The Zeta Project – 19resume

When a computer-nut kid named Jason unwittingly plugs IU7’s salvaged CPU chip into his home computer, IU7 begins to rebuild himself in the boy’s bedroom. Zee and Ro have to stop IU7 before it harms the kid — and them.

Originally titled "Finders Keepers."

Media by Borg4of3
Review by Matt Zimmer

Voices:
Diedrich Bader as Zeta / Zee
Julie Nathanson as Ro
Lauren Tom as Agent Lee
Scott Bullock as Captain
Dave Coulier as Delivery Bot
Brandon Jaxson as Jacen Foley
Alexander Polinsky as Teenage boy
Kevin Richardson as Jace’s Dad
 

The IU7 returns with a new target–Zeta.

A kid named Jace Foley is going through his mechanic father’s garage and finds some robot parts which he decides to reassemble. Unfortunately they belong to Infiltration Unit Seven: Or Zeta’s evil Doppelganger.
After fixing the main computer circuit IU7 begins reassembling itself.
Zeta, who is on the net when he discovers IU7’s parts are being shipped to a young boy tells Ro the kid is in danger and takes off to find him.
As soon as the psychotic synthoid has reassembled himself completely he goes haywire and destroys a delivery-bot (voiced by Dave Coulier!), almost blows up the delivery truck and takes Jace hostage. Zeta and Ro arrive to save the boy but IU7 rips Zeta in half and takes off with the kid.

Luckily Zeta is still alive. He reattaches himself and he and Ro take off to follow IU7 to Mr. Foley’s garage where the delivery parts IU7
wanted are headed. They get there and save Jace, destroying IU7 in the process after a cool battle between it and Zeta. Just then the NSA raids the garage and takes what is left of IU7 back with them. One of the agents discovers Zeta but she is an old friend–Agent Lee now on a different assignment. She tells Zeta and Ro to get going as Bennett will be there soon.

I liked this episode and it was nice to get back to some of Zeta’s other foes besides Bennett. It was good to see Lee again and IU7 is still the
Doomsday of DCAU robots. I loved his redesign and thought he was even freakier than before.

The animation was pretty good in my book and I loved IU7’s new glowing pupils. It gave him a creepy look that was very welcome. I thought the fights were pretty well-paced and that there was some serious tension in
Zeta and IU7’s battles. The kid wasn’t too annoying either, so that’s a huge plus.

If I had any complaints about this episode it’s that Zeta reassembled himself too easily. I was under the impression that it was a huge deal that he was ripped in half, but nope, after the commercial break he’s fine again. I also have serious doubts as to the believability that Zeta was repairing himself from the events of "Wired" on the net at the exact same place where IU7’s parts were coming in from. I think the computer must have downloaded some Deux Ex Machism. (Deadly stuff, that.)

Still, I liked the episode even though it wasn’t perfect.

Story: ***1/2
Animation: ****
Average: ***1/2