While this series may make rescuing people look cool and fun, it still conveys from time to time the harsh reality of being part of a rescue organization.
- The backstory to International Rescue's founding is rather tragic. Jeff Tracy loses his wife and father to an avalanche which he could not save them from added up with an air disaster that killed eighty people due to inadequate rescue equipment.
- Other backstories include the likelihood of his wife dying in childbirth, or (according to the Gerry Anderson YouTube page
) Jeff unable to save passengers from an exploding cruise ship.
- Other backstories include the likelihood of his wife dying in childbirth, or (according to the Gerry Anderson YouTube page
- Brains lost his parents in a thunderstorm.
- Any time any of the beloved Thunderbird craft are attacked are or in peril can be seen as this.
- While it is also pretty awesome, Thunderbird 2 catching fire and crash-landing after being brought down by those missiles from the USN Sentinel in "Terror in New York City" is quite heartbreaking to watch, along with the serious aftermath of the machine being out of action for weeks. We all know what happens eventually, but seeing such a thing happen to perhaps the most popular of all the Thunderbird craft really does tug at the heartstrings. Also Scott being worried about Virgil during the whole incident is very touching you can tell that Scott realises the severity and danger that Virgil is in after the damage to thunderbird 2
- In "Sun Probe", Scott, Alan and Tintin in Thunderbird 3 come very close to death. As they realise how dangerous their mission is becoming, Alan offers to send Tintin back in a capsule. When they are apparently rushing to their doom, Kyrano (Tintin's father) is seen shedding a tear. The scene of Alan trying to reach the controls and passing out before he gets there is harrowing.
Tintin: (slightly exasperated) We have been through the whole question of this: any delay increases the danger to the solarnauts. I will go with you.Alan: Good girl.- Finally, in "The Uninvited", Scott is attacked by the Zombites whilst crossing the Sahara desert. Despite his best efforts, Thunderbird 1 is shot down and he crashes in the desert. Scott survives with a noticeable head injury and not long after he regains consciousness, he passes out again. As sombre music plays, we as the viewers are treated to the heartbreaking shot of Scott and his downed Thunderbird lying on the ground of a seemingly empty desert, like wounded animals.
- To demonstrate just how serious this is, it is one of the very few Thunderbird scenes to actually show blood.
- Jeff's reaction any time one of his sons is injured or in danger. Yes, he might let his sons go on dangerous rescue missions. Sure, they all know there are risks involved. But don't you dare think for one minute that Jeff does not love his boys.
- Scott, Virgil and Alan mistakenly believe that they have failed in carrying out their rescue successfully in "Edge of Impact".
- "The Impostors" really dives deep into this territory when it shifts focus to the Tracys. You just cannot help but feel sorry for them all when you hear Lambert denounce them as crooks and frame them for a criminal activity that they had no part of whatsoever.
- It gets worse later on, when an astronaut drifts off into space and the Tracys know that making a move risks blowing their cover. Even if things turn out alright in the end, it's really upsetting to see the usually confident Tracy brothers at such a crushing low, not helped by the way the marionettes are positioned, they look so depressed.
- It's rather depressing to see Alan and Grandma Tracy almost pass out from sheer heat exhaustion, especially given that they're doing their darndest not to die. Tin-Tin crying over Alan really doesn't help.
