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The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968)

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  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968)

    Season 1, episode 1: "The Vulcan Affair".

    One of many spy shows and movies made in the 1960s, in the wake of the birth of the James Bond franchise. We're introduced to Napoleon Solo, the titular Man from U.N.C.L.E. (of course, as the show progresses, it should've really been called The Men from U.N.C.L.E.) and and fellow U.N.C.L.E. agent Illya Kuryakin. However, Illya only appears in a smaller role. He had no yet become what he went on to become. Illya proved extremely popular with audiences (especially female ones). This was 1964, during the cold war, and here the good guys had a Russian agent. I often see people cite Pavel Chekov on Star Trek as a big deal and progressive/open minded for the cold war (I've seen people, incorrectly, credit Star Trek for a lot of stuff). Doesn't change the fact that The Men from U.N.C.L.E. did it three years before Chekov showed up. Wouldn't surprise me if Illya's popularity somewhat influenced the decision to have a Russian character on Star Trek.

    Outside of Illya, U.N.C.L.E. is depicted as having several female agents (including an Asian-American) and a black agent. Already establishing the organization as being inclusive. Between 1966 and 1967, there was even a spin-off centered around a female U.N.C.L.E. agent named April Dancer (The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.). Never seen it, so I can't comment on it. Though, a minor note on the 2015 movie, I wish that they had revealed Alicia Vikander's character to be April Dancer (either posing as Gaby Teller, or with Gaby changing her name, at the end of the movie).

    Pat Crowley guest stars as Elaine May Donaldson, a housewife, whom Solo recruits for the mission. When the show was created, they made the decision to feature an innocent character in every episode (to give the audience someone to identify with). I like this decision. Also, as she's recruited by U.N.C.L.E., I guess one could regard her as an U.N.C.L.E. agent, for the duration. Meaning that Solo's partner for the mission is a female. Her being an ordinary housewife means that anyone can be recruited by U.N.C.L.E., for a mission. No elitism here. At any given time, an U.N.C.L.E. agent could come knocking on your door and announce that they need your help. I suppose that one could argue that it gives the whole thing an element of wish fullfilment, which is pretty common in fiction.

    Thought the episode was okay, though I had some minor issues. On the plane, a mysterious woman (with a gun) appears to be spying on Elaine, but is seemingly never seen again. Maybe she appears again in the extended colorized version (didn't rewatch the extended version, only the black-and-white version), but in the regular version she seemingly vanishes. And how did Solo survive the car sabotage?

    Future Bond villain, Richard Kiel (Jaws) makes a brief appearance as a non-speaking guard. As JB (George Lazenby) shows up to help Solo in Return of the Man from U.N.C.L.E., maybe this is Jaws (before he got his metal teeth)? (I'm joking, of course.)
    Last edited by jon-el87; 03-08-2021, 11:01 AM.
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