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DD II Shrine

Rebirth
Episode written by David Caren and Larry Carroll

     The episode begins with Chop (who noticeably has a cybernetic arm) and Michael (the student of the Dragon Dojo) carrying out some maintenance on the Dragon Cruiser.  Michael comments that the day that Chop built the Cruiser must have been the proudest one of his life.  Chop agrees that it was, adding that it was also the day he became a Dragon Warrior.  Impressed, Michael asks how Chop accomplished both feats in one day, thus setting up the flashback that is this entire episode.
     “It was a dark and stormy night …” Chop opens.
     The Shadow Warriors attempt to take over the Metro City refinery.  Billy, Jimmy and Tsunami are waiting for them, having received a tip-off.  The Dragons defeat the Shadows and send them packing.
     At the Shadow Dojo, Sickle tells a disgusted Shadow Master that they don't have the firepower to defeat the Dragons.  Ice Pick states that for once, he agrees with Sickle.  In order to take over the refinery, the Shadow Warriors will need a powerful new attack vehicle. Ice Pick continues that he has heard of a great mechanic who can provide them with such a vehicle.  The Shadow Master resolves that he must have this mechanic.
     Elsewhere, Marian, Billy, Jimmy and several cops have a surprise for “Mike Pollard” (Chop, with only one arm).  As Chop is taking an early retirement from the police force, Marian, the Dragons and the cops have all chipped in and bought him an auto-design centre with the latest in automotive technology.  Mike is not impressed.  He says that no one will take a one-armed mechanic seriously - he certainly doesn't.  Billy tells Mike that he's still the best designer and mechanic in Metro City.  But Mike storms out, slamming the door.
     Later, Marian tells Billy and Jimmy that Mike was so different “before the accident.”  He was a top cop, a top mechanic, and a driver that nobody could beat.  Jimmy says that now, Mike is “beat.”  Billy replies that Mike is only beaten because he thinks he is.  Billy concludes that if one wishes to believe in something, he must first believe in himself.
     We then have a flashback-within-a-flashback: Mike, with both arms and wearing a police uniform, is driving a police car in pursuit of a speeding vehicle.  A child skates into the middle of the road and stops in Mike's path.  Mike swerves to avoid the child and his car rolls onto its side and then upside-down, finally crashing into a telephone pole and exploding.
     Mike then wakes up from what was obviously a nightmare.  He discovers a thin man in his house, wearing a suit, coat, hat and sunglasses. The man identifies himself as “North,” telling Mike that he works for a government agency.  North has a business proposition: he needs a new police attack vehicle design.  Mike tells North that he's not sure if he's the right guy for the job.  North shows Mike a cybernetic arm, telling him that with it, he could do anything.  North then takes Mike to a production facility fully outfitted with the latest technology for Mike's usage during the project.  Mike, overjoyed, accepts North's offer, shaking North's hand with the cybernetic one North gave him.  As North leaves, he morphs into his true form: the Shadow Master.
     We then fast-forward to after Mike has finished the design project.  He demonstrates his new vehicle, the Stalker, for North (and the viewer).  The Stalker's speed, shielding and firepower are all displayed.  North is impressed and Mike says it was thanks to the cybernetic arm.  North then instructs Mike to build more Stalkers.  As we see the new Stalkers leave the production line, the Shadow Warriors enter them.
     Back at the refinery, Marian tells the Dragons that her informant says that the Shadow Warriors are planning another attack on the refinery for that very night.  Jimmy is skeptical after what happened the last time.  Just then, the Shadow Warriors, in their Stalkers, enter the refinery.  The Dragons attempt to combat this new threat, but are forced to retreat.  The refinery falls under the control of the Shadow Master.
     Later, the Shadow Master announces to the media that the Dragon Warriors must surrender to him by midnight, or he will ignite all of the fuel in the refinery, burning Metro City to the ground.
     At the Stalker production facility, Mike has destroyed everything, ensuring no more Stalkers can be made. North arrives and reveals his true form to Mike, saying he already has all the Stalkers he needs.  Mike attacks the Shadow Master, who yanks the cybernetic arm off him and trashes it.  The Shadow Master then throws Mike through a window.  He tells Mike that he'll keep what's left of the arm as a memento, and Mike may keep his life as payment for services rendered.  The Shadow Master says it's a fair bargain for a useless weakling.
     At the Dragon Dojo, Jimmy admonishes Mike for falling for the Shadow Master's lies.  Marian cuts Jimmy off, telling Mike that he built the Stalkers and he can help find a way to defeat them.  However, Mike has no confidence without the cybernetic arm, and is plagued by the Shadow Master's insults.  Mike suggests that maybe he really is “just a useless cripple.”  Billy tells Mike that what matters is how he feels about himself, not what the Shadow Master says.  Marian agrees that Mike's only real handicap is in his mind, and he has to believe in himself.
     As the Dragon Warriors leave, Mike notices some broken-down cars and decides that maybe he can do something after all.  He tells Marian that he's going to build “a sweet little surprise” for the Shadow Master.
     At the refinery, the Dragon Warriors have come to surrender.  As they are surrounded by Stalkers, their situation seems perilous.  Suddenly, Mike arrives driving a newly-built Dragon Cruiser.  He starts destroying Stalkers left and right.  Billy and Jimmy join the battle, and soon the Shadow Warriors are on the run.  The Shadow Master, furious, plants a bomb on a large fuel tank.  Mike notices it and rushes up the ladder and across the bridge toward it.  The Shadow Master blasts a gap in the bridge, keeping Mike from reaching the bomb.
     With the Shadow Master and Mike on opposite sides of the gap, the Shadow Master fires off both energy blasts and insults, but he is unable to harm Mike with either.  Mike leaps across the gap, hanging over the other edge by his one arm.  The Double Dragons rush up behind Mike.  The Shadow Master tells them that they've run out of time as we see the bomb's timer has less than ten seconds.  Mike swings up onto the bridge, grabs the Shadow Master's scythe, and hurls it at the bomb, knocking it off the tank and onto the bridge.  The Shadow Master tells Mike that he can't do this.  Mike declares confidently that he can do anything.  He picks up the bomb and launches it away, where it explodes harmlessly in mid-air.  The Shadow Master flinches from the light of the explosion and disappears.
     Later, in the Dragon Dojo, Mike adjusts his new cybernetic arm (the one we saw at the very beginning), and is dubbed “Chop,” Dragon Warrior.
     Flash forward (or back) to the beginning (at the end), as Chop concludes his story.  He built the Cruiser, defeated the Shadow, built himself an even better cybernetic arm, and became a Dragon Warrior - all in one day.  Michael says he can't believe that Chop ever considered himself handicapped.  Michael tells Chop that he never thought of Chop that way, and would be surprised if anyone ever did.
     Epilogue Message:  Billy is teaching a class at the Dragon Dojo.  He notices that Michael seems inspired.  Michael replies that he is from Chop's account of how he beat his handicap.  Michael says that what you're like on the outside isn't important - it's what's on the inside that counts.  Michael resolves to make the best of what he's got and not waste his time wishing he was like somebody else.

     Eddie MountainGoat's review:  Another episode with a positive message.  It has obvious connotations towards the physically disabled - I particularly liked the fact that Chop stopped the Shadow Master's plan without the artificial arm, declaring “I can do ANYTHING!” But the self-belief and self-doubt themes apply across the board to all aspects of confidence (or lack thereof).
     This is also a rare occasion where the epilogue-message isn't just relevant to the plot of the episode; it's directly connected to the plot.
     There are definitely better-written episodes than this one.  It begins the flashback with one of the most clichéd flashback introductions ever.  And there's no man-to-man combat.  But it has a meaningful moral value, and leaves you with a feel-good attitude.

Rating: B