Thunderbirds presents us with a world of sci-fi adventure, life-saving heroism, and jaw-dropping technological advancement. It also presents us with a multitude of mysteries. Key events and character elements are absent of particular elements that more often than not leave us scratching our heads. This Thunderbirds Thursday, we’re asking 10 of the series’ most baffling mysteries!
10: Where is the Tracy boys’ mother?
One of the most apparent absences from the Tracy clan is the presence of a mother figure. Throughout the classic series, no acknowledgement is made of Jeff Tracy’s partner and the mother to his five sons. This absence is not an uncommon one for Gerry Anderson series; the preceding Stingray did something similar with the relationship between Commander Shore and his daughter, Atlanta. In Thunderbirds‘ case, this absence has proved fertile ground for spin-off media to sow its seeds with in carving out a satisfying backstory for what happened to the Tracy boys’ mother. The Complete Thunderbirds Story from the 1990s names her Lucille and credits her death as the catalyst for Jeff to form the International Rescue organisation.
9: Does Kyrano know that the Hood is his half brother?
The Hood is all too aware of how vulnerable his half brother Kyrano is to his hypnotic exploitation. However, not only does Kyrano appear oblivious to the nature of these mental attacks, but does the Tracy family’s faithful manservant even know that the Hood is his half brother? It’s another weirdly apparent element that goes unacknowledged in Thunderbirds, its unresolved nature throwing up the even deeper question of whether Kyrano is aware he even has a half brother at all!
8: Is Thunderbird 6 considered an actual Thunderbird?
Thunderbird 6‘s premises rests on Jeff Tracy’s inexplicable decision to demand a sixth Thunderbird machine from Brains. With little to no specification and constantly having his prototypes turned down, Brains’ eventual arrival to rescue the passengers and crew of the stricken Skyship 1 aboard Alan Tracy’s amusingly small Tiger Moth biplane is an oddly validatory moment in Thunderbird 6. So much so that the film ends with the revelation that the Tiger Moth has been adapted as the new Thunderbird 6 to add to the International Rescue fleet. The craft’s revel ends the film on a note of such comical absurdity that it’s debatable whether Jeff takes Brains’ revelation seriously!
7: How did the Tracy family decide which Tracy brother would pilot which Thunderbird machine?
The formative years of International Rescue are left mostly unspoken during the original series. Again, this has become an avenue of the series’ backstory which comics, annuals and more have sought to fill out, but not even the likes of the classic 1960s annuals or TV Century 21 ever greatly concerned themselves with justifying why or how each Tracy brother is assigned their particular Thunderbird craft. Some character backstories colour in these details to varying degrees, such as Gordon Tracy’s passions for the oceans and John Tracy’s interests in astronomy, making them obvious candidates for their respective machines. Any further possible contextualisation as to how or why each Tracy boy acquired their various crafts goes unspoken.
6: How many pod vehicles are there?
One of Thunderbirds‘ most exciting elements is the sense of anticipation whenever Thunderbird 2 arrives at the danger zone, raises its telescopic legs, and lowers the pod compartment door. What kind of fantastically imaginative rescue mech will be deployed this time? International Rescue appears readily equipped for just about any conceivable rescue disaster with its incredible line-up of pod vehicles, machines with uniquely specific abilities to tackle any disaster. Precisely how many pod vehicles form part of International Rescue’s line-up is left unconfirmed. Beyond that, Brains regularly develops new technology for International Rescue, suggesting a definitive line-up of pod vehicles may never be achieved.
5: Who are the other secret agents working for International Rescue?
As part of International Rescue’s ongoing mission, the outfit commands its own network of operatives around the world to tackle criminally sensitive areas that the mostly neutral I.R. avoids. The London-based Lady Penelope is the most prominent agent, while ex-military friend of Jeff’s, Jeremiah Tuttle, is another. But how many other secret agents then operate for the International Rescue cause? What kind of secret identities do they upkeep? What kind of unique spy-fi technology do they have at their disposal? What manners of enemies do they battle against? The sheer number of agents under Jeff’s command seen on his agents chart in The Imposters offers a tantalising glimpse into how far-reaching International Rescue’s operation is.
4: What happened to Thunderbird 4 at the end of Terror in New York City?
In one of Thunderbirds‘ most visually electrifying moments from Terror in New York City, Thunderbird 4 rescues TV reporter Ned Cook and cameraman Joe just as the collapse of the Fulmer Finance Building sends a shockwave of debris crashing through the underground river they’re situated within. TB4 is blasted back by the rubble, but the thundering collision then jarringly cuts to the equally rapturous applause of the audience of The Ned Cook Show as we jump ahead to the episode’s end. Gordon has managed to save Ned and Joe in the nick of time, and evidently made it out of the disaster a-okay. But how exactly did TB4 survive the deluge? Did the compact submarine suffer comparable damage to Thunderbird 2 earlier in the episode? Gordon, Joe and Ned may have made it out alive, but Thunderbird 4’s fate remains oddly unclarified by the episode’s end.
3: Does Thunderbirds exist in the same timeline as other Supermarionation series?
Ahh, *this* one – the terminally thorny topic of whether or not most of the classic 1960s Supermarionation TV series exist in the same shared timeline. Once again, this is where the likes of TV Century 21 comes to the rescue – or are to blame, depending on your willingness to accept that Zoonie the Lazoon and the Mysterons can coexist. Where the 1960s spin-off media from Century 21 Publishing embraced the idea that Fireball XL5, Stingray, Thunderbirds and Captain Scarlet all did indeed exist in the same universe, their individual TV series were rather more vague. No series explicitly confirms or denies a shared canon, and the presence of Zero X in both Thunderbirds Are Go and Captain Scarlet is enough to sway many fans. However, it proves tricky to try and consolidate the various worlds together into a cohesive whole, but this isn’t helped by the lack of a definitive answer either way given onscreen.
2: What were the other rescue missions John Tracy has been on?
Danger at Ocean Deep is one of Thunderbirds‘ enjoyably unique episodes. Not only does the disaster come in the form of exploding dog food, but the episode’s other highlight is the inclusion of space monitor John Tracy in the rescue operation, helping Scott evacuate the stricken Ocean Pioneer II. During the episode’s final memorable scene, in which Jeff Tracy gently reminds his bickering sons of International Rescue’s humanitarian cause, John mentions that he’s been on about a dozen rescue operations. What kinds of other missions have involved John? Has John ever co-piloted Thunderbird 2, or driven a pod vehicle? A statement such as John’s throws open the doors to imagining the kind of adventures International Rescue has experienced that we’ve never seen.
1: Why did Jeff Tracy decide to form International Rescue?
As surreal as it may be to realise, at no point during Thunderbirds does the TV series attempt to prize open the backstory of International Rescue itself. Time and time again, we’re shown how the outfit is the only one advanced enough to deal with the techno-disaster-ridden landscape of the 2060s, but precise details as to Jeff’s driving desire and ability to form the outfit remained out of reach. Biographical details on Jeff’s life and career from classic comics and annuals fill out some details, but fans would have to wait until the 1990s when The Complete Thunderbirds Story showcased the excitement, danger and turmoil Jeff faced in his pre-Thunderbirds life, which would eventually coalesce together into the inspiration to form an organisation that could bring help to those who needed it most.
From continuity conspiracies to character backstories, there’s plenty of mystery to pour over in Thunderbirds!
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