The Other Doctor

« Transformers: Rescue Bots ep 12 »
"The Other Doctor"
Production company	Hasbro Studios
Airdate	May 19, 2012
Writer	Ken Pontac & Warren Graff
Director	Nathan Chew
Animation studio	Atomic Cartoons

A scientist tries to replace the team with a new invention, leaving everyone out of the action.

Synopsis

Chief Burns is having a nap in Chase when they spot Mr Rubio speeding, but despite Chase wanting to stop him, Burns says they'll be lenient. Moments later they spot an out-of-control road roller. The roller reaches the mayor's house and starts demolishing his lawn. The Rescue Bots catch up, but as they block the roller's path, it's knocked aside by a strange vehicle which transforms into a robot. It disposes of the roller by making a hole for the thing to roll into and then drowning it in water. While everyone is confused at what this newcomer is, the mayor is impressed. Answers come as Doctor Morocco descends from an airship overhead. Morocco claims his MorBot can do the work of the whole Rescue Bot team, and proposes a contest to prove its worth. The mayor invites both Chief Burns and Morocco to the next council meeting.

Cody and Chief Burns visit Frankie and Doc Greene at the bed-and-breakfast, and warn them of Dr. Morocco's return. Greene, retired from his job as chief scientist, has taken up bird house construction.

At the council meeting, Morocco makes the case for his MorBot, claiming that it would keep people safe without endangering any humans. When Morocco threatens to go find another town, Mayor Luskey decides on doing a trial of the MorBot, after which Burns's team will step aside if it's successful.

The team is disgruntled. Boulder has already started packing, but Burns points out that the MorBot is just an unthinking machine, and everyone perks up. An explosion at the dock, caused by a grenade with a familiar "M" logo, soon has the Burns team swinging into action. They reach the dock and start fighting the fire, but Cody spots that the crates are grenade explosives. While the humans fall back, the bots continue their work, until the MorBot turns up and causes a wave which washes over the dock. The fire is out, but as everyone observes, the dock is a disaster zone. The operation has been observed by Huxley Prescott, who excitedly reports on the MorBot's first victory.

The Rescue Bots are even more dispirited, and Cody attempts to cheer them up by telling them the story of John Henry, conveniently leaving out the ending. The Rescue Bots promise to work harder.

As a young boy plays with a toy rocket in the park, Morocco places a small canister of nanites in it. The rocket is soon rampaging through town, and despite their best efforts, the Rescue Bots are unable to catch it, as it's being radio controlled by Morocco himself. The MorBot has no such trouble, though it totals several parked cars in the process. Prescott reports it as a victory for the MorBot, though Frankie is moved to complain about his bias.

Cody discovers that Morocco had possession of the rocket and contacts Burns, who's busy with cleanup, and then Frankie. As he's talking to Frankie, Doc Greene's solar car loses control, thanks to a canister of nanites. The Rescue Bots head to help and, despite Morocco radio controlling the car, manage to bring it to a stop so the Greenes can get out. Though Blades covers the solar panel with a tarp and Heatwave rips out the battery, the car springs back into life. The Rescue Bots, joined by Prescott, follow it to the town hall, where it's narrowly prevented from squashing the mayor by the MorBot. Morocco turns up to take the credit, and Luskey announces that Morocco is the new lead scientist. Frankie swears to get to the bottom of this, but the mayor stands the Rescue Bots down.

Back at the fire station, Heatwave is furious at losing, while Boulder finishes reading John Henry's story. Heatwave thinks they need to be reassigned. Cody, however, gets a call from Frankie, who reports that her dad has found a canister of nanites in the remains of the solar car.

To be continued...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Humans
Chase (1) Blades (2) Boulder (7) Heatwave (8)	Charlie Burns (2) Dani Burns (4) Cody Burns (5) Mayor Luskey (6) Graham Burns (9) Kade Burns (10) Doctor Morocco (11) Mrs Neederlander (12) Frankie Greene (13) Doc Greene (14) Mr Alper (15) Huxley Prescott (16) Edgar Prewett (17)

Quotes

"I can't make any important decisions without pants!"

—Mayor Luskey

"Littering! That robot can expect a citation in the mail."

—Chase

Notes

Continuity notes

• Among the items Boulder packs can be seen the Rubber Ducky from "Four Bots and a Baby" and the plant he got at the end of "Walk on the Wild Side".
• The nanites previously appeared in "Cody on Patrol".
• The solar car previously appeared in "Hotshots"

Real-world references

• John Henry is a figure from American folklore. This isn't the first time he's mentioned in Transformers fiction, having appeared in person in Hearts of Steel.