Black Scorpion TV series

Diana Rigg as Emma Peel is one of my all-time biggest crushes

I even enjoyed watching Uma Thurman play the role in the 90s adaptation.  Which, to be fair, has its flaws*, but I enjoyed watching anyway. It captured the "feel" of what The Avengers** was for me.

Peace.

/K

* Strange story.  Long ago, in a roundabout way, I knew a woman who was friends with a stuntwoman.  The stuntwoman was Uma's stuntwoman on the film, and she said there were MASSIVE amounts of scenes cut/re-jigged from the final edit.  The story played out completely differently when they were filming it.

** Obviously not the Marvel Avengers  

kikass2014 wrote: Diana Rigg as Emma Peel is one of my all-time biggest crushes

I even enjoyed watching Uma Thurman play the role in the 90s adaptation.  Which, to be fair, has its flaws*, but I enjoyed watching anyway. It captured the "feel" of what The Avengers** was for me.

Peace.

/K

* Strange story.  Long ago, in a roundabout way, I knew a woman who was friends with a stuntwoman.  The stuntwoman was Uma's stuntwoman on the film, and she said there were MASSIVE amounts of scenes cut/re-jigged from the final edit.  The story played out completely differently when they were filming it.

** Obviously not the Marvel Avengers  

Yes, the final film was almost incomprehensible and clocked in at just 77 minutes!  I thought for sure that the DVD would restore the missing footage, but the movie flopped so badly, I guess they just didn't bother.  I too thought the director and production designer's hearts were in the right place and I didn't mind the casting of Uma or Ralph either.  I wanted to like that movie so badly but I just couldn't.  The thing that did it for me was the gravitas they gave the main characters.  Steed isn't supposed to actually be a repressed member of the British establishment, he just dresses like and riffs at them. Emma isn't supposed to have a chip on her shoulder and out to prove herself to the world, she already knows she has.  

Basically, the life of adventure was their light escapist entertainment in the show, even though they were battling diabolical masterminds.

Episode ten An Officer and a Prankster

The Mad Scientist Dr. Phoenix brings the Gangster Prankster back to life in his never ending quest to reform dead super criminals.
This time he implants a pain inducer that is triggered whenever Gangster Prankster wants to do evil.
This device actually works and Gangster Prankster becomes a law abiding citizen and a Police officer.


The detectives are intolerant as a group and  do not trust him.
Surprisingly Darcy/ Black Scorpion will not give him the benefit of the doubt and shadows him as he foils seven crimes in one day.

Early in the episode we get reused Gangster Prankster footage from the feature film Black Scorpion 2 Aftershock
Stoney Jackson reprises his role as Super Villain Gangster Prankster,
He is brilliant.
I believe this makes him the first African American to portray a supervillain in a live action show.
Of course Eartha Kitt broke ground in the old Batman TV show.

We also get Giggles as the moll in this episode.
A very live action Harley Quinn type.
She was adorable.

Episode eleven Life's a Gas

Eco Terrorist Ariel Haize seeks out the advise of Super Criminal Breathtaker. Guest star Adam West
She is smitten with him and is a bit of a groupie.
Then things go horribly wrong.


After a break in at the chem lab she is doused with pollution absorbing material and becomes Pollutia a living embodiment of gas.



Darcy plays the good cop and fails to get the needed info from Breathtaker and it is up to Black Scorpion to put on the needed pressure to save the city.

This episode features several girl fights and a goodguy vs badgirl fight which is pretty brutal which is still pretty odd even by today's standards.
We also get Baywatch babe Traci Bingham as one of the airheaded henchwomen,

The same police chase stock footage is used again and again.
I am wondering if this is supposed to be a gag.

Episode twelve Roses are Red you're Dead

Squiggy from the old Laverne and Shirley tv show plays Greenthumb who wants to punish the entire city to try to win the unrequited love of the Mayor's bimbo Babbette.

He has two Henchwomen that are sympathetic and help him out.

(This knucklehead can not see the forest for the trees)
A great plot and I loved it.

He uses plant based scents to induce "Apathy" amongst the population.
Fortunately Darcy has a head cold and can not breath in the pollen.
She sneezes on Steve a couple times during the episode.
However at the end when Steve comes down with a cold he attributes it to the one time Black Scorpion sneezed on him.
Thus pushing the fun Darcy, Steve, Black Scorpion love triangle.

We also get a special guest star.
I am pretty sure the Audrey II puppet from Little Shop of Horrors is in this one.
I could not find a screen grab.

Plenty of cleavage for fans of that stuff (like me)

Episode thirteen Fire and Brimstone.

The ugliest Cupid I have ever seen is having fun making people fall in love with the first person they see.
Usually him causing problems with couples all over make out spot Heavenly Point.


This is a love themed episode where Medusa, who survived her fall from the dam, is still in love with Steve.
Inferno, resurrected by Dr. Phoenix, is still in love with Darcy.
The two team up to get revenge on their rivals and secure the unrequited love of their dreams.


Therer is plenty of twists and turns in this one where sometimes you don't know who is in love with who and who wants to accomplish what to achieve a goal.


In one fun moment Steve, who under Cupid's spell is in love with Darcy and vice versa, is revived by Black Scorpion but he calls out to Darcy.
Black Scorpion gets jealous and slugs him then kisses him.
FUN STUFF.


Much time is spent in flashback to the two origin episodes of our villains.

The biggest joke of all, Cupid is never captured and that plot line is dropped or forgotten.

Fire & Brimstone was the episode that really stood out to me when I first saw it.  This was the episode that I realized that this show wasn't so much a tribute to the 1966 Batman show, as an all out let's take the same format and do a  no-rules, take-the-genre-tropes into the stratosphere episode.  Whenever I thought it got too ridiculous, the producers would add to it by being more ridiculous a few scenes later.  In retrospect, it kind of was an ancestor to a lot of more recent "post-modern" TV. Rather than a jump-the-shark moment, it made me like the show more.

Having said that, even in 2001 I did wonder if it might be a bit too dodgy for a TV villain to make the population of an entire city jump random peoples' bones.

Agent00Soul wrote:
Having said that, even in 2001 I did wonder if it might be a bit too dodgy for a TV villain to make the population of an entire city jump random peoples' bones.

It's in his nature.

Episode fourteen Virtual Vice

Full Disclosure.
I am a HUGE Lana Clarkson fan.

Dr. Sara Bellium has an insane plan to warehouse the poor in a virtual world to ease their suffering.
After the Mayor cancels her funding her and her two assistants are zapped while playing a new VR game and become Mindbender, Gig and Byte.


I love Lana Clarkson's look here and I always thought at 5' 10" and with her figure she would have made a perfect Ms. Victory in a live action AC Comics FemForce Tv show or movie.

Mindbender frees up the funds by trapping the Mayor and Babbette in the VR world Wrath of Warriors.



Quickly followed by all the detectives including Darcy.
Much footage from Lana Clarkson's three fantasy movies Deathstalker and Barbarian Queen I and II is reused here fairly effectively with a couple of clunky shots.
We even get a couple inserted scenes with muscleman Lou Ferrigno.
We get Lana in many action scenes fighting off hordes of swordsmen.



A super fun episode.

Near the end of the episode Darcy is sent into the VR world.
Her scenes are cut in with playmate Barbi Benton's scenes from the movie Deathstalker.
In the movie scene Barbi wears a very sheer bit of silk which hides almost nothing while actress Michelle Lintel is a little more covered up in the TV version.

In this screen grab from the TV show we clearly see Barbi's figure where this is supposed to be Darcy.
We also see a blooper as Lana Clarkson'e movie character is present but in the TV continuity Mindbender was not in the VR world at this time.


I was OK with all this.

See what I mean?  The show was totally unapologetic about itself at this point.

Episode fifteen Bad Sport

Steve's old college buddy is a championship Hockey player who is critically injured on the ice by three team mates who are throwing the game.
Paralyzed, he is given a suit of powered armor that lets him walk again so he can get his revenge against his team mates and eventually the fans as Slapshot..

This is a straight up action/ revenge episode.
Which is OK by me.





In this episode Steve rescues Black Scorpion from certain death.
This is the first time this has happened where a male hero rescues Black Scorpion.
Steve and Argyle have both rescued Darcy in other episodes.
And yes there is a difference.

There are a couple of cameos here.
Charles Fliesher, voice of Roger rabbit, plays Dr. Kiro Practer and Sopranos star Steve Schrippa plays an Enforcer.

I spotted one of Slapshot's cheerleaders, she is played by Beckie Mullen.
A busty actress best known for catfighting Pamela Anderson in an episode of Married with Children.


Fans of Throatlifts will be pleased with this episode as there are several.

And once again we get the same police car chase footage cut into the episode.
I am convinced this is a goof played by the producers.

Episode sixteen Kiss of Death

A very interesting episode that explores costumed vigilantes.
Angela, a driven cop who uses excessive force to apprehend criminals is kicked off the force.
After miraculously surviving a multi story fall she snaps and becomes the Angel.
The Angel of Death.
No longer wishing to catch criminals she wants to kill all of them.
She comes up a killer lipstick and literally gives criminals The Kiss of Death


Mentally broken, she is crazy strong and physically she is more than a match for Black Scorpion.
 



Several back and forth battles happen where Black Scorpion is beaten again and again.
Like last episode Steve also rescues Black Scorpion once.

The most interesting scene is where Angela and Darcy meet for a little Girl Talk.
This bit is really quite well executed.
Darcy was able to catch her father's killer where Angela was not.
She now feels driven to catch all the criminals.


The episode falls apart in the final act.
I see where the writer was going but I don't think it was executed well.

Episode 17 He Who Laughs Last

The Gangster Pranksters girl Giggles frames Argyle for car theft and Darcy is sent to arrest him.


Argyle is immediately sent to Maximum Security (?) where he meets up with his brother the Gangster Prankster.
It takes the Gangster Prankster about 30 seconds to convince Argyle to join the gang and break out of prison.

Together they construct a weapon that can punish people if they laugh by inflating that person with helium.
Which the Gangster Prankster uses to kill people, off screen but you can imagine how gruesome, against Argyle's wishes.
Argyle teams up with Black Scorpion and they bring in the gang for justice.



I did not like this episode.
It seemed unnecessarily cruel and I don't know how Argyle was not locked up for years after for committing so many crimes and as an accessory to murder.

Stoney Jackson who plays Gangster Prankster is wasted this episode as the material is not up to his talent.

Thanks for the mammeries -- er, I mean memories!  I also remember enjoying this extremely campy show back when it originally aired on the SciFi Channel.  In fact, when I found out my friend Jeff was going to a comic convention where Michelle Lintel would be there promoting the show, I implored him to wait in line to meet her and get an autograph for me.  He took this pic for me to commemorate the event!

Lucky guy

Peace.

/K

Wow great shot!  It’s rare for the actors to be in costume at a convention. And that particular one too....

WELL DONE!

I am glad people are enjoying the trip down memory lane.
Just a few more episodes to go.

That photo op with Michelle Lintel in costume reminded me just how hard Sci Fi channel was pushing this show in the beginning.

Episode eighteen PowerPlay

The conservative Deputy mayor seems to be taking the fall for all of the Mayors corruption.
She is electrocuted trying to save the Mayor when he is fooling around the city's new Electric Chair.
Her conservative clothes are destroyed and some sexy undergarments are revealed.


She gathers up scraps of wire and other electrical gear and becomes the electrified Super Villainess Stunner
 

While supercharging the electric chair many supervillains are released and it is up to Black Scorpion to round them up.
Slap Shot is apprehended on an ice rink with Black Scorpion out skating him.
I absolutely loved this scene and rewatched it several times.
I have always enjoyed Ice Skaters for their grace and poise.
Seeing a Skater in the Black Scorpion costume being graceful and powerful was a complete new thing to me.
 



Of course the episode would not be completer without the Black Scorpion being trapped in the electric chair!


This episode was directed by the actor Scott Valentine who plays Steve on the series.

That's Alison Armitage, really lame costume here but she's always been super-mega hot (remember the other tv serie Acapulco H.E.A.T. ?)

Episode 19 Photo Finish

The episode sets up with Steve remarking that he has never seen Black Scorpion and Darcy together.
Darcy remarks that they are two different people.



Vision breaks Flashpoint out of jail and they set out to unmask Black Scorpion.
Using a new camera that literally captures your likeness they are able to carry out their plan and the whole city now knows Darcy's secret ID.


The entire Police force is mobilized to arrest Darcy/ Black Scorpion.
Darcy comes up with a plan to have Dr. Phoenix clone her so they can be seen together.


And here is where I got worried.
I can not stand the "Good girl turns Bad" trope that we see again and again in these shows.
I thought that this episode was heading that way but it played out quite nicely as the clone argued for her right to exist.
However she was imperfect and brain damaged with her violent side taking control.

The debate raged on and the inevitable fights between Darcy and clone Black Scorpion were really clever.
Since they were basically the same person they were evenly matched and neither could get an advantage.


There is a great call back to the first episode where clone Black Scorpion quotes the Black Scorpion fairy tale:
"It's in my nature."

I thought they missed a beat and should have had Black Scorpion fight Black Scorpion so at the end you did not know which one survived.

Episode twenty Face the Music

Mayor Worth wants to get re elected and Captain Strickland is his number one opponent with a dead heat in the polls.

Meanwhile all girl punk/ grunge/ deth metal band Vox Populi and the Bleeding Eardrums is attacking the hecklers at a local night club.
First with their bad music and then with their fists.


Late night B movie and straight to video actress Shannon Whirry plays Vox

Darcy and Steve arrest them but Mayor Worth has them freed.
His plan is to use them as a distraction to raise the crime rate and make the Captain look bad.
With Subliminal advertising and songs like Brains on the Sidewalk, Drive By and Under Siege the young people start rioting and it is everything Black Scorpion can do to stop the senseless violence.


Darcy figures out what is going on and is most worried when the song Pop the Cop starts getting airtime as Veronica falls under the music's influence.


Darcy quickly makes an arrest as the Captain grabs the glory and rises in the polls.


Breaking jail Vox and the girls turn on the Mayor and plan to deafen the population with a roof top broadcast.
Black Scorpion has other plans.


The songs while not great are pretty clever and I have certainly heard worse.

On a side note the actress Angelica Bridges who plays Shriek also played Red Sonja in an episode of the Conan TV series.

Episode twentyone Zodiac Attack part one

The episode starts off with a thug assaulting a waitress in a back ally.
This is the first implied sexual assault depicted in the series so far.
Black Scorpion arrives in plenty of time and saves the girl and fights the pervert.
She avoids an aerial attack in a way most male heroes could never even attempt.


Crime is down in the city and the unmarried detectives are all transferred to the night shift.
Darcy and Steve start to re examine their relationship with a role reversal.
Steve wants to get serious and Darcy wants to remain friends.
 

The detectives wind up watching the Professor Profit tv show where he predicts the end of the world with air, fire, water, and earthquakes.
The Producer of the show threatens cancellation if Profit's predictions don't start coming true.


Profit, played by veteran comedian and kid show host Soupy Sales, and his co host Celeste take matters into their own hands and release the supervillians Hurricane, Inferno, Breathtaker and After Shock from crazy Dr. Phoenix's rehabilitation experiments and unleash them on the city.


Using Zodiac themed crimes the criminals individually wreck havoc on the city.
Using brain power Darcy and Steve and even the other detectives figure their plans and Black Scorpion stops them everytime.

Fans of throatlifts will appreciate how AfterShock treats two security guards.


Darcy sets up a stake out to catch Hurricane but Steve assumes it is a date.
He puts down an ultimatum about their relationship just as the waitress asks them if they are ready.
Darcy says she needs more time and the waitress excuses herself.

In a nice call back this is the same waitress from the opening scene.

Profit predicts the death of Black Scorpion and Black Scorpion confronts him.
He has united all the villains into one team now and they put the beat down on Black Scorpion defeating her.
This is the end of Part one.


This is a great episode!
The action scenes are really well done with once again the actors and stunt people are really giving it their all.
The episode takes place over several days with Darcy being featured in multiple sexy outfits both on the job and relaxing at home.
Part two is the last episode of the series

Episode twentytwo Zodiac Attack part 2

Picks up right where last episode left off.
Black Scorpion is defeated and lies semi conscious on the floor.


The Supervillains start bickering over who finished her and Black Scorpion uses the confusion to crawl away and escape.


The police arrive in force and Black Scorpion runs away in the confusion.
She is seen by video footage and the Press call her a coward.
Darcy's spirit is broken and she is genuinely afraid for her life.
She backhandly seeks out Steve who believes black Scorpion will save the day.
Darcy openly asks Argyle for advice and he tells her to get back in the fight.


The next day Darcy quits the police force and hangs up her costume.
Steve goes to her for an explanation and Darcy tries to seduce him.
Steve is a gentleman and resists her advances not wanting to take advantage of her at a low moment.
The Supervillains attack the entire city causing mayhem, mass destruction and massive loss of life.
Steve leads the police force against the Supervillains as First Responders from the surrounding counties rush to the aid of the city.

I really liked this part as ordinary humans stepped up when the Superhero falls.


In a desperate moment Arglye gets Dr. Phoenix to clone Darcy's father, a police officer whom she affectionately calls "The Lieutenant",  from a lock of his hair.
The clone is imperfect and will die in 24 hours, just enough time for the clone to snap Darcy out of her funk.


Recalling the Scorpion fable from episode one he tells her it is in their nature to fight for the right no matter what means is needed.
She is still reluctant but when he sets the example Black Scorpion quickly follows.


The Supervillains and Prophet are defeated however the Lt. is fatally wounded, he was going to die anyway and Darcy must watch him die once again.


The Black Scorpion once again watches over the city.

The End

This episode showcased Darcy as a real life human being who showed real emotion and was scared.
She showed doubt and uncertainty.
Just like a human.

However when the time came she stepped up and embraced her true nature.
They really teased her relationship with Steve in the closing minutes as the Captain interrupted them at the tipping point with a new assignment.

Cool transformation scenes culled together from our own Red Five You Tube channel