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Overview

First aired

Monday, May 10, 2010

Written by

John O'Brien

Directed by

James Bogle

Runtime

30 minutes

Location (Potential Spoilers!)

Earth, England, London

Synopsis

The CCPCs hunt a rogue officer who has developed a personality and consciousness. K9, Starkey and Jorjie take the rogue to Gryffen's mansion and hide him from the Department, only to face the mutant copper causing mayhem.

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5 reviews

Using this one as a focal point for a lot of thoughts I've been having - not only about this episode. Honestly, I'm just using this as a springboard/excuse to rant about protest etiquette.


First off, I need to rant. I feel like there's this misconception of potentially arrestable actions that they're some facet of the "glorious revolution" that factions of leftists are keen to cling on to, that they're some riot that feels like a promise of change. They're not. They're exhausting and scary and 100% worth it, but planned actions like the one Starky's doing, well, it's not like it's stonewall. No one *wants* a confrontation. Showing it like this, like it's some mighty "we'll go down fighting (literally)" type stand, it's dangerous. We need to stop creating false expectations like this - the stand is in the action itself, in making sure you and your comrades get out safe.

But this? They're teaching the kids the wrong idea about protests! If there's a risk of arrest or other consequence, you need to be COVERING YOUR FACE and have an escape plan - you don't "stand firm", that's how you get arrested! Stop teaching the children unsafe protest practice! Those bright shirts - where's your bloc? Where's your mask? Where's your basic understanding of how bad getting caught in an illegal protest can screw up your life and the protection and planning needed to prevent that? Protest safely, kids - here's some tips from TKDB.

I'm really glad that the guy touting all that was revealed to be a turncoat, because it did create a bit of the impression that you shouldn't trust what he said (and also because he seemed to be the most okay with being arrested/action-hardliner-type, and this showed that that presentation of extremism is more likely to be fake/misguided.)
sorry for the rant. anyway -


Echoing everyone else - lol that's not a cyborg.

Have I mentioned how much I love the CCPC units. their design is riot gear - which is broken out at times of heavy unrest, and often pre-emptively issued when the political situation means unrest is expected, such as when we get more restrictive, fascist laws coming into effect. And their voices are actually f**king genius - they're cockney, they're a symbol of London, they're tailored to give the impression of being truly British while actually being used to control the British population (or, possibly London - I'm not entirely clear if the dictatorship is actually the whole country, or if the city is kind of cut off). Shame I could never understand Birdy's words - that transcript was a real godsend!

The rogue CCPCC with a bit of humanness? it's first instinct is to protect people - strangers in trouble! - from the cops. Protection and resistance are encoded in human dna. They are the most human things imaginable. Once again, bemoaning that this show with all my favourite themes that teaches the kiddies how to fight back against authoritarianism is just so clunky and badly made and overall mid!!!

Ignoring more stupid teenage love triangle s**t, I loved the bit where Starky was surprised that Jorjie's friend, a fellow activist, hadn't heard of him. Like bbg that's how it's supposed to be, but also, it's only natural to be desparate for people to know of your accomplishments... he's only a kid so it's forgiven but, irl, guys don't brag about your activism, that's how they get you. Could be your downfall. Still, the idea of credit, of wanting people to know that it was YOU who didn't lie down and take it, who fought back... I f**k with this severely.


So yeah, another day, another great concept of an episode/really brilliant setting that is so necessary in today's world, especially in kids' TV, with some of the worst and most boring execution I've ever seen. Not rating this one. Go watch it for yourself.

 


ThetaSigmaEarChef

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This review contains spoilers!

Have I mentioned how much I really like the CCPC designs before? Ignoring the voices, they're just the right blend of goofy and threatening, and I'm so glad we get an episode devoted to them here.

That said, they have no idea what the word cyborg means, I have 0 clue what they're trying to say with it having a human brain (do they mean it's literally now part organic because if so that's horrifying and not touched on at all), and you can tell that JJ's new friend is going to go away by the end of the episode as soon as he shows up.

Also wow, this really is a dystopian dictatorship and they just don't talk about it, "The power to enter your home without permission, the power to search without a warrent, the power to make the world a safer place for everyone that isn't guilty".

The ending is also a bit meh, like, how long can that CCPC actually survive on his own without being reported, they just ditched him and made it not their problem which, not great.


JayPea

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cyborg /sī′bôrg″/

noun

  1. An organism, often a human, that has certain physiological processes enhanced or controlled by mechanical or electronic devices, especially when they are integrated with the nervous system.
  2. A person who is part machine, a robot who is part organic.
  3. A robot who has an organic past.

The writer of this episode was very confused about what a cyborg is. That fact just annoyed me and distracted me from the episode the entire time!


shauny

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This review contains spoilers!

5️⃣⏹️ = MIDDLING!

Barking through time and space, one adventure at a time!

“NOT QUITE THE ROBOCOP!”

Forgettable Girl has a boyfriend now, and he is no better than the other kids. He tries to be cool by calling her "JJ," but that’s just tacky. And he is a baddie, of course, so he gets what he deserves in the end!

So where we follow a Wannabe Roboman who’s gone insane by having human DNA planted into it (hence the mutant copper). This is used to tell yet another classic story of the value of cyborgs and robotic "life.”

So this new Wannabe Roboman (“Birdie”) is actually pretty interesting. And the way K9 is used trying to help it is nice too.

Villain Mother is yet again surprised about the Department doing stuff behind her back, despite evidence of this happening in almost every episode. Smug Face 2 is doing a great job of filling in for his predecessor.


MrColdStream

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This review contains spoilers!

Another non-human protagonist who's a goodie, something this show does well. Not much to say other than it's an inoffensive, goofy episode of a children’s show, with a positive message about “people who are different” using the same cyborg analogy which we got from Voyage of the Damned.


15thDoctor

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2.19 / 5

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Quotes

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K9: Emotions. As I said ruining a perfectly good cyborg!

— K9 Mark IV, Mutant Copper

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Transcript Needs checking

[Street]

(A crowd is watching a screen on which three CCPCs are stood in a camo. Jorjie is stood near the front with Marcus whilst Starkey and K9 are at the back.)

CCPC ANNOUNCER: Your CCPC force now has greater powers for public safety, the power to enter your home without permission, the power to search without a warrant, the power to make the world a safer place for everyone who isn’t guilty.
MARCUS: What about public freedom?
CROWD: Yeah.
JORJIE: Yeah, freedom!
CROWD: Yeah, freedom!
CCPC ANNOUNCER: Your CCPC force now has greater powers for public safety, the power to enter your home…

(Starkey uses a device to magnify his voice and silence the screen as he does so.)

STARKEY: And trip on your carpet!
CROWD: Yeah!
CCPC ANNOUNCER: The power to search…
STARKEY: Your pockets and steal your cred cards!
CROWD: Yeah!
K9: Young master?
CCPC ANNOUNCER: The power to make the world…
STARKEY: A really, really scary place!
K9: Young master?
STARKEY: I think I’ll have a nap now! (Starkey puts his device away.) That felt good.
K9: Prepare not to feel that way.


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