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Episode Summary
Written
by J. Cole Weston
Overlord
plots to zone all of Southern China, and a mysterious woman
is aiding his plans…can the Zone Riders stop them in
time?
Episode
Notes
Written
by J. Cole Weston
In
depth: The episode opens with a battle as usual, but Courage
and Overlord are particularly matched in combat. It turns
out to be a simulation however, and the Zone Riders return
to M.C.C. They learn there that Hong Kong Harbor has been
zoned. They must find Jade Scorpion, the name of a black marketer
who controls the river. The Zone Riders receive special spy
equipment and a device that can provide multi directional
needler blasts.
In
Hong Kong, Jade Scorpion is working over her clients for more
money. Overlord breaks in on her private room to talk business
with Reaper and Razorback. Overlord wants to make several
shipments, but Jade turns him down initially. Several generic
nunchaku wielding fighters emerge and are quickly dispatched.
Overlord shows a video of Myu Lin being kidnapped by Black
Widows and agrees to help him.
Arriving
in Eagle in Hong Kong, the Zone Riders are in civilian attire.
Courage attempts to ask a guard about seeing the Scorpion,
but this turns into a brawl. Meanwhile, Max and Hiro go looking
for Lin. Kat, Dirk and Tank are captured by Jade's goons and
taken to her. They explain who they are and that they need
help fighting Overlord. Instead, her goons take them to drown
in the river. However, Hiro and Max come to the rescue. Meanwhile,
Overlord plots to take over Southern China with twenty one
Zone pods rigged to activate soon. At an ancient Chinese palace,
Hiro finds a way in with his scanners. The team sneak in and
find the location of the dungeon and Jade by listening in
on Reaper's conversation.
Finding
Jade Scorpion, Hiro cuts into her cell, freeing her. Kat agrees
to impersonate Lin under a cloak. Scorpion gives up the location
of the pods which were shipped with her boats. They only have
one hour to destroy them however. Tank blows the first pod
at a warehouse, and Hiro hits another as the Black Widows
arrive to stop them. Overlord gets word of this, and starts
to launch all pods, but Katerina stops him with a laser blast.
Courage uses the multi-needler system to pin down the Zoners.
Kat
is pinned down by Overlord and Dire in the palace, while Razorback
goes to stop the other Riders. Courage provides a quick escape
for Kat while Razorback is pinned down. With all pods destroyed,
Courage destroys the active generator with Rimfire. Intruder
picks up the other Black Widows.
Jade
Scorpion seems to have lost her businesses, but her daughters
investments have made enough for them to live on well. With
all wrapped up, the Zone Riders depart.
Items
Noticed: The covered eye on Overlords helmet covers his targeting
screen, as shown in this episodes "Overlord" POV
target screen.
As
attested to earlier, 2007 fashion leaves a little to be desired.
As evidenced by Hiro and Dirk however, Hawaiian shirts seemingly
never go out of style. Utilizing the "Clark Kent Effect"
in which no one can recognize you wearing glasses, they all
are disguised with spectacles. Fortunately they remark on
the silliness of their clothing in the episode.
Hiro
gets a rare chance to use his arm blades to cut into a jail
cell in this episode - a feature included with the toy.
Does
the name Kent Butterworth seem familiar? He's a storyboard
artist on all the episodes of SPIRAL
ZONE! Nice that they let someone from the show have
a crack at writing an episode.
Notes:
The sound of the net in Jade Scorpion's room is a combination
of two sounds from Classic Star Trek: the launch noise is
a photon torpedo sound followed by a phaser sound as the net
descends. This would not be the first time they've swiped
sounds from TOS…
What
do we learn? The entire North Bank of Hong Kong Harbor has
been zoned, suggesting only parts were zoned before.
Jade
Scorpion's daughter is Myu Lin. Lin is a common Chinese family
name, so Myu is her first name as opposed to the usual Chinese
order (Lin Myu).
OptiScan
equipment is standard to all the Zone Riders helmets. Max
mentions his OptiScan capability in this episode, and Hiro
uses his to find a secret entrance at a palace. His is similar
to Tanks, in that it possesses a grid pattern for targeting.
The
zoner reporting to Overlord is Si Duk Lee (odd, considering
this name is Korean).
Goof
ups: In the briefing room, McFarland's rank pins become animated
as fringe of some sort not diamonds.
The
car Hiro and Max drive is left hand drive - which would be
highly unusual in Hong Kong, as they drive on the opposite
side of the road than the US. Possessing a car like this would
call much attention to yourself, as only the wealthiest of
people can import automobiles from the United States or Italy.
Courage
calls her Myu Ling - either a mispronunciation or he's the
only one annunciating.
Commentary:
Man that is one terrible accent they give Jade Scorpion and
the other Chinese. I mean, wow, you'd get picketed for that
now! Lastly, Lin's investments have done well in the Stock
Market? How is that possible considering months earlier, an
insane scientist zoned half the world? Don't you think that
would cause a little havoc on Wall Street? Oh well, like in
MST3K: It's just a TV show, I should really just relax."
Quotable
Quotes: "This pen IS mightier than the sword!" -
Tank, referencing a Needler hidden inside a pen.
"Looks like intelligence was off on telling us how to
dress." -Courage
"Ja, intelligence was not so intelligent!" - Tank,
looking at his skin tight tanktop
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