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Episode Summary
Written
by J. Cole Weston
Tank
revisits his past when Overlord draws him in with what he
wants most - his son.
Episode
Notes
Written
by J. Cole Weston
In
depth: Missiles are fired at Eagle as Max pilots it toward
Germany. He talks over their plan with Courage- they plan
on knocking out his largest pod factory and stealing a couple
of pods. The plane then lands on a tarmac and the Zone Riders
vehicles deploy. Field Marshall Schaeffer meets them on the
ground and notes Courage is 8 1/2 minutes late. The Field
Marshall notes that the factory makes parts for Zone Generators
all over Europe.
It turns out Tank Schmidt helped to design the defenses in
the factory when it was making NATO weapons. Overlord is spying
on them, and decides to take out Tank so that they cannot
defeat the factory. Overlord has a new weapon to test on Tank.
Bandit radios that he is ready. Tank and Schaeffer have bad
blood - he is Tank's father in law (Gabrielle, Tank's deceased
wife's father). Further explanation is ended by an explosion
which sends the Zone Riders running. Max stuns a couple Zoners
who try to get the drop on him as Bandit reports the Zone
Riders are pinned down. They then decide to force Schmidt
towards the Zone. Tank notes he's being pushed back and Ned
has an idea about a fuel tanker. He runs into a truck and
places a toolbox on the gas pedal, sending it racing towards
the zoner forces. It hits and explodes. Suddenly Tank notices
his son Joseph in the zone, pleading for help and rescue!
Overlord draws up behind him and commands all forces back
into the zone. Tank runs towards the zone to get his son as
Hiro and Kat tackle him to keep him out. Kat uses a scanner
to find that the area is mined, and Tank would have been killed.
The Riders talk to Tank and try to convince him it was an
illusion. When Tank agonizes over leaving him again, Field
Marshall Schaeffer comes upon them and accuses Tank of abandoning
the Marshall's grandson twice. Max wants to get the people
to a medical station. Tank begins to tell the story of his
separation from Joseph. He was going to Switzerland and left
Joseph in the care of a couple on a small farm, which was
attacked in the first Zone raid. Schaeffer believes he was
on a skiing vacation instead of being with his son.
Overlord is vexed by the failure to capture Schmidt and makes
a back up plan involving Joseph. Ned and the others ride into
the Zone as he notices fire from the rooftops. Courage makes
a detour in Rimfire and Tank guides them to an elevator on
the other side of the warehouse. Tank decides to lead them
through a secret tunnel he built in case the factory needed
reinforcements. Crook and Dire come looking for them, but
they escape notice, even though their vehicles are nearby.
Tank emerges with the others and locks down the windows with
armored shades. He then leads them into the base as Max and
Dirk assault the generator. Rimfire is destroyed as the two
speed toward the generator.
Tank in the warehouse shows them laser beams that block the
way but Hiro shuts them down. Then unexpected Black Widow
robots emerge to defend the factory - Tank never saw these
before. Kat uses her backpack to freeze them and Tank leads
them to a storage room just ahead. They block themselves in
and Ben decides there must be a central computer nearby that
can stop them. They head through a vent to find it. Hiro stuns
some zoners and Ben has trouble getting into the computer
system. All Ben can get the system to respond is "access
denied". Hiro blasts it with a needler noting "Access
achieved."
Elsewhere, Bandit tries to lead the Widows into the factory
but Overlord asserts his command. Kat and Tank are talking
nearby but Tank is distracted. Ned offers to set explosives
with Tank while the others draw away the enemy. Ben and Kat
go out to distract them and Tank leads Ned to the assembly
line. They enter a room full of zone pods on an assembly line.
Overlord notes Zoners trying to blast into the doors as he
climbs a ladder to an alternate entrance. Realizing he will
fail as they plant the bombs, he decides to use Tank's son
once more. Max and Dirk continue towards the generator to
set explosives. Reaching the goal, they begin.
Ned is ordered to bring back a zone pod and blow the factory.
He explains the plan to Tank who sees a ghost of his son.
He gets out of the forklift to chase Joseph. Ned is telling
him it's a trick - that Joseph is unzoned and is a hologram.
Overlord then enters and grabs the detonator as Tank confronts
him. Overlord says he doesn't have Joseph - and Tank tells
Overlord to use the detonator. Ned uses a Needler to cover
Overlord who grabs a weapon and escapes, blasting the forklift
and preventing theft of the pod. Courage and Jones set their
charges and drive away. Courage hits the button and blows
the generator. The zone falls, as…
Back at M.C.C. Field Marshall Schaeffer gives a copy of the
orders which sent Tank to Switzerland. It was a secret mission
for Germany, and the Marshall thanks Courage for the information.
Tank shows him the hologram of Joseph which Overlord edited
to fool tank. The tape showed Joseph getting a birthday present
from Tank that the couple at the farmhouse made. Schaeffer
makes up with Tank and vows to search for Joseph together.
Items
Noticed: Bandit finally gives an official name to Crook's
backpack weapon: the "Ram-Pack".
Notes:
Joseph looks a bit different in this incarnation than in the
comics, where the writers anticipated Overlord using him as
a draw for Tank.
That
is one awesome looking model kit Tank got Joseph. Wonder what
it is of?
What
do we learn? Tank Schmidt's wife's maiden name was Gabrielle
Schaeffer.
The
former NATO factory makes zone parts for Europe and Northern
Africa.
If
Overlord knew where Joseph was, he would have used him. An
interesting twist - maybe Joseph escaped the zoning and is
lost elsewhere?
Goof
ups: None apparent.
Quotable
Quotes: " Jump Commander, Now!" - Max
"OK Max, time to play Motocross!" - Dirk, leaping
onto a cycle
"Are
you sure this is gonna hold?" - Ben
"Not if you spend all day talking about it!" - Tank
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