30 Minutes
After Noon

Previous episode	Production order: #18	Next episode
Previous episode	Broadcast order: #7	Next episode

For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

When a secret agent gets into trouble, the British Security Service turn to International Rescue for help.
Original UK broadcast date: November 11th, 1965

Contents
1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


Synopsis

Tom Prescott drives home one night, but picks up a hitchhiker. When he drops the hitchhiker off, the guy attaches a bracelet to his wrist and knows who he is. He instructs him to go to the place he works, and find a key in his cabinet that'll unlock the bracelet. He reveals the bracelet has an explosive in it which is due to go off soon. Tom rushes back to the Hudson Building, where he is chased by police. He manages to evade them and get inside, where he finds the key. He leaves the bracelet in the cabinet as he was told, then uses an elevator to leave. But the bracelet explodes, causing large amounts of damage to the building and causing the elevator car he's in to rapidly drop to the building's basement.

International Rescue are called, and are able to save Tom via using a cage which sprays dicetylene everywhere. The police chief is told that Prescott is sticking to his story about the guy with the bracelet, but he believes him, and this is backed up even more when evidence of the bracelet is found. He decides to get the FBI involved, and later on it is reported that Tom Prescott died in the explosion. International Rescue are left wondering why when they definitely saved him, but Jeff says it could be something the FBI are trying to make the guy really responsible think it'd be okay to try the same trick again.

Southern, an agent of the British Security Service, is sent to infiltrate the Erdman gang. He does so, and is sent to a castle along with two other members: Kenyon and Dempsey. They all have bracelets attached to their wrists, and they are contacted by a man simply called the leader. The leader instructs them that they are to go to the nuclear plutonium store and destroy it via the explosive charges in their bracelets. They will find the key to unlock them inside the store, and they are to take out any robot guards via a ray machine he has supplied them with. Once done, they are to rendezvous with him at his helijet. Timing is crucial, so Southern and the others head out. They enter the store and take down the robots, but once they get the key to the bracelets, Southern pulls out a gun. He wants Kenyon and Dempsey to capture the leader and bring him here, but then another robot grabs him from behind. Kenyon and Dempsey leave the bracelets next to Southern and then leave.

Southern pulls out a radio pen he was given, and uses it to contact his HQ. He advises to have the area evacuated, but HQ says they'll try contacting International Rescue. Scott and Virgil are sent out, whilst Jeff contacts Penelope and asks her to go after Kenyon and Dempsey. Virgil drives out the laser cutting vehicle, and uses it to start cutting through the doors which Kenyon and Dempsey had sealed when they left. There are less than 15 minutes until the charges explode, and by the time Virgil has finished cutting, there are less than 5 minutes left. As Virgil sees to the robot holding Southern, Scott grabs the charges and runs back to Thunderbird 1.

He takes off and dumps the charges into the sea just in time, where they explode. Meanwhile, Kenyon and Dempsey meet with the leader at his helijet. Kenyon is pleased with how things turned out, as this way it means they'll get a bigger cut. The leader says they will now get to safety, and starts to pilot the helijet. But just as the helijet begins to ascend, Parker and Penelope crash through a gate in FAB 1.

Parker shoots at the helijet, causing it to crash back down on the ground. They then go to the nuclear store, where they find Scott, Virgil and Southern. Southern has passed out and Scott says he needs to be taken to a hospital, so Penelope says she'll do it. Sometime later, Southern is at Penelope's home, and states his career as a secret agent is over now that his cover has been broken. He's sure Penelope won't understand but when she says being a secret agent is something she's thought about being, he tells her it just wouldn't be for her. He thinks Penelope should just be what she is: a very beautiful lady.

Notes

-When Prescott drives through a city, at one point there is a window with a partially seen "TV" on it. This is part of the logo for TV Century 21, a comic which contained Thunderbirds stories, among other things.

-Brains is initially seen on Thunderbird 5 in this episode. It isn't clear why he's there.

-The security robots seen in this episode are modified versions of Braman, who appeared in Sun Probe.

-The laser beam vehicle is a modified version of the booster mortar from Edge of Impact.

-It isn't clear if the leader, Kenyon and Dempsey were killed or not. Whilst the helijet crashes and explodes, the cockpit isn't seen exploding and remains intact.

Errors

-During the opening shot, Prescott is shown driving by some houses and trees. After he turns the car's radio on, he is seen driving by the exact same houses and trees again.
-The police officer who sets up the barrier has very out of synch lip movement when he says "calling all cars, calling all cars".
-Considering what it is they're guarding, the robots seem to be incredibly stupid. The one that grabs Southern makes no attempt to attack Dempsey or Kenyon, and doesn't even move when Virgil opens a panel on its back to shut him down!
-When Virgil says "laser beam" he mispronounces laser as "lancer".