BotP Close-up 095

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Bobkat
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BotP Close-up 095

Post: # 701Post Bobkat »

One of my favorites this week is "Charioteers of Changu"!! :)

Princess proves her mettle when she's sent alone to Changu after some disturbing information from the Early Warning System. That's not good enough for Keyop who gets the whole team involved by following Princess against orders. We see the boys in action and it's pretty fun to watch. They also get creative in tracking down Zoltar and his evil minions.

This ep also has a death, proving again that people did die in the series. Akkadan dies after the attack on his home and the team have a simple burial for him. There's no getting out of it and I'm glad the series producers didn't try.

Enjoy the chase - "Charioteers of Changu"!! :D

The Other Jason's write-up is here: https://www.battleoftheplanets.info/ep95.html

E95: Charioteers of Changu

Act One

7-Zark-7 keeps constant look out to outer space in case of hostile alien invaders in the peaceful confines of Center Neptune nestled under the sea. He says everything is peaceful in "in the wild blue yonder" of space as well as the "deep blue" while 1-Rover-1 yips at him. Rover is happy to be home and Zark is happy he's back from a refresher course at the Computerized Canine Kennel. Zark puts Rover through his paces of rolling over and a subtraction problem. Rover performs flawlessly before Zark asks him to fly. Rover wants his "tasty" nuts and bolts first but Zark stands firm. Rover begins flying as he helicopters his tail and he hovers in the control room.

Susan calls from the Early Warning System reporting the strangest UFOs she's ever seen. She goes on to say they appear to be headed for Earth but has no idea what they are. Once she switches her scanner frequency so Zark can see what she's talking about, she tells him they seem to have come from the past. Susan also says the UFOs are on a trajectory for the Himalayan Mountains. Zark thanks Susan and will notify Chief Anderson and G-Force right away. During the call, Rover continues to hover and Zark completely forgot! Zark finally tells the poor dog, "Down" and Rover lands. Zark then notifies Security.

Chief Anderson shows various slides of Changu to Princess. She's familiar with the area because she studied meditation there before. The chief remembers and tells her that is precisely why she's been chosen for this mission and she is to go alone. Chief Anderson wants her to mingle with the people to discover why they worship a fearsome looking stone idol. He wants her to do this alone so she doesn't arouse any suspicions while she gathers the facts. He goes on to say the facts are "very mysterious." When Princess asks about the others, he says they'll be along later but first they need to know what they're getting into. The chief wants to know what's really going on with "the charioteers" and the full story behind the idol. He adds that Zark will be in constant contact and at the first sign of trouble she should flash her communicator. He wishes her "good luck" before she leaves.

The rest of the team is in the Ready Room, except for Keyop! Mark and Jason play ping-pong while Tiny eats. Tiny is worried about Princess going to the Himalayas alone and wonders why the chief and Zark didn't send them too. Mark is more worried about Keyop because the smallest member just disappeared. Tiny adds the worry is making him overeat! Zark then contacts them via video monitor saying they have "an internal problem" and switches to Scanner Channel 9 showing that Keyop is following Princess without authorization! Zark briefs them that Princess was supposed to investigate alone but with Keyop in the mix, he could blow her cover and they both could face some strange invaders – from the past. He tells them they now have to send all five! Mark, Jason and Tiny salute, chant "G-Force!" and are dropped out of the Ready Room.

In Changu, an older man sits outside smoking his pipe and listening to the birds chirp. Keyop arrives at the man's house wanting to know if he's "seen a pretty girl." The man informs Keyop that he's blind and introduces himself as Akkadan. Meanwhile, Mark, Jason and Tiny have arrived at a waterfall where Zark reported the UFOs landed nearby. Mark says he's not interested in finding any weird UFOs until they find Princess and Keyop. They're interrupted by a swirl of dust appears on a bricked canyon road. A group of charioteers ride with their armor-plated horses and tricked out chariots with spikes. As they peer over, Jason asks, "Robots driving chariots?" Mark says they better follow them.

Inside his cabin, Akkadan feeds the fire as he waits for "them" to arrive as he's been waiting a long time. Keyop asks who they are and Akkadan explains they are robot warriors of Changu. Keyop doesn't necessarily believe him but Akkadan is certain they've arrived – he can feel it. Akkadan closes a shutter and tells Keyop they are here and when Keyop goes to the window, he sees an army of chariots surrounding the house! Akkadan closes that shutter too and goes to a door hiding weapons. As he pulls down a pair of chained balls, he explains the robots want him to tell them the secrets of Changu but he won't. Keyop becomes concerned for the man's safety and while they'll try to harm him, he will strike back. Akkadan may be blind, but he uses his other senses to know what is going on around him. Keyop decides to help Akkadan fight off the robots. The man offers Keyop shelter but he refuses, holding his clackers. "Never ran away from a fight." Akkadan says fine, but to stay out of the way when he starts swinging.

The charioteers move in with the horses running toward the house. A pair of drivers releases their horses, ramming their chariots into the house and jump onto the roof. The ramming barely misses Keyop as Akkadan listens to the footfalls on the roof. They emerge from the fireplace and Akkadan takes care of them in quick order by hitting them in the head with the heavy metal balls. Another charioteer rams his chariot into the house but he has set his wheels on fire. The ensuing crash causes the chariot to explode spreading the fire to the other chariots and they too explode. The house is soon engulfed in flames with more charioteers fighting their way in. Akkadan doesn't give up, taking more down with his weapon.

The charioteers continue their onslaught with many more jumping over a collapsed wall. Outside, one chariot runs along the length of the house and cuts into the wall. Meantime, Mark, Jason and Tiny run to catch up to the charioteers. They watch when mark asks, "Anyone object to buying in?" Jason is ready with Tiny adding, "Hate one-sided fights." The three jump in with Mark pulling out his sonic boomerang and Jason readies a feather shuriken. Mark is the first to strike flying toward a driver and dumping him out of the chariot. Jason takes out one by spitting a feather at him. Tiny grabs a pair of horses and stops them with his brute strength.

Inside, Keyop and Akkadan keep up the fight taking out several charioteers. One gets the upper hand on Akkadan but the man is able to fight him off. Keyop says, "Let's go!" but Akkadan realizes the house is collapsing! When the fire overtakes everything, he grabs Keyop and jumps into the trapdoor.

Act Two

Zark is at his monitors and decides one needs to be cleaned. It's the Deep Space Monitor that stays focused on Spectra and its evil doings. But even a fly speck can throw it off. However, everything has been unusually quiet on the enemy planet. Zark muses about the charioteers who attacked "Keyop and the old man" and knows they have Spectra written all over them. He's analyzed their power receptors and circuitry discovering that Zoltar is controlling the robots. What has Zark befuddled is the fact Zoltar slipped by their security nets – how remains a mystery. He says Keyop and the man are safe but he's worried about Princess because he's been unable to contact her. Zark needs to reach Mark because the secret of the charioteers lies inside "the lost canyon" wher the stone idol is.

Back in Changu, the three boys watch the house burn with Tiny worried about Keyop still being inside. Jason notes Keyop's car parked nearby and Tiny tries to make contact. Mark tells him to save it, "Keyop's too smart to be trapped by robots." Mark does have the idea that Keyop was captured and taken away. Jason wonders how they'll figure out where the hideout is and Mark suggests the horses lead the way.

Inside the house, Akkadan knows he won't last much longer and must share the secret of Changu. He tells Keyop that long ago his ancestor encountered "men from the sky" and the villagers found out too late they were evil. The men enslaved the villagers and made them build the stone idol in the lost canyon. The men's leader emerged from the stone idol and Keyop realizes it's Zoltar. Akkadan goes on to say that Zoltar and his men can transport through space through the idol called "Changu." Akkadan says he's fought the charioteers for the last time and now only wants to rest. Before collapsing, he tells Keyop to get help and stop the robots from Spectra. Keyop says, "Do what I can."

When Keyop climbs out, the fires still burn and a fast moving shadow runs in the distance. Keyop pulls out his bolos and throws them catching a branch that Princess has stuck out! She steps out where he can see her and Keyop's estatic! Princess tells him they need to get their heads together.

At the stone idol, Zoltar is not pleased with the charioteers because they allowed their prey to get away. The charioteers kneel and remain silent while Zoltar rants. Zoltar asks Kondor where the rest of his charioteers are then wonders how a boy and an old man could defeat the mighty charioteers of Changu. Zoltar wants to know why they don't do what they're told and adds if "the old man" passed on his secrets, Zoltar's invasion plans are ruined. In the distance, the group hears horses neighing. After a bit, they realize there are more chariots returning.

Zoltar stands in stunned silence watching three chariots drive up but they're not driven by his charioteers but by three members of G-Force! Zoltar states the obvious with Mark retorting, "I hope you weren't expecting Julius Caesar and the Romans." Tiny tells Mark "that's a good one" adding they're driving Roman chariots. Zoltar wants to know who told them with Jason answering they gave the horses full rein "and they brought us straight to you, Zoltar." Zoltar says they should find his robots "most effective" before making a run for it. Mark, Jason and Tiny try to give chase but the charioteers block their path. Mark tells them to "step aside" but they don't budge. Instead, they merge into a giant throwing star and other weapons instantly that the boys have to continue to evade. Tiny even gets kicked in the gut before the three are back to back with the charioteers running a circle around them. Jason cracks, "Tricky fellows, aren't they? … Robots with interchangeable parts."

While that fighting is going on, Princess and Keyop arrive in their G-forces uniforms. Keyop asks her if she's sure this is the place and she tells him she's sure. She adds she would have called in but her communicator went blank. They run into the hideout while Mark and Jason watch the charioteers merge yet again. "They're up to something again, Mark." This time, they become a giant robot breathing fire and throwing various sharp weapons. The final straw is a net thrown over the G-Forcers. Mark pulls out his boomerang to try to cut his way free but the robot electrifies the net! An explosion results but the three fly up to a cliff clear of that danger! Jason says, "He almost had us there. These charioteers have more tricks up their sleeve …" but he's interrupted by Princess and Keyop running out from the base. They stop and gawk at the "big" robot.

On the cliff, Mark tells them they're right on time. The only way to defeat this robot is their own G-Force pyramid! Jason and Tiny jump down to start the build with Mark and Princess following and Keyop on top. It's one of the few times, Mark is standing on Jason's shoulders and Princess on Tiny's – the normal configuration is reversed. Once Keyop is on top he gives the word to go and they start spinning, first breaking down the robot and then throwing the charioteers in every direction. With the charioteers defeated, the stone idol crumbles.

The team buries Akkadan and the sun peeks from behind some clouds as Zark talks about Zoltar and his defeat. If the team hadn't uncovered what was in the stone idol, Zark may not be here! The idol hid a Time Warp Molecular Interchange Station! Turns out, Susan was correct in saying the UFOs were from far away and long ago – the chariots were from over 2000 years before. Zark says, "History repeats itself, unfortunately so does Zoltar." The Phoenix heads home after the mission.

Zark and Rover stand in the control room with Zark wanting to run Rover through his paces again. Mark and Princess drop by just in time with Princess asking if she can help. She asks him what the square root of four is but Rover only yips once. Princess says that's not the right answer while Zark is beside himself telling Rover he's embarrassing them both because he knows the answer is two! Rover yips quite a bit at Zark. Zark then realizes he promised Rover a bowl of crunchy nuts and bolts and Zark forgot. It's one of the biggest lessons Rover has learned being a part of G-Force – you never got back on a promise. The robots salute.

This plot summary Copyright Bobbi Baker ©2021. No reproduction of any kind without permission.
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