Vanessa Pemberley (Fay Spain) is an antagonist in the 1966 episode (S01E27) "It's All Done with Mirrors" for the TV series "I Spy".
The episode starts off with Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp) meeting Vanessa on the dock after a successful swordfish outing. Kelly soon forgets all about his big catch and gets into the taxi with Vanessa. Before the taxi takes off, the driver knocks Kelly out and he falls into the lap of Vanessa.
When Kelly wakes up, he is strapped to a chair and being interrogated by Dr. Karolyi (Carroll O'Connor). Vanessa is his assistant dressed in a white nurses outfit. Karolyi uses bright lights and tape records Kelly's speech pattern. Dr. Karolyi is a scientist who is well known for his experiments in conditioning animal behavior, specifically brainwashing.
By using reflective light, they slowly submit Kelly to pain in the form of frequency. They then suggest memories of his past and begin to alter them by suggestions. When Kelly wakes up, Vanessa introduces herself as Nurse Barton and Karolyi is Dr. Wallace. Here Vanessa uses a small compact mirror to put Kelly back to sleep.
When Kelly is awaken, he is reintroduced to Karolyi who is General in the Pentagon, and Miss Pemberley will now be the only person he can trust. Kelly is told that his partner, Alexander Scott (Bill Cosby) is a double agent. They intend Kelly to kill Scott. Later when they question him, he replays everything they have brainwashed him to say.
Later when Kelly is searching in a warehouse, Vanessa appears to him again with the mirror and plants additional information in his memory.
While Kelly is out in his backyard, Vanessa appears on the upper deck with the sun behind her. She questions him and he tells him everything she wants to hear. After coming down the stairs she controls him with her mirror again, and Kelly embraces her. She tells him to eliminate Scott because he is a traitor.
That night at a restaurant with Scott, Vanessa once again uses her compact on Kelly. The two partners begin to fight and they crash into tables. Scott is able to knock Kelly out.
The next day Scott is interrogated by the Feds and they believe that Kelly has been turned by Dr. Karolyi. They advise Scott to eliminate him, but eventually allow Scott two days to bring him back in the fold.
Kelly lures Scott to Dr. Karolyi's warehouse for an ambush, where they once again have a fight. Kelly escapes when the Feds show up. Once again, Scott convinces the Feds to give him another shot. This time Kelly shows up at Scott's place, and he takes him by gunpoint to Karolyi's hide-out.
Once there, Kelly tells Scott to jump to his death. Kelly attempts to shoot his partner, but all six bullets go astray, and Scott is able to break him free from his trance.
The next scene has Dr. Karolyi and Vanessa being interrogated by Kelly and Scott with the Feds down in his experimental laboratory. They ask him what they should do to them. Karolyi responds that he wishes to defect to the United States. This is an absolute shock to Vanessa. Karolyi tells them that he has a long standing desire to work freely in the west and settle down in New Mexico. After hearing this, Vanessa grabs a scalpel and lunges at Karolyi. However, the Feds restrain her and then lead her away.
Trivia[]
- Fay Spain appeared as villainess Leslie Lenox in the 1959 episode "The Last Dark Step" for the TV series Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
- Fay Spain appeared as Marcy Collins in the 1960 episode "House Call" for the TV series "The Detectives".
- Fay Spain appeared as Queen Antinea of Atlantis in the 1960 Peplum film "Hercules and the Captive Women".
- Fay Spain appeared as North Star in the 1968 episode "How to Catch a Papa Bear" for the TV series "Hogan's Heroes".
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