BotP Close-up 027

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 027

Post: # 425Post Bobkat »

This week's full plot is one of my favorite eps in the whole series. "Race Against Disaster" gives us a peek into Jason's private life and how serious racing is to him. I have a great memory concerning this ep since my dad actually sat and watched it with me (I think it was while he was dealing with his back injury) but he asked me all kinds of questions. It didn't hurt that he liked car racing too. :) I also know this is an ep fans have gravitated to, especially in a jumping off point for fanfic stories. :) Enjoy!!

The Other Jason's write up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep27.html

E27: Race Against Disaster

Act One

7-Zark-7 is on the alert 24 hours a day but everything is quiet at the moment. G-Force is off to watch a big race that Jason is driving in and Zark is taking a ten second oil break. He wishes he could attend the race but will watch it on his monitors. Zark goes on saying that Jason is one of the world's best race drivers when it's not busy with G-Force. Susan calls Zark who has his modulators turned down and his capacitor on "disconnect." Susan apologizes for activating his circuits but Zark tells her not to. Susan tells him that Chief Anderson called about something urgent with the African 9000 race. Zark says he'll go to his monitors right away, while Susan tells if Zark needs anything to just buzz her. Zark stammers out an answer because Susan's voice melts his trigatron before going to his monitors. He wonders what it is that is disturbing Chief Anderson.

In the vacuum tube, Zark explains the African 9000 is run every year and attracts drivers from every planet in the alliance. At the same time, it also attracts uninvited guests. Meanwhile in Africa, preparations are being made for the race that is run over some of the most rugged terrain on the continent. It begins in the shadows of Egypt's Great Pyramids, heading south over desert, through dense jungles and "open savannas." Two drivers are assigned to each car and some are working on their last minute adjustments.

The Phoenix launches from Center Neptune to drop Jason off in time for the race. Zark points out if Spectra wants to move in and snatch one of the top members of G-Force, this would be it. Fireworks denote the ten-minute warning prior to the start and the Phoenix lands just in time. Mark tells Jason to stay safe because Zark is sure Spectra will be out and about during the race but they'll be watching from the Phoenix. Mark also wishes him luck with Keyop calling Jason a "winner." Mark says he's the best driver in the galaxy. When the team wonders who his partner is, Tiny heard "it's a beautiful blonde."

Jason approaches the car he'll be driving and greets Lucy, the beautiful blonde Tiny spoke of. Lucy has a high-powered gun with her and hides before Jason walks up to the driver's door. Jason apologizes for being late and notices the gun. He asks Lucy about and she blows it off as protection against vicious animals. She says they'll be driving through the most primitive areas of Africa and who knows what they'll run into. Jason reminds her they're driving a race, not going on a safari. Lucy then teases that maybe the gun it to protect herself from him! Jason tells her to put the gun away. Besides, they need to figure out who is going to drive first. Lucy says she will and that they should be friendly because they're going to be squeezed in together for the duration.

Zoltar consults with the Luminous One on Spectra. The Luminous One asks if all the preparations have been set on Earth. It does not want the "G-Force driver" to finish and Zoltar gives his assurances that this will be the case. Back in Egypt, Lucy and Jason are ready to start. He tells her the starting ramp can be rough and asks if she can handle it. Lucy says they'll take off like a pair of birds before positioning the car on the ramp.

Lucy waits for the starting flag, lest she make a false start and gets disqualified. The flag drops and Lucy takes off! G-Force heads for the Phoenix to follow. Lucy drives through a savanna with wild animals running in every direction. Jason mentions she drove with Dave Leonard last year and they wound up in a dead heat with Jason and his partner. Lucy gives them a good start but stops after passing a group of giraffes. Jason asks what's wrong but the giraffes are not normal, they're actually robots!

Lucy tells Jason to take over driving. The robots chase them shooting lasers from their antlers/horns. They also shoot missiles. Lucy shoots back with her gun with Jason commenting are her excellent marksmanship. She tells him to "tend to your driving." Jason says he can't quite figure her out and Lucy wonders if he's not used to girls being able to defend themselves. He says he's not used to girls defending themselves with a gun.

Jason keeps driving and they emerge from the jungle with the last giraffe robot being blown up. Jason wonders if that was why Lucy brought the gun – was she expecting several robots to attack them? Lucy says they need to trust one another if they're going to win the race. Meantime, the Phoenix flies above them to provide cover. Lucy is about to shoot the Phoenix until Jason stops her.

Jason is driving through a major rainstorm during the night. Lucy offers to take over any time. The next morning the car is stuck in the mud with Jason trying to push. The pair banter back and forth resulting in Jason leaning on the back of the car. In the brush, a rhinoceros robot begins charging. It aims for the car and pushes it out of the mud barely missing Jason in the process! Jason jumps into the passenger seat and they take off. The Phoenix swoops in and picks up the rhinoceros on a pod and dumps it into a river where the thing explodes. After the incident, Lucy wonders if the Phoenix is friend or foe.

Act Two

At Center Neptune, Zark has his helmet on while at the monitors. Zark calls G-Force with Mark answering. Zark relays that he's nailed down an enemy post at "743 East 1 degree North." (in the middle of the Indian Ocean, by the way). Zark is concerned Spectra is going to "way lay" Jason but the Phoenix is right behind them.

Lucy is driving in the middle of the night, trying to make up for lost time. They'll be heading into a checkpoint soon and Jason tries to catnap but Lucy keeps chattering. She really wants to win the race and believes that even with everything that's happened, they're still in front. Lucy passes some cars on their way to the checkpoint and the Phoenix maintains a position above the route.

The Luminous One isn't happy stating the "driver should have been destroyed by now." The Luminous One is frustrated because it has given Zoltar the best weapons and yet, Spectra fails in its quest to conquer Earth. Zoltar says he'll check with the master robot but the Luminous One is running out of patience.

The Phoenix swoops in to take a closer look at the place where Zark directed them. Mark sees a van parked in the jungle and surmises this must be where the robot animals are being controlled. He tells Princess "to lock it on your scanners" as Tiny points out it's close to the checkpoint where Jason will be stopping next. Meantime, Lucy and Jason close in on the checkpoint. They're at least the second car to stop. Jason pauses long enough to see a flare from behind some trees. He goes into the checkpoint while Mark and Princess take care of the Spectran goons following the racecar. Jason spots his teammates just as Lucy drives off. Princess says Jason can still win with Mark agreeing, "As long as we can keep Spectra out of it."

Lucy drives through the night asking about the two people in the woods. Jason says, "They follow me everywhere." Lucy has a feeling that the girl, meaning Princess, is "more than just a fan." She finally confesses her true feelings for Jason. He's always considered her a gear head, a girl who likes souped-up cars, especially his. But Lucy says it's more than his car, she actually likes him! The car swerves every which down the road – who knows what they're doing!

Zoltar again consults the Luminous One who tells Zoltar they have been betrayed by the "female agent." Zoltar is certain that Jason will be terminated prior to the race's end but the Luminous One orders the agent terminated. Zoltar will put the order through to the master robot but the Luminous One doesn't trust robots. Back at the race, Lucy says she shouldn't have told Jason how she feels about him and stays focused on her driving.

A group of robot vultures swoop in towards the car shooting missiles from their beaks. Jason calls the Phoenix for help while evading the vultures' attacks but they get stuck temporarily. G-Force is soon on scene. Mark allows Keyop to shoot the bird missiles to "buzz the buzzards." That night, Jason is driving and a large group of hyena robots attack to the point that they jump onto the car and scrape it. Jason tries some maneuvering to "shake them" including driving to a dead end road and leaping into the air as fast as possible. The car makes the leap from one cliff to another as the pair finds themselves in the thick of the race!

Zoltar calls the master robot at the control center telling him that Lucy must be destroyed and that he has programmed the robots there to self-destruct in 20 minutes. At the end of the race, Jason and Lucy have won the race and setting a new record! They sit on their car receiving the trophy and cash prize while being photographed by the world's media. Later, Jason and Lucy are having dinner with Lucy keeping a secret but she's ready to tell Jason what is going on. He guesses she's been working for Spectra but she gave it up at the start of the race. Meanwhile, Zoltar relishes in the fact that G-Force will learn nothing because the control center has been destroyed. The Luminous One demands that Lucy be terminated and that's what happens next. She turns into a robot before Jason's eyes! She then runs out, crashing through a wall. Jason later drives their winning car away from the site of her death.

Zark, in his helmet, then natters on about robots and them not having feelings, short circuits and the like. Zark becomes an unfeeling ass when he says Jason is feeling bad about Lucy, "but he'll get over it, though." Zark assures Rover they don't have self-destruct buttons because the people who built them want them to show affection.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2021. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
Cure DragonEagle 255
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Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:43 pm

Re: BotP Close-up 027

Post: # 528Post Cure DragonEagle 255 »

This was the favorite episode of our always sweet Janet Waldo! And I cant help but agree its an awesome episode.
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The Other Jason
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Re: BotP Close-up 027

Post: # 534Post The Other Jason »

Hi all,

The first time I interviewed Ms. Waldo about Battle, she remembered a lot about this episode without any prompting. She recalled character names, lines of dialogue and what happened to poor Lucy. The whole thing really left an impression on her. Her love for it is also why we chose this particular episode for the actors to record their DVD commentary track.
Cure DragonEagle 255
Posts: 167
Joined: Mon Dec 28, 2020 1:43 pm

Re: BotP Close-up 027

Post: # 535Post Cure DragonEagle 255 »

Bobkat wrote: Thu Sep 16, 2021 3:43 pm This week's full plot is one of my favorite eps in the whole series. "Race Against Disaster" gives us a peek into Jason's private life and how serious racing is to him. I have a great memory concerning this ep since my dad actually sat and watched it with me (I think it was while he was dealing with his back injury) but he asked me all kinds of questions. It didn't hurt that he liked car racing too. :) I also know this is an ep fans have gravitated to, especially in a jumping off point for fanfic stories. :) Enjoy!!

Can you please share your story of watching it with your dad and his question on this other thread. I really want it to be filled with memories of Battle!

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