On the last episode of ReBoot, our heroes made it into the web, but not before AndrAIa would be bitten by a web creature that sapped her energy, and part of her code. The web is a dangerous place on its own, but it seems the inhabitants of the web are just as dangerous. Can Matrix, Ray Tracer, and the crew of the Saucy Mare survive a battle with the “Web Riders on the Storm”? And will this battle lead them to an old friend? Let’s see for ourselves, shall we?
We open the episode right where we left off as the saucy mare are sailing with no signs of the web riders. While the crew are ready to battle, other pressing issues are at hand as AndrAIa is getting worse. Matrix is, as you’d expect, getting frustrated, and blames the whole situation on Tracer. Tracer reminds Matrix that it wasn’t his fault that they lost the target on the web creature that bit her, and decides to go out and try to get a fix on the creature. Matrix finally realizes his jealousy was the cause of everything, and apologizes to AndrAIa.
The ship continues on through the web, as the surfer leads on. Capacitor tells the crew that for once this voyage isn’t about netting them profits, but to repay a debt to their friends. Matrix, in an attempt to buy some time for AndrAIa saps some of his energy into her. The surfer eventually finds the web creatures inside a data storm as the ship readies itself for when he returns. It doesn’t take long for him to exit, as he’s chased by the web riders.
He manages to get back into the ship before the riders catch him by merging himself with his board. However, it knocks him out. The saucy mare opens fire on the web riders, but they manage to evade everything they bring at them. Matrix is still busy siphoning his energy to save AndrAIa and is in no shape to aid in the fight. However, with things looking bleak, he is still tasked to help. And with the riders doing major damage to the ship, they need all the help they can get.
The lead web rider manages to cut down the guns on the ship, making things worse. The surfer awakes, and a woozy Matrix makes it on deck. He sets his gun to target all of the web riders and opens fire, blowing several of them out of the sky. The lead rider tells his crew to fall back, and they escape. Matrix begins to wonder if perhaps Bob has run into the web riders. But the pondering is put on hold as now the saucy mare has to deal with the riders again, AND the pod of web creatures.
The damaged ship tries to move out of the way as the pod attacks. But they’re too late as the creatures ram into the ship causing a whole to break. The burning winds begin to blow away some of the crew, as well as let the web riders into the ship. Now it’s an all out fight with the riders, and despite a good effort, it things all are lost. However Matrix knocks off the helmet of one revealing their true forms. Degraded sprites. In the end, the crew is still beaten, and the riders have seemingly won.
However, one web rider in a blue suit tells the others to stand down, and confronts Matrix and Capacitor. He takes glitch, and places it on his arm. However, it turns out that AndrAIa is about finished. The rider goes to her chamber, and places his arm on the siphon machine, healing AndrAIa. He uses his icon, and gives some of his code to stabilize her. The rider removes his helmet, and if you didn’t guess who it was by now, it is indeed…
Bob.
“Web Riders on the Storm” is perhaps the best action episode of the series. Not as much energy really goes into story, maybe for the end of the episode, but it does deliver with a lot happening in the episode. From the battle with the web riders, to the final fight where the crew of the saucy mare gets brutalized by the riders. The web saga of the series is very much like a space opera in many ways, and this episode proves just why.
This episode doesn’t fully redeem Matrix after the last couple episodes, but does at least give a better reason for his harsh behavior, and especially earns points for him taking the blame for AndrAIa’s situation. It’s understandable why he isn’t as liked for his harsh attitude, but he does at least have those moments of level headed clarity to him,which keeps him from being a total monster.
And most importantly, we finally have Bob back. Ian Corlett is still his current voice actor, and he has a new design, which is mainly attributed to his time lost on the web. It looks pretty good to be honest. So that moves the story forward, and now our heroes are all together again. Now the only thing left to do is find a way back to Mainframe.