Conrad Lefkon
6th June 2010, 02:40 PM
22. DUEL
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=857
The stark shadows, low horizon and black and white landscape make the Moon a dramatic location.
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 ‘Duel'.
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=858
2. CAPTAIN BLACK’S REPORT
This is a most unusual episode to review. My impression is that there are 2 completely separate scripts here and that, at the last minute, they have been cleverly joined together by a section inserted in the middle.
Not only that, but in the first half there is extensive reuse of existing locations, sets and vehicles which have already appeared in other episodes. It could therefore be that the first half is basically padding to flesh out a storyline that doesn't really kick in until we reach the Moon.
I find it hard to swallow that the Mysterons have somehow arranged for some Earth crooks to stage a fake handover of a deadly 'nerve agent' in return for a suitcase full of dollars as a 'decoy'. Not only that but Spectrum have been tipped off to use a satellite telescope to witness these phoney goings-on on top of a skyscraper which would otherwise have been invisible if done in a room.
Once on the Moon, Black swiftly confirms the impossibility of releasing nerve agents in so many closed environments. His plan was always to get hold of a Bison and use it to destroy all Earth bases on the Moon. Unless I hear otherwise, I will continue to regard this as a 'cut-and-shut' episode like when the front and back halves of different written-off cars have been welded together and sold to an unsuspecting member of the public!
I applaud the reuse of existing props and would suggest this episode is the nearest we get in NCS to rehashing old footage in the way of 'Aquanaut of the Year' (Stingray), 'Security Hazard' (Thunderbirds), 'The Inquisition' (Captain Scarlet) and 'The Birthday' (Joe 90).
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=859
This screenshot is from 'Duel'. Compare it to the scene from 'Skin Deep' a few frames below.
This is the same side road that appears in the episode called 'Skin Deep'. The artist and genius, Herr Janus, has his laboratory in the buildings on the left side of the street at the far end. The White Team have now put up a shutter and an '8 Day Sale' sign on his premises which you glimpse for a moment.
'Denim' escapes on a motorbike having just kicked open the door of a building on the right of the street. Clearly, this is a very bad neighbourhood and any prospective buyer of Herr Janus's property should probably give it a miss! The blue car is the same model that is driven by Astrid Winters into the loch in 'The Achilles Messenger'.
There's a nice exchange between Blue and Ochre as the motorcyclist escapes down a link road:
BLUE: "He's getting away."
OCHRE: "No, he thinks he's getting away." Feisty!
3. GUEST ARTISTS
Despite my reservations about why the Cairo scene was even necessary, I really like the intensity and earnestness of Zuca's confrontation with Scarlet. I didn't guess that this was another Mike Hayley voice performance but well done (again) to him.
I like some of the humorous comments in the following abridged conversation:
SCARLET: "You double-crossed me, Zuca."
ZUCA: "The sun, it has made you crazy."
SCARLET: "So, how come I had to chase you all the way back to your ancestors?"
ZUCA: "I... I thought you were someone else."
SCARLET: "Someone else dressed in scarlet? You've gotta be kidding. Do you know what they're gonna hit?"
ZUCA: "The Moon! The vacation complex."
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=860
ZUCA: "I... I thought you were someone else." SCARLET: "Someone else dressed in scarlet? You've gotta be kidding."
Scarlet's behaviour in the desert is completely out of character for him. Although on the much faster Raid Bike, Scarlet still fires a missile at Zuca who is only in a jeep. He then pulls a gun out and threatens to shoot Zuca and even blows up his vehicle with a shot to the petrol tank.
I think this 'in your face' dialogue is yet another device for smoothing over the very forced join between the nerve agent storyline and the almost unrelated second storyline with Black using the arsenal of weapons in the Bison to destroy the Moon's installations.
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=857
The stark shadows, low horizon and black and white landscape make the Moon a dramatic location.
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 ‘Duel'.
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=858
2. CAPTAIN BLACK’S REPORT
This is a most unusual episode to review. My impression is that there are 2 completely separate scripts here and that, at the last minute, they have been cleverly joined together by a section inserted in the middle.
Not only that, but in the first half there is extensive reuse of existing locations, sets and vehicles which have already appeared in other episodes. It could therefore be that the first half is basically padding to flesh out a storyline that doesn't really kick in until we reach the Moon.
I find it hard to swallow that the Mysterons have somehow arranged for some Earth crooks to stage a fake handover of a deadly 'nerve agent' in return for a suitcase full of dollars as a 'decoy'. Not only that but Spectrum have been tipped off to use a satellite telescope to witness these phoney goings-on on top of a skyscraper which would otherwise have been invisible if done in a room.
Once on the Moon, Black swiftly confirms the impossibility of releasing nerve agents in so many closed environments. His plan was always to get hold of a Bison and use it to destroy all Earth bases on the Moon. Unless I hear otherwise, I will continue to regard this as a 'cut-and-shut' episode like when the front and back halves of different written-off cars have been welded together and sold to an unsuspecting member of the public!
I applaud the reuse of existing props and would suggest this episode is the nearest we get in NCS to rehashing old footage in the way of 'Aquanaut of the Year' (Stingray), 'Security Hazard' (Thunderbirds), 'The Inquisition' (Captain Scarlet) and 'The Birthday' (Joe 90).
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=859
This screenshot is from 'Duel'. Compare it to the scene from 'Skin Deep' a few frames below.
This is the same side road that appears in the episode called 'Skin Deep'. The artist and genius, Herr Janus, has his laboratory in the buildings on the left side of the street at the far end. The White Team have now put up a shutter and an '8 Day Sale' sign on his premises which you glimpse for a moment.
'Denim' escapes on a motorbike having just kicked open the door of a building on the right of the street. Clearly, this is a very bad neighbourhood and any prospective buyer of Herr Janus's property should probably give it a miss! The blue car is the same model that is driven by Astrid Winters into the loch in 'The Achilles Messenger'.
There's a nice exchange between Blue and Ochre as the motorcyclist escapes down a link road:
BLUE: "He's getting away."
OCHRE: "No, he thinks he's getting away." Feisty!
3. GUEST ARTISTS
Despite my reservations about why the Cairo scene was even necessary, I really like the intensity and earnestness of Zuca's confrontation with Scarlet. I didn't guess that this was another Mike Hayley voice performance but well done (again) to him.
I like some of the humorous comments in the following abridged conversation:
SCARLET: "You double-crossed me, Zuca."
ZUCA: "The sun, it has made you crazy."
SCARLET: "So, how come I had to chase you all the way back to your ancestors?"
ZUCA: "I... I thought you were someone else."
SCARLET: "Someone else dressed in scarlet? You've gotta be kidding. Do you know what they're gonna hit?"
ZUCA: "The Moon! The vacation complex."
http://www.fanderson.org.uk/forum/picture.php?albumid=60&pictureid=860
ZUCA: "I... I thought you were someone else." SCARLET: "Someone else dressed in scarlet? You've gotta be kidding."
Scarlet's behaviour in the desert is completely out of character for him. Although on the much faster Raid Bike, Scarlet still fires a missile at Zuca who is only in a jeep. He then pulls a gun out and threatens to shoot Zuca and even blows up his vehicle with a shot to the petrol tank.
I think this 'in your face' dialogue is yet another device for smoothing over the very forced join between the nerve agent storyline and the almost unrelated second storyline with Black using the arsenal of weapons in the Bison to destroy the Moon's installations.