Review of K9 S01E01 - Regeneration
This is the first episode of the Australian TV show based on the beloved Doctor Who character K9. Unfortunately, due to rights issues, there are no other callbacks to the original series.
The Story
The episode starts with a futuristic and fun intro, blending technology with dog-themed elements, immediately setting the tone for a light-hearted sci-fi show.
Two mysterious men in dark suits deliver a package to Professor Alistair Gryffen, who is wearing a strange helmet. He dismisses them curtly, revealing his edgy personality.
Meanwhile, in a futuristic London (where all the present London landmarks are gone), an edgy teen hacks into a floating screen above the river, and changes it to display:
"NOBODY THINKS
AND
NOBODY GETS HURT
A MESSAGE FROM
STARK REALITY"
Jorjie, a girl who admires his rebellious act, approaches him and offers her help. Starkey insists that STARK REALITY works alone. But then she reveals she knows his real name: Starkey. The edgy boy gets shocked that someone was able to connect that STARK REALITY was a guy called Starkey. Their conversation is cut short by the arrival of Robot Police, but Starkey manages to escape with Jorjie, leading to an exciting chase through dark, foggy alleys.
The boy tries to hack a door. but his equipment breaks. The girl then just opens the door that was not looked at in the first case. This show manages to mix humor and actions flawlessly.
The building turns out to be the home of Professor Gryffen, who is conducting strange experiments. A portal opens, and the Professor gets excited upon seeing a woman and two kids, but Starkey accidentally disrupts the experiment by tripping on a wire, causing the portal to close and trapping them with four menacing aliens. Starkey gets trapped in a corner by one of the aliens and the alien starts to spit on him! ewwwww...
Just when things seem dire, K9 emerges from the portal and saves the day by fighting off the aliens. However, K9's power levels are low, and he is set to self-destruct. Starkey feels guilty and tries to save K9 only to witness K9's heroic sacrifice, which stops the aliens but also results in K9's destruction.
The story takes another twist as more aliens appear, and a new edgy character, Darius, arrives and flirts with Jorjie. But Jorjie is not impressed by our edgy new guy. I think she likes the other edgy guy. K9 then miraculously regenerates into a new, slick form.
The Robot Police came back and they arrested Starkey. His location was revealed to be due to a tip-off from Darius. Starkey gets imprisoned in a white version of The Matrix (the movie not the Gallifreyan one). But there is hope. Jorjie sneaks into the police station wearing cool sunglasses that allow her to communicate with Starkey. She informs him about the department's imprisonment of aliens, even friendly ones. This cool act by Jorjie ends with a comedic moment as Jorjie's mom calls to check if she is at ballet class and if she is wearing her new pink dress.
During the search for Starkey, the alien monsters antecedently release him from the White Matrix, only for him to be trapped in a dark and dirty cell. Once again, the alien spits on Starkey, adding to the gross-out factor.
The commotion in the cell draws the attention of a Robot Police guard, who comes to investigate. The alien attacks the guard, creating a distraction that allows Starkey to slip out of the cell and escape.
Starkey makes his way back to Professor Gryffen, where K9 scans him. However, the alien spit causes K9 to become confused and mistakenly identify Starkey as an alien. In a tense moment, Starkey insults K9 by calling him a dog, which somehow resets K9's system, allowing him to recognize Starkey again.
A woman from the department arrives, inquiring about Starkey and K9. The Professor and Darius cover for them, refusing to give them up.
The episode ends with our three young heroes discussing their next steps. The fate of the alien monsters remains unclear. Were they imprisoned by the Robot Police, or will they return in future episodes? We'll have to wait and see.
My Thoughts
This show suffers from poor acting and a plot that struggles with its tone, oscillating between serious and silly. It may appeal to die-hard Doctor Who fans who have exhausted all other content and enjoy campy sci-fi. I find it best suited for times when I'm too tired for more engaging shows.
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