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Episode Summary
Written
by J. Cole Weston
Overlord
attacks an industrial factory owned by Hiro Taka's wealthy
and successful father.
Episode
Notes
Written
by J. Cole Weston
In
depth: Approaching an island, Eagle lands with the Zone Riders
rolling out on vehicles as they approach an automated shore
battery of guns. Hiro's bike is destroyed as Courage sends
the plane away. Tucker helps Hiro up as both are knocked over
by an explosion. Franklin and Taka get behind the lines and
the zone grappler makes short work of the zoner. The plasma
cannon is switched to overload which destroys all the cannons
on the line. Hiro notes no other defenses as Bandit attacks
from the high ground. Tank fires back as Ben sends his cycle
over a cliff, but is saved by a branch. When Crook comes to
finish him off with his jackhammer backpack, Hiro jumps in
to save him. Rawmeat fires at him, but Rimfire arrives with
Courage which forces the Black Widows to withdraw.
Kat radios she is over the zone generator area which is abandoned.
She uses the Eagle to destroy the generator with no problems.
Courage radios that the island was abandoned by Overlord in
favor of a bigger project. McFarland assures Dirk that replacement
vehicles are being delivered for the ones they lost, as they
are now on their backup equipment. Dr. Laurence will meet
up with them in Japan, as he is there meeting an industrialist,
Kenjiro Taka. Hiro hears this and takes note.
Ben asks Hiro about metal fatigue, which he ignores. Hiro
goes to be alone as Courage tells Kat that Kenjiro Taka is
Hiro's father. At the plant, Kenjiro has made an almost completely
automated factory to make vehicles. When he gets word the
Zone Riders have arrived, Taka wants to have dinner with all
the Zone Riders. At Taka's home, Laurence and all the Zone
Riders arrive. Kenjiro meets Courage who comments on how proud
he must be of Hiro. Hiro thanks him for the praise.
Taka's wife is away in Kyoto, so he must entertain alone.
Hiro takes note it must be hard to live a simple life in a
mansion. Tensions arise between Hiro and his father about
Kenjiro making money off the workers and the war. Kenjiro
orders him out, saying Hiro does not believe in money, only
in meditation. Tank wants to talk to Hiro about ending the
feud before it is too late, noting that he "said things
to his son…".
As he leaves to meditate, the Black Widows spy on Hiro. Rawmeat
sets up a personnel trap with his backpack nearby as Bandit
and Duchess Dire emerge from the woods and Hiro fires at them.
He runs into the trap, which stuns him. Bandit tells him "Welcome
home, Hiro Taka!"
Duchess puts a zoner helmet on Hiro, capturing him. Overlord
wants him sent under guard to Intruder, but wants the operation
continued. Bandit radios Reaper for more Zone Pods. Rawmeat
then stuns a guard in a tower. Bandit then uses a mine detector
to mark the mine field with flags and tears open the fence
with snapper claws. The Zoners and zone pod file through as
Tank spots the Zoners and stuns them. Tank then frees Hiro
from a zone helmet, and tells Courage. Dirk orders him back
to HQ while new vehicles arrive. Razorback attacks from the
air from a Black Widow fighter plane which drops a zone pod.
Crook then penetrates the mine field with a bola backpack,
allowing Overlord inside with another pod. Tank carries the
stunned Hiro through the forest. Courage and two Zone Riders
move out on their new vehicles as Overlord prepares for Zone
Rider attack. Tucker takes to the air in his helicopter pack
to find a way around the mines. Kat takes point among the
Zone Riders and they blast their way into the factory gates.
Two Sledge Hammers and Bull Whip Arrive, causing heavy fire
as Ned flies in to rescue Kat. Ned then attacks on a cycle
while Courage bails out of Rimfire. Hiro warns his father
about the Zoners down below as they ride into battle. Ned
leaves to get to Eagle, but is shot down again (seriously,
that thing is too slow to be useful). Dirk orders all the
Zone Riders to withdraw. When Rawmeat wants to give chase,
Overlord reminds them to strengthen their defenses for the
eventual counter attack.
In private, Hiro apologizes to his father, but cannot place
money above people. Hiro tells Kenjiro he must leave immediately.
When Kenjiro wants to get something from the safe, Hiro replies
"Money again…" disgusted. Instead Kenjiro enters
sequence 3-1-7, and activates the factory's destruct sequence.
Overlord meantime is planning to use it to build zoner vehicles
for a giant army. The Black Widows in the factory hear the
countdown of destruction and flee the explosions which tear
the factory apart. Hiro is taken aback - Kenjiro says he didn't
build the factory for Overlord, but for his son. The two embrace.
Items
Noticed: At 10:22, Crook sets a new Black Widows backpack
trap.
At
14:15 Crook uses another new backpack, a Bola whip backpack,
probably intended for the second year.
Notes:
Finally, SPIRAL
ZONE
writers note the incredible pace at which these people use
up vehicles! Can you imagine the budget for the Zone Riders
alone?
What
do we learn? Kenjiro Taka is Hiro's father, a wealthy industrialist,
is competing for a contract with M.C.C. and the UN to make
Zone Rider equipment and UN Force equipment.
Hiro's
mother is away in Kyoto on business.
Overlord
has finally begun putting one man fighters into production
for when Intruder is too large or vulnerable a target. These
plans can drop Zone Pods like bombs also.
Goof
ups: Taking pride in Father and Son is definitely NOT a Japanese
characteristic! Parents will downplay their children's accomplishments,
making them seem ordinary and lesser as a part of humility.
Of course, this would be difficult to explain in a Western
cartoon aimed at nine year olds.
Quotable
Quotes: " Leave my house! Ikimasho!" - Kenjiro
(Technically he's using the plural form here, literally saying
"let's all go", but nice try.)
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