Gatchamania.net (http://www.gatchamania.net/index.php)
- [Speak Up!] (http://www.gatchamania.net/board.php?boardid=500)
-- Episode of the Week (http://www.gatchamania.net/board.php?boardid=714)
--- Gatchaman Episode 46: “Gatchaman in the Valley of Death†(http://www.gatchamania.net/threadid.php?threadid=2668)
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-09-2009 at 17:15:
Gatchaman Episode 46: “Gatchaman in the Valley of Deathâ€
[Thank you, Saturn, for the screencaps!]
Gatchaman Episode 46: “Gatchaman in the Valley of Deathâ€
BOTP episode: “Giant Gila Monsterâ€
This in another episode, like episode 30, that until very recently I think I may have only ever watched once. I just thought of it as “that episode that has no one except Ken in it,†although I could remember its general plot better than I could episode 30’s.
It begins with foreboding music, and a bleak landscape of barbed wire fencing and a guard tower, as snow falls heavily all around.
It’s a border crossing, situated on a bridge, and clearly one belonging to a country that is quite particular about who enters or leaves, as the presence of a vigilant, machine-gun toting guard attests.
The road leading towards this crossing is snow-filled, and empty…
But not empty for long. Headlights appear, and now a man in an orange car is speeding towards the border crossing. A border official, standing beside a traffic barrier, is waving a beacon to presumably alert the car to stop. But the man in the car merely rests his arm on a briefcase that’s on the seat beside him, and keeps on going, fast.
As he nears the traffic barrier, there are more border officials standing there in the snow but he ignores them, smashes through the barrier, and keeps on driving.
Several guards now open fire on the car as it speeds on its way across the rest of the bridge, riddling it with bullets.
The driver just keeps on going though, tearing along the snow-covered bridge in a sports car that’s probably rear-wheel drive –he must have some very good snow tires on it! However, the windshield is riddled with cracks now from the bullets so the driver simply punches out a section of it with his fist so that he can see to keep on going, and then one of the car’s doors comes off too. At any rate, he –whoever he is- gets away.
Now we see a large mansion of some kind, and it’s snowing here too. “An illegal entrant into Einshutan, was making a break for it at the county’s border†the narrator informs us. “Meanwhile, the Prime Minister receives word of the mishap.â€
Some member of the Prime Minister’s staff at a communications panel is telling him that the border control guards “failed to capture the fugitive.†“Disastrous!†says the Prime Minister of Einshutan, staring out a window at a building that features the “onion domes†that I generally associate with Russian architecture.
This episode is starting to seem like something out of a John le Carre novel –it definitely has a “cold war†vibe. The Prime Minister continues “If it had been a spy or secret policeman, it would have been handled differently!â€
But now we see that someone else is in the room too –a woman sitting in a chair, who looks familiar…
“I never dreamt that a Galactor member would ever turn traitor,†she says, “This never happens –talk about biting the hand that feeds you!†With that, she pulls out a cigarette, and lights up.
Still looking out the window at the falling snow, the Prime Minister demands “How can you be so calm? If the traitor sells that information to the ISO or the Science Ninja Team, we’re all toast! Lord Katse’s going to be furious! Can you imagine what would happen if Galactor’s secrets were exposed?â€
The woman exhales some smoke and replies “Don’t get so upset, it’s no big deal,†coolly. Yes, she’s certainly one person who doesn’t have to worry about Katse’s wrath! “Galactor will handle the situation,†she concludes. Now, the Prime Minister turns his head to look at her and she meets his stare confidently and takes another drag on her cigarette before stubbing it out in an ashtray.
Hmm, I guess we haven’t seen her since episode 33. She’s changed her hairstyle again but her face –especially her eyes- are about the same. She’s wearing a lot of purple, with a red turtleneck too –that might also be a hint.
“The briefcase the traitor ran off with has a hidden transmitter inside it,†she says, and she stands up and heads for the door. “He won’t be able to run for very long. We’ll track him down.â€
Outside, she gets into a car that is also red and purple. Yes, they’re definitely dropping hints. The Prime Minister is watching from his window as she drives off into the snowy night. Driving along the road, she reaches for her coat’s lapel and activates a button on it.
Now, interestingly, we see a large room in a Galactor base somewhere where goons and a Captain of the Week are listening to Katse speak while watching a rather blurry and fake-looking image of him on a large screen.
“With the transmitter, I know where the traitor is heading. He plans to sell Galactor’s secrets to the International Science Organization. Go, Ranger Unit of Galactor! Capture the traitor and execute him! Then burn the briefcase he took with him!â€
We see the Capain listening to this. His uniform is boring –he’s got a mask but it’s not much different from a goon’s, and he doesn’t have any horns or a cape or anything fun like that. But, he is fairly efficient. Immediately, we see a large dome on the ground in some barren, icy ravine opening up to release a fleet of small Galactor ships into the air.
These ships are all different shapes, and one of them has a tail, so you just know they’re going to combine into something…
Now, we cut to Ken’s airfield. He’s in a hangar, working on his plane.
My BF is a certified pilot for single engine prop planes. I have long been trying to get him to figure out for me just what kind of plane Ken has (when it’s in its civilian mode).
His suggestions thus far have been a Yak-54:
Or a Van’s RV-7:
Unfortunately, while both these planes are low-wing, tail-draggers with dome tops, they both can hold two passengers and we will shortly be reminded that Ken’s plane can only carry one passenger. So, the mystery continues…
The BF thinks that what Ken is doing is “tightening up the engine mounts that attach the engine to the frame. They can come loose with vibrations sometimes.â€
He also pointed out that if Ken is doing this work himself, then either is plane is classified as “experimental†(and therefore subject to certain restrictions) or Ken is an FAA-certified mechanic. I had to explain that there is probably not an “FAA†in Utoland.
However, “fugitive†traitor that we saw escaping earlier is now at Ken’s airfield and approaching the hangar –still carrying the briefcase. There’s no snow in sight and Ken is wearing a t-shirt, so we must assume that this man has made it a long, long way from Einshutan. As Ken stands up, finished with his tinkering, the man points a gun at him.
Ken’s more annoyed than anything else. Obviously, he’s fairly used to having guns pointed at him. “What the hell do you want? Look, man, I don’t have any cash.†(Here, I really think Ken is telling the truth!) But, the man doesn’t want cash –in fact, he says he’d even give Ken some, as long as he takes him flying.
“Where to?†demands Ken.
“Nope, not going to tell you till we take off,†replies the man, with the gun still pointed at Ken.
“Sorry, but this plane’s a single seater,†says Ken, thumping on it with one hand.
The man is not going to be thwarted by something like that; he points to another plane instead. Ken points out that the other plane doesn’t belong to him (I wonder who it belongs to? Does Ken earn a little $$ from renting hangar space or from tie-down fees?)
“Quit arguing with me and just get in the damned plane!†says the man, beginning to lose patience. “They say the customer is always right,†replies Ken, “But they weren’t talking about scum like you.â€
But the man is determined, and still brandishing the gun, he instructs Ken to drop the wrench that he’s holding behind his back and get moving.
“Don’t try anything funny and I’ll pay you well,†he adds, “Plus, you’ll get to take a little trip with me.†Um, is that supposed to make Ken feel better?
So, they go over to the other plane, that isn’t Ken’s. It’s very likely (says the BF) either a Cessna 172 or a Cessna 182.
“Right, and as an added bonus I get a gun in my face, huh? Thanks a lot,†says Ken sourly, but he is getting into the plane.
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-09-2009 at 17:26:
Once Ken is seated, the man gets into the other front seat, but is immediately alarmed to see that Ken is digging in his back pocket with one hand.
He shoves the barrel of his gun against Ken’s head, but Ken reveals that all he was taking from his pocket is the pair of blue gloves he wears when flying.
“Look, man, if you want to make it with this bad guy thing, you’d better learn to cool it!†says Ken crossly.
“You’re a pretty cool-headed bastard for a kid,†admits the man.
Now, as Ken is putting on his gloves, he presses his bracelet briefly and it makes a pinging sound.
Once again, the man is alarmed. “Calm down, man, I can’t take off without making some noise!†retorts Ken, but presumably his plan to alert others to his predicament via his bracelet has just been thwarted.
Ken starts the Cessna’s engine, and the prop starts turning. “Don’t mess with me, kid,†says the man, “You try anything funny, I’ll blow your head off.†Well, shooting the pilot of your plane is probably a bad idea! I’m assuming this man can’t fly himself, or what would he need Ken for? At any rate, Ken huffs “I get it! Stow the heat –I can’t fly with it in my face!â€
So, they take off. Some time passes, and they’re still flying along.
Inside the plane, the man still has his gun pointed at Ken, who’s watching the man warily.
Ken announces that they’re at cruising altitude, and wants to know where they’re going. “Just keep heading south as far as you can, until we run out of fuel,†is the answer he receives.
But, Ken suddenly puts the plane into a dive. “What the hell’s the big idea?†yells the man, falling forward in his seat.
Devious Ken says “Sorry, I’m doing the best I can –I just got my pilot’s license last week!†With that, Ken puts the plane through a series of barrel rolls.
His passenger is yelling to Ken to press the left pedal to level out the plane (I guess he does know something about flying), but then he actually vomits a little bit.
Gross! (Although I can sympathize, being rather prone to motion sickness myself.) At least it’s not your plane he’s puking in, Ken!
So now, Ken sends the plane into a spiral dive, unbuckles his seatbelt, and proceeds to punch the man in the face.
Suddenly, the interior of the plane also seems to have become larger too.
With regard to the matter of doing barrel rolls and spiral dives in a Cessna 172/182, the BF notes that such acrobatic maneuvers are illegal (if there is an FAA) as the plane isn’t certified to perform them and they will make the electrolyte acid come out of the battery, oil come out of the engine and fuel leak out the wings. He does think, though, that a pilot could get away with doing them as long as they don’t do them for very long.
Now, Ken and the man are struggling over the gun, as Ken also tries to choke him with one hand.
Meanwhile, the plane is still in a spiral dive, and the ground is getting closer…
However, Ken switches from choking him to punching him in the face repeatedly, and I do mean repeatedly!
The man manages to knee Ken in the stomach, causing Ken to let him go. Ken leaps away to far side of the plane’s cabin as the man points the gun at him. The man fires the gun, and misses Ken, but the bullet does sever the cable that controls the plane’s rudder (the vertical flap on the plane’s tail).
Somehow now, the plane is no longer rotating, but it is still diving.
“Don’t mess with me, kid,†growls the man, keeping the gun pointed at Ken, but Ken now moves to grab the yoke (which controls the plane’s aileron flaps on the wings and the elevator flaps on the tail, says the BF). “Cool it, man! We’ve got a bigger problem!†he yells.
“So you say that now, after punching the hell out of me?†demands the man.
“Look behind you!†snaps Ken, “The tail wing’s [rudder’s] control cable is severed! At this rate, we’re going to crash!â€
According to the BF, Ken is telling the truth here. “The plane would be extremely unstable and the pilot would have to land before the plane goes into an uncontrolled spin. It would be very hard to land, because the plane would be oscillating and unstable. A gust of wind or too quick a motion on the controls could put the plane out of balance, with no way to recover.â€
“If you hadn’t been waving that gun around, this wouldn’t have happened!†Ken adds, accusingly.
The man says “I’ve got a hunch you’re lying to me, kid,†growls the man, but he does put the gun away inside his coat. And Ken, somehow, seems to have the plane flying fairly steadily now.
“You’re too much of an ace to have scored your pilot’s license last week, pal†says the man now. “You’re pretty sharp, huh?†says Ken, looking amused. “I tell ya, kids nowadays just can’t be trusted at all,†he mutters.
“Just drop it, and start looking for a clearing, tough guy,†says Ken, now looking out his window. “We’re going to have to make an emergency landing.â€
The man doesn’t like this one bit! He reaches for his gun again and yells “No way, we can’t! Keep flying!â€
“Look, that ain’t happening,†replies Ken, with calm certainty. He then proceeds to inform the man that the only way they can avoid having to land is for the man to climb outside the plane and fix the control cable to the rudder.
“Fix the cable?†says the man in disbelief as we see the plane’s rudder, flapping back and forth. Ken says he can’t do it, as he has to fly the plane, and the man wants nothing to do with the idea either.
The BF doesn’t think it would be possible to fix the cable while in flight and notes that even on the ground, you can’t stand on the body of a Cessna 172/182 anywhere except the wings –the plane’s body isn’t really strong enough to support a man’s weight. I’m thinking that Ken likely knows all that but is hoping that the man might be gullible enough to go out there, and then Ken can rid of him more easily.
So, Ken reaffirms the necessity of an emergency landing, adding firmly “I know that your escape is important, but our lives are too.†Holding his briefcase in his lap, the man seems to accept this, and now the plane is getting pretty low to the ground, in some hilly looking terrain.
The rudder is still flapping, and Ken yells “Damn it, this isn’t going to work!†as he starts trying to guide the plane lower. He tells the man that they’re going to have to lighten the plane if they want to clear the trees, and tells him to toss out the briefcase. The BF says even 40-50 pounds of weight can make a significant difference, but that opening the door of an already unstable plane, while in flight, is probably a worse idea.
The man is horrified at that idea and insists he can’t, while clutching the briefcase protectively.
“Look, man, if you don’t we’re going to crash into that forest. We’ll be dead –get it?†yells Ken sternly.
The man pulls out the gun again, clearly wanting Ken to attempt to land regardless. Ken once again insists that they’re dead if he doesn’t ditch the briefcase, and that planes like the one they’re in never come equipped with parachutes. However, he glances into the back seat as he says this, and lo and behold, there is one parachute.
“I guess someone loaded the plane for sky-diving. Go ahead and take it,†Ken says, tossing the parachute towards the man, “This is the only one.â€
The man stares at it blankly.
“That way, you and your stupid briefcase will be able to make it out of this safely,†says Ken, staring ahead grimly.
“But what about you, kid?†asks the man, suddenly showing some concern for Ken’s fate.
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll make it out of this somehow,†says Ken.
So, the man’s got the parachute on and he’s preparing to jump out the door. Clearly the plane is at a higher altitude now than it was shortly before when Ken first began trying to land. Now it occurs to Ken to ask the man where he’s headed.
“I’m thinking of selling this info I’ve got to the ISO or the Science Ninja Team,†says the man. Ken’s eyes widen in surprise and he cries out “What did you say?†but it’s too late. The man has already jumped out of the plane, even as Ken yells “No! Wait!â€
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-09-2009 at 17:37:
At least Ken is able to visually confirm that the man’s parachute has opened correctly, but now Ken still has the problem of landing the damaged plane to deal with.
However, the plane is certainly lighter with one less passenger and Ken is managing to keep it mostly above the trees as he tries to land. However, he’s looking very far from calm, and the plane’s wings are clipping tree branches now. If he were flying his own plane, he probably could have just solved the whole landing problem by transmuting himself and his plane now. But couldn’t he have just transmuted himself and also jumped out of this plane when it was still higher in the air and used his cape’s wings to glide down to the ground? Maybe, very considerately, he wanted to stay with the plane and land it so that its owner (whoever that is) will get the plane back damaged instead of destroyed.
Nevertheless, Ken is able to get past the trees and bring the plane down (somewhat roughly) in a grassy field that’s far from flat. He is only just able to bring the plane to a stop right at the edge of a high cliff.
Ken gets out of the plane, and is annoyed to see that one of the plane’s tires is now flat, but naturally, he is relieved that plane didn’t go over the cliff. It seems that Ken is standing at the top of a deep ravine, and in the distance he can see the man’s parachute, descending into the ravine…
Watching the man descend, Ken wonders what kind of information he’s hoping to sell the the Science Ninja Team. He raises his wrist to call the others on his bracelet, but nothing happens. “Damn! The impact from that landing must have broken my communicator,†he says.
He stands there and broods for a moment, but suddenly he sees that fleet of little Galactor ships that we saw earlier, flying overhead. “Galactor!†he snarls, and ducks out of sight behind the plane’s tail as the ships pass by.
The ships all descend down into the ravine, and Ken concludes that they must be after the man, though he’s not sure why. But, Ken leaves the plane where it is and starts climbing down into the steep ravine himself (which doesn’t look like it would be easy!) I guess he’s also assumed that he can’t transmute, because he stays in his civvies.
Meanwhile, the fleet of Galactor ships has reached the ravine floor, and now they do indeed combine together to form what I think is a chameleon lizard (due to its arched back and bulbous eyes). I don’t think chameleons have horns, but it’s close enough.
Commercial break!
Ken himself has now also made it down to the bottom of the ravine, and he’s surprised to see that there are a bunch of buildings down there too, but they’re clearly all long deserted and there’s dust blowing around them. “An abandoned mine,†says Ken to himself, “I wonder what they used to mine down here.â€
“Stranded in a deserted mining town,†says the narrator, “There wasn’t a single soul to be found and all you could hear was the sound of the dust, dancing in the wind.†Ken looks all around, but the only action is an old gate falling off its hinges in the wind.
But, in some other part of the ravine, the chameleon mecha is on the prowl. Inside it we see the Captain of the Week and some goons.
“Hey, isn’t this the valley where Galactor used to mine for rubies, Commander?†asks one goon. “Right,†confirms the Captain, adding “We abandoned it after we exhausted all of its resources,†to remind us that Galactor is no friend to the environment.
Now, he instructs the goons to “bring up the radar†and locate the man with the briefcase. It doesn’t take long for them to bring up an image of the man, who has ditched his parachute and is also now nearing the ravine’s floor. “What a fool, he’s so easy to find with that transmitter hidden in his briefcase. Wherever he runs, we will follow,†says the Captain, smirking.
The chameleon mecha begins stomping in the man’s direction, so heavily that he hears it coming (so much for being a stealthy Ranger Unit). He cries “What the hell?†and starts running towards the abandoned buildings that Ken saw earlier, as the chameleon mecha lumbers after him. But inside the mecha, a goon informs the Captain that they’re no longer picking up the signal from the hidden tramsmitter. The Captain concludes that the man must have finally noticed it, and he instructs the goons to go out and capture him. So now the mecha separates into the fleet of little ships again, and they all fly into the abandoned mining town.
Wandering around, Ken sees the fleet coming and he hastily ducks behind an old, overturned vehicle to get out of sight. The man is hiding around the edge of a building, muttering “Damn it, I won’t let myself be captured by those bastards!†With that, he steps out into the open and starts shooting at the incoming ships with his gun as they swarm overhead.
That doesn’t seem to damage them at all, and soon the man is running inside one of the abandoned buildings to pause and reload his gun. It should also be noted that he is no longer carrying the briefcase. One of the ships smashes clean through the wall of the building and the man fires futilely at it before fleeing back outside. Back out in the street, the ship dives at him and he has to throw himself down flat on the ground to avoid being hit. Now all the ships are there, hovering, and the Captain’s voice is being broadcast from one of them.
“Resistance is useless. You should know the price of Galactor’s wrath.â€
The man stands up now, glaring, and says “Go ahead and try it, damn it!†But, he drops his gun onto the ground at his feet.
The fleet of ships now quickly reassemble into the chameleon mecha again, but as the man stares, he notices that one segment of the mecha (forming part of its belly) is missing.
Well, now he hears Ken’s voice behind him, telling him that the segment isn’t missing. As the man turns, he sees Ken holding his arms in the air as the remaining ship hovers behind him, menacingly.
Next we see the complete chameleon mecha, and all the goons are standing outside of it in rows, facing Ken and the man.
“You had no idea that these guys were looking for you?†demands Ken, looking more than a little annoyed. “Not until I found a transmitter attached to my briefcase,†the man admits, “Pretty stupid to run off with someone else’s stuff, huh?â€
“That’s right,†says the Captain, observing this exchange as he stands in front of the rows of goons, “Now where’s the briefcase?â€
But the man merely looks away, whistling.
“Come on! Out with it!†barks the Captain but the man only says “I’ve got nothing for you.â€
The Captain angrily reaches for his gun but the man adds mockingly “Go ahead and shoot but then you’ll never know where I hid it, will you?â€
So, the Captain settles for whacking the man over the head with his gun instead of shooting him, and he falls to the ground.
Looking up at the Captain, he says “Don’t forget, I’m in Galactor too.†Standing back up up, he continues “ I know what’ll happen to you if you disobey Lord Katse and I’m sure he ordered to you to destroy the briefcase, didn’t he?â€
Now he brushes dust from his coat and adds “Kill me and you disobey Katse.†This, however, doesn’t prevent the Captain from whacking him on the head again with his gun and sending him sprawling on his back.
The man only rubs his jaw and laughs. “You didn’t think about that, did you, Ironhead?â€
The Captain only snarls yet again, demanding to know where the briefcase is hidden and the man again refuses to say, as it’s his “ace in the hole.â€
So, they’re at an impasse, which the Captain decides to resolve by saying “You fool, then I guess I’ll have to beat it out of you, won’t I?â€
Except he doesn’t beat him (or if he does, we’re spared from seeing it). Next we see the man, he and Ken are tied together, hanging from a rope over a well.
The man laughs, not afraid of a “creepy, old well.†The Captain points out a device above them that is going to slowly lower them into the well’s water, but the man scoffs that he’s not afraid of water torture.
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-09-2009 at 17:47:
“You may not be, old man, but what about the boy? Your stubbornness is going to get both you and the boy tortured to death,†says the Captain.
This has an effect on the man. “Quit playing dirty, the kid’s got nothing to do with this!†he protests as the Captain proceeds to explain that “the nights get mighty cold here in the valley. Tomorrow morning you’ll both be corpses.â€
“Better hurry and do some thinking,†says the Captain, noting that already Ken and the man are closer to the well’s water than they were before. He instructs two goons to stay there as guards, and departs the scene with the rest of the goons to search the buildings for the briefcase.
Now some time has passed, and Ken and the man are much further down in the well (although not in the water yet) and the man is telling Ken that he shouldn’t have come after him and shouldn’t have gotten involved. But, Ken reminds the man that he said he wanted to sell information to the Science Ninja Team. The man declares “Yeah, but it’s got nothing to do with you, nimrod!†However, Ken now claims “I know the Science Ninja Team. I can help you strike a deal with them.†The man is surprised, but seems to accept this. Ken wants to know just what kind of information he’s got, and the man says “It’s a secret tape recording of Berg Katse of Galactor and a certain Prime Minister.â€
“Huh?†thinks Ken, eyes widening.
“This one’s big. Galactor’s controlling the Prime Minister of an entire country.â€
“I see, that’s definitely something they would want,†replies Ken, “But what made you decide to turn sides on Galactor?â€
If anyone is expecting a high-minded statement of moral principles here, they’re going to be disappointed.
“Galactor’s pay is lousy,†he replies, “I wanted more than that.â€
“I can sure dig that,†says Ken and I really believe that he can –I mean, I don’t think the ISO pays him anything at all! Now, with an expression that suggests he’s got a plan in mind, Ken asks “So where’d you end up stashing that briefcase anyway?â€
“Well,†says the man a bit morosely, “I threw it down this well.â€
“Down the well?†repeats Ken in dismay. Now, their feet are in the water, and the man pulls his back hastily, crying “Man, this water’s colder than a seal’s balls!â€
But, more time passes and now it’s dark outside and Ken and the man are waist-deep in the very cold water. The man seems pretty out of it, and mutters “Mama?†to himself and Ken realizes that he’s going to have to do something or they’ll freeze to death.
Now, with somewhat disturbing ease, Ken squirms his wrists from the ropes binding him. Can’t anyone in Galactor tie a proper knot?
Ken flips open his bracelet and pokes at a little whirring device inside it, saying “It looks like the transformation generator’s okay.†Hmm, so we learn a little bit of info about what’s inside a Science Ninja’s bracelet.
Leaving the seemingly unconscious man behind, Ken moves away from him in the well’s water.
Now we cut to a view from the top, where two armed goons are standing with their backs to the well. Ken, in birdstyle now, peers over the edge of the well before leaping out and quickly dispatching both goon guards.
Lights are on now inside one of the abandoned buildings, and the chameleon mecha is parked beside it. Inside, the Captain is yelling all the goons “What, you haven’t found it yet? You idiots! Go look for it! That bastard wasn’t bluffing; if we don’t find that tape recording and destroy it, Lord Katse’s going to execute all of us! Not even the smallest mistakes are ever forgiven –that is the bloody code of Galactor!â€
“Galactor ain’t got jack on me, pal,†says Ken’s voice now, and the Captain goes “Huh?†and looks up.
“I guess they didn’t tell you,†says Ken, standing just outside the building’s door, “I’m the white shadow and you’re my prey.â€
I think the artists might have been inspired by old Western films when they drew this.
Now, Ken comes into the building and into the light, declaring “I’m Gatchaman!â€
The Captain cries “Gatchaman?†but before he can reach his gun, Ken has thrown his birdrang, which knocks the gun from the Captain’s hand and circles the room, taking out other goons. Meanwhile, out in the well, the two goons who had been guarding Ken and the man are now tied together and immersed in the water, shivering.
Up above, the man calls down mockingly “How’s the water? Pretty damned cold, huh?†as he laughs. He’s got the briefcase now, and he’s got a gun again too.
“I can’t believe that Gatchaman showed up at just the right time,†he says, rubbing his chin. Well, this explains how the man, who was unconscious earlier, got out of the well and how the two goons ended up there instead. “I wonder where that idiot kid could have disappeared to anyway,†he adds.
Groan.
Well, the “idiot kid†is currently clobbering a building full of goons in this episode’s big fight scene.
“Wait, could that fly boy kid really be Gatchaman?†thinks the man now, demonstrating that he does, after all, have a brain. It’s a shame for Galactor that they’re losing him.
Meanwhile, Ken continues to beat the crap out of the goons and take them down with his birdrang. But, now he tosses some explosive charges from a pouch on his belt and runs out of the building.
Immediately, the man comes running up to him, yelling “Hey, wait just a minute!â€
“Don’t be stupid!†yells Ken, “You shouldn’t be here!â€
“But Gatchaman, I know who you really are!†he replies, pointing a finger at him as he clutches the briefcase.
But, just then the building explodes into flames beside them, sending them both flying. But inside the building, the goons are faring much, much worse!
The Captain staggers out of the burning building now, the only survivor. Half his mask has burned off and Ken and the man are nowhere in sight. “How dare those bastards try to make me look like a fool? Damn it!†he growls as he staggers towards the chameleon mecha and crawls inside it, gasping in pain.
“I knew it, you really are Gatchaman,†say the man, who is currently being carried by Gatchaman up the steep face of the ravine. “Don’t talk any more than you have to,†replies Ken, “You’ve lost a lot of blood.†I guess this means the man was injured when the building exploded beside him.
“I bet Katse would pay a pretty penny for your identity,†says the man, as below them, the chameleon mecha is now on the move and in pursuit.
Ken and the man are nearing the plane.
But Ken loses his hold on the rocks, causing them both to fall back onto a ledge just below. “Sorry, are you okay?†asks Ken, picking the man up again.
“You’ve done enough for me, kid,†he says, clearly not in great shape, “Take the briefcase and get out of here while you can.†Meanwhile, the chameleon mecha is closing in on them, using claws on its feet to scale the steep ravine wall.
Ken has reached the plane. He lays the man on the grass and crouches down to inspect the plane’s flat tire, muttering that he can probably take off if he can stuff it with grass.
But, the mecha is upon them now.
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-09-2009 at 17:54:
The mouth of the chameleon opens to reveal the Captain, training two guns on Ken, the man and the plane. “One wrong move and I’ll riddle you with bullets,†he snarls, “Now hand over the old man’s briefcase!â€
“Listen to me, kid,†gasps the man as he lies there on the grass, “In a country called Hontwohl, there’s a national home for old folks and in room 309 [he pauses to gasp for air] there’s an old lady who lives there by herself…â€
“So is she your mother, then?†asks Ken, looking moved.
“I was never a very good son,†he replies, “I just wanted to get her a good chunk of money.†As Ken looks on sadly, he continues in a weak voice “Do me a favor, if you see her will you tell her that her son’s gone to work in a far away country?â€
“What’s your name, my friend,†asks Ken, staring at him kindly and speaking softly.
“Kelly, Arthur Kelly is my name,†he replies, but now he rallies himself and somehow finds the strength to pull his gun from his coat and stand up, turning on the mecha and its Captain.
The Captain has very patiently and obligingly refrained from doing anything to interrupt the poignant scene between Ken and Arthur Kelly, but now he yells “Son of a-!†and opens fire on Arthur.
Despite taking many bullets, Arthur is still able to rush the captain, leaving the briefcase behind. He runs into the chameleon’s mouth, attacking the Captain and sending them both flying back inside the mecha.
This unbalances the mecha from its position at the edge of the cliff, and it falls into the ravine, breaking into its separate segments as it falls.
Of course, when the pieces hit the ravine’s bottom, a massive explosion results, sending flames up as high as where Ken is standing at the cliff’s edge.
“He thinks he’s paid back his debt,†thinks Ken sadly to himself, “I guess he did, but did he really think I’d surrender to a couple of guns?
He then kicks open the lid of the now bullet-riddled briefcase, and its contents –the tape recording- is destroyed.
“That Galactor captain was a trooper,†admits Ken, looking pensive. “He carried out his orders, even though it meant his death.†With that, Ken kicks the briefcase off the cliff and it too falls down into the ravine.
“Galactor’s secrets lay before his very eyes, and yet Gatchaman’s efforts ended in failure,†says the narrator as we see Ken now flying away in plane (with one grass-stuffed tire, I suppose).
“But this time it was different. He realized that even among the members of Galactor, that there are those with humanity.†We see Ken now, back in his civvies, in the plane as the sun shines in the sky and the narrator goes on “And his heart felt at ease. How long will this battle continue? No one knows, but Gatchaman felt as though he had seen a ray of hope.â€
Thus ends the one episode in the first series that only features one of the Science Ninjas. Now that I’ve seen it again, I realize that it’s more interesting than I had remembered, especially as it once again show the mysterious female Galactor Commander, reveals that Galactor is taking control of some countries’ governments and also mentions Hontwohl –which will be important later. The character of Arthur Kelly is well-developed for the short amount of time that one episode affords and the viewer, like Ken, can feel for him by the episode’s end. It’s also interesting to see Ken facing the fact that some Galactor goons aren’t all that bad –or even good men gone astray- and that some of the Captains also have a sense of honour and duty.
The End.
Posted by amethyst on 14-09-2009 at 21:35:
Great Job lb!
This is definitely one of those episodes that was easier to watch as Gatchaman than BotP. But I think that may be a character preference thing.
__________________
Perspective Alters Reality
Posted by clouddancer on 14-09-2009 at 21:56:
Thank you for the review LB.
I took this as an eps. where Ken/Mark had been sent in "undercover" to get the information. At least that is how I use it in my AU, and maybe some of this is more apparent in BOTP than in Gatch (I am not sure since we are not getting the BOTP review.)
The signal he sent out on his bracelet was to inform Anderson (the team) that he had made contact.
And most of the aerobatics we see done I had assumed were done to make the "passenger" think the plane was in worse trouble than it was - perhaps to gain his confidence or to persuade him to hand over the information or even to "force" a landing in a position of Ken/Mark's choosing. The cut cable added to the difficulty. LB, after reading your B/F comments about fixing that cable it makes me wonder how he repaired it to fly home. I could understand, perhaps stuffing the tire with grass but fixing a cable? Maybe he could claim there was a new one in the plane in case of emergencies 0 lucky guy to store the correct length and not a cable for another part. 
When the two are down the well, I take(took) it either as Mark/ken had been working on the ropes all that time and is finally able to get out, or now that the weight is off the rope (his body supported by water) they are looser and his is able to get them off.
What I did not understand is why kick the briefcase off the cliff? Why not take it back to base and see if any information could be gotten from the undamaged sections of the "tape". Okay maybe that is only something that can be done these days and not thought of way back in the 70's when this show was aired, but that is what I have Mark do in my AU.
__________________
Don't sweat the petty things and don't pet the sweaty things.
Posted by Transmute Jun on 14-09-2009 at 22:28:
Great job, LB and Saturn!
LB, you really went above and beyond getting all of that flying information from your BF. I think it really added to this recap!
James did a writeup of this episode about a year ago, and he mentioned that at the time they did this, Tatsunoko had possibly planned to do a 'solo' episode for all of the Team members. (I'm sure James will clarify if I got that wrong.)
Honestly, I'm glad they didn't. It's the Science Ninja Team, and i Ken was really a solo superhero, he wouldn't need the others. I missed everyone else.
I have to agree that Ken should have taken the tape and brought it back anyway, and perhaps Nambu could have salvaged some of it... enough to voice-identify the prime minister in question, anyway! They could have tried this, as they tried to do (although failing) with the microfilm at the end of Speed Race From Hell.
__________________
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 14-09-2009 at 22:39:
As I recall, the BOTP version made Kelly an alien named Xeno, escaping from some sort of ET containment facility. There was the disturbing implication that this was a normal practice. And then Mark was somehow supposed to be some sort of bait to catch the guy. The talking egg (Zark) then makes a comment about the town in the valley being either an Old West town, or like one [memory fails].
And here I can no longer be certain of anything.
Hey, if you think about it, this episode predicted computer avatars! What else could that Katse face be?
__________________
Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Posted by lborgia88 on 14-09-2009 at 22:46:
| quote: | |
|
Ah, you've given this episode a lot of thought. Your theories about how he got himself untied in the well are especially good!
I agree that either Ken should have taken the damaged tape recording with him (in case some data was salvagable) or it should have been made more apparent that it was completely ruined (ie. it was burnt to a crisp, or something like that).
I'm intrigued by TJ's mention that this episode might have been the first of series of solo eps for each team member. I can see good points to that (such as a chance to move character development forward for a particular character, or to give a less-used character a chance to shine) but I really miss the intra-Team relationships and interactions in this episode, and I think that takes some of the fun and the meaning away, having just one character featured in an episode. I guess the people at Tatsunoko, if they were considering a series of solo eps, also had misgivings too. Then again, there are episodes where one character in particular is emphasized, while everyone else has a part to play too, like the episode where Jun loses her shoe, or the one where Jinpei goes off to find the abominable snowman, or the one where Joe goes back to BC island etc. -and I think those were well done!
Posted by tatsunokofan on 14-09-2009 at 23:33:
Hi all!
| quote: | |
|
Actually, that was speculation by other members of Bird Scramble, not something that Tatsunoko ever stated. In general, people in the APA were glad that they didn't do more solo episodes, since they preferred to see the Ninja Team working as a team, not separately.
On the other hand, by only having Ken and Katse appear, this episode allowed most of the regular voice cast the opportunity to take a small vacation!
James
Posted by gatchamarie on 15-09-2009 at 08:20:
Thanks again for a great job, LB and Saturn!
LB, I appreciated a lot your extra effort in giving us information explained by your BF. It's nice to find supporting theories to what's going on during episodes! I also liked your comment highlighting the intelligence of Kelly when compared to that of other Galactor when he made one plus one and finally came to the conclusion that the young pilot was in fact Gatchaman (what a coincidence!).
ITA with the fact that Ken should have taken the briefcase back with him for examination as even the smallest of information is a well of gold during a war! And, yes, I liked those episodes during which a particular character was highlighted, enabling the maturity of the same character during the series, but I also liked seeing the presence of the other four in the background during such episodes.
__________________
To be or not to be a gatchamaniac - that's the dilemma!
Posted by Transmute Jun on 15-09-2009 at 12:36:
| quote: | |
|
it's fine to highlight a character, and it really adds to their depth, bt the other Team members need to be in the episode as well, otherwise it feels like something is missing.
__________________
Posted by UnpublishedWriter on 27-04-2010 at 14:23:
Another one that will be affected by a BotP review.
__________________
Benefits, not features; benefits, not features
Powered by: Burning Board Lite 1.1.2c 2001-2004 WoltLab GmbH
English translation by Satelk
Site Coded by Cep