Episode 8: Swarm

[Conrad Lefkon]

8. SWARM

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=492

STORY
1. NCS HALL OF FAME

You can read a synopsis of this story at the following location: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Gerry_Anderson%27s_New_Captain_Scarlet_epi sodes

The highlighted main characters appear in ‘Swarm'.

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=488

2. CAPTAIN BLACK’S REPORT

After I failed in by bid to split the planet in two, the Mysteron Consciousness decided to suspend me and put me on gardening leave. Basically, I have to do the weeding and cut the grass at St Saviour's church.

The Mysterons decided to take matters into their own hands by commandeering an aircraft and filling it full of cyberbugs. These cyberbugs were very similar to the one that I stole from that American research centre but had been specially adapted to fly, eat metal and breed like rabbits!

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=494

Our aircraft was spotted by Spectrum and was a sitting duck but we had thought that the swarm would attack Skybase rather than Destiny's aircraft. Of course, the mission was bound to be a failure without my intellectual input. Can you believe that the bugs were not water resistant with sealed-in electrical connections? Losers!
 
3. GUEST ARTISTS

There were no guest artists in 'Swarm' unless you count the cyberbugs.

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=490

[Conrad Lefkon]

CONTENT

4. CHARACTERISATION AND VOICE WORK

This is a very physical episode by which I mean that it seemed to make great strides compared with the pilot episodes to create photogenic, idealistic looking people. Indeed, the characters are almost too good at times with perfect features and rippling muscles!

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=487

When Destiny walked down the Skybase corridor with Scarlet, kissed him and then took a shower, accompanied by ambient music, it created a very different mood to any other scene in the series. It seemed at the time to be so different to the pilot episodes that it felt like a new show but, as it turned out, this was a one-off.

5. VEHICLES AND TECHNOLOGY

New Captain Scarlet is full of new vehicles, equipment and technology but I would like to focus on their wonderful new Dyson bagless hoover. I have also included this picture because it has a nice warm feel in contrast to so many of the scenes which are green, green, green!!!

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=493


6. MUSIC AND SOUND EFFECTS

There is some cool, funky music when Destiny takes her shower.

7. LOCATIONS, SETS AND LIGHTING

I love the precise detail of the tiny Scarlet and White characters that can be seen in the observation tower. The attention to detail is never more evident than in this type of scene.

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=491

8. MOTION CAPTURE

I can't help wondering how this scene would look if it were done using key-framing. MoCap makes movement realistic, gives the characters weight and emphasises the muscles in a way that would be very hard to replicate using key-framing. At the end of the day, NCS is a cartoon but it sure doesn't look like one!

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=497

I think I have done a great and misleading job in the Contents section which contains no green screenshots at all. That will unfortunately be rectified in the Trivia section below.

[Conrad Lefkon]

SUMMARY

9. OVERALL COMMENTS

I was really looking forward to this particular episode which was number 3 in the transmission order and number 8 in production order. I remember reading an interview with Gerry Anderson in FAB magazine in which he explained just how difficult it was to program the Mysteron bugs. In particular, there was a big breakthrough which meant that individual cyberbugs reacted to one another and could move around in a swarm without invading each other's space on the screen.

Nevertheless, I was a bit disappointed with the cyberbugs and I think that the main reason for this was the green glow that they gave off - it just seemed to be way overdone. Having said that, I thought that the way Lieutenant Green was bound up in the Mysteron bugs' web was well done and really quite frightening.

10. EPISODE RATING

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=36&pictureid=581
Rating 2 out of 5

Sorry, but in spite of the visual improvements (and shortcuts) I cannot warm to this episode.

TRIVIA

11. “I GUESSTIMATE THE PYRENEES” (Plot Accelerators)

I can't think of any obvious plot accelerators - I am not even sure there is a plot to accelerate!

12. “WHAT ABOUT SCARLET?” (Other Captains do some work)

Scarlet and Destiny do all the field work in this episode.

13. “THEY NOT ONLY FIGHT IN THE SHADOWS BUT MARSHALL THOSE SHADOWS AGAINST US” (The latest Mysteron powers)

Nobody is Mysteronized in this story although the crew and aircraft must have been reconstructed or taken over off screen. Having said that, the Mysterons seem to be able to give the cyberbugs almost limitless powers including:

1. The ability to fly, both individually and as a swarm.
2. The ability to eat through metal and glass.
3. The ability to breed or replicate in vast numbers and very quickly.
4. The ability to access Serena's brain and read her thoughts.
5. The ability to leap tall buildings at a single bound. (just testing!)

14. “MY INDESTRUCTIBLE BUTT” (Scarlet defies death)

Scarlet is overwhelmed in a ferocious attack by an angry swarm of bugs but somehow has the strength to set off the fire sprinklers. I think the implication is that he was able to survive just long enough to do this whereas it would have been too much for an ordinary man.

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=510

15. “GO OUT THERE AND GET IT BACK!” (Damage and destruction of Spectrum property)

Destiny's Falcon is eaten and incapacitated by the bugs before she abandons it using the escape pod leaving it to crash to earth.
 
16. “WHATEVER MAKES YOU HAPPY” (Nods to other films and shows)

Once again, there are no references to motion pictures or Supermarionation shows here but let's stick with it!

17. MONKEY MAN AND FRIENDS (NCS Repertory Company)

Here is Monkey Man's second appearance (transmission rather than production order). We know that he fell while trying to get Scarlet and Destiny out of the broken down lift but first he was hit in the face by a swarm of cyberbugs.

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=496

I guess the assumption is that he is dead - he certainly looks dead to me - but don't worry because he is a member of the NCS Repertory Company and will return!

There is an annoying control operative on the flight deck who says "I've been there!" to Lieutenant Green as she heads to her quarters for some well-earned rest. I don't doubt that he has 'been there' and guess that he is the equivalent of 'Ensign Nobody' in Star Trek who would be brought in for the sole purpose of being killed off (as you can't kill main characters). I was therefore disappointed when Monkey Man turned out to be the victim - they got the wrong guy.

18. RUBBERY LEGS AND FACELIFTS (Dodgy key-framing and other anomalies)

As I have said, the look of this show is different from what went before. I notice that Colonel White's hair is less than convincing when shown from behind.

19. LOOSE ENDS

I can't think of any loose ends but picking holes in such a far-fetched story would be a waste of time!

20. BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT! (In-jokes)

No in-jokes that I could see this time around so I will continue the theme started in IOD2 of examining what the different types of cyberbugs can view or monitor.

As you can see, there are significant differences in the images seen by the two types of cyberbugs. These ones have a hexagonal simple view of things whereas the one in Instrument of Destruction had a tunnel-vision type view with reference material and monitoring technology.

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=28&pictureid=495
Cyberbug's hexagonal view of Lieutenant Green and Skybase.

21. SPECTRUM GOODIE BAG (Colour coordinated bling!)

Scarlet has a personalised low pressure protection suit which is mostly grey but has scarlet flashes.

[Derek Eaton]

An excellent summary of the episode. I watched this the other day and actually enjoyed it more than I expected. A few observations of mine :-

The whole layout and look of the corridors of Cloudbase and the access to quarters reminded me of Star Trek together with 'The Trouble With Tribbles' breeding on the ship. The scenes trapped in the kitchen reminded me of Jurassic Park.

Is the man on the dyson cleaner another of the bald men who appear now and again or he is different?

There is some development of the Lt Green character and a possible relationship with the (annoying) Captain Blue (bring back Ed Bishop)

On a colour coordinated note Green sleeps in green PJs?

[Conrad Lefkon]

Hello Derek,

Thanks for your comments and extra observations. How on earth could I have missed Lieutenant Green's nightclothes!? It is a blessing that we don't get to see Captain Magenta in his bedroom attire!

I have just paused the scene with hoover man and don't recognise him from any other episode but will look out for him from now on. I guess there are resemblances to sets in Star Trek and Jurassic Park - I wonder if this was intentional or incidental.

Rat Trap is next up. Possibly the second best Gerry Anderson episode from any series (behind Trapped in the Sky).

[Lieutenant Green]

Conrad

I'm surprised you didn't make mention of what seems to have been a deterioration in the animation of Scarlet's face in this episode. It seems less lifelike and less photorealistic compared to other episodes. The same facial animation can be seen in 'Besf of Enemies'. I am surprised by this, even though different animation teams were working on different episodes throughout the series. I would have thought that there was a 'Scarlet template' that they would all have access to in order to ensure continuity.

Therefore, when I first saw this episode, I was a little disappointed when compared to the brilliant storyline and animation seen in the first 2 episodes.

[Derek Eaton]

Now we are seeing the beginning titles a few more times who are the people with the Dr around Scarlet while he is on table?

Oh and while were off to watch Rattrap next week look out for Destiny with the worst scripted line in any episode so far. Answers on a postcard to Ratrap - Conrad Lefkon Corner....

[Mark42]

Rat Trap is next up. Possibly the second best Gerry Anderson episode from any series (behind Trapped in the Sky).

It's good but not that good. lol
I take it that it might be your favourite episode?

[Conrad Lefkon]

Hello Lieutenant Green,

Thanks for your comments about Scarlet's face. I agree with you to some extent in that there is a sort of unnatural perfection and coldness about the newer faces.

I included comparative photos of Scarlet in my review of IOD2 under the 18. RUBBERY LEGS AND FACELIFTS section, with the second picture being taken direct from Swarm. I didn't make any specific comment but the Scarlet on the left does look more likeable! :)

[Conrad Lefkon]

Hello Derek and Mark42,

Thanks for your comments and particularly those about Rat Trap. You will have to wait to see some more reviews before I reveal my favourite episode.

On other forums I have expressed my preferences (at the time) for episodes in both Series 1 and Series 2 and Rat Trap was not there!

I think I will conclude this series of reviews with a final countdown of my favourites. You would be right in thinking that Swarm will be near the bottom. :p

[Mark42]

There are a number of episodes that I really like and Rat Trap is one, but Touch of the Reaper is my favourite beating Duel and Shapeshifter.

[Kern]

This is the one where we find out Lt Green isn't the only operation officer, isn't it? Lt Silver, if'n I'm remembering correctly.

[MLP*]

Interesting that the DVD presentation is in the ITV airdate order rather than the original production order.

I guess they felt that Swarm was a stronger episode and so moved it to near the start of the series ?

I enjoyed it. A good introduction to Skybase,

The resolution of the plot being that the bugs were allergic to waterwas a bit poor but I guess there's a limit to what you can do in a 20 minute kids show. :)