We were only joking when we said we were expecting an episode to prominently feature Grandma Tracy.
So imagine our shock and disbelief when we read our press notes for ‘Unplugged’ and found the eccentric housekeeper atop the cast list! Will she too, like Kayo, get her own Thunderbird?
Joking aside though, it’s refreshing to see the comic relief character finally get a role to play beyond simply baking horrible food. ‘Unplugged’ seems a perfect fit for her too, as she and Virgil are stranded in London with no power, as a result of an EMP utilized by a group of eco-terrorists.
As events unfold, it certainly allows for some great character building, especially when it comes to showcasing the fact that the Tracy brothers aren’t just heroes because of their Thunderbird machines and gadgets. As Grandma rightly puts it, “It’s not the gear that rescues people, it’s the Tracy.”
Unfortunately, the script just doesn’t seem up to the job, the writer clearly writing himself into a corner. Despite droning on about how the team don’t need technology to win and save the day, ultimately, once the power comes back on, Virgil uses his ‘Jaws of Life’ mech-gear to rescue a woman trapped in a fallen crane regardless. It kind of defeats the whole point of the episode somewhat.
It also doesn’t help that there’s no big climactic sequence to round things up like there has been in previous weeks. The Thunderbird 2 crash landing in the opening is dynamite stuff, tense and directed with real verve. But come the climax, there’s not much, aside from a scuffle between the Hood and Parker, and Virgil’s aforementioned crane rescue.
The idea of the Luddites is a strong idea, but their plot to rid the world of technology (and the overall plot of the episode) is hijacked by the Hood. It doesn’t help matters that the episode ends much in the same way as Crosscut, with the Hood finding he’s been duped and cursing International rescue at the top of his lungs. Cartoon cliché alert!
But all said and moaned about, there’s no denying that, whilst weaker than previous instalments, ‘Unplugged’ is still a cut above anything else on children’s TV at the moment. Penelope and Parker continue to shine and bring plenty of fun and intrigue to proceedings, whilst there’s no denying that the episode is still very entertaining, even if it does lack a little in terms of the spectacle and drama we’ve been treated to by the series thus far.
Aired at 8am on Saturday 2 May 2015 on CITV.
> Order Volume 1 on DVD on Amazon.
> Buy the complete Thunderbirds collection on Blu-ray on Amazon.
What did you think of this week’s episode? Let us know below…