Thunderbirds Are Go: 201 - Thunderbird 2The Tracys are back in action – facing a mysterious new opponent…

The second full season of Thunderbirds are Go kicks off with a fast-paced adventure courtesy of head writer Rob Hoegee that tips the hat once more to the original series (Thunderbird 2’s return to Tracy Island after being damaged) while working within, and adding to, its own mythology. The Engineer is being set up as a new “big bad”, although we’ve got a lot to learn about his background and his connection to the Hood.

As with Ring of Fire that kicked off the first season, this episode gives time to all of the members of International Rescue – including EOS with John on TB5 – and those on their periphery, such as Colonel Casey and the GDF. Thunderbird Shadow is now firmly part of the set up, and I was pleased to hear Brains’ line about “the rescue coming first” to remind Kayo of her responsibilities. The Rescue part of Thunderbirds is the important bit and with the benefits of animation, we can see more extraordinary feats.

Some of the technical problems that were raised regarding the first series have been addressed – there’s a shot with TB1 in the background that works much better than its equivalents did last year – and the “weight” of the vehicles is more evident, helped by what feels like more close ups of the machines in action. The voice cast are as strong as ever – Rosamund Pike’s Penelope is particularly good in the scenes with the Hood.

Verdict: A good start to the new year. 8/10

Paul Simpson