Thunderbirds Episode 4 Tele-Snaps

71 Tele-snaps for Episode 4 of Thunderbirds, "Terror in New York City".

-SYNOPSIS-

"National Television Broadcasting System reporter Ned Cook is determined to get pictures of the Thunderbird craft during a rescue operation at an oil well fire, but Thunderbird 1's automatic camera detector alerts Scott to Cook's transgression and he electromagnetically wipes the taped pictures after a brief chase. Returning from the rescue site, Thunderbird 2 strays into a Naval test area and is attacked by missiles launched from the USN Sentinel. The giant craft is badly hit and narrowly avoids crashing into the sea. Virgil pilots the stricken Thunderbird 2 to a crash-landing on Tracy Island. He is not badly hurt, but Thunderbird 2 will be out of action for weeks.

From his sickbed, Virgil watches Ned Cook reporting from New York on the ingenious operation to move the Empire State Building as part of the redevelopment of the surrounding area. The building is slowly moved along rail tracks, supported by a huge gantry tractor, but the ground gives way beneath it and, as the building comes crashing down, both Cook and hid cameraman, Joe, fall into a deep cavern. The Empire State Building collapses over the hole and the men are trapped, with water seeping into their hollow from an uncharted underground river.

This is clearly a job for Thunderbird 4, which could navigate up the river from its outlet in the bay, but with Thunderbird 2 out of commission there is no way to get Thunderbird 4 to New York in time to save Ned and Joe, who will be under water within twenty-two hours. Jeff makes a priority call to Washington and arranges for Thunderbird 4 to be transported to New York by the USN Sentinel, but the journey will still take twenty-four hours. Scott races ahead in Thunderbird 1 and establishes radio contact with Ned and Joe. Breathing apparatus is passed down to the two men through a small hole in the cavern roof, but each has only two hours of air in the tanks, so there is little margin for error.

Sentinel arrives in New York harbour and Gordon sets off in Thunderbird 4 to find the inlet to the underground river. Scott tells Ned and Joe, now completely submerged, to search for the river entrance from their end, but the nearby Fulmer Finance Building collapses, causing a tidal wave through the underground cavern. Ned and Joe manage to find the river entrance from the cavern, but their air has run out. From Thunderbird 4, Gordon spots the men and rescues them just as the tidal wave hits. Thunderbird 4 is swept back into the harbour by the powerful current.

Later, the Tracy family, with Brains and Tin-Tin, are in the audience at the next broadcast of THE NED COOK SHOW, as a wheelchair-bound Ned Cook pays tribute to the brave men and women of International Rescue."

-NOTES-

This episode is the best story to introduce viewers to Thunderbirds. It's the first episode I ever saw, and has great writing, great voice acting, and brilliant suspense.

It is somewhat dark though, especially in this post 9/11 world, when you consider the plot is that the Empire State Building collapses. Dodgy stuff...