Spectrum Strikes Back
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| “Spectrum Strikes Back” | |
|---|---|
| Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 9 |
| Written by | Tony Barwick |
| Directed by | Ken Turner |
| Production no. | 10 |
| Original airdate | 24 November 1967 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Operation Time" | "Special Assignment" |
| List of Captain Scarlet episodes | |
"Spectrum Strikes Back" is the 9th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was the 10th episode to be produced. Its original UK air date was 24 November 1967 on ATV Midlands. It was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Ken Turner.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
Spectrum has invented two brilliant devices set to turn the tables in Earth’s favour against the Mysterons. The aliens, however, have other ideas and leave the guests at the top-secret conference in mortal danger. Field-testing the new equipment, can Captain Scarlet save the delegates before they are crushed to death below ground?
[edit] Plot
Returning to Cloudbase after a routine patrol, Rhapsody Angel discusses the whereabouts of Captain Scarlet, Captain Blue and Colonel White with Destiny and Symphony, who assumes that they are on a top-secret assignment. Meanwhile, in an African game reserve, Scarlet and Blue bask in the sun while a warden covertly trains his rifle on Scarlet’s head.
The Mysterons transmit to Earth, warning humankind that they will never solve the mystery of their enemy. In the reserve, the warden confronts Scarlet and Blue, who are trespassing on private land. However, informed that they heading to the hunting lodge for a “fine lunch”, he wishes them on their way. Scarlet and Blue arrive at the lodge and meet the other patrons, while Colonel White drives past a security checkpoint under the codename of “Tiger”. After White enters the lodge, the game wardens confirm security on the reserve. One of the diners orders the waiter to lower the lodge into the ground. With the descent complete, the section of the floor carrying the waiter ascends and a new floor slides into position at ground level.
Underground, the three other diners reveal themselves to be the World President, General Peterson and Dr Giadello, while the waiter is Spectrum’s Captain Indigo. The purpose of this top-secret conference is to evaluate humanity’s knowledge of the Mysterons and exhibit the latest devices developed for use against them. Dr Giadello presents the first instrument, the Mysteron Gun, and explains that a beam of electrons produced by internal electrodes should exploit any Mysteron agent’s weakness - high-voltage electricity. Giadello then calls Indigo to request the prototype of the Mysteron Detector. However, there is a knock on the door of the hunting lodge and Captain Black enters, shooting Indigo. A Mysteron reconstruction appears and agrees to carry out its instructions.
The duplicated Indigo brings the Detector down in the lift. Colonel White explains that during the attempt on General Tiempo's life (Operation Time), it was found that the Mysteron agent, Dr Magnus, was resistant to X-ray. With the Detector’s design based on this discovery, Giadello lines up the World President, Colonel White and Captain Scarlet and operates the device on each in turn. White and the President yield X-ray images, showing that they are not Mysterons. However, Captain Scarlet, revived inside the body of his Mysteron reconstruction, is impervious to the X-rays and a plain black-and-white photograph emerges.
Both White and the President endorse the two items. General Peterson wants to test the Detector himself and tries it on Captain Indigo, who hastily returns to the lift. Giadello extracts the X-ray, but sees Indigo’s photograph and reveals that he is a Mysteron agent. Captain Scarlet arms himself with the Mysteron Gun and goes after Indigo, while Blue alerts the game wardens over the radio. Inside the lodge, Scarlet discovers that Indigo has locked the building in descent and taken the key, but the men below cannot use the lift while the mechanism is in operation. With Indigo making a getaway in one of the cars, Scarlet takes another and pursues him. Below ground, Blue manages to slow the progress of the lodge by shooting through the roof and damaging the control mechanism above.
As the roof descends further and further, Indigo drives towards a security checkpoint but is diverted by the shots of one of the wardens. Scarlet picks him up and continues the chase, until the warden punctures one of Indigo’s tyres and forces him to stop his car. Indigo takes cover in the rocks and shoots at the two men; Scarlet distracts him by drawing his fire, allowing the warden to circle around the Mysteron agent. Scarlet evades Indigo’s shots and the warden guns him down from behind, but Indigo is only wounded and it takes a discharge from Scarlet’s Mysteron Gun to finish him off.
Scarlet takes the key and speeds back to the lodge, where the roof is now so low that furniture is being flattened and the men must lie on the ground. Scarlet breaks through the skylight and jumps to the floor, returning the key and setting the mechanism to ascent just before the delegates are crushed. The ranch slowly rises and the World President remarks that they may enjoy a fine lunch at the lodge above them.
That night, the men are relaxed after a good meal. General Peterson says that he caught his duck himself but photographed it first - and presents an X-ray image of the bird taken by the Mysteron Detector.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Regular Voice Cast
- Captain Scarlet — Francis Matthews
- Captain Blue — Ed Bishop
- Colonel White — Donald Gray
- Lieutenant Green — Cy Grant
- Destiny Angel — Liz Morgan
- Symphony Angel — Janna Hill
- Rhapsody Angel — Liz Morgan
- Captain Black — Donald Gray
- Voice of the Mysterons — Donald Gray
[edit] Guest Voice Cast
- World President — Paul Maxwell
- General Peterson — Charles Tingwell
- Captain Indigo — Gary Files
- Dr. Giadello — Jeremy Wilkin
- 1st Warden — Gary Files
- 2nd Warden — Martin King
- 3rd Warden — Gary Files and Martin King
[edit] Notes
- "Spectrum Strikes Back" marks the second appearance of the World President, who was threatened with assassination in "The Mysterons".
- Dr. Giadello previously appeared as Morton in The Trap
