What has always fascinated me about ReBoot was its ability to take a parody idea, like setting the characters in a Mad Max game for example, and still manage to make it not only work within the context of the series. But what is really amazing is how it can continue to build continuity within it. And this is another one of those occasions. In any other series, this would no doubt be just another filler parody. In ReBoot, it continues the story that’s been building since Nullzilla. What is the creature that attacked Hexadecimal and Megabyte? And why has Mouse returned to Mainframe? Let’s find out with “Trust No One”.
We open the episode at Al’s diner as his waiter is taking out the trash. Everything seems to be going as usual, until the waiter notices some strange shredded skin. Suddenly something from above swoops down and catches the binome, dragging him away. Back at Dot’s diner, Mouse arrives.
Bob is curious about why she’s still around Mainframe, but she just says that she’s doing “this and that”. One of the Mainframe officers arrives and mentions the abduction of Al’s waiter. And it appears that not only is the waiter missing, so it Dot. Of course, since no one has told Bob about the recent wave of abductions (Which seems silly with him being a guardian and all), he’s a bit confused. It turns out that at level 31 there have been a wave of abductions. Bob goes to level 31, while Mouse leaves with some other plans in mind.
At the diner, Bob isn’t getting much luck from anyone about the disappearances. But he is stopped by a pair of CGI agents by the names of Fax Modem and Data Nully, who have been investigating the disappearances at the request of Phong. While they converse, Mike the TV and a film crew are doing a report about the wave of disappearances, as Mouse is behind them, communicating with someone named Turbo. She also spies the number 5 walking around, and mentions she’s found another victim.
In the Diner, Bob learns that Modem and Nully believe that Mouse is the one responsible for the disappearances, since she was at the scene of each abduction. Modem believes that Mouse’s fangs point her to being a web creature. He also tells Bob about how is sister was captured by a creature with fangs similar to Mouse. He also believes that there is no user, and that it and game cubes are induced mass psychosis by guardians. Bob of course, believes none of this.
While this happens, Mike’s report about Number 5’s sudden abduction is aired. But after the report, Mike is suddenly left alone, as the creature captures his crew, and then comes back for him. Modem instantly recognizes the noise as the creature that captured his sister. But when the three of them make it outside, the one standing next to Mike is indeed Mouse. She tells Bob to trust her, before kissing him and escaping. He places a tracer on her, and chases her.
Mike is awakened and in a panic. He tells Modem and Nully that the light from his TV saved him from being abducted. Modem leaves to get something from the CPU. Bob continues to chase Mouse, and makes it to an abandoned warehouse, filled with the shedding skin of the web creature. The creature is growing, and it eating the victims it abducts. Meanwhile, Mouse tells Turbo that she’s found the location of the web creatures. Turbo tells her to just get confirmation on the creature, and leave the Mainframers trapped, however Mouse plans to free them first.
She finds a room filled with Mainframers trapped in slimy pods hanging from the ceiling. Trapped inside include the number 5, Al’s Waiter, and Dot. Their bodies are covered in tentacles that drains their energy to feed the creature. Mouse uses her sword to free Dotand the others. This angers the creature, which we finally see in all its freakish glory. It captures Dot again, but before it can eat her, Modem and Nully stun it with their flashlights.
We learn that the creature is a Class-M web creature, which can open portals, and invade the entire net. Bob tells Mouse to leave with the others, but Mouse has other plans. She asks Turbo for help, believing that the guardians can help to defeat the creature. However Bob tells her that the guardian protocol for dealing with a class-M is the destruction of the system its in. Turbo and the others activate the bomb to destroy Mainframe, while not happy that it will mean the deletion of Bob and Mouse.
Bob uses Glitch to discover that the bomb is in the communicator given to Mouse. He exits the area as the police force work to keep the creature paralyzed. Bob eventually makes it to the highest point in Mainframe. He sacrifices himself as a massive explosion creates a giant tear. Meanwhile the creature becomes unstable and escapes, heading towards the tear. Bob has survived the explosion. But before they can celebrate destroying the bomb, the creature enters the tear, turning it into a giant portal to the web. With an invasion on the way, Bob tells Phong to prepare for war.
“Trust No One” is obviously an X-Files parody. From its supernatural storyline to its addition of characters similar to Fox Mulder and Dana Scully. If this was any other show, it would just be a standalone episode. Hell, if it was season one, it would be some pointless filler episode. But the fact that it ties in to the revelation of why Mouse was here, as well as the truth about the web creature that merged with the viruses.
Other than a few references, it doesn’t fully feel like it needs to latch onto the parody to keep it going. And that’s what makes it a good episode. It doesn’t sacrifice a progressing story just to keep up with pop culture references. It uses those pop culture references to help build into a progressing story. Something I don’t think other shows have ever managed to do correctly.
This episode is also the first time that we’ve seen the darker side of the guardians. Yes, they mend and defend, but in doing so they have no hesitations in destroying an entire system to do so. The fact that they’re simply shown as shadowy figures, including lead guardian Turbo is a nice touch as well. We’ll see more to the darker side of the guardians later in the series, though that dark side will not be of their own free will.
It also continues to add to the question of what side Mouse really is on. We know that she works for whoever pays her, but she does have a good conscience. And despite being able to handle herself well, she is naive, and is often easily double crossed. The addition of her as this sort of side love interest for Bob is also entertaining. Too bad this will really be the last time we see that. It works well.
In the end “Trust No One” is another great episode that really continues to intensify the saga going on during this season. But now we’ve reached the season finale. Mainframe is at war. Enemies must become allies. But the end result will lead to the ultimate turning point in the entire series.