Warning: This is a full episode recap, so if you don’t want to read any spoilers, please watch the show before reading this.
Beck disrupts a video monitor that proclaims that Tron is dead and that The Renegade (Beck) will be brought to justice with a simple proclamation that “Tron Lives.” This unfortunately brings the authorities out, wanting to scan everyone’s Identity Disc. Beck trusts another program that says he also doesn’t want his Disc inspected and they escape via train. But when Beck disembarks, he realizes that the other program has stolen his Disc!
Tron gives Beck a fake Disc to wear on his back to avoid detection by Tesler’s guards, but without his real Disc, his memory will fade and he will forget everything he has ever seen or experienced.
Mara questions why Bartik and Hopper are hanging around their garage. Zed, however, gives in to their request to help them stop The Renegade.
Tron takes Beck to search for his Disc, starting with pawn shops in the shady district called Pergos. One shop owner, Cobol, seems sympathetic and offers to help. Tron doesn’t believe him, however and prepares Beck for his memory loss. Before they know it, they are surrounded by hostile programs. Beck and Tron duke it out with the programs when suddenly Beck experiences his first bout with memory loss. Disoriented, he is about to be taken captive by the thug-like programs when a mysterious woman in white intervenes and rescues both Beck and Tron. Her name is Lux and she offers to help.
Elsewhere, Zed shows off his newest invention to Mara, a device capable of decimating a Light Cycle.
Beck, Tron and Lux go to the cantina where Cobol told him he would meet them, but he isn’t there and none of Lux’s sources know of any recently stolen Identity Discs. Beck, however, spots Galt, the program that stole his Disc in the first place. He bolts as soon as he realizes he’s been spotted, but Beck and friends chase him down. Galt states that he doesn’t have Beck’s Disc anymore, but gets derezzed by a mysterious stranger who then flees on his Light Cycle. Beck and the others chase after him in a brilliantly animated sequence, until Beck suffers another bout of memory loss and gets taken out of the race. Rather than pursue the attacker, Lux chooses to stop and help Beck.
Zed is excited by his new creation, but Mara observes how destructive it is. She tells Zed she didn’t think he was like Bartik and Hopper but wishes him luck and leaves.
Lux takes Beck back to her place which is quite impressive. She patches him up, but without his Identity Disc, she can only do so much. Tron examines Galt’s Identity Disc and locates the memory of him stealing Beck’s Disc, but when Beck looks at the hologram-like memory, he doesn’t recognize himself. Tron urges him to stay with him, but Beck doesn’t remember who either of them are. Tron suddenly collapses, taken down by Lux. Cobol enters and brags that he warned Beck not to trust anyone.
Cobol and Lux have convinced Beck that he is part of Tesler’s military and plan to send him to them via beacon. Tron tries to warn Lux that Cobol will derezz her, but she insists that he loves her. Tron is skeptical.
Mara shows up when Zed is demonstrating his device for Paige and her lackeys. Her presence encourages her to blow the demonstration and he destroys his device, before stating it still “needs work.”
Tron confronts and battles Cobol, but the disoriented Beck attacks Tron. Desperate, Tron removes his helmet and urges Beck to fight his memory loss. Cobol recognizes Tron, as does Lux who utters, “Tron lives!” Cobol attacks Beck, but Tron pulls Beck’s Disc from Cobol’s clutches and returns it to Beck. When he attaches it to his back, he remembers everything and attacks Cobol, freeing Tron.
Cobol handcuffs himself to Beck, as the military arrives but Lux derezzes him and tells Tron if she’d known he was alive, it would have changed everything. She gives Tron Cobol’s Disc then lunges into battle with Tesler’s men in order to give Tron and Beck a chance to escape. However, when Beck realizes she gave Tron her Disc as well, he desperately wants to help her. Tron has to drag him away to safety. Beck is distraught to see her derezzed before his eyes, but she seems strangely serene. Later, Tron drops her Disc into a pool of water in tribute.
Another solid episode in this well-produced series! The high light was the Light Cycle chase. It was excellently storyboarded and animated. It was sad to lose both Cobol and Lux, though, as both seemed to have a lot of untapped potential. The side story with Zed and Mara felt a bit tacked-on, but I suppose had their subplot not been included, I would have felt they were unnecessarily absent. Overall, another satisfying installment!
What do you think? Are you a fan of this summer series? Comment below!
If you missed the previous episode be sure to read our ‘Tron Uprising: Blackout’ recap to catch up.
