionally brilliant student like
Duboys. Carlyon's the key man now, and his life is in danger. Steed hears
owl calls and realises they're signals - they are surrounded by students
armed with bows and arrows. The students attack and they take cover under
the caravan - when flaming arrows start to fly in and one attacks Steed
with a knife, they know the attack is no rag week jape. Steed fights them
off and they retreat; he knocks one down with the lid of Carlyon's
cooking pot and grabs him - the boy escapes but leaves behind a wallet
with a photo of Marianne in it.

The next day, Steed finds Marianne in a classroom and confronts her.
Pettit comes to her defence but Steed menacess him physically. He admits
there's someone even Duboys is afraid of but he doesn't know who. Steed
gives him the thesis and Pettit says Grindley lied, anyone used to the
archive could find it in five minutes. "You, for instance", Steed orders
and Pettit, despite Marianne's shaking head, agrees. Duboys enters and
insolently orders Pettit and Marianne off to a Rag Week meeting.

That night, Carlyon composes a memo, somewhat dictated by Steed, to his
minister to explain his absence then hides under his caravan with a
colander on his head while Steed returns to the university. A storm is
brewing as Duboys interrogates Pettit, who claims Steed only asked him
about the student activities. Millerson and Duboys know he's lying but
Millerson refuses to do any more dirty work; he suggests the "big man"
show he is equally committed by getting his hands dirty for a change.
Pettit enters the archive under cover of the storm but someone else
sneaks in behind him and crushes him under a bookcase, just as he finds
the thesis. Steed sees the archives door swing open a moment later and
rushes in to find Henge claiming there's been a terrible accident.

Steed and Emma restore order to the archive and presume the thesis is now
destroyed. Millerson enters and hands them invitations to the Rag Week
rave the next night. "They certainly do bury and forget", Emma observes.
Carlyon has also been invited and ponders the invitation at his camp.
Meanwhile, Duboys asks Millerson and Allen to reaffirm their vows and
cuts both their chests with the point of his sword, Millerson returning
the favour. Duboys orates "With blood we bind and in blood we advance" as
they place their blood-smeared fingers on the sword. Marianne delivers a
reply from Carlyon, he has accepted, and Duboys says the sword will taste
blood again.
Steed and Emma are walking in the cloister when an arrow shoots past in
front of them. Acheson runs up and apologises, saying he wanted to try it
out before tomorrow night - the rave is a fancy dress affair based on
Robin Hood.

Allen starts the celebrations with a flaming arrow, and Marianne glares
at Duboys when he takes food from her hand. She overhears him tell
Millerson that Carlyon must be lured to the lecture room. Mrs Peel enters
a lecture room where Steed is getting dressed and they compare costumes -
Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. Emma notes that Steed's sword
is a bit droopy; "Wait until it's challenged", he quips. Carlyon arrives,
dressed as Richard the Lionheart, and Millerson tells him he is audacious
in thinking The Plan for Europia could succeed - "would be allowed to
succeed", Duboys interjects. They are leading him off to the lecture room
when Steed and Mrs Peel stop them; Steed greets Carlyon as an old friend
and steers him away, much to Duboys' disgust. He's more annoyed a moment
later when he realises that he and Emma are both dressed as Robin Hood,
although her version is much sexier at 13" above the knee. Duboys
observes that Carlyon has given them a useful target - the heart on his
surcoat.

Emma and Steed gather around Carlyon as he helps himself to the spit
roasted chicken; he thinks the watchdog bit overdone until informed that
Duboys murdered Broom, and he is the live bait to flush out the big man.
Marianne finds Emma in the crowd and says she knows they killed John; she
warns her of Duboys' plan and adds that the big man will be dressed as
Friar Tuck.

Emma reports back and they apprehend the Friar when he arrives, knocking
him out in the archives with a book of Historical Memoirs. He's revealed
to be Dr Henge and they rejoin the party. Steed is telling Carlyon his
troubles are over when Emma spots another Friar; this one is similarly
dealt with, by the Encyclopędia Erotica, and revealed to be Professor
Acheson. Carlyon meanwhile is grabbed by the students and taken off to
meet their leader.
In the lecture room, Duboys says they are about to change the course of
history while Marianne warns Emma and Steed. Duboys says the triumph and
coup de grace belongs to their leader and hands the sword to Friar Tuck.
Grindley removes his hood and admits the authorship of the thesis, his
death a little pantomime. Duboys expects Carlyon would appreciate the
genius of the thesis and is surprised when he dismisses it as a tract
which claims history can be created to order. Grindley is riled and says
they will prove it now, in that room, with his death. They will create an
economic snowball and change the economic face of Europe forever. The
Avengers burst in, Emma shooting the sword from Grindley's hand with her
bow. She then chases Duboys down in the archives while Steed vanquishes
Allen and Millerson, Carlyon clobbering Grindley with a book. Emma
returns and wonders if history will be kind to Grindley.

The Avengers depart on a BSA motorcycle and sidecar, Steed keen to "feel
the wind in their faces". He then closes the cover of the sidecar and
shuts the window, prompting Mrs Peel to comment that he's an unmitigated
fraud.


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Dems & the media want Trump to be more like Obama, but then he'd
have to audit liberals & wire tap reporters' phones.