Terror in
New York City

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For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

Thunderbird 2 is attacked, leading to a desperate situation when tragedy strikes the Empire State Building.
Original UK broadcast date: October 21st, 1965

Contents
1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


Synopsis

International Rescue are at an oil field, and put out a fire at a pump. Thunderbird 2 takes off and heads back to base, and Thunderbird 1 also takes off. But Ned Cook, a reporter who isn't pleased he and his cameraman Joe couldn't film at the scene, decide to film Thunderbird 1 instead. Scott goes after them, and electromagnetically erases their film. Meanwhile, the Navy's new strike vessel, the USN Sentinel, picks up Thunderbird 2 on radar. Not knowing what it is and finding out there are meant to be no other aircraft in the area, the crew treat is as hostile and fire missiles at it. Virgil evades the first two whilst taking little damage, but the next two missiles badly damage Thunderbird 2. Jeff manages to get into contact with the Navy and stop their attack.

Thunderbird 2 crash lands on Tracy Island. Virgil is ok, but Thunderbird 2 is going to be out of action for weeks. The Tracy family watch a show hosted by Ned Cook, which is about the moving of the Empire State Building. Ned explains that in order to make way for modern development, the Empire State Building is being moved 200 yards. The building has been raised up on jacks, and then a layered track was the placed underneath it.

A gigantic gantry has been placed onto the track, which begins to move and pulls the Empire State Building along with it. But Ned then reports that something has gone wrong, and the gantry shuts down. Ned explains that there has been an earth tremor, and there is now a real danger of the Empire State Building collapsing. He is ordered to leave the scene, but then the ground opens up beneath him and Joe, causing them both to fall. Trapped in a cave, they can only watch as the Empire State Building falls down right over them.

Ned and Joe survive, but the cave they are in is filling up with water. With Thunderbird 2 out of action, International Rescue don't think they can help. However Virgil suggests that the Sentinel picks up Thunderbird 4 and carries it to New York, as it's a much faster ship. Jeff agrees, and as he arranges things with the Navy, Scott is sent out to New York in Thunderbird 1. He arrives and finds out that the water level in the cave is rapidly rising, meaning the time to perform a rescue is going to be tight. Brains figures out that there were many minor streams under the building, which over time ate away at the rock and formed rivers, which is what led to the collapse.

Scott arranges with site police to have breathing apparatus passed down to Ned and Joe via a hole that was drilled down into the cave. Gordon finds out the Sentinel can't go any faster, and later is told the ship has to slow down due to how busy it is in the Hudson River. He instead arranges for Thunderbird 4 to be dropped back into the sea, so he can go under all of the other boats. Meanwhile, the water in the cave rises over Ned and Joe, forcing them to wear their masks and use their air tanks. The tanks have got a two hour supply of air, giving Gordon little time to find them.

Gordon manages to find the cave, and enters it. Scott tells Ned and Joe to start swimming and try to find Thunderbird 4. Things get worse when Scott receives a report that another building is in danger of collapse within the next few minutes: the Fulmer Finance Building. Scott realizes that when it falls, it's going to smash right over the rescue hole, which will start a tidal current that will hit Ned and Joe like an avalanche.

Ned and Joe see Thunderbird 4's lights, and Gordon sees them. With next to no air left in their tanks, they two are able to reach Thunderbird 4, so Gordon opens a hatch on the craft to let them in. They enter it just in time, as moments later, the Fulmer Finance Building topples over. It smashes into the ground.

Thunderbird 4 gets blown aside by the current, but is ok. Later, Ned Cook presents his own show, and thanks International Rescue from the bottom of his heart for their help. As the audience erupt in applause, little does Ned know that International Rescue are watching.

Notes

-The script for this episode was completed before it was decided to make each episode an hour long instead of 30 minutes. It is known that the opening oil field scene, along with Thunderbird 1 chasing the truck, were added to extend the episode.

-The red gantry can first be seen at the back of the damaged Thunderbird 2. It's also seen in modified form at the start of Sun Probe.

-During this shot around 28 minutes and 47 seconds in, you can just about see FAB 1 hiding behind two police cars.

-When Thunderbird 1 lands in New York, one of the buildings in the background has what appears to be a giant Swastika on it.

-One of the buildings seen in the New York background is actually the London Airport control tower first seen in Trapped in the Sky, just with the control room part removed. It is most prominently seen next to the Fulmer Finance Building.

-Whilst this episode is seen as one of the best in the series, a lot of fans have an issue with the ending. The building collapses, Thunderbird 4 is seen hurtling out of control... and then the Ned Cook show starts and everything was apparently ok.

Errors

-When the Firefly gets blown back, the shot of its interior is mirrored -if you look at the canister on the right, the text on it is reversed.
-When Thunderbird 2 lands, the "2" numeral on its tail is missing.
-When Joe is seen falling, the back of his head flies off.
-The news report mentions it took 10 years of planning for the Empire State Building move. 10 years of planning... and nobody thought about the underground streams being an issue? Brains figures it out straight away!
-The guy from Washington Jeff speaks to says "it's the least we can do, Mr. Tracy". This means someone knows Jeff is involved with International Rescue!
-One of the site control van's computers states "ULTA SHORT WAVE" instead of "ULTRA".