...it's badly marred, to my mind, by the fact that the whole debacle could have been avoided if Spectrum had been the security force it claims to be.
Melody Angel is certain that she saw Goddard's plane get hit by lightning. They immediately lose radio contact for several minutes. By this time they are all well aware of the Mysterons' methods. When "Goddard" brought his plane to Cloudbase, the very first thing they should have done was scan the two men with a Mysteron detector. Actually, that should have been a standard procedure, even without those several minutes out of touch. When the delegates arrived at Cloudbase, they were all checked through Security, which presumably included a detector scan. Another point: Captain Scarlet is seated right next to "Goddard" in Cloudbase, and there's not a twitch from his "sixth sense."
It's also pretty silly that Scarlet was sent to cover the conference all by himself. In fact, he provides a fine demonstration of why they should always work in pairs.
After Melody confirms that the original plane had indeed crashed, Col. White attempts to contact Symphony, but cannot. Why? Because she's not wearing her flight helmet, with its attached radio. Apparently you can only call a Spectrum Angel when she's in full flying kit, which is rather limiting, to say the least.
The dungeon set was wonderful, with what looked like live mice playing rats. However, it seemed peculiar that there was an open grate leading to the dungeon just a few feet away from the big hall. (Perhaps the original inhabitants got a kick out of listening to their victims screaming down below while they were upstairs feasting. Nice.)
Scarlet naturally gets free and shows up in the nick of time--but when he shoots at the portrait, the man behind it shoots a wide swath with his machine gun--and only hits Scarlet (and him only once). Very poorly made gun.
The scene with Scarlet fending off Goddard while Symphony escaped with the delegates was very exciting, although I agree that Captain Blue went a little overboard with the missiles. The first one got the job done; the others not only wrecked the castle, but probably increased the difficulty of retrieving Scarlet's body. (An earlier statement from the caretaker implied that perhaps now Glengarry will become more popular with tourists, since it's become a ruin like all the other castles.)
I enjoyed the ending, where Scarlet states quite truthfully that he's indestructible, while Col. White hastens to gloss over the remark.moreless
Episode Summary
EDIT
A World Air Force plane carrying Commodore Goddard and his right-hand man, being escorted by Melody Angel, is struck by lightning, and crashes, soon being reconstructed by the Mysterons.
The force broadcasts its current threat: that they aim to kill all 10 of the world's top air-chiefs, who make up the executive Supreme Command of the World Air Force, who want to discuss a plan to dissolve the war of nerves between Earth and the hostile force. They plan on doing so by holding an International Air Conference at the loneliest location in Europe; Glen Garry Castle in Scotland.
This is however unknown to Colonel White, who is awaiting the approval from Captain Scarlet that the castle's security is set up and approved. After she brings the delegates to the castle to start the conference, Symphony Angel is taken prisoner, as is Captain Scarlet, who unexpectedly discovers the brutal plan before the delegates arrive.
Leaving the air-chiefs with no warning, and in perfect firing positions to be massacred by Goddard and his personal cohort aid, will Colonel White realise in time that something is wrong? Can Captain SCarlet save the day?moreless
The force broadcasts its current threat: that they aim to kill all 10 of the world's top air-chiefs, who make up the executive Supreme Command of the World Air Force, who want to discuss a plan to dissolve the war of nerves between Earth and the hostile force. They plan on doing so by holding an International Air Conference at the loneliest location in Europe; Glen Garry Castle in Scotland.
This is however unknown to Colonel White, who is awaiting the approval from Captain Scarlet that the castle's security is set up and approved. After she brings the delegates to the castle to start the conference, Symphony Angel is taken prisoner, as is Captain Scarlet, who unexpectedly discovers the brutal plan before the delegates arrive.
Leaving the air-chiefs with no warning, and in perfect firing positions to be massacred by Goddard and his personal cohort aid, will Colonel White realise in time that something is wrong? Can Captain SCarlet save the day?moreless
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Francis Matthews
Captain Scarlet (Paul Metcalfe)
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Sylvia Anderson
Melody Angel (Magnolia Jones)
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Ed Bishop
Captain Blue (Adam Svenson)
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Janna Hill
Symphony Angel (Karen Wainwright)
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Donald Gray
Colonel White (Charles Grey) / Captain Black (Conrad Turner) / Voice Of The Mysterons
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Cy Grant
Lieutenant Green (Seymour Griffiths)
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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions
See All-
TRIVIA (13)
ADD TRIVIA-
The Score: The air force people survive. Spectrum: 5 Mysterons: 2.
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Mysteron Reconstructions: Commodore Goddard (killed in XQR crash/blown up on castle), pilot (killed in XQR crash/shot by Scarlet), 1 XQR.
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Spectrum Losses: 1 power pack. Scarlet is killed but recovers.
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Collateral Damage: 1 XQR jet, Glenn Garry Castle.
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The Mysteron agents call Captain Scarlet "Earth man". They should know only too well that he isn't technically an Earth man, ever since they killed the original Scarlet and reconstructed him.
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There's really no reason why a bedroom in the castle would have a portcullis.
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Before he went to the castle, Captain Blue had to go somewhere else to pick up an SPV. When he landed he obviously got a Spectrum Saloon Car from somewhere, so surely the SPVs could be kept at the same place to make things quicker in an emergency.
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Scarlet says that "We'll maintain maximum security throughout the conference", yet he's the only officer there and got himself captured and tied up rather easily.
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Instead of getting all the air chiefs to the deserted castle to kill them, the Mysterons could simply have caused the Magnacopter they were all travelling in to crash.
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In their opening dialogue over the credits, the Mysterons say "We will continue to strike when and where you least expect it", yet they're continuing nothing of the sort as they've always said exactly when and where they will strike.
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The shot of Melody's Angel Interceptor flying over the wreckage of the original XQR plane shows the wires that the model is attached to.
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The shot of Captain Scarlet falling to the ground when shot by Commodore Goddard on the castle battlements shows the shadow of a puppeteer's arm dropping the puppet and quickly disappearing from the camera. You see this, because the lighting department has lit the shot too bright.
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In this particular episode, the exterior condition of the SPV puppet set is covered with yellow dust for some strange reason, and this applies to some subsequent episodes, but in the majority of the show's 32 episodes, the SPV soundstage set was as clean as ever.
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QUOTES (2)
ADD QUOTES-
Mysterons: This is the voice of the Mysterons. We know that you can hear us Earthmen. We are transmitting on all your radio and television frequencies. We will continue to strike when and where you least expect it. At the appointed hour, as the clock is chiming, the wings of the world will be clipped.
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Commodore Goddard: Tomorrow morning, on the stroke of 10, the entire Supreme Command of the World Air Force will be wiped out - here in this room!
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NOTES (5)
ADD NOTES-
The ten puppets that play the conference delegates previously appeared in the following roles: Lieutenant Dean ("The Mysterons") Space Navigator Conway ("The Mysterons") Director General ("Winged Assassin") London Airport operator ("Winged Assassin") General Tiempo ("Operation Time") Dr. Magnus ("Operation Time") Eddie ("Avalanche") Kruger ("The Heart Of New York") Kramer ("Special Assignment") Steele ("Special Assignment")
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This episode features the second of only two appearances by an alternate head for Captain Scarlet used to depict different expressions or emotions. The first was when the Mysteronized Scarlet fell from the London Car-Vu in "The Mysterons".
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Glen Garry Castle was adapted and constructed from the McGregor Castle set, built for the Stingray episode "Loch Ness Monster". It also appeared in the Thunderbirds episode, "30 Minutes After Noon".
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This episode is the first in the Official ITC Recommended Broadcasting Order to contain the closing credits and title sequence, accompanied with the Captain Scarlet record track, sung by no-hit-wonder band "The Spectrum". It wasn't however the first episode to be produced with this second rendition of the closing credits sequence - "Lunarville 7" was.
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First U.K. (BBC2) Network Airdate: Friday 7 January, 1994 - 6:00PM Official ITC Recommended Broadcast-Order Number: 7
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ALLUSIONS (1)
ADD ALLUSIONS-
The factory where Captain Blue collects the SPV is named "Auld Lang Syne", which is also the name of a famous song by Robert Burns that is traditionally sung at midnight on New's Year Day in Scotland as well as most English-speaking and Commonwealth countries.
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The Inquisition
S 1 : Ep 32
Aired 5/14/68 (25:00)
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Attack On Cloudbase
S 1 : Ep 31
Aired 5/7/68 (25:00)
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S 1 : Ep 30
Aired 4/30/68 (25:00)
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S 1 : Ep 29
Aired 4/23/68 (25:00)
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