The Impostors (Thunderbirds)

"The Impostors" is an episode of

On Tracy Island, Jeff declares International Rescue grounded until its name is cleared. To track down the impostors, he has agent Lady Penelope interview witnesses to the staged rescue. Meanwhile, the organisation's other field operatives are ordered to report any unusual activity. One of them, "hillbilly" Jeremiah Tuttle, discovers aircraft tyre tracks near an abandoned mine. Returning to the cabin where he lives with his elderly mother, he uses a concealed videophone to inform Tracy Island. Jeff does not think the tracks suspicious, reasoning that they could have been left by a commercial aircraft making a forced landing. In fact, it was the aircraft flown by the impostors, Jenkins and Carela, who are using the mine as a hideout while preparing to sell the AL4 plans.

Posing as a journalist, Penelope learns that the aircraft was an EJ2 flying south-south-west. She alerts the Tracys, who calculate that the impostors must have landed near the Tuttles. Remembering the tyre tracks, Jeff orders Penelope and her chauffeur Parker to rendezvous with their fellow agents and apprehend the impostors.

In orbit, Space Observatory 3 is participating in the manhunt by monitoring the

At the Tuttles' cabin, Penelope declines Jeremiah's help in confronting the impostors and she and Parker set off for the mine on their own. FAB 1 gets stuck in a mud patch, forcing them to abandon the car and proceed on foot. Arriving at the mine, Penelope, who tripped over on the way, is dismayed to find her pistol jammed with dirt. Hearing her cries, Jenkins and Carela arm themselves with rifles and take aim at the intruders. However, they are prevented from firing by the arrival of the Tuttles, who throw a grenade (disguised as a tin of beans) into the mine to force the impostors' surrender. The manhunt is called off by order of the White House, and Elliott is returned to the observatory.

Regular voice cast

• Lady Penelope
• Ray Barrett as John Tracy
• Peter Dyneley as Jeff Tracy
• David Graham as Parker
• Shane Rimmer as Scott Tracy
• Matt Zimmerman as Alan Tracy

Production

The miniature model representing the EJ2 previously appeared as an air-sea rescue craft in "Operation Crash-Dive".^[3]

Reception

In her autobiography, Sylvia Anderson, who voiced Ma Tuttle, commented that the episode makes good use of "

Rating "The Impostors" three out of five, Tom Fox of Starburst magazine characterises the episode as a mixture of serious and light-hearted moments, describing the story as "eventually engaging". He regards the Tracy family's "clash of interests" – whether or not to risk exposure to save a man's life – as the highlight of the episode.^[5] For Marcus Hearn, the Tracys' moral dilemma is more interesting than the plot about the stolen plans, which he calls the "MacGuffin in this multi-layered story".^[6]

According to Richard Farrell, the episode derives humour from mocking the military and the news media (neither of which can locate International Rescue, despite being quick to condemn them) as well as poking fun at British and American cultural differences (for example, Penelope's ineptitude versus the Tuttles' initiative). Noting that the Tuttles are capable and well equipped agents despite their "dozy hillbilly" ways, Farrell argues that they exemplify one of Gerry Anderson's "favourite themes" – the concept of people and things "not always being what they seem".^[7]

Fran Pheasant-Kelly, an academic who has studied the series' depiction of social class, observes that the Tuttles' status as "impoverished Southerners" – conveyed by aspects such as Jeremiah's "rough appearance" and actor Peter Dyneley's "drawling" voice for the character – belies their reliability and resourcefulness in coming to Penelope and Parker's aid. According to Pheasant-Kelley: "Given the obvious class differences between Penelope and the hillbilly couple, Anderson is clearly making a point about stereotypes in relation to social status."^[8]

References