The Reign of Morocco
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| "The Reign of Morocco" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | May 19, 2012 | |||||
| Writer | Greg Johnson | |||||
| Director | Patrick Archibald | |||||
| Animation studio | Atomic Cartoons | |||||
Cody looks for proof that the new scientist's invention is really a villainous plan.
Synopsis
Huxley Prescott reports on the recent events, including the retirement of the Rescue Bots and the appointing of Dr. Morocco as head scientist. His report is interrupted by Harrison's out-of-control helipack ride. The MorBot turns up and begins a pursuit, crashing through a building and causing two car accidents. Chief Burns saves two passersby from being hit by rubble from the building. Though the rest of the team wants to be called in, Burns says they can't, and the MorBot uses a fire hydrant to destroy Harrison's helipack before returning to the lab. Within the lab, Morocco is busy trying to sell off Doc Greene's inventions.
At the station, the Rescue Bots are making use of their spare time. An optimistic Boulder is painting a rose, Chase is exploring alternate career options, and Blades is studying humans by watching television. Meanwhile Heatwave is fruitlessly trying to contact Optimus Prime for reassignment and is considering getting their ship back into service.
Burns takes the nanite module to the mayor, but as there's nothing linking the logo to Morocco, he doesn't get anywhere. Doc Greene is packing to move to the mainland in a couple of days as he needs a job. Cody and Frankie are determined that this won't happen, and decide to look for evidence in the lab. Cody persuades Dani and Blades to take him up and Cody spies on the doctor through binoculars until the MorBot interrupts them. It chases them through the wind farm back to the fire station, where the other Rescue Bots stand ready. Conflict is averted when Morocco calls the MorBot back to the lab.
Morocco and Mayor Luskey are returning to port in the Floating Xanadu when they're met at the dock by Burns and Cody, the former of whom complains about the MorBot attacking Blades. Despite the threat of angry voters, the mayor is placated by Morocco announcing he'll reprogram the MorBot. Burns isn't convinced, and even Prescott is beginning to sour on the machine, showing footage of the MorBot wrecking a driver's car and tearing up a tree to retrieve Mister Pettypaws.
Heatwave does circuits outside the fire station, while inside Chase prepares pea soup, as he's decided to become a gourmet chef. The results aren't appetizing, and the pea soup ends up being used as paint by Boulder, who's now painting a less rosy picture.
Cody and Frankie sneak into the lab via a holographic doggie door. They find Morocco making sales over the phone, and discover that Frankie has been locked out of the computer. They're found by the man himself, who sends the MorBot after them. They hide behind boxes and make their way to an elevator, but when they reach the roof, they realize they're trapped. A grenade knocked loose by the MorBot causes an explosion.
With a mounting number of emergency calls and no sign of the MorBot in town, the mayor is forced to call in the Rescue Bots. While the team is on their way to the lab, Cody and Frankie evade the MorBot temporarily by heading into Morocco's airship and closing a door. They find Morocco's computer is active and displaying incriminating evidence. Cody radios Dani, who starts instructing him on flying the blimp while the other Rescue Bots extinguish the lab fire. With the MorBot breaking down the door, Cody brings the blimp down and the two kids disembark, followed by the MorBot, which is promptly surrounded by the Rescue Bots, who tear it to pieces. Frankie presents Burns with the evidence she's downloaded from the computer.
The council reinstates Burns's team and Doc Greene, who go back to the station for a celebratory barbecue while Prescott reports on the good news. Doctor Morocco in the meantime has left the island, having stolen the mayor's ship.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Humans |
|---|---|
|
Quotes
"What's more human than game shows and cartoons?"
- —Blades
"You know, in spite of all the complaining I do about flying... I miss it. Especially flying with you."
- —Blades
"Shame."
"I was quite ready to rumble."
- —Boulder and Chase are disappointed the giant robot fight didn't happen.
"MorBot decommissioned."
"And the less MorBot the better."
- —Chase and Boulder get their fight.
Notes
Continuity notes
- Inventions which appear on the monitor as Morocco makes his phone call include the electro-magnetic sensors from "Deep Trouble", the newspaper dispenser from "Hotshots", floatium from "Flobsters on Parade", the Robo-Baby from "Four Bots and a Baby", a cleaning bot, the Turbo Cycle from "Four Bots and a Baby", and the Helper Bot which we now know as Dither, appeared in "Deep Trouble".
- One of Morocco's clients is seeking highly advanced weapon technology and is building an army. Given that Transformers: Prime shares continuity with Rescue Bots, it seems almost certain that the good doctor is selling to MECH.
- In a similar vein, no definitive reason is given as to why Optimus Prime doesn't respond to Heatwave's messages. While it's hard to know whether it's by coincidence or design, this episode of Rescue Bots aired in the middle of a four-part Prime storyline that did have Optimus away from base on a solo mission.
- Heatwave is thinking of working on getting the Rescue Bots' ship working again.
- The monitors on Morocco's airship display images of the shark submarine from "Deep Trouble", the nanite canister from "Cody on Patrol", the road roller and Doc Greene's solar car from the previous episode, and Trex from "Return of the Dino Bot".
- When Frankie and Cody prepare to infiltrate the lab, Frankie points out that she lived there and knows her way around. During the actual infiltration though, Cody is the one constantly deciding where they should go until they end up at a dead end on the balcony. Somehow, this result surprises Frankie.
Transformers references
- As Heatwave tries to contact Optimus, text comes up on the monitor using the same alphabet as used in War for Cybertron and Fall of Cybertron. It's just the letters in order A through Z, though.
Real-world references
- A panel on the computer on Morocco's blimp is drawn to resemble R2-D2's torso.
Animation and technical errors
- As the MorBot's threat-cam pans from Chase to Heatwave, the threat lines that were added for Chase disappear.
- When the Rescue Bots move in to punch the MorBot, the lineup from the MorBot's perspective (from left to right) is Boulder, Chase, and Heatwave, with Blades absent. But when the punches land and the camera pulls away, the lineup is Boulder, Heatwave, and Blades, while Chase is absent.
Trivia
- How, exactly, did Prescott get the footage in his opening report?
- Doc Greene has a flash drive that can store 100 terabytes of data. Yowza.
Foreign localization
German
Hungarian
- Title: "Morocco uralkodása" ("The Reign of Morocco")
- Original airdate: 19 February 2013
Italian
Portuguese
Home video releases
2013 — Rescue Bots — "Griffin Rock Rescue" (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Rescue Bots — "Return of the Dino Bot" (Beyond Home Entertainment)
2015 — Rescue Bots — "Complete Season 1" (Beyond Home Entertainment)
