When creating a film or television series, it's often the case that the initial ideas go through several different revisions before eventually reaching the finished product (for better or for worse). While the idea for ReBoot Season 3 was always for 16 episodes broken up into four episode arcs, the overall story was tweaked here and there between the initial idea and the finished episodes. Archived on this website is an early episode list for Season 3. While some of these episode names appear to be the same as the ones we got, there is a few differences, but the key one for today is the seventh episode which is titled 'Das ReBoot'.
While we don't know what the plot of this episode would have been, some pieces of concept art exist that suggest this episode would be somewhat nautical themed. At New York Comic Con in 2008 (skip to 9:21), Season 3's story editor Dan DiDio said that there was originally going to be a 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea styled episode that was thrown out because co creator Ian Pearson hated it. As a result of this, they needed to come up with a replacement episode, and budgetary reasons meant that it needed to be an episode that utilised the assets that they already had. However, this didn't really fit with the arc of Matrix and AndrAIa travelling through the games to try and find Mainframe, so they needed to find a way to work those assets into the story. The end result is one of the most memorable episodes of the entire show, and one that gives us a good insight into Matrix as a character.
The episode begins with a game landing on a system which looks like a planet filled with several satellite dishes. We zoom in on one of these until we get to an elevator which is being manned by Matrix, AndrAIa, and Frisket. AndrAIa points out that the game has almost landed, but Matrix is clearly fed up of this way of life. He reminds AndrAIa that this is the fifth game that they've played in this system, and they have no control over where they go when the game ends since that's determined by The User. AndrAIa is optimistic that this game will get them to a new system, but Matrix is losing hope of ever finding Mainframe since they've been through hundreds of systems at this point, and haven't even found a system with ports to the net.
Overhead, the two hear Dot call out Bob's name, and look up to see Bob and Dot pursuing Hack and Slash. Dot calls out to Bob (clearly wanting Hack and Slash to hear) that she's never seen Bob this angry, and not to hurt Hack and Slash when he catches them. This causes Hack and Slash to stop in their tracks and begin bickering over which one made Bob mad at them to the extent that they fail to see Bob appear behind them. After reassuring them that he's not mad at either of them, he commands Glitch to turn into a golf club, and then hits them all the way back to Silicon Tor, landing a 'hole in one'. As Dot catches up with them, Phong contacts Bob on Glitch, telling the two of them to return to the Principle Office immediately since they have a problem.
After they've set off, AndrAIa ponders if they could have possibly managed to convert the entire city to Game Sprite mode, which Matrix says is impossible since the city is firmware, which wouldn't explain Bob or the fact that he has a functional Glitch. AndrAIa then suggests ReBooting and seeing what happens. Matrix is reluctant to do so as he's afraid of ReBooting into Little Enzo. AndrAIa reassures him that even if he does, it doesn't matter and she'll always love him. However, Matrix says he's worked hard to become what he is, and has put that 'weak little boy' behind him. AndrAIa says there's only way to find out, so Matrix agrees to ReBoot. The three then ReBoot, and become...
Megabyte, Hexadecimal, and Scuzzy. This of course rules out any planned family reunions. Matrix questions if it can get any worse, and then Hack and Slash appear in front of him, reporting for duty.
At the Principle Office, Phong tells Bob and Dot that surveillance reports indicate that Megabyte and Hexadecimal have teamed up, and are in the Tor together. Dot thinks that this means trouble, but Bob isn't too worried since when they normally team up, they're stopped by either Megabyte's greed or Hexadecimal's insanity. We then zoom out to see that Matrix and AndrAIa are watching this via Scuzzy, and Bob says that they need to prevent Megabyte and Hexadecimal from finding out about 'Number 1', getting Frisket to stop the replay. AndrAIa determines that Number 1 must be the objective of the game. but Matrix isn't sure it's even a game, and isn't sure of anything anymore. This prompts Hack and Slash to go back and forth, which annoys Matrix to the extent that he shouts at the two to be quiet, shouting in Megabyte's voice. This scares them, and seems to impress AndrAIa, who feels the voice is 'strong and demanding', and definitely not the voice of a little boy. Matrix feels this is worse, as it represents everything he hates. AndrAIa asks if it's everything he hates, or everything he's afraid of becoming, slipping into Hexadecimal's voice partway through. Matrix decides he needs to find Number 1 to get to the bottom of this, asking AndrAIa to pass him his legs.
Back at the Principle Office, Bob, Dot, and Phong are overlooking Silicon Tor on a vid window. Bob says he doesn't like this since it's too quiet, which Dot points out isn't like Megabyte at all. Phong feels that Megabyte is behaving out of character only for them to be interrupted by two binomes informing them of a bogey heading towards the Principle Office (although one of them thinks it might be a birdie). Bob asks if it's a birdie or a bogey, and Dot determines it's a bogey named Megabyte. Bob tells Phong this looks like the same Megabyte to him.
We then see Matrix riding Megabyte's bike to the Principle Office, walking down the corridor to the Principle Office's great hall and telling Bob they need to talk. Bob jumps right at Matrix, believing him to be Megabyte, but Matrix catches him in mid air. Matrix tells Bob if this was a game, he could end it right now, but he's not going to as he needs Bob to trust him. Dot asks Megabyte why they should trust him, and Matrix tells her that he's not Megabyte, but is actually Enzo. Dot of course doesn't believe him, but Matrix pleads for her to believe him, saying that if he finds Number 1, he can help him. Bob feels this is a trick to get to Number 1, and fires a particle beam from Glitch at Matrix, holding him back. Dot says that Megabyte could never be her brother since 'Enzo would never be so vicious'. Matrix insists that while he's changed, he's still Enzo. A large vid window of Megabyte's face pops up and red x's form a giant cross across his picture. Phong says that he needs to be filed and indexed, and as soon as Bob releases the particle beam, a giant claw picks him up, carrying Matrix over to a giant filing cabinet. Matrix declares that he will not be filed, stamped, briefed, debriefed or numbered, his life is his own, and they won't hold him. He then uses his viral powers to infect the claw, allowing it to release him before it can drop him into the filing cabinet.
Back at Silicon Tor, AndrAIa is changing her masks from happy to sad in front of her looking glass. She's amused by this, as she's never been so in touch with her emotions. Matrix then arrives on Megabyte's bike, and AndrAIa declares that it's a 'nice bike', causing Matrix to ask her what it is with her and bikes. He tells AndrAIa that they didn't believe him, and that he did nothing to prove he wasn't Megabyte to them. AndrAIa then asks what's wrong with being Megabyte, which angers Matrix, since he feels everything about Megabyte is wrong. AndrAIa asks if that's really the case, since Megabyte has strength, control and power, everything that Matrix wanted. Matrix says that while it is what he wanted, he didn't want it this way, and not at the expense of Bob and the others. He says he needs to make them see that he's Enzo, even if he has to delete them all to do so.
At the Principle Office, Phong tells Bob and Dot that he's decided that should meet with Number 1, telling them that the rendezvous point is still the same. As Bob and Dot leave, Phong is delivered a cup of cocoa by Number 9. Phong then asks him 'how's your back, 9?'. We then see Bob and Dot proceed through an alleyway. As they leave, Matrix and AndrAIa emerge out of a nearby warehouse and follow in pursuit. Bob and Dot enter Dot's Diner, and AndrAIa theorises that it looks like that's where they're hiding Number 1, which she feels is both predictable and unexpected. Matrix says that if this is game, he's going to go in and end it immediately, something which AndrAIa (speaking in Hex's voice) feels was 'spoken like a true virus'. Matrix accuses AndrAIa of taking her role a little too seriously, to which she tells him that she's just playing, and to 'lighten up, Megabyte'. Matrix corrects her, telling her his name is Matrix, and this insanity stops now.
Matrix enters the Diner, and finds himself in a bizarre courtroom. Mike the TV and Cecil are sitting on a See Saw, there's two firemans poles in the room, and the jury is made up of binomes wearing Hexadecimal masks which are half black, and half white. Matrix asks where Number 1 is, and the jury instantly begins chanting 'Here comes the judge! Here comes the judge! Everybody knows and here comes the judge!' as Bob arises from a platform, hitting his mallet to silence the court. Dot, the prosecution, reads out Matrix's charges, which are of feeling that the ends justify the means and of becoming everything he claims to hate. The court instantly declares him guilty, but Matrix points out that this is no trial as he has no defence. Bob then calls out Hack and Slash to act as his defence, who declare him as a 'very bad man'. Matrix again pleads with Dot to believe him when he says he's Enzo. Dot is angry about this, and tells Matrix to stop calling himself her brother, running up and hitting him on the chest. Matrix grabs her, but that causes her to shatter into pieces and vanish. Bob says that he's betrayed the memory of his sister, and the court again declares him as guilty. Bob then walks right up to Matrix, asking if he has anything to say before he passes sentence. Matrix then pleads with Bob to help him, saying he needs to end this and find out who Number 1 is. Bob then starts repeatedly saying the word guilty, with the crowd then joining him. This drives Matrix insane, who then extrudes his claws and strikes the crowd, causing everything around him to shatter and the room to go pitch black.
A spotlight then shines on Matrix as Hexadecimal appears behind him, saying that he's killed everyone. She then vanishes, only to appear as a giant mask in front of Matrix. She asks if he's figured out who Number 1 is, as she has. She then vanishes before turning into loads of masks who say they've all figured out who Number 1 is. Matrix angrily shouts at them to tell him who Number 1 is. The masks then vanish, and a vid window appears in front of Enzo which, at first, appears to be a mirror. Then, the reflection of Megabyte speaks, saying he is number 1, the driving force of Matrix's life, who drives him on and consumes him. This angers Matrix, who strikes the vid window, causing him to once again become Matrix and is met with another vid window. The reflection of himself says he is number 1, and cares for no one. Matrix says this isn't true as he loves AndrAIa, but the reflection says he doesn't, and only loves himself. Matrix doesn't want to hear this, so shoots the vid window.
Then, he's met by his younger self, who says he's Number 1, the original, asking Matrix if he thinks this is a game. Enzo feels that Matrix hates him based on what he's become. Matrix says that isn't the case, he just had to become bigger and tougher in order to be ready for Megabyte and survive the games. Enzo asks him if he liked the games more than Mainframe and his family. Matrix says he didn't and was trapped in the games. Enzo then accuses Matrix of forgetting his family and becoming a prisoner of the games, asking what Bob would think of him now. Enzo then says that there can be only one, and throws a golf ball which turns into a giant white opaque bubble that suffocates Matrix.
Matrix then wakes up and sees AndrAIa dressed in golf gear standing over him. When he asks what happened, AndrAIa says that Matrix was knocked out by a golf ball hitting him on the head. We then pan over to a tiger and a shark playing golf. Matrix asks what happened to Mainframe, to which AndrAIa says that he must have been dreaming, and they're on the final of a golf game, asking Matrix to sit back wait for her to win the game. Matrix says he's tired of waiting for things to happen, that he's fed up of the games, and that it's time for them to take control and truly begin searching for Mainframe and Bob. Matrix then asks who hit the golf ball, drawing gun and ordering it to begin targeting. This causes the tiger and shark to flee before we end the episode with Matrix saying 'be seeing you' before we zoom in on his cybernetic eye.
In 'Icons', we saw that Matrix views viruses as being undeserving of mercy, which we can assume stems from his hatred of Megabyte. In his dream in this episode, we see that Matrix feels Megabyte has become the driving force of his life, and has worries that his hatred of Megabyte will consume him. At the end of the episode in his conversation with his younger self, we find out why he's moulded himself into his current form;
In Firewall, Enzo ended up in a confrontation with Megabyte which left him feeling humiliated. The only reason he survived as long as he did against Megabyte was because Megabyte allowed him to live. Even then, the only way he could stop Megabyte was by trapping him in a Firewall (something which might not even be able to hold him permanently). Then, in Game Over, Enzo was bested by a User that outmatched him in size and physical strength. This obviously would have an effect on Enzo; if he couldn't beat this User, how could he even think about facing off against Megabyte?
So, of course, Matrix felt he needed to become stronger, not only so he could survive in the games, but so he could be prepared to defeat Megabyte once he returns to Mainframe. However, he also has some fears about what he's become, which is shown in the dream by him ReBooting into Megabyte; he fears that he might be just as bad as Megabyte now, and worries that his friends and family would be ashamed of what he's become. Of course, Bob and Dot refuse to even humour Matrix when he claims to be Enzo, since they see him as Megabyte. This is how Matrix feels they will see him if he gets the chance to reunite with them. This is reinforced at the end when Little Enzo asks Matrix what Bob will think of him now.
This episode also has what is most likely the most obscure pop culture reference of the entire show, with several references to the cult British 1960's TV show The Prisoner, something which I imagine went over the heads of the majority of children who watched this episode when it first aired (myself included). The sequence where Matrix heads to the Principle Office to meet Bob mirrors the opening sequence to The Prisoner, with Bob Buckley scoring the sequence with a music piece that has similar vibes to The Prisoner's opening theme. As well as this, the episode's title 'Number 7' is a reference to the name of The Prisoner's protagonist 'Number 6' (alongside referencing the fact that this is the seventh episode of the season), the characters keep saying 'be seeing you', a phrase often used in the series, the courtroom scene is similar to the ending of The Prisoner (complete with Number 6 finding Number 1 and seeing his own face), and the ball that Enzo throws at the end of the dream sequence becomes a Rover, the force that subdues anyone trying to escape The Village.
Of course, at 4 years old in 1998 when this episode aired in the UK, I had little to no idea what The Prisoner was (asides from hearing the theme song on a CD compilation of Cult TV theme tunes that my dad got free with Cult TV magazine and thinking it sounded a bit like the music in this episode), so all these references. When I was 11, I ended up watching a DVD of the first episode of The Prisoner (which came with the first issue of The Prisoner magazine where each issue came with a DVD with one episode of the show), and then a lot of these references in this episode of ReBoot made much more sense.
While the 'it was all a dream' is at times a bit of a lazy plot device when used in fiction, in this episode, I feel it works well since it was the only way that any of this episode was going to make sense (and even then, some still might be confused about what the heck this episode even was), and it allowed us to get a glimpse into Matrix's psyche, allowing us to fully understand what drives him as a character.
This is also the first episode of the show where Bob isn't voiced by Michael Benyaer, who voiced the character in the first two seasons. This time around, he was voiced by Ian James Corlett, who had previously worked with Mainframe Entertainment voicing Cheetor on Beast Wars: Transformers. Corlett does a pretty decent job of portraying Bob in this episode, and while he does get the characters mannerisms down, the change of voice can be a little jarring at times, especially if you're used to Benyaer voicing the character.
This is a very good episode of the show and while I wouldn't say it's one of my absolute favourites like Firewall, it's probably somewhere in my top 10-15 favourite episodes. The episode works best as a character study of the show's new protagonist, and this new understanding of this character's mindset has a benefit on the show going forward.
Next week: Matrix finds himself getting hunted by a trio of Guardians in 'The Episode With No Name'
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