The high rating is in the context of the show. If you're an UNCLE fan, you'll enjoy this hour. In a sense, it's the Goldfinger of TMFU, in that it provides the template for the series: innocent and naive female gets entangled in megalomaniacal plot, gadgets, harrowing escapes, and humor.
Unlike later color episodes, the B&W filming frequently makes good use of shadow and light, compensating some day-for-night scenes. And the action moves briskly enough to forgive its implausibility. But Illya fans be forewarned: this is a solo Solo episode. Kuryakin shows up only in nominal HQ scenes. Mr. Waverly has some nice moments, and Robert Vaughn carries the rest of the load impeccably.
All told, director Richard Donner delivers a solid, watchable show. (As of this writing, it's available to download -- along with several other TMFU episodes -- and watch at no cost on AOL Video's free Hi-Q system: http://video.aol.com/)
Among writer Harold Jack Bloom's previous accomplishments, he and UNCLE "developer" Sam Rolfe were nominated for an Oscar for their 1953 screenplay, "The Naked Spur." In an interesting (and uncredited) turn, three years after this episode aired -- his sole TMFU teleplay -- Bloom contributed additional material to the 007 flick, "You Only Live Twice. Ever notice TMFU show credits always include, "Developed by Sam Rolfe" -- not "Created by?" That's because it was James Bond author Ian Fleming who originally came up with the idea of a globe-hopping spy named Napoleon Solo (as well as the name for a female agent, April Dancer -- later The Girl From UNCLE).