User Reviews

John Steed's charge of being a body guard to a rocket scientist, Peter Neville (Alban Blacklock), goes awry when the scientist collapses in a catatonic state while holding a raven's (?) feather. John has a physician (Brian Vaughan) examine him only to discover that there is nothing physically wrong with Neville. One-Ten (Douglas Muir) speculates that this illness and the deaths of three other scientists might be connected to some foreign intrigue; and John is reassigned to discover who might be the deadly source. With only the feather and some occult reading material, Steed goes to Catherine Gale for help.

This is not "Dr." or "Mrs." or "Cathy". We assume the woman that is introduced in the ninth minute – very late for a televised show – is a major character from the set that we meet her on. The scene is given an exterior shot – a massive building with a sign that says "Natural History Museum". Elaborate props are used: a nice sized dinosaur. Plus John uses playful banter when he enters the scene…language that seems more attuned to an acquaintance that one hasn't been seen for awhile.

Was this the first story written for Dr. Cathy Gale? Possibly. The writer of this episode, Doreen Montgomery, would go on to create the character of Mrs. Emma Peel for the series; therefore it is more than possible that Sydney Newton – the creator of both John Steed and Cathy Gale – let Montgomery develop Gale's character into a teleplay.

Many of the signs are there: Catherine's boundaries and interests are set. Through their repartee, Catherine lets it be known why she would help John, and what she finds important about the mission. And the scenarios that are created showcase that Catherine Gale will not be a wilting flower.

Montgomery's fame as a writer arose with her screenplays for English Boardroom drama films. She exhibits an easy dialogue with this script coming up with some of the best exchanges for all her characters – especially John and Cathy. Her characters are fully formed including small supporting characters such as Neville's housekeeper, Mrs. Dunning (Olive Milbourne), and the antagonists, Markel (John Hollis), and the Aleister Crowley-like Cosmo Gaillion (Peter Arne).

From the scenarios she creates, the director Peter Hammond is able to make this into more of a horror show, than a spy adventure. In truth, this would haunt the Gale series throughout. There would always be a small sense of dark, Gothic horror to her shows – in stark contrast to light touch of Venus Smith's tales, or the fantasies associated with Mrs. Emma Peel.

It's easy to see why this was not chosen as the first broadcast Gale adventure. Cosmo, the traitorous Warlock, takes money from the highest bidder, and throws rituals with wild costumes. But as a villain, he pales to Mr. Teddy Bear. Further, although the subject of witchcraft is handled well, it invites a lot of camp and unintentional giggles.

Finally, although the background of John & Cathy's history is unexplored in Montgomery's script, the producers' decision to have Steed & Gale's first partnership happen during the Mau-Mau - an adventure that would never be televised, but always hinted at - seems a lot more exotic than invading a coven.

P.S. Although it was obvious that Montgomery wanted to make Gale an anthropologist, I don't think she did any investigation into the career background. The skill set that Dr. Cathy Gale exhibits in other shows from the first season, aren't those that are on display here. And as someone who has worked in a museum, Dr. Gale would never – ever – be in the bone lab. Mr. Teddy Bear did a better job of introducing her anthropology credentials.

As this episode opens we see a group dressed in black gowns dancing around as its leader appears to perform a ritual around a photograph of a man. It turns out that man is scientist Peter Neville and Steed is about to pay him a visit when Neville appears to have a stroke. Steed isn't so sure; he finds a feather in his hand and several books on the occult in his flat, as he leaves he takes various documents with him. He then goes to see Cathy who has some expertise in the occult. Meanwhile a bald-headed foreign agent named Markel goes to see Cosmo Gallion, the man who led the ceremony in the opening scene. Markel has paid him to get Neville to hand over a new fuel formula. He isn't there but is soon 'summoned' by Gallion. Neville doesn't have the formula on him and dies when Markel hits him so they must try to find out who has it. As this goes on Cathy and Steed start to close in on Gallion but it looks as if Cathy is going to be in danger as she becomes the target of one of Gallion's occult ceremonies.

This was a fairly strange episode; the occult themes felt like something that would crop up in one of the later seasons than the less surreal, more realistic, early seasons. While it is stated that the occult will only work on those who believe there is no explanation of how the victims knew the ceremonies were taking place unless, within the context of the show, we are meant to believe Gallion really has magical powers. The scenes where characters cavort during the occult ceremonies are fairly laughable… and I suspect that wasn't intentional. When I watched this I didn't know that it was intended as Cathy's first episode and to be honest I don't think that made much of a difference. Patrick Macnee and Honor Blackman work well together as Steed and Cathy even if their characters have a somewhat spiky relationship. John Hollis and Peter Arne are suitably menacing as villains Markel and Gallion. Overall I'd say this was a bit disappointing; not actually bad but not as good as I expect from an 'Avengers' episode.

A scientist with a side-interest in psychic & occult phenomena becomes a victim of that very thing when the leader of the "group" he joined turns out to be using his influence to sell secrets to the highest bidders.

Although the 2nd Cathy Gale episode filmed ("DEATH DISPATCH" was first), "WARLOCK" was clearly designed & intended to introduce her to the series, and to Steed. It's downright criminal it was run 18th that year instead of 1st, as even with an "introductory" scene at the beginning snipped out, the entire remainder of the story screams that this is Steed & Cathy's 1st time working together!

With his slyly sinister looks and manners, Peter Arne is a fine mix of polite authority and ruthless criminal, never letting his more violent "business partner" worry him. Apart from several later AVENGERS episodes, I've also seen him turn up on THE SAINT ("The Revolution Racket"), THE OBLONG BOX (my favorite of the non-Corman Vincent Price POE films) and no less than 3 PINK PANTHER films (RETURN..., TRAIL... and CURSE...).

With his beady eyes and bald scalp, John Hollis presents a more blunt and brutal form of evil, as his politeness in getting info all too quickly gives way to violence and murder. He's turned up prominently in 2 SAINT episodes ("The Saint Plays With Fire", "The Fast Women"), played a kindly scientist on DOCTOR WHO ("The Mutants"), Billy Dee Williams' sidekick in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, and, uncredited, Ernst Stavros Blofeld (or a lookalike henchman-- who can say for sure?) in FOR YOUR EYES ONLY (voice dubbed by Robert Rietty in any case).

I do wonder why a story so clearly meant as an introduction of a new character was filmed second instead of first, but whatever. Cathy Gale presents a VERY impressive character here, giving Steed info he needs with both authority and open suspicion. Her whole demeanor shows she either doesn't like or doesn't trust this shady guy who's asking about things she knows are more dangerous than most people suspect. So what a surprise (or should it be?) when he finds her sneaking into an apartment he's already broken into, and for the same reason he's there. In the process, he finds it's a mistake to sneak up on her, as she neatly flips him onto the floor before he can even get "What are YOU doing here?" out of his mouth. Definitely not your average 60's TV woman!

As the story progresses, she continues to keep him at arm's length, and you can read so much into Patrick Macnee's body language and facial expressions it's a delight to watch, as clearly Steed doesn't know what to make of his new acquaintance. Dropping him off, she tells him "Why don't you do your OWN work?", a reference to the way Steed enjoys letting other people do his work for him. Later, he sneaks into the baddie's lair and disguises himself in a monk's robe, only to be discovered when the man he took it from recovers and gives the alarm. Considering this was (or should be) the 1st Cathy episode, it's funny this brings to mind the 1st Purdey episode, where once again Steed, disguised in a monk's robe, was found out. ("Sieg-- HEIL! Sieg-- HEIL! Sieg..." "Rule Britannia?")

Steed is once more surprised when Cathy turns out to be even more resourceful than he realized, and saves the day at the end. When he asks why she showed up even though she WASN'T really in a trance, she tells him, referring to her time in Africa, "When I find something worth hunting, I like to be in on the kill." Their mutual smiles show that, at the end, they HAVE become friends! If you watch "DEATH DISPATCH" right after this, her whole attitude toward him in that story makes more sense if you see this one first. What a good start to a great partnership!

Addendum (11-16-2022): Something that makes NO sense here: while the 2009 Region 2 DVDs are (mostly) in production order, this episode is 16th rather than 5th! (And should be watched 4th.)