Winged Assassin

Plot

The Mysterons transmit a warning that they will kill Xian Yoh, the Director General of the United Asian Republic, who is visiting London. An attempt on his life in his hotel room is foiled by Captain Grey. Maximum security is imposed at London International Airport. Colonel White recalls Captain Scarlet to duty after Dr Fawn confirms he is free of Mysteron control and effectively indestructible.

Scarlet and Captain Blue fly to London in a Spectrum Passenger Jet, escorted by the Angel fighter squadron. The Mysterons cause a systems failure on airliner Flight DT-19, which crashes into the ocean. A reconstruction of the plane, empty of crew and passengers, continues its flight path to London. A decoy motorcade brings a double of the Director General to the airport, while the real Xian Yoh arrives in a disguised fuel tanker and boards his private jet.

As DT-19 lands, Scarlet experiences nausea, interpreting it as a warning. DT-19 breaks away from the terminal and rushes toward the jet. Scarlet and Blue intercept in their Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle. The Angels' airstrikes have no effect.

When the SPV's rocket launcher jams, Scarlet ejects Blue and rams DT-19's wheels, destroying them and crashing the plane. Scarlet is fatally injured when the SPV hits a radar bunker. The jet takes off but strikes DT-19's wing and crashes, killing the Director General and all aboard. Blue tells the airport chief that Scarlet may not have died in vain.

Production

Tony Barwick's script named the DT-19 co-pilot Johnson. Dialogue places the episode on 10 July, the same day as "Treble Cross" and the closing scene of "Flight to Atlantica". Barwick often used 10 July because it was his birthday; fans observe July 10 as "Captain Scarlet Day". The scale model of the London International Airport entrance was designed by Mike Trim. This episode introduced uncredited voice actor Neil McCallum, who later voiced characters in several other episodes. It also marks the first use of the series' secondary title sequence, with Mysteron "eyes" sliding over the puppet cast; these shots were recorded during filming. Barry Gray recorded the incidental music, a 4-minute 38-second suite, in a four-hour session on 3 April 1967. Scarlet's flashback to his murder omits the blue monochrome effect used in the previous episode.

Broadcast and reception

During a BBC Two re-run in September 2001, "Winged Assassin" was scheduled for 17 September but postponed due to similarities between its plot and the terrorist attacks earlier that month. The episode finally aired on 10 December 2001. The British Board of Film Classification gives it a U certificate, citing "some action and mild horror". Critics have praised the episode: Anthony Clark of sci-fi-online.com calls it one of the best; Mike Fillis of Cult Times and Ultimate DVD highlights Derek Meddings' miniature work on the DT-19 model.

Rick Sanchez of IGN commends the scene where Scarlet ejects Blue from the SPV as superior writing. Ian Fryer considers it the series' key episode, noting its expression of the series' horror and its "genuinely thrilling" climax. He observes that the Mysteron victory establishes them as a formidable opponent and that the episode balances adult themes with suitability for young audiences. Andrew Thomas of Dreamwatch finds the image of the reconstructed DT-19 with empty seats and moving controls chilling.

Chris Bentley, author of Captain Scarlet: The Vault, calls the conclusion startling, noting that the Mysteron win increases tension in later episodes, contrasting with earlier Anderson productions that always ended happily.