Magazine editor Alan Barnes draws parallels between "Terror in New York City" and the Wunder von Lengede ("Miracle of Lengede"): a West German mining disaster that was cited by Gerry Anderson as his inspiration for "Thunderbirds". He notes that while the real-life accident involved miners trapped in a flooded pit and their rescue delayed due to the time needed to transport a drill by rail, "Terror in New York City" concerns two men, trapped in a cavern, whose rescue depends on a submarine that cannot be airlifted to them. Barnes considers "Thunderbird 2"s crash-landing to be a highlight of the episode.