Breakdown - Re-Review #16
Sorry for the couple days of silence! So here is the next part of the series and then I’ll be throwing up some more of my March Prompt Series tonight too. I also just wanted to say a massive thank you for the support to this series! Thank you everyone who reads, reblogs and lets me know what you think! You all keep me going.
But for now let’s stick with this gem of an episode.
So today people, is actually Sunday August 15th 2060 - no, I really want you all to imagine this with me let’s forget about the C-virus for a moment (just a moment because this isn’t me saying anything to do down the situation, rather enjoy your next five minute read and then think about it if you wish to) because we’re obviously still standing in 40 years time or IR would serve no purpose! And we are presuming the brothers have planned a surprise party - oohhh... (did anyone else think it seemed a little mean to start with)! And they’ve even managed to end up with a real rescue (I bet the distraction plan otherwise would have involved Gordon and Alan in some way)! And they’ve even stretched so far as to getting him a cake - from Paris, France! So I want to know how Virgil didn’t manage to find said cake, because they had to have picked that up in advance considering the travel time really and to factor in that they couldn’t have accounted for a rescue popping up with such appropriate timing... okay, birthday party issues out of the way- let’s go on!
If you haven’t already sussed it out, this episode is really all about Virgil. Screensaver materials, right here everyone (just doing my pubic duty for the day by pointing that out).
So we start out with everyone ‘forgetting’ Virgil’s birthday and then a rescue being called in.
And so of course, Virgil responds and heads out there to help.
“Thunderbirds go were other tow trucks can’t.”
“It will be a quick one. You’ll be there and back before lunch.”
“It’s beautiful! It looks like a... huge frosted birthday cake.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
And rescues this guy - hooray!
Who said ‘Breakdown’ 6 times in the opening scene (and it’s said about 17 times during the episode in total - so no wonder it’s the episode title).
“We’ll soon have you toasty as a teacake. Hmm... cake.”
And then he goes home, has a lovely birthday party and some great cake! For anyone who doesn’t know me that well and has yet to realise, I Love cake. My best friend now has her own business and that is great, but at the same time, makes me eat loads of cake!
Anyhow, Virgil had a lovely birthday party, all was well, end of review! See you tomorrow :)
Yeah, not what happened (though what we might have liked to happen), as well all know. A birthday party isn’t a rescue and clearly the writers thought we wouldn’t want to watch that - I would have, thank you very much, but hey - so on we go with the rescue, part 2.
So because Virgil is really good at thinking, he realises there is a tunnel and goes down there! I mean, I think this is another one of these ‘red button’ moments... just because you can see one, doesn’t mean you have to press it. Likewise, just because there’s a tunnel...
But it’s his birthday so I won’t criticise!
“Did someone call a tow truck?”
I think Thunderbird Two is a little more sophisticated than that but that was Virgil’s choice in words.
“Perhaps we should change our name to International Breakdown?”
“International Breakdown, we have a situation. Hmm, doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.”
It was a good call to go down there though because he meets Dr Peck (whose also in red - there’s so many red uniforms in this episode). First time I watched this episode, I was like: ‘You’re an idiot man’.
I still feel a little like that, but I really do understand where he was coming from. It was a pretty valid cause to be undertaking something like this, unlike some we know *cough*Lemaire*cough*Fischler*cough*.
“It’s incredibly inconvenient!”
He sounds a bit like them though, but better cause, still I remind myself.
I still think Virgil’s heavy lifting equipment would have caused the ice to crack further after he nearly fell... but that’s not my are of expertise.
“Thunderbird Five, does the big book of saving people say anything about saving someone who doesn’t actually want to be rescued?”
“Does he seem like he’s lost his mind or acting against his will?”
“He’s weird and rude and kinda frustrating.”
“I’m due a little birthday luck.”
That you were Virgil, and that was such a close call. Any later and Thunderbird Two would have fallen down with the ice.
Rescue count: 22
“He’s on his way back.”
“Hooray!”
And then hours still pass before Virgil comes back.
And Doctor Peck (standing up now despite his injury) kindly rings Virgil which was a really nice touch and ends up being the only person to actually wish him happy birthday, which is both yay and aww and I still don’t know which one I’m leaning towards it being for me.
But do you mind ringing him back Virge and asking if he can;
1. jump 40 years into the future
2. Jump out of a fictional tv show and become real
3. Find us a cure?
Because he owes you right?
I’ve had to resort to my birthday collage from my original review, because 5 years later and it is still impossible to find good photos of these scenes. The balloons just gradually giving up over the course of the episode made me chuckle.
Also - anyone else notice the party hats? This is kinda a small image, but go back and watch it if you want to see properly, although you can sorta see it in the image below;
Basically, Scott’s is blue and red, Gordon’s is yellow, Kayo’s is black, Alan’s is red - matching the colours of their Thunderbirds (or in Scott’s case, the ones he pilots/co-pilots). Grandma’s is purple - matching what she wears, and Brains I didn’t quite get to. I wonder if Virgil’s would have been green and John’s orange...
So... on like a final note, I’d also kinda like to have known what was in the presents....
I mean, let’s face it, it probably couldn’t have been worse than Alan’s 21st birthday present in TOS ‘Attack of the Alligators’.
Yeah... that present was no a success...
See alligators (it’s a pygmy alligator pictured), I don’t mind so much, but crocodiles creep me out. I’ve studied them (because Orinoco crocodiles are critically endangered) and I’ve seen a Black Caiman (just think large, like really large for both - so Orinoco’s are the only crocodiles bigger than BC’s in the neotropics).
As a huge dolphin/whale lover, I was heartbroken to see a dead Amazon River Dolphin (also endangered) from the continued impact of BC crocodile’s teeth, and I stayed with a family out there whose son had a run in with one and was lucky to escape with his arm after being pulled under by one. The scar was horrific! If you want any context, these things have the bite force to shatter a turtle shell so... Anyhow enough that relates to my work - if anyone really does want to hear any more about anything above, just let me know and I will post about it.