Steed is having Christmas-related dreams that wind up coming true. Emma has been invited to a Dickens-themed party by an old friend, and brings Steed along. But from the moment he arrives, he feels he's seen people and places before-- in his dreams. It turns out Emma's old friend is involved in a psychic "experiment"-- but the people he's working with refuse to tell him what's REALLY going on. And then, when he turns up dead, and Steed doesn't seem to care, Emma fears Steed may be suffering a nervous breakdown!
I first saw this late at night in the 70s, and thought it had to be the single SPOOKIEST episode of the series ever made. Somehow it eluded me after that until my PBS station ran it in the late 80s. It's been a strong favorite of mine ever since.
Among the highlights are Steed receiving a card from Cathy Gale. "So nice of her to remember me-- whatever is she doing in Fort Knox?" -- IN JOKE!!. There's also a final fight in a "mirror room" that's an obvious tribute to THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947), and was also later paid tribute to in ENTER THE DRAGON (1973).
Mervin Johns is "Brandon Storey", a publisher absolutely obsessed with Dickens. I've seen him in many things, but perhaps most memorably DEAD OF NIGHT (1945), the classic horror anthology which involves nightmares (type-casting!).
The funniest part of this mostly-dark and moody story, for me, is Edwin Richfield as "Dr. Felix Teasel", an expert on psycho-analysis, who in the most arrogant fashion insists on over-analyzing anything in front of him, and suggests to Emma that Steed may be heading for a nervous breakdown. When it appears to be he is having one, the Doctor keeps casually, even callously, dismissing all Emma's "facts" and fears... until he pulls a GUN on her. Aha! Clearly he's NOT what he seems-- and, deservedly, gets his HEAD handed to him! It's only after we learn the REAL truth about him, and I just about fell over laughing when I found out. (Watch it yourself and see.) Richfield's almost always playing rotten characters, so him turning out to be shady wasn't that big a surprise. It's what Steed said about him later that was!
The 2015 Region 2 Blu-Ray is such a staggering difference from the 2010 Region 2 DVD, I've never been so thrilled to have sent back a box set to replace it with another one. Apart from 2 spots where the sound gets a bit odd (Emma's arrival at the begining, and, the end credits), the sound and picture on this episode are "PERFECT". I can scarcely think of any TV series I've bought on disc that looks THIS good. What a huge, tremendous upgrade from my old videotapes recorded off PBS.
I first saw this late at night in the 70s, and thought it had to be the single SPOOKIEST episode of the series ever made. Somehow it eluded me after that until my PBS station ran it in the late 80s. It's been a strong favorite of mine ever since.
Among the highlights are Steed receiving a card from Cathy Gale. "So nice of her to remember me-- whatever is she doing in Fort Knox?" -- IN JOKE!!. There's also a final fight in a "mirror room" that's an obvious tribute to THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (1947), and was also later paid tribute to in ENTER THE DRAGON (1973).
Mervin Johns is "Brandon Storey", a publisher absolutely obsessed with Dickens. I've seen him in many things, but perhaps most memorably DEAD OF NIGHT (1945), the classic horror anthology which involves nightmares (type-casting!).
The funniest part of this mostly-dark and moody story, for me, is Edwin Richfield as "Dr. Felix Teasel", an expert on psycho-analysis, who in the most arrogant fashion insists on over-analyzing anything in front of him, and suggests to Emma that Steed may be heading for a nervous breakdown. When it appears to be he is having one, the Doctor keeps casually, even callously, dismissing all Emma's "facts" and fears... until he pulls a GUN on her. Aha! Clearly he's NOT what he seems-- and, deservedly, gets his HEAD handed to him! It's only after we learn the REAL truth about him, and I just about fell over laughing when I found out. (Watch it yourself and see.) Richfield's almost always playing rotten characters, so him turning out to be shady wasn't that big a surprise. It's what Steed said about him later that was!
The 2015 Region 2 Blu-Ray is such a staggering difference from the 2010 Region 2 DVD, I've never been so thrilled to have sent back a box set to replace it with another one. Apart from 2 spots where the sound gets a bit odd (Emma's arrival at the begining, and, the end credits), the sound and picture on this episode are "PERFECT". I can scarcely think of any TV series I've bought on disc that looks THIS good. What a huge, tremendous upgrade from my old videotapes recorded off PBS.