The Impostors

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For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

International Rescue are forced out of action when they're framed for a crime they didn't commit.
Original UK broadcast date: January 13th, 1966

Contents
1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


Synopsis

At Tracy Island, everyone reads about International Rescue saving a man's life. But it wasn't an operation they'd performed, leading to a lot of confusion over why someone else has used their name. However, General Lambert has been put in charge of a search to find International Rescue. During their previous operation, International Rescue stole plans to the AL 4, an expensive strategic fighter capable of the speed of accelerated light. A worldwide search begins, leading to Jeff deciding they have no choice but to stop operating until further notice. He says they'll have to find the ones who really stole the plans.

To do that, he says they'll have his organization's agents go on the hunt for clues, no matter how small. Agent 47, Jeremiah Tuttle, reports some aircraft tracks near an old mine. Alan relays this to Jeff but says it's not much to go on, and decides to take no action. Meanwhile, the fake International Rescue members, Carela and Jenkins, are happy that they've got the plans to the AL 4, which they intend to sell off for a high price. They're also happy that International Rescue are taking all the blame for it.

John listens in to a call from a satellite which is being used in the search. He finds out that it needs repairing and will be out of operation for several hours, and it happens to be monitoring the section Tracy Island is in. Penelope heads to America to talk to reporter Eddie Kerr, who was at the scene where the fake International Rescue operated. She learns about the direction the fakes went after the rescue was completed, and that they traveled via helijet. She reports her findings to Jeff, and they all quickly work out how close the location is to where Jeremiah is. At the satellite, Hale starts repair work on the inside, whilst Elliot goes out into space to fix the antenna. He finishes his work and goes to head back inside, but his thruster pack malfunctions and sends him flying away from the satellite.

John listens into another call, and finds out about Elliot. Jeff says they can't take any action as they'll be discovered if Thunderbird 3 is launched. Penelope goes to see Jeremiah, and whilst he offers to take care of things, Penelope says she wants to deal with this herself. Meanwhile, Jeff has a change of heart, and tells Alan and Scott to go and save Elliot. He hopes that Penelope will be able to clear their name before they're discovered, and with the satellite still not tracking properly, Thunderbird 3 takes off without the International Rescue base being discovered.

Hale sees Thunderbird 3 pass by the satellite, and reports it must be going to save Elliot. Alan and Scott use Thunderbird 3's auto-fix to locate Elliot, and move off to save him. Back on Earth, Penelope and Parker find the mine Jeremiah had mentioned, but when Penelope fires a warning shot, muddy water squirts out of her gun -a result of her falling face down into the mud earlier.

Carela and Jenkins are alerted and are about to shoot Penelope and Parker, only for Jeremiah and his Ma arrive on the scene. Jeremiah fires first, causing Carela and Jenkins to back off into the mine. Jenkins doesn't want to leave, so Jeremiah throws a couple of tins of his Ma's beans at the mine's entrance. These tins are actually explosives, which go off and cause parts of the mine entrance to crumble.

Carela and Jenkins put down their guns and decide to surrender. Lambert is soon informed by the White House about what has happened, and announces to everyone that the search for International Rescue has been cancelled as of now. Hale then contacts him and says he's now ready to start tracking, only for Lambert to tell him that he'll do no such thing.

Having rescued Elliot, Scott and Alan fly back towards the satellite. Elliot thanks them for rescuing him, and thinks it's great that International Rescue has been cleared. Alan says that call from their base sure lifted a lot of worries. Elliot says there's no one better qualified then himself to say it's terrific to see International Rescue back in business! Thunderbird 3 soon arrives back at the satellite to drop Elliot off.

Notes

-Some of the shots showing Fireflash taking off were taken from Trapped in the Sky, in particular, Captain Hanson and the co-pilot's dialogue when they level the jet off is the same.

-The fake Thunderbird 2 originally appeared in Operation Crash-Dive. It was used to pick the Fireflash saboteur up. In that episode it was mostly painted blue and silver, in this episode it was colored green and yellow.

-Some air sea rescue jets and boats are seen being launched when the search starts -the footage used showing these vehicles is from Operation Crash-Dive.

-This is the only episode in which Thunderbird 2 does not appear.

Errors

-Eddie Kerr's helijet changes colors between shots. At first it's colored green, but later changes to blue and back again.
-The guy who takes the photo (who previously appeared as Colonel Casey in Edge of Impact) has assistance from a puppeteer -look at the bottom left, you'll see a human hand.
-During this shot, the puppet in blue is speaking, but the puppet behind him also moves his mouth as he speaks his dialogue.
-Both Alan and Scott change outfits between them leaving the lounge and arriving inside Thunderbird 3.
-When Scott says "you can say that again" his lips don't move. I feel like this was a deliberate error.