"
Codename Europa" is the 27th episode of the
SupermarionationSupermarionation is a puppetry technique devised in the 1960s by British production company AP Films. It was used extensively in the company's numerous Gerry and Sylvia Anderson-produced action-adventure series, the most famous of which was Thunderbirds...
television series
Captain Scarlet and the MysteronsCaptain Scarlet and the Mysterons, often referred to as Captain Scarlet, is a 1960s British science-fiction television series produced by the Century 21 Productions company of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, John Read and Reg Hill...
. It was first broadcast in the UK on on ATV Midlands, was written by David Lee and directed by Alan Perry. In this episode, the
MysteronThe Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
s threaten all three members of the Triumvirate of Europe, the most powerful politicians on Earth after the
World PresidentIn both science fiction and utopian/dystopian fiction, authors have made frequent use of the age-old idea of a global state and, accordingly, of world government.- Overview :...
.
Plot
The
MysteronThe Mysterons are a fictional race of extraterrestrials, native to the planet Mars, which appear in the British science fiction Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet, symbolised by ubiquitous projected green rings and the deep...
s threaten to destroy the Triumvirate of Europe, whose three members are the most powerful politicians on
EarthEarth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
after the
World PresidentIn both science fiction and utopian/dystopian fiction, authors have made frequent use of the age-old idea of a global state and, accordingly, of world government.- Overview :...
.
Captain BlackCaptain Black is the fictional nemesis of Captain Scarlet and recurring Mysteron agent in the 1960s British supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet...
murders an
electronicsElectronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
professor, Carney, at his rural home and the Mysterons resurrect the expert to realise their plan. Spectrum has moved each member of the Triumvirate to a separate location to counter the Mysteron threat. The Carney reconstruction travels to Vandon Maximum Security Base, which contains President Conrad Olafson, and activates a
loudspeakerA loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
system to blare out recorded
sound effectFor the album by The Jam, see Sound Affects.Sound effects or audio effects are artificially created or enhanced sounds, or sound processes used to emphasize artistic or other content of films, television shows, live performance, animation, video games, music, or other media...
s of
machine gunA machine gun is a fully automatic mounted or portable firearm, usually designed to fire rounds in quick succession from an ammunition belt or large-capacity magazine, typically at a rate of several hundred rounds per minute....
s and
tankA tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s to distract the guards, who are led to conclude that Vandon Base is under attack. While the Angels bomb the surrounding
woodlandEcologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, the reconstruction infiltrates the compound and slips an
explosive deviceAn explosive device is device that relies on the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Explosive devices have applications as demolition devices and as weapons in the military....
into a vent which it mistakenly believes leads to Olafson's underground suite. The vent is in fact an imitation which goes no further than ground level. Although the explosion obliterates the complex above him, Olafson survives along with Captain Ochre. Soon, the original Carney's body is discovered, although a second Carney has only recently been sighted.
Colonel WhiteColonel White is a character in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is the commander-in-Chief of Spectrum, the security organisation dedicated to defending Earth against the Mysterons from Mars...
dispatches Captains
ScarletCaptain Scarlet is the fictional main character in Gerry Anderson's British Supermarionation science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons and its CGI remake Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet....
and
BlueCaptain Blue is a character in the 1967 Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation and a close friend of Captain Scarlet....
to search Carney's residence, where the officers discover a note left by the reconstruction: "123
OHMThe ohm is the SI unit of electrical resistance, named after German physicist Georg Simon Ohm.- Definition :The ohm is defined as a resistance between two points of a conductor when a constant potential difference of 1 volt, applied to these points, produces in the conductor a current of 1 ampere,...
".
Scarlet realises that the note sets out the Mysteron agent's assassination schedule:
Olafson was attacked first, meaning that the second target is President John L.
Henderson, while President Joseph
Meccini will be last. Carney evades all Spectrum efforts to apprehend him as he drives to the Maximum Security Centre containing Henderson, smashing through
Captain MagentaCaptain Magenta is a character in the 1960s Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. He is a senior officer of the Spectrum organisation, but seldom leaves Cloudbase....
's
roadblockA roadblock is a temporary installation set up to control or block traffic along a road. The reasons for one could be:*Roadworks*Temporary road closure during special events*Police chase*Robbery*Sobriety checkpoint...
and using a device to blank out the monitor in Scarlet and Blue's
Spectrum Pursuit VehicleThe Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle is a fictional pursuit and attack vehicle from Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's science fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons .-Appearance in Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons:...
. At the security centre, the officers find themselves cut off from all external contact when Carney flies an adapted remote-controlled miniature plane over the complex,
jamming radio signalsRadio jamming is the transmission of radio signals that disrupt communications by decreasing the signal to noise ratio. Unintentional jamming occurs when an operator transmits on a busy frequency without first checking whether it is in use, or without being able to hear stations using the frequency...
in the area. The Mysteron agent then removes an inspection cover and uses a
grenadeA grenade is a small explosive device that is projected a safe distance away by its user. Soldiers called grenadiers specialize in the use of grenades. The term hand grenade refers any grenade designed to be hand thrown. Grenade Launchers are firearms designed to fire explosive projectile grenades...
to destroy the electrical circuits, causing a power failure and avoiding guards with the aid of night-vision goggles. However, on entering Henderson's suite, the reconstruction fails to notice a
tripwireA tripwire is a passive triggering mechanism. Typically, a wire or cord is attached to some device for detecting or reacting to physical movement...
, stumbles and is shot down by Scarlet. For all Carney's electronics expertise, his duplicate was ultimately defeated by a simple security measure.
Production
David Lee's script reveals that the human Carney was the designer of all Spectrum's electronic security systems at its maximum security bases, which explains how his reconstruction is constantly able to outwit Spectrum in this episode. Scenes that were scripted but not filmed include the Carney reconstruction disposing of his template's body with the aid of a remote-controlled
lawn mowerA lawn mower is a machine that uses a revolving blade or blades to cut a lawn at an even length.Lawn mowers employing a blade that rotates about a vertical axis are known as rotary mowers, while those employing a blade assembly that rotates about a horizontal axis are known as cylinder or reel...
.
The music played as Professor Carney slips the explosive device; the incidental music is an edited version of the music played in the
ThunderbirdsThunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
episode 'Vault of Death'
External links