The Avengers
3.8: The
Grandeur That Was Rome
Well, the
title’s magnificent. The Grandeur That
Was Rome, writer Rex Edwards’ only contribution to the series, looks as if
it ought to be one of the broader, archer episodes, but it never quite finds
its intended absurd footing. It’s not that it’s trying too hard, more that it
isn’t eccentric enough for its design.
Like its predecessor,
there’s a topical theme in the mix, with discussions of the deleterious effects
of chemicals poisoning soil in the pursuit of increased productivity, the
economics of it all (“Consumers want
their food cheap, so that’s the way it has to be”), and the kind of unassuaging
assurance that consoles no one when the side effects become apparent; “We know what we’re doing”. But
ultimately this has relatively little to do with the main plot. We learn that “something happened to those fertilisers
after they passed the quality test” (phew, that’s alright, then; it’s
isolated!), something that has led to disease outbreaks across the world (“In the caucuses the flies are crawling. The
pigs are walking backwards”).
Sir Bruno: One
government, one empire, and one Caesar.
This is
down to contamination of grain with ergot, and the perpetrators, The United
Food and Dressing Limited, under the direction of Hugh Burden’s Caesar-wannabe
Sir Bruno Lucre and his World Empire Party (Burden’s was more memorable as unblinking
Nestene operative Channing in Spearhead
from Space). Cathy investigates, Steed investigates, and Bruno’s No.2
Marcus (John Flint, of The Crusade
and Time-Flight), an alpha-male “fascist type political thug”, canoodling
with Bruno’s intended Octavia (Colette Wilde, also of A Chorus of Frogs), is inevitably gifted a Shakespearean reference
when he does for his boss (“What now,
Brutus?”)
Steed: Oh
those Bacchanalia, such outrageous orgies!
Sir Bruno: They
certainly knew how to relax.
This, with
its frequent references to bacchanalias, and the staging of one in the third
act, ought to be a lot more fun than it is. It’s watchable enough, however, and
Steed has some good lines when he visits Bruno (“My goodness me, you’ve also got a hypocaust!”), and some more when
he confronts a factory lackey (“What are
you doing, poisoning the pig food? Infecting the insecticide?”)
Cathy
spends a fair while locked up, although there’s an amusing moment when Bruno touches
her and then rushes to hide behind Marcus. I had the impression Steed didn’t
know his Latin when Bruno was quoting to him (and he also shows his ignorance
in bringing along a Greek pot; “Spoils of
battle” he covers), but come the final scene he and Cathy appear to be
quoting to each other (“You must be mad!”;
translation of what they said, anyone?).
Agree? Disagree? Mildly or vehemently? Let me know in the comments below.