Skin Deep

[Marion]

Yes, they do make more of his sixth sense in the other media. I thought Scarlet had reacted to the Mysteron agent who emerged from the Hotspot Tower lift in 'Noose of Ice' - but on checking he doesn't bat an eyelid - and they've passed close by
In the audio adventure about the Omega Probe, Scarlet's sent to Siberia - after White and Green are involved in a crash - and the colonel asks him (very significently) How do you feel, Captain? - to which Scarlet replies he feels fine - obviously implying that he's sensed that they have not been Mysteronised.
I suppose as a narrative device it can be a useful attribute - warning Scarlet of danger etc - but it certainly wasn't a fool-proof method of Mysteron detection.
That trait seems to have been carried over into the new series - Scarlet didn't 'react' to Lt. Green's father or the female Mysteron in 'Mercury Falling' (who's name escapes me.) . It will be interesting to watch what use is made of it in future storylines.

[Father Unwin]

It may be my imagination but I think Captain Black exhibited the same trait in Instrument of Destruction Part 2. When the TransGlobal transporter is coming down the ramp to be unloaded from the air freighter, Black inclines his head in (for me) a significant way. I don't think he felt ill but he did feel something.

Possibly, he saw the hole that had been cut in the roof of the transporter which enabled Scarlet to stow away, but I don't think Black's facial expression reflected this. My take is that he sensed Scarlet was in the transporter after which he stopped the transporter and disabled Scarlet with a gas grenade.

SIG

[Scarlet Lady]

I think you're right! When Colonel White points out that Scarlet has a telepathic link with Black, doesn't this kind of suggest that Black can also sense Scarlet's presence... even (possibly) read his mind?

[Marion]

Hmmm, nice point, Scarlet Lady.
If Black can read Scarlet's mind (and I won't make any comments about needing a magnifying glass to read something that small... ) might that account for Black's unkind behaviour towards Destiny?
After all, if Scarlet has the hots for his one-time girlfriend, he might resent the fact? Especially as she doesn't seem to mind, so soon after his death?
Of course, it might just be that the Mysteronised Black is a mean, callous entity, who enjoys making Destiny and Scarlet suffer...

On second thoughts - forget the first idea... I prefer the second one!

[Sage]

me too.
Excellent theories.

Surely it would be a serious disadvantage to have your enemy know exactly what your #1 agent was thinking. Should imagine that would make outsmarting Black pretty difficult (like it wasn't hard enough to start with )

[Carrie]

Black didn't seem to be remotely aware of Scarlet sneaking up behind him when he was tapping into his laptop on the gantry towards the end of Mercury Falling...so if Black has any sort of sixth sense...it was sadly lacking here...

[JamesMagenta]

Hmmm thats ture that in Mercury Falling Black could not sense Scarlet behind him.
Yet early on in that episode when Scarlet came up behind Black with a gun,Without looking behind him,Black said ''I was hopeing they would send you Scarlet''.
So I wonder if Black could sense Scarlet that time or he could just see Scarlet's reflection on the computer screen.

[Elentari]

I think White only said ‘Inform the other captains’ for show - it must have cost a mint to build (erk) Skybase - with not enough money left to staff the place - at least not with more of those highly paid colour officers!

Black was really good in this episode - he does sound very smug at times. I rather thought Destiny might have had a bust reduction compared to how she’s looked in some of the other episodes. Something else I noticed is how the characters like to jump off things…a lot.

One thing the puppets could never manage though - that nice smile from Scarlet at the end of the episode.

[Marcus]

I did think the storyline was a little pointless on this one. Why bother with using a device to get somone to look like Destiny when Black could easily have killed her and replicated her in the first place? Did like the gymnastics though. Gerry is really making up for all those years when he couldn't get the puppets to walk!

[shadokp]

There are some good things in this story but as mentioned above, the Mysteron plots can be confusing at times. Are there not Mysteron detectors on Skybase? How did the replica of Gina get onboard then? Why not mysteronize Destiny? Does Black have any say in this? After the car crashed - it stayed there for quite a while - you would have thought it would have been towed by then.

One of my favorite animated scenes so far is when Scarlet gets out of the Rhino to meet Destiny - great looking scene.

The point blank killing of Gina is pretty shocking.

4/10

[nice_captainscarlet]

this was my favourite episode .... because someone actually got Shot ....
it reminded me of the old days ....
so i'll give it 6/10

[DanDud88]

I didn't perticlularly like this episode either but I have noticed a few things from watching it on DVD.

The way the guard calls for help by pushing a button on his belt is the same way Harris calls for help in the original Captain Scarlet episode 'ManHunt'.

Scarlet's 6th sense is mentiond in this episode the only other time his 6th snese is mentioned is in 'Circles Of Doom'.
'Circles of Doom' was written by Brian Finch and this episode was written by John Brown. Phil Ford never mentions Scarlets 6th sense in any of his scripts.
And in the original series there was only 2 episode where Scarlet used his 6th sense 'Winged Assassin' and 'Point 783' I think they stopped using his 6th sense becuase they couldnt think of reasons to advance episode plots with it so they invented the Mysteron detector as a replacement plot device.