"The Forget-Me-Knot" was scripted by Brian Clemens to introduce Steed's new partner Tara King, played by 20 year old newcomer Linda Thorson, while also performing the delicate balancing act of bidding farewell to Diana Rigg's incomparable Emma Peel. The Beatles had just come out with a hit McCartney single titled "Hello Goodbye," and Clemens came up with a serviceable plot line that accomplished nearly everything it needed to do. Another new character introduced at this latter stage is called simply Mother, played by Patrick Newell (previously seen in "The Town of No Return" and "Something Nasty in the Nursery"), the last of numerous superiors issuing instructions to Steed, and one that found favor with the American audience, returning in "You'll Catch Your Death," and missing only five of the last 24 episodes. Missing agent Sean Mortimer (Patrick Kavanagh) escapes captivity long enough to find his way to Steed's apartment, despite being shot with a dart that induces instant amnesia, remembering only that there is a traitor in their midst. Believing Mortimer safe with Mrs. Peel, Steed drives off to tell Mother about what happened, and has a brief encounter with raw recruit Tara King, who mistakenly tackles him in a training exercise. A short time later, the suddenly smitten Tara properly introduces herself, and tells Steed that many of his techniques are now being taught, and how she knows of his weakness for beautiful women, not hesitating to write down her name and address for him. This knowledge comes in handy once both Steed and Mrs. Peel fall victim to the amnesia darts, with Emma spending the remainder of the story imprisoned with Mortimer in an abandoned glass factory, while Steed regains his senses through Tara's initiative. Also present are series veterans Jeremy Young ("A Touch of Brimstone" and "Never, Never Say Die"), Jeremy Burnham ("The Town of No Return" and "The Fear Merchants"), John Lee ("The Bird Who Knew Too Much"), and Edward Higgins ("The Mauritius Penny"). It can be said that Linda Thorson had a tough act to follow, but was not playing Emma Peel, so while the chemistry wasn't the same between the two stars, it was certainly worthy of another season for Tara, except that the money was no longer available, plus she was at a disadvantage in that Britain were quite late in viewing her work, after American audiences had already shown their approval. A natural brunette, Linda had dyed her hair for the part, and suffered the indignity of having to wear a multitude of wigs until it grew back in all its original glory. The attractive young actress made an interesting contrast with the much older Patrick Macnee (at age 45), but still needed a little time to bring her character to life. As for the departing Diana Rigg, the final moments between John Steed and Emma Peel provided the only instance of a cast member leaving the series in a genuinely touching and heart wrenching manner. Steed's loss of memory finds him seeing Emma's face almost everywhere, while Emma herself does the familiar "he loves me, he loves me not," which brings forth an ecstatic "Steed!" (as if we needed any proof that Steed and Emma were truly in love with each other). Once both have regained their senses (in a stirring last hurrah for Emma's fighting skills), she decides to jog his memory by inaudibly whispering (in a classic Rigg ad lib), "are you the man who dallies with me?" to which his smiling response is, "I'm afraid so!" The next scene features headlines depicting the rescue of Peter Peel, Emma's long lost pilot husband, thought to have died in the Amazonian jungle, who will shortly pick up his waiting wife from Steed's apartment. She quietly offers a distraught Steed some advice: "always keep your bowler on in times of stress, and watch out for diabolical masterminds," barely able to speak above a whisper, before giving him a good bye kiss on the cheek. Just as she is about to leave, he calls her by her first name, which he'd never done before, to say simply, "thanks." To bridge the final gap, Emma greets Tara's arrival with a friendly word about Steed's tea drinking habits. And while we never see his face as the departing Emma waves from the car, we can't help but notice Peter Peel's immaculate suit, umbrella, and bowler on top, an absolutely brilliant idea that never fails to amuse. Nothing fancy, but played with great emotion between two superlative stars who worked as well together as any male-female team ever has, their 51 episodes providing the peak of the series in its prime. It's understandable that it is remembered more for Emma's farewell than for Tara's introduction, but the series would continue, with many more gems to come.