A third RTL 2 Transporter aircraft is shot down but Alan notices that before each of the shootings, the Cass Carnaby Five's song Dangerous Game was being performed live. Penelope and Tin-Tin head for Paradise Peaks where the band is currently residing and encounter their murderous manager while the launch of the fourth RTL 2 draws ever closer...

At Matthews Field USA, the USAF's RTL 2 Transporter plane is prepared for take-off despite the worries of the commander that the mysterious fate of two similar transporters could re-occur. Captain Savidge and the rest of the RTL 2 crew open their secret instructions before heading down the runway. As the aircraft takes off, the Cass Carnaby Five perform their chart-topping Dangerous Game live, listened to by both the crew and the residents of Tracy Island. John is relieving Alan in Thunderbird 5 when they hear Savidge report to Matthews Field that the RTL 2 is under attack from fighter planes. It begins to crash land and so the commander sends the Air-Sea Rescue Units after it.

That night on Tracy Island Alan points out that before the shooting down of all three transporters, Dangerous Game was being performed live. Brains elects to study a recording of it while Jeff decides to send Tin-Tin and Lady Penelope off to Paradise Peaks, a luxury hotel in the Swiss Alps where the Cass Carnaby Five are currently staying, spoiling Parker's hopes of an afternoon off with Penelope's cook.

Parker instead goes to International Artistes Management Ltd. and attempts to convince Maxie, an old associate of his, to send singer Wanda Lamour to Paradise Peaks. Maxie initially refuses but when Parker threatens to reveal his whereabouts to 'Punchy' Patterson, another ex-con, he gives in. Wanda is in fact Penelope whose disguise is enough to fool even Parker. Tin-Tin flies off in her Ladybird Jet. Brains has a theory that repeated melodic patterns from Dangerous Game could have impeded the RTL 2's systems but Alan points out that the aircraft were under attack. Brains' other theory is that the music contains a code and he and Alan begin attempting to decipher it.

Penelope and Tin-Tin arrive at Paradise Peaks on a cable car and are soon watching the Cass Carnaby Five perform. Penelope is feigning a throat infection so that nobody asks her to sing. Afterwards, Tin-Tin meets Cass Carnaby, the leader of the band, in his dressing room where he reveals that Olsen, the band's manager, often alters the music arrangement slightly just before a performance. Penelope dances with Olsen but despite her attempts to steer the conversation he reveals nothing. She discovers that Parker has been hired as a part-time bouncer. Soon afterwards, the International Rescue trio meets up. Parker reveals he has heard Olsen talking to Banino, the head waiter, about expecting a message the next day. Tin-Tin reports to Jeff on their progress and their plans to visit Olsen's house down the mountain.

The following morning Penelope and Tin-Tin ski down the mountain. At his house, Olsen is playing the piano when a sophisticated control console in the corner of the room bleeps for his attention. Penelope and Tin-Tin arrive in time to see him operating it through the window and Tin-Tin films what he is doing with a hidden camera in her umbrella handle. A message appears stating that the next transporter departs at 2 pm and must be destroyed.

Penelope and Tin-Tin make a hasty retreat but Olsen sees their tracks in the snow. He telephones Banino at the hotel who promises to deal with them, unaware that Parker is overhearing him. The girls use their ski-thrusts to help them ski uphill. Banino parks at the top of a hill and tries to shoot them with his rifle but Parker has stowed away in his car and, as the two men fight, they roll down the hill turning into a huge snowball. It smashes against a rock, knocking Banino unconscious.

Back at Paradise Peaks, Penelope contacts Tracy Island. She shows them the footage of the machine in Olsen's house which Brains identifies as a 'Cham-Cham', a device sensitive to ultrasonic harmonics and microtones in which a musical code could be hidden. He is confident that he can now crack that code.

Scott radios Washington DC who pass his warning on to Matthews Field but the commander does not believe that he has been contacted by the real International Rescue and refuses to stop the next transporter from taking off. However, by now Brains has worked out how to send his own musical messages. Olsen hands Cass a revised arrangement of Dangerous Game for the band to play in five minutes but once he has gone Tin-Tin tries to persuade a reluctant Cass to play the version Brains has given her. Jeff sends Scott in Thunderbird 1 to make a personal appearance at Matthews Field.

The Cass Carnaby Five begin to perform but Parker notices the conspicuous absence of Olsen. Meanwhile at an airfield in an unknown location the music is decoded and three fighter jets are launched. Suddenly Penelope comes on stage and begins to perform a vocal arrangement of Dangerous Game backed by the band. As the signal is changed, the enemy fighters are ordered to a new location. However, Tin-Tin sees Olsen observing the performance from the back of the room.

As soon as the song finishes Virgil and Alan head for Paradise Peaks in Thunderbird 2 in case of any trouble. Thunderbird 1 arrives at Matthews Field and Scott alerts the commander that the enemy aircraft have been diverted to over fly the field itself. The commander prepares to shoot them down.

Fearing for their safety, Penelope, Parker and Tin-Tin are evacuating Paradise Peaks in the cable car but at the top Olsen cuts the power. Parker presses the alarm button, waking up Cass. Olsen begins cutting the cables with a blowtorch. Penelope calls International Rescue and Thunderbird 2 heads towards the cable car. Cass tries to stop Olsen cutting the last cable but is too late and soon the car is hurtling down the mountainside.

Virgil flies Thunderbird 2 overhead and Alan fires the magnetic grabs onto the roof of the cable car but unfortunately they do not grip and slide off. On Virgil's suggestion, Parker clambers onto the roof. Alan lowers a cable but Parker is unable to grip it. Penelope passes up her umbrella and he uses its handle to catch the hook on the end of the cable. He attaches it to the roof of the car and proceeds to repeat this for three other cables, but they are rapidly approaching the bottom. Parker attaches the final line and Alan fires the retros. Thunderbird 2 slows down, the cable car with it but the change in speed causes Parker to slide off. As the car reaches the terminus, Thunderbird 2 drops the cables and flies away. Tin-Tin sees Parker descending to the ground, using Penelope's umbrella as a parachute.

That night Penelope returns to Paradise Peaks with Virgil and Cass performs Dangerous Game on the piano. Cass is intrigued to know how they solved the mystery of the musical code. Meanwhile on the balcony, Tin-Tin tells Alan that she is looking forward to getting home.

Verdict: An hugely enjoyable episode, exploring the inspired idea of a signal embedded in a piece of music, the excellent Dangerous Game. Paradise Peaks makes an interesting setting for the plot and contrasts with the more traditional setting of Matthews Field. Marred only by a few silly moments, this is a pleasure to watch and ranks among the best of the series.

Broadcast information: Broadcast on BBC 2 on Tuesday 20^th February 2001 at 6:00 pm and on Saturday 24^th February 2001.

DVD availability: On Volume 7 and the Complete Box Set.

VHS availability: On the Pod 2 Box Set and the Complete Box Set.