"Comet Chasers" is the 21st episode of Thunderbirds Are Go!. It was broadcast on 19th December, 2015.
Plot[]
Francois Lemaire and his wife Madeline embark on a journey to see Halley's comet up close, but end up in a situation when Francois decides to enters the comet's tail. Their ship suffers damage and International Rescue are dispatched, much to the delight of Alan who has always wanted to see the rare comet up close.
Cast[]
Regular Cast[]
- Scott Tracy, Alan Tracy: Rasmus Hardiker
- John Tracy: Thomas Brodie-Sangster
- Grandma Tracy: Sandra Dickinson
Guest Cast[]
Quotes[]
- Alan: (Is sleep flying on the couch and Scott waves a hand in front of his face) "This is Thunderbird 3, I'm making my approach to the comet now, what a view! Decreasing acceleration.. Steady, steady..." (Grandma Tracy taps him on the head and he wakes up) "Ow! What did you do that for I was just about to land!"
- Scott: "It's not the first time you've reminded us of it Alan, or the second, or the third..."
- Alan: (pointing at François Lemaire's hologram) "There he is, there! The rich explorer guy..uuh uh francy-whats-his-name!"
- Madeline: (after her husband introduces her) "Oh and for the record, this wasn't my idea at all."
- François: "It would be a shame not to see it a little closer, that's why I have decided this very moment to go inside the comets tail!"
- Scott: "No! That is a seriously bad idea!"
- Alan: "Wow you do realise he can't actually hear you."
- François: "What is all this gibberish? I can't understand you! You see? I don't act as if I know everything. For example I'd really like to know how to get the propulsion back! And I still haven't located that blasted emergency beacon!" (Madeline presses the beacon and says "There." "Oh, exactly where I thought it was."
- Madeline: "Next time read the manual."
- François: "Millions of people are watching my live stream, I'm sure they're all worried sick. And once you turn on an emergency beacon they always send someone to rescue you. I've been through this before, Everest, the Mariana Trench, that farm in Kent...ugh you know I still get nightmares about ducks. My point is everything will be fine."
- Madeline: "You have a knack for getting rescued dear husband, I can't wait to write this chapter in your biography."
- François: "What are we suppose to do? There's nothing back here in your cargo hold! No furniture, not even any cargo, Never mind food."
- Scott: (laughs a little with Alan) "Actually, you'll be happy to know there is food. It's something Brains whipped up for long trips."
- François: "Brains? Doesn't sound like a chef's name."
- Scott: "Oh he's very good, his specialty is something called 'ration bars.' You'll find plenty of them in the bin."
- François: "They have me eating out of a bin. It's just like that farm in Kent all over again."
- Madeline: (chuckles) "Lucky there's no duckies."
- Scott: "Oh and uh Mr. Lemaire, Alan and I have been discussing it and given the obvious inconvenience we're not going to bill you for the trip home so have as many ration bars as you like."
International Rescue Equipment Used[]
Non-International Rescue Equipment Used[]
- Solar Wind spacecraft
Gallery[]
Gordon, Virgil & Kayo by the pool
Alan is flying TB3 in his sleep
"This is Thunderbird 3, I'm making my approach to the comet now, what a view!"
Grandma Tracy is not so subtle in getting Alan to wake up
"Ow! What did you do that for I was just about to land!"
Grandma Tracy tells them there's a broadcast about Halley's comet
"There he is, there! The rich explorer guy... uhh fancy-whats-his-name!"
François Lemaire gives his little introduction
"Oh and for the record, this wasn't my idea at all."
"It would be a shame not to see it a little closer, that's why I have decided this very moment to go inside the comets tail!"
"No! That is a seriously bad idea!"
A few second just before a piece of debris hits the Solar Wind
The signal gets cut completely
"International Rescue, we have a situation."
"You don't say?"
"You don't say?"
Scott can sense Alan's excitement to go after Halley's comet
The Solar Wind trapped in the comets tail
"Millions of people are watching my live stream, I'm sure they're all worried sick"
"And once you turn on an emergency beacon they always send someone to rescue you"
TB3 flies along side the comet
"I'll just soak up this awesome view"
The pod assembly bay inside TB3
Scott leaves TB3 in the pod for Lemaire's ship
Scott docks with the ship and establishes a communication link
"See, I told you someone would come. There was nothing to worry about"
Scott tells them they should be wearing their EVA suits
The Solar Wind crashes into some of the comet's tail debris
Scott regains consciousness after the crash
Despite the crash Lemaire is still talking as if everything is going according to plan
Lemaire telling his viewers that they are on the surface of the comet itself
"Oh I remember you!"
"That's right - Mariana Trench, your birthday party"
"That's right - Mariana Trench, your birthday party"
"We were both impacted by high velocity debris and that was because you took your ship into the comet"
Scott grabs the camera to stop it filming
Scott tells them they have to jump their way across to TB3
Debris collides with the rock they had crashed on
TB3 comes into land on the comet
Alan helps them regain their footing on the rock surface after they jump across
Alan gets to enjoy his small bit of time on the comet
"Everest huh?"
"They have me eating out of a bin. It's just like that farm in Kent all over again"
Trivia[]
- Halley's comet is based on the actual one which passes the Earth every 76 years. It was named after it's discoverer Edmond Halley. It was last seen in 1986 and won't be seen again until mid-2061.
- This episode marks the second time Scott Tracy has co-piloted Thunderbird 3 with Alan, after Relic.
- Scott Tracy doesn't have any restrictions on filming International Rescue members, unlike in the original series. This was also seen in High Strung (Brandon Berrenger was filming Scott).
- The name of the explorer during this episode, François Lemaire, is a reference to Alias Mr. Hackenbacker. His wife, Madeline, is also a reference to one of the villains in that episode, Madeline.
- Although Virgil, Gordon and Kayo don't participate in the mission, they can be seen relaxing by the Tracy family pool in the opening scene.
- Even though this is the first time we meet the Lemaires, it's not the first time International Rescue has had to save them. François remembers Scott from a previous mis-adventure in the Mariana Trench indicating that Scott himself has had unfortunately run into him before.
- This is the first time the drill component on the nose-end of Thunderbird 3 is used.
Foreign Titles[]
- Dutch: Kometenjagers
- French: Chasseurs de comètes
- Spanish: Cazacometas
- Japanese: ハレー彗星での冒険 (Adventure in Halley's Comet)
- Arabic: عودة مذنب هالي (Halley's Comet returns)