End of the Road (Thunderbirds)
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| “End of the Road” | |
|---|---|
| Thunderbirds episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 9 |
| Written by | Dennis Spooner |
| Directed by | David Lane |
| Original airdate | 25 November 1965 |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Desperate Intruder" | "The Uninvited" |
| List of Thunderbirds episodes | |
"End of the Road" is the 9th episode of the first series of the Supermarionation television series Thunderbirds. It was the 14th episode to be produced. Its original air date on ATV Midlands in the United Kingdom was 25 November 1965. It was written by Dennis Spooner and directed by David Lane.
Contents |
[edit] Synopsis
In a mountain range in Asia, a road construction company struggles to complete its contract before the start of the monsoon season. Amid seismic tremors, the co-founder ventures into the mountains to blast rock away from a freshly-made path and save the project. But when he is caught by the explosions and left trapped in his vehicle as it dangles over a cliff edge, International Rescue faces a struggle to keep its identity a secret, as it happens that the victim is an old friend of Tin-Tin…
[edit] Plot
At the edge of a mountain range in Southeast Asia, Eddie Houseman, co-founder of the Gray & Houseman Construction Company, supervises an operation to blast a path through the rock with explosive projectiles. Observing that their objective has been completed, he commands his colleagues, Cheng and Taylor, to drive their Explosives Tractor through the incision, but a rockfall forces them to hurriedly reverse out.
Meanwhile, the company’s multi-storey Road Construction Vehicle tarmacs the route that has already been laid. After the Explosives Tractor returns to the vehicle’s hold, Eddie is congratulated by his business partner, Bob Gray, who is confident that they will complete the mountain road within their contract deadline, and before the start of the monsoon season. Eddie wants to meet an old friend for a holiday, and that person is none other than Tin-Tin Kyrano.
On Tracy Island, Jeff anxiously initiates Operation Cover-Up while a jet unexpectedly touches down on the runway. Tin-Tin is amazed when the pilot is revealed to be Eddie. Alan, however, is bitterly jealous while the couple share the evening together, and becomes the butt of Virgil and Gordon’s teasing. Tin-Tin bids Eddie success in his company’s project.
At the road, however, Lester, another company employee, shows Bob a set of worrying seismograph readings. While they investigate from a helijet, they notice that the walls of the cutting are perilously weak and realise that the imminent monsoon rains will destroy the path completely.
Eddie learns of the developments and quickly departs Tracy Island, neglecting to say goodbye to Tin-Tin and leaving her heartbroken. Having returned to the road, Eddie argues with Bob over solutions to the problem. Eddie suggests that he lay charges to blast the crumbling peak away from the road. Bob, as the senior partner, rejects the idea as too dangerous and elects to continue work in the spring, even though they will lose the contract and possibly become bankrupt. On Tracy Island, Alan is tactless in consoling Tin-Tin, but Grandma promises to return him to favour.
During the stormy night, Eddie quietly sets off for the peak in the Explosives Tractor while his colleagues are asleep. He stops the vehicle on a ledge above the cutting, straps into a harness, drills strategic holes into the rock face and begins to place charges in each. Meanwhile, Eddie is missed after Lester alerts Bob to stronger tremors. Bob warns Eddie over the radio of a possible landslide, but this only compels him to detonate the charges with his tractor still on the ledge. His plan succeeds and material is blasted away from the cutting, but a rockfall hits the tractor and the vehicle is left hanging precariously over the cliff edge, with Eddie being unable to move without upsetting the truck’s balance. To make matters worse, if it drops the remaining case of explosives onboard will detonate.
Bob calls International Rescue for assistance and his transmission is answered by John onboard Thunderbird 5. Jeff dispatches Scott in Thunderbird 1 and Virgil and Alan in Thunderbird 2 despite the threat of the organisation’s exposure if Eddie manages to identify them. Meanwhile, Grandma tells Tin-Tin that Alan was determined to take part in the rescue despite being ill.
At the danger zone, Scott fires a set of metal spears into the rock above the tractor to prevent more boulders from unbalancing the vehicle. Thunderbird 2 arrives and Virgil and Alan lower the magnetic grabs, but as the craft homes in to pick up the truck its downward thrusters begin to tip the vehicle alarmingly. Scott manoeuvres Thunderbird 1 beneath the tractor to bear the strain until it is lifted by Thunderbird 2. However, the vehicle is too heavy for the grabs and plunges to the ground - but not before Eddie is able to jump clear. The truck explodes with no casualties.
Co-workers praise Eddie for saving the road and the contract. The rescued man is looking forward to expressing his gratitude to International Rescue, but the Thunderbird craft are already leaving the scene. While Jeff is relieved that his sons completed the rescue without revealing their identity, Tin-Tin calls Alan to express her concern for his health, and agrees to talk with him as soon as he arrives home.
[edit] Cast
[edit] Regular Voice Cast
- Jeff Tracy — Peter Dyneley
- Scott Tracy — Shane Rimmer
- Virgil Tracy — David Holliday
- Alan Tracy — Matt Zimmerman
- Gordon Tracy — David Graham
- John Tracy — Ray Barrett
- Grandma Tracy — Christine Finn
- Tin-Tin Kyrano — Christine Finn
- Kyrano — David Graham
[edit] Guest Voice Cast
- Eddie Houseman — Ray Barrett
- Cheng — David Graham
- Chuck Taylor — Matt Zimmerman
- Engineer — David Graham
- Bob Gray — David Graham
- J.B. Lester — Ray Barrett
[edit] Main Equipment
The vehicles and equipment featured in this episode are:
- Thunderbird 1
- Thunderbird 2
- Thunderbird 5
- Road Construction Vehicle
- Explosives Tractor
- Helijet
[edit] Goofs
- Raindrops on the faces of Eddie and the other company employees during the storm are disproportionately large.
[edit] Notes
- Extensive footage from "End of the Road" is featured as a flashback in "Security Hazard".
- The International Rescue Fire Truck featured in the opening sequence of "Security Hazard" is a revamp of the Gray & Houseman Explosives Tractor.
- The front of the Explosives Tractor is identical to that of the International Rescue Transmitter Truck (featured in "Sun Probe" and "Cry Wolf"), although it is a different colour.
- The Gray & Houseman Road Construction Vehicle appears in "Atlantic Inferno" after being repainted yellow.
- The Bob Gray puppet stars as Cravitz in "Atlantic Inferno".
- Tin-Tin owns a framed photograph of Eddie which later appears inside the Williams home in "Cry Wolf".
- Although Brains appears in this episode playing Chess with Gordon, he has no dialogue.
