Thunderbirds The Cham Cham review

Here's what you need to know; International Rescue decides to do some snooping around after a third USAF weapons transport is shot down, again while a certain song plays on the radio. But now they must solve the peculiar riddle of what a chart topping song has to do with a series of attacks on the USAF, turns out there is indeed more going on here than meets the eye.

I'll just come clean and say it, coming off Attack of the Alligators and Martian Invasion, 2 great episodes of Thunderbirds, this is a step down. It does open with a strange sequence in which everyone is seemingly transfixed by a song playing on the radio, oddly it did remind me of my days in Sixth Form, but it was weird there, and it's weird here. Then we are introduced to one of the strangest stories in the series, as a weapons transport is shot down following the broadcast of the song, causing Alan to speculate that the 2 events are linked, something that would have been completely dismissed if it weren't for the fact that It's happened 2 previous times that aren't shown in this episode, convenient isn't it. Which isn't to say this plot isn't interesting, but I feel the big reveal could have come a bit later in the episode than it did, allowing for more tension and mystery, 2 things this episode isn't exactly without, but could have used more of. I do however like the Cham Cham, that being how the song can bring down a plane, it's an interesting idea that is actually less ridiculous than it sounds, what is ridiculous though is how the episode never really explains the story behind this Cham Cham, why are the baddies after the weapons transports, where does the song actually come into it, things like this are just kind of forgotten rather than getting the explanation I reckon they needed in order to be taken more seriously. The episode does however have another great thunderbirds finale, with a runaway cable car, it's ruined by the Parker escape, but the sequence itself is great. All in All this episode is just a bit flat compared to the 2 before it, I like the Cham Cham itself, but it's lacking any background or nuance, it has a great ending until a certain point, but misses some great chances to build a more interesting mystery, were it not for what it comes off the tail of, I'd say this episode is worth watching, and I'd still recommend it, but it's just not what it could be.