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Friday, February 19, 2010

UNCLE Friday - Napoleon and the "Innocents"

Here's a topic that could inspire debate - Napoleon and the "Innocents".

There are some interesting innocents during the course of the series. A few that come to mind are Mimi Doolittle from "Foxes and Hounds", Mary Pilgrim from "See-Paris-and-Die", Clemency McGill from "Bat Cave", Salty Oliver from "Ultimate Computer" and Terri Cook from "Gurnius" (some people like these characters, but they annoy the socks off me!), Elfie van Donck in "Deadly Toys", and Janet Jerrod from "Off Broadway".  Aside from the females, I thought young Chris Larson in "Finny Foot" pairing up like a side-kick with Napoleon was very good.

Cousins, what are your thoughts on the innocents, good and bad.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

I like Chris Larson as Napoleon's "sidekick" in FINNY FOOT as well.

I liked bright-eyed Susan in FIDDLESTICKS, determined Terry in GURNIUS, sweet Eva in ADRIATIC EXPRESS, kooky Nellie in THOR, willing-to-give-it-a-go Shiela in DEADLY QUEST, and the ritzy-but-still-possessed-of-a-head-on-her-shoulders gal in MAZE whose name is escaping me at the moment.

But my very favorite innocent "paired" with Napoleon is Cecille in BRAIN-KILLER. She is both resilient and tragic, and Napoleon's interaction with her is very unlike that he has with other innocents during the series.

The two worse innocents of all time on the series in my opinion are whiny Marvin in MATTERHORN, and the equally whiny Laura (think that was the name) in TEST TUBE KILLER.

Benzadmiral said...

My all-time favorite is probably Chris Larson, but that could be because (a) it was my first episode, and (b) I was an 11-year-old boy myself at the time. (Though I identified with Solo, natch!)

The Innocents who work the best are ones who are not just cute girls or women who happen to be standing nearby, but those whose presence is essential to the plot.

For instance, Salty Oliver is crucial to Solo and Illya's game to get inside the prison, just as Buzz, in "Project Deephole," becomes part of Solo's plan to outmaneuver Elom. The same goes for the Donfields in "Project Strigas." Kay, in "Mad, *Mad* Tea Party," is caught up by Mr. Hemingway in the bizarre goings-on, and acts as a stand-in for the viewer even more than the others do. There are other Innocents too who have an organic reason to be in the story, such as Mandy and George the U.N.C.L.E. staffers, and those worked as well.

If it comes down to mere colorfulness or charm, Elfie van Donck pops to mind, and yes, Cecille and Eva are Innocently charming in the same way Jill is in "Iowa Scuba."

Worst? Ernestine the notary public, in "King of Knaves"; what is she doing brandishing a gun? Marvin is annoying, yes, as are Jeannine Riley's two roles in Season Three, and the endless string of scientists' daughters who just happen to be gorgeous. Not that I mind if she's cute, but I still want a real reason for her to be involved. (Exception to this: Leslie, daughter of crypto-Thrush scientist Lillian Stemmler, in "Minus-X." That one clicks, as Leslie has a bitter strong edge of her own.)

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