I'm rewatching every episode of the Man from UNCLE series from start to finish. This review may contain spoilers.
I'm reviewing the episodes The Adriatic Express Affair and The Yukon Affair in one post because, to be perfectly honest, neither really justify a dedicated review.
Solo and Kuryakin get onto a train with a bunch of THRUSH agents. The THRUSH agents are working with a fashion or perfume designer (I forget which) for some nefarious purpose. The UNCLE agents bumble around and foil the plot.
It's not actually a terrible episode, it's just not very interesting or inventive. There's some awkward comedic relief, there's some throw-away suggestions of romance, and the fact that it's on a train oddly doesn't add anything to the story which, I think, you kind of want when a whole show is set on a train.
Solo and Kuryakin go to the Yukon, I guess. There's a lot of snow, and some people playing Inuits with the usual traditions and codes of honour. An evil THRUSH overlord makes things difficult and dangerous.
It's one of those episodes that was pretty obviously not written exclusively for a spy show. You can imagine the same script running on Star Trek or Gunsmoke or the Fugitive.
These are not exactly the strongest episodes, and frankly since seeing these two episodes I've started to doubt my resolve to watch the remainder of the second season, much less the remaining third and fourth seasons. For now, though, I'm pressing on in hopes that the general tone and quality improve. I'm aware that's not exactly the usual trend in television, but it doesn't cost anything to retain hope.
Lead image by Anthony DELANOIX under the terms of the Unsplash License. Modified by Seth in Inkscape.