Moneypenny’s flirtation with Bond is arguably at its most daring in the very first James Bond movie, Dr. No. This response to Bond’s casual “What gives?” reads unmistakably as an overt sexual innuendo that is remarkably bold for a 1962 production and all the more striking coming from M’s trusted assistant.

The exchange delicately dances around the possibility of Bond taking Moneypenny out, with Bond not only indulging the banter but actively encouraging it. Lois Maxwell’s chemistry with Sean Connery establishes this dynamic at a high point early in the franchise but unfortunately, that spark noticeably diminishes with later Bond actors, to the series’ detriment.

The filmmakers seemed content to reduce Moneypenny to a safe, ornamental flirt rather than explore the genuine sexual tension it had already established. One is left to wonder how a Maxwell-era affair with Bond might have played onscreen, and had the series shown even a fraction of the heat later allowed between Craig’s Bond and Moneypenny, it would have deepened Maxwell’s character and challenged the series’ own self-imposed limitations far earlier.