| "The Heart of New York" | |||
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| Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episode | |||
| Episode no. | Episode 11 | ||
| Directed by | Alan Perry | ||
| Written by | Tony Barwick | ||
| Cinematography by | Ted Catford | ||
| Editing by | Bob Dearberg | ||
| Production code | 13 | ||
| Original air date | December 8, 1967 | ||
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| List of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons episodes | |||
"The Heart of New York" is the 11th episode of the Supermarionation television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. It was first broadcast in the UK on December 8, 1967 on ATV Midlands, was written by Tony Barwick and directed by Alan Perry. In this episode, a group of perfectly human bank robbers try to outwit Spectrum as the Mysterons declare that they will destroy the "Heart of New York".
Like "Winged Assassin" and "Big Ben Strikes Again", "The Heart of New York" contains a plot whose similarity to the September 11 attacks caused the episode to be held back when Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons was repeated on BBC Two in 2001.
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Criminals Kruger and Doig rob the Spectrum Security Vaults. Despite intelligence collected by their associate, Carl, they discover only documentation and microfilm which, although classified, is of no material value. Nevertheless, Kruger is fascinated by the documents detailing Earth's conflict with Mars, and plans to "get the Mysterons to work for us." Meanwhile, the Mysterons announce that they have studied human greed and corruption and intend to destroy the "Heart of New York". While the civilian population is evacuated and the perimeter roadblocked, Captains Scarlet and Blue search the city for concealed explosive devices. Kruger, Doig and Carl annoy a wildfire lookout by feigning drunkenness. They then fake their own deaths, placing replica dummies of themselves inside their car and then sending it crashing down a hillside. The lookout cannot help believing that the three supposedly drunk men have been killed. Kruger, Doig and Carl return and, now claiming to be Mysteron reconstructions, announce that they intend to the destroy the New York Second National Bank. Colonel White refuses to risk lives to protect this target orders all Spectrum personnel to withdraw to the roadblocks.
Kruger, Doig and Carl appear at Captain Magenta's roadblock and present FBI identification. A Mysteron Detector check by Captain Ochre checks negative, so Magenta grants them access. Arriving at the Second National Bank with a crate of plastic explosive, the men are confident about escaping with the East Coast gold reserve. However, the vault blown open, they are caught unawares by Captain Black, who locks them in and reveals that the bank will be soon be destroyed. At Magenta's roadblock, Scarlet seizes on the discrepancy that the men knew that the Mysterons had narrowed their target to the Second National Bank, when only Spectrum personnel were informed. Realising that the bank will be robbed, Scarlet and Blue rush to apprehend them in their Spectrum Saloon, but turn around when they notice Black driving the men's car. However, the Mysterons use their powers to teleport Black away from Spectrum. The Second National Bank is obliterated by explosives planted at the site, killing Kruger, Doig and Carl. However, Colonel White refuses to accept that the three men were the typical greedy and corrupt humans cited by the Mysterons, and feels sure that the good of humanity will ultimately prevail over the evil of the enemy.
When a digitally-remastered re-run of Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons began in the United Kingdom in September 2001, "The Heart of New York" was originally due to be broadcast as the eleventh episode in the re-run, but was postponed from its intended BBC Two transmission date due to parallels between the plot, with New York City as the Mysteron's latest threat, and the September 11 attacks which occurred the same month. The episode was eventually broadcast later in the line-up along with "Winged Assassin" and "Big Ben Strikes Again".
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