Flight to Atlantica

Plot

On 7 July, Captain Scarlet holds an unauthorised champagne party on Cloudbase to mark the first anniversary of Spectrum's founding, but Colonel White breaks up the gathering and reprimands the personnel. The Mysterons vow to destroy the undersea World Navy base Atlantica, prompting Spectrum to take over a bombing operation to disperse a drifting wreck. Captains Blue and Ochre are selected for the mission and briefed at Maxwell Field, where they behave with uncharacteristic flippancy and absent-mindedness.

Before taking off in their V17 bomber, they encounter a man they fail to recognise as Captain Black, who switches their flight plan. On Cloudbase, everyone except White and Scarlet falls into a trance-like state; they realise the champagne was spiked by the Mysterons with a pest control chemical causing amnesia and reckless behaviour. The intoxicated Blue and Ochre bomb Atlantica's defence control tower. White and Scarlet intercept them in a Spectrum Passenger Jet, firing an air-to-air missile that cripples the V17 just before Blue and Ochre can bomb Atlantica itself.

Blue regains his senses and ejects himself and Ochre moments before the V17 crashes into the ocean. On 10 July, Spectrum's true anniversary, White arranges a second, sanctioned party with champagne bearing Scarlet's codename.

Reception

Geoff Willmetts of Sfcrowsnest considers the episode story-wise one of the series' best, noting it would work in any medium and marks rare moments when the Spectrum captains are less than formal. Shane M. Dallmann of Video Watchdog describes it as amusing with plenty of character-breaking moments, expressing surprise that Scarlet is treated as a hero given his role in organising the party. Fred McNamara comments on its offbeat tone and humour, stating it rarely outstays its welcome and is a valiantly joyful excursion into unforeseen territory, though he finds the investigative scenes less interesting.