Codename Europa

Plot

The Mysterons vow to assassinate the Triumvirate of Europe, consisting of presidents Conrad Olafson, John Henderson and Joseph Meccini. Captain Black kills electronics professor Gabriel Carney with a sniper rifle, and the Mysterons reconstruct him to carry out their threat. Spectrum moves each Triumvirate member to a different secure facility. The reconstructed Carney drives to Vandon Maximum Security Base, which holds Olafson, and uses a loudspeaker system to broadcast sounds of machine guns and tanks, fooling the guards into thinking the base is under attack.

While the Angel squadron bombs the surrounding forest, Carney cuts through the fence and drops a bomb into an air vent he believes leads to Olafson's quarters, but the vent is a dummy; the explosion destroys the base above ground but leaves Olafson unharmed. Later, the original Carney's body is discovered, and Colonel White realizes the professor has been taken over by the Mysterons. Captains Scarlet and Blue find a note reading "123 OHM" at Carney's home, which Scarlet deduces is a timetable: Olafson first, Henderson second, Meccini third.

They chase Carney to the facility containing Henderson. Carney uses an electronic device to disrupt their SPV's monitor, forcing them off the road. He then flies a specially-adapted toy plane to jam radio transmissions and uses a grenade to cut the electricity supply. Wearing night-vision goggles, Carney reaches Henderson's quarters but fails to spot a tripwire set by Scarlet and Blue, stumbles, and is shot dead by Scarlet.

Production

David Lee's script indicated that the human Professor Carney designed the security systems at Spectrum's maximum-security facilities. Unfilmed scenes showed Carney's reconstruction disposing of the original's body with a remote-controlled lawn mower. "Codename Europa" is the only episode in which supporting voice actor Neil McCallum played a Mysteron agent. The puppet used for Carney first appeared as Captain Brown in "The Mysterons" and was fitted with a specially-sculpted grimacing head for the scene where he is shot by Captain Black. Some props inside Carney's bungalow were originally made for the films Thunderbirds Are Go and Thunderbird 6.

Reception

According to critic Fred McNamara, "Codename Europa" is a joy and one of the series' most underrated episodes. He highlights its ambitious inclusion of three Mysteron targets, Neil McCallum's superbly sadistic vocal performance as Carney, and the tense, atmospheric action that forms an entertaining package. The Mysteron agent's unusual methods lend the story a genuinely unnerving edge. McNamara views the episode as a departure from Captain Scarlet norms because of its anti-tech stance, with Carney's eccentricity expressing a disenchantment with the routine techno-wonders of Scarlet's world.

He also points out that Spectrum wins here despite being repeatedly outfoxed, a reversal of other episodes where the organization holds the tactical advantage yet loses. McNamara's main criticism targets the ending: Carney's abrupt death suggests too much story was crammed into the running time, a point supported by the fact that his demise prevents the Mysterons from targeting the final member of the triumvirate, President Meccini.