Get Smart (TV Series) A Spy for a Spy (1966) User Reviews

Traders

[zsenorsock · 10/10 · 6 June 2008]

The first two seasons of "Get Smart" rank as some of the best sitcoms ever produced thanks to the work of Buck Henry and scripters Mike Marmer and Stan Burns who wrote this episode (Arne Sultan, Gerald Gardner and Dee Caruso also made up quite the staff).

This episode introduces Max's arch enemy Siegfried (Bernie Kopell) who has that rare ability to be both threatening and funny at the same time. On day one he is great as Siegfried.

I've always felt Kopell helped Adams raise his game, and he's outstanding here as well. Besides the laughs (Max's time spent alone with Miss Dvorchek--Babro Hedstrom in her US debut--does NOT go unnoticed by 99!) there is a really well done fight scene with genuine jeopardy for Smart. Best of all, it looks like Adams does his own fighting in this one. At least there is no obvious stunt double as there would be in later seasons.

Spy vs. Spy

[hellraiser7 · 10/10 · 6 February 2020]

Warning do not read unless seen episode

This is my favorite episode of the show, there is just so much I like about this episode. From the brisk pace, plotline, but most importantly both Max and Siegfried are just at their absolute best.

This episode introduced head villain Siegfried whom is an honorable mention in favorite fictional villains. Siegfried has a sort of exaggerated German accent, fascist ideals, but what I like about him is how uptight he always is even in his nefarious goals. I always laugh whenever he kept stating certain rules "We do not do this or that here.", it just showed the extended of his uptight nature as he just kept putting restrictions on the simplest things.

I always like the clashing between both Max and Siegfried, it always plays out like a live action version of Mad Magazine's "Spy vs Spy", in fact the whole episode almost is one. As both are running their organizations and are not just seeing who gets the most agents but also are trying to bump each other off at the same time.

Both in this episode I feel are truly at their best clashing, at times you almost feel like both characters could of easily of been friends. Really liked the first meeting between them when both were putting down all of the weapons they carried just to show good faith in the meeting. It's just funny and almost jaw dropping as both carry more weapons than "The Punisher".

It's just funny how the whole plot plays out, where you can make a sport out of it which they kind of do as Max has a scoreboard on how many agents each side has. It's really funny once we hear both organizations have captured so many agents they've literally run out of agents from either side to capture; how the heck big spy organizations like Control and Kaos can run out of agents is anyone's guess, but that's what makes it all the more funny just the absurdity of that concept.

However, what makes the comedy increase in humor is seeing Max for once in charge of Control. And despite everything getting out of control he does a decent job leading the organization, though I say decent loosely.

It then comes down to both Max and Siegfried making a business negotiation, it's funny as there is a lot of disagreement which leads to an agreement. In a way you can say both from that became friends and allies in that moment, but like I said moment we know both will continue their clash in the next game.

Rating: 4 stars