Episode Guide

I've put together some brief synopses of Zeta Project episodes. All episodes are listed according to the YTV numbering. (I'm doing all these from memory so they may be a little off.)

Season 1

-1:The Accomplice When we first meet Zeta he's contacting Agent Bennet from a bus depot, trying to explain his innocence directly to him. The NSA however is tracking his call, and they send the nearest team to hunt him down: Agents West and Lee. Zeta manages to escape because of West's eagerness to use his firearm. Meanwhile, we also meet Ro, who's in trouble for shoplifting. She escapes with the food and brings it back to the streetgang she's staying with. The leader explains their next job is to rob a nearby bank. When Ro objects just before they go in, the gang leader pulls out a gun. Zeta risks being spotted by the NSA to save her life. In exchange, Ro helps Zeta escape from the NSA. She nicknames him Zee and helps him gain a partial file of the team that made him. Even though Ro originally planned to take money for her help and leaves, she decides to stick with the robot.

-2: His Maker's Name Having partially downloaded a list of the scientists who worked on the Zeta Project, Zee and Ro head off to see Dr Arroyo (Ed Note: The YTV spelling. I've seen several different ways of writing his name). They go to the research center where he works to discover a group of space hippies (Spacies) protesting outside. When they accidentally trip the security system inside, the pair manages to hide from the guards by blending in with the Spacies. They return with the Spacies to their compound. Ro decides that the best way to get Dr Arroyo to talk with them is to kidnap him, so she does. She sets up a place with him where she will bring Zeta too, unaware that Dr Arroyo has already been told that the robot is an uncaring killing machine. When the pair arrives, Dr Arroyo springs the trap he has been given by the NSA. When the scientist accidentally gets caught, Zee risks his own safety to save him. Dr Arroyo, his opinion of Zee changed, helps Ro and Zee escape from Bennet's team and tells them that Dr Selig is the man they should really be looking for.

-3: Change of Heart Zee and Ro are escaping the NSA team by ducking into the Grandview Science museum, where Dr Selig will be giving a symposium. They wander through an exhibit on robotics where Zee begins to think about his origins. Ro seems rather touchy on the subject. While moving through the museum, Zee is picked up by an electromagnet. A worried security guard calls the NSA to let them know where their anDroid is. Zee and Ro escape by going on a ride through the human body where child-form Zee makes friends with a little girl. Zee becomes curious when the girl and her mother bring up the topic of love. As they exit the ride, the pair notices that the NSA agents are scouring the building for them. As they try to sneak out, the little girl from earlier becomes trapped in the nuclear fusion reactor. Risking his own safety, Zee rescues her and reseals the door, urging all the visitors to leave. Zee slows up the agents by trapping West with the electromagnet, while he and Ro hide in the robotics exhibit. A furious Agent Bennet leaves. Zee and Ro leave the museum in a taxi, wondering about the idea of Family.

-4: Remote Control Zee and Ro Drop by an academic thinktank looking for information on where Dr Selig could be. They run into a boy named Bucky, an 11-year-old child genius. When Zee mimics Ro's voice exactly, Bucky becomes suspicious. He hacks into the NSA secret files and discover that Zee is a run away Infiltration Unit. He downloads Zeta schematics into his latest invention, a remote control that can take over an electrical device. Later, Zee and Ro have settled down in a hotel room (we find out that robots snore) when Zee suddenly begins to head somewhere beyond his control. Bucky has taken control of the anDroid and uses him go after Dr Tanner at a science convention. Zee unwillingly threatens the doctor with his weapons while Bucky forces him to confess that all of his inventions were stolen. Bucky broadcasts it over the convention monitors. Ro breaks Bucky's machines and she and Zee leave.

-5: The Next Gen At a Groundwire cybercafe, Zee manages to intercept an order from the NSA to another Infiltration Unit, IU7. He and Ro decide that they have to stop someone else from being killed by an infiltration unit. At the airport, they discover that a computer error won't let them on the plane. Bucky appears and reveals that he caused the glitch and that the only way they are getting on a plane is by bringing him along. Zee and Ro reluctantly agree. When they reach their destination, they melt Bucky's shoes to the pier they stop at and continue on to find Roland DeFlores. Zee disguises himself as DeFlores daughter and kisses the guard (!) to get in. DeFlores gets freaked out after not one, but two infiltration units appear before him. Zeta and IU7 battle for awhile. Bucky tries to take over IU7 with his invention from 'Remote Control,' but discovers that because of Zeta the NSA has installed reprograming override codes. Zeta is finally able to outsmart IU7. DeFlores remains alive even though his crime empire has been completely decimated. It is revealed that IU7 is still alive, although it is badly damaged. Its damaged mind has secured a new target: Zeta.

-6: Westbound Zee and Ro are relaxing in a hotel, where Ro is trying to explain the idea of "stopping to smell the roses" to Zee. Suddenly, the NSA team breaks in. They escape on a blimp and head to a nearby train station, but not before Agent Bennet spots them. He orders West to wait at the station for backup, but West follows them onto the train instead. His holoviewer is knocked under a chair and he is reduced to the lowtech method of poking people. Zee disguises himself and Ro as a random couple, but his hologram malfunctions and he transforms into West. They flee the car and continue down the train. His malfunctions happen several more times until Zee realizes that his hologram spasms are caused by the electric transformers the train runs through. They reach the end of the train and West fires at them. His shot knocks him unconscious and destabilizes the caboose. Zee tells her to grab West and retreat into the next car. He detaches the caboose from the train but is separated from Ro. When the train reaches her destination, Ro heads to a botanical garden where she meets up with Zee. She remarks that they're starting to think alike.

-7: Hicksburg Zee and Ro are in a store picking up some presents to give to Ro's adoptive family in Hillsburg, who they plan to ask about Ro's real parents. As they are leaving, Zee passes by a robot that is selling an Adam Heat movie. (A movie that seems awfully similar to the events of The Next Gen... ^-^). As they go to meet Ro's adoptive family, she explains how she always felt that her adoptive sister Tiffy was favoured over her. At the door, Ro asks Zee to look cool. When Tiffy opens the door, he reveals that he has changed his appearance to that of Adam Heat, and sweeps Tiffy up in a kiss. Tiffy's boyfriend is not impressed, and neither is Ro, especially when Tiffy spreads word of Adam Heat throughout the town. The NSA catches on when they discover that the real Adam Heat is off filming a movie. They head off to bring in Zeta. Back in Hillsburg, Tiffy's father is still cold to Ro, but says he look for information on her parents. Tiffy invites Zee and Ro to come to her rehearsal of Romeo and Juliet, and invites Zee to practice as Romeo. Zee's identity is accidentally revealed and he heads off into the woods. While he is there, the cables on a logging truck snap, Dropping their cargo down the hill. Zeta manages to deflect them away from the theater. Sheriff Morgan is so impressed he hides Zee and Ro from the NSA. Tiffy reveals she stole something from Ro when she was younger and gives Ro a picture of her real brother.

-8: Shadows (Crossover with Batman Beyond) Zee and Ro spend some time relaxing in a shopping mall, having arrived a day early for Dr Selig's appearance in Gotham City. Zee decides to try out a ride for children while Ro grabs some food. Unknown to both of them, IU7 has followed them. It takes on Zee's appearance and joins up with Ro. Its lack of personality and violent behavior makes Ro suspicious, and when she sees child-form Zee is figures out who is next to her. IU7 begins causing massive destruction while still wearing its hologram of Zee. Ro is injured in the attack. Zee manages to escape by disguising himself as a SWAT team member and brings her to a local hospital. Meanwhile, Bruce Wayne (the old Batman) has received a tape clip that shows Zee destroying the mall and shows it to Terry (the new Batman). Terry believes that Zeta has reverted to his old programming. At the hospital, Ro has been treated by an Ultra MRI, but is still weak. Batman breaks in and mistakes Zeta's soldering laser for a weapon. Zeta is trying to explain he wouldn't hurt Ro when IU7 breaks in. Zeta, Batman, and a newly awoken Ro run through the hospital while IU7 chases them. Zeta leads it into the MRI room, prepared to sacrifice his own life to protect Ro. Batman saves him at the last minute, but IU7 is pulled into pieces. Zee and Ro thank Batman and continue on their journey.

-9: Crime Waves (Listed by YTV as "The Beach") Zee and Ro are relaxing on a beach when three punks rush by on motorbikes, chasing someone. Zee takes down the bullies and they flee in terror. The victim introduces himself: he is Wade Pennington, the son of a robotics billionaire. His bodyguard runs up and introduces himself as Sven. They go back with Wade to his mansion where he treats them to lunch under the gaze of Sven's security robots. Wade shows his disdain for robots by kicking a serving bot into the swimming pool for fun. Zee and Ro leave, annoyed at Wade's actions. They later see a news bulletin: Wade has been kidnapped and they are blamed as the kidnappers! The pair avoids the local police and visits the punks from earlier. It turns out that Sven has been paying them to harass Wade so that he will think he needs all of Sven's security. The pair heads out to Sven's yacht. They are captured by Sven's security robots and thrown in the cargo hold. Zee helps Ro escape and revels to Wade that he is a robot. The three of them manage to take down Sven. Wade announces to the media who the real kidnapper was and learns to treat his robots with respect.

-10: Taffy Time Zee and Ro are being chased by Agents Lee and West. Zee and Ro crash their hovercar in a swamp, and a mysterious man tells them to follow him. He leads them to a gingerbread house attached to a candy factory. They enter and the man introduces himself: Krick, a bounty hunter who has had his eye on Zeta. Zee pushes Ro through a trash chute and she ends up outside the building. Agent Lee arrives and enters the building. Krick turns on a forcefield, locking the three of them inside. Krick takes Lee hostage uses her safety to threaten Zeta. Zee disguises himself as one of the koala factory workers, but Krick has an eyepiece that can see through his hologram. Krick shoots Zee, but Lee breaks his eyepiece. Outside, Ro has discovered the force field when West appears. He walks into it and knocks himself out. Ro notices a rat with a piece of chocolate and crawls through the sewers back into the building. Inside,Krick ties Lee up on a toffee stretching machine and threatens to kill her unless Zeta surrenders. He cuts the cables on an overhanging platform, dropping it on Krick. Krick digs himself out and starts the machine only to discover that Zee has switched places with Agent Lee. Zee removes Krick's robotic arm. Ro arrives with West following her. Lee lets them escape under the pretext that they were too quick for her.

-11: Ro's Reunion Ro is siting in her hotel room interviewing her brother. His image shifts; it's Zee helping her see what it would be like to meet him. They go to visit a social worker in the hope that she knows where Ro's brother is. She doesn't, but she suggests that they go on a talk show called "Skye's The Limit." They go to watch an episode being filmed and see a little girl being reunited with her long lost mother. The producer announces that Ro will be a guest on the show the next day. Ro is hesitant to do the show because she worries that she will lead the NSA straight to Zee. He convinces her to do it anyway and she reluctantly agrees. The next day, Zee sees the girl from the show being dragged into a car. Her 'mother' was actually an actor and the social worker has been using the show to track down runaway kids from foster homes. He confronts the producer and the social worker. They lock him in the back of a truck and drive out of town. He breaks out and runs back to tell Ro. On the show, Ro is introduced to her brother. She becomes suspicious as he looks nothing like the picture she has of him. Zee breaks in and tells the viewers that the show is faked. The NSA, who have been tracking the show, break in but Zee and Ro manage to escape. Zee tells Ro he is sad that she didn't find her brother, but she says that he's all the family she needs.

-12: Kid Genius Zee and Ro are traveling down the highway in a sidecar motorcycle, when it suddenly veers off without their control. It brings them to Bucky who has taken control of their bike with his device. He tells them of his problem: Dr Tanner has kidnapped his parents. They head to a hotspring Dr Tanner has been developing to discover that Bucky's parents have been reduced to children. They are captured by ape-like creatures. Zee is thrown out of the resort while Tanner orders Ro and Bucky's family to the lab. Bucky tries to control his parents' childish actions while Ro realizes what's been going on: Dr Tanner had been working with Bucky's parents to alter the hotspring mud to make the customers younger, but the mixture was unstable and has been reducing them to children. Bucky asks Ro to help him by breaking the control panel for the hotspring which she does. The hotspring goes out of control, spraying mud everywhere. The customers flee from the resort. Zee and Ro help Bucky take his family home, while Dr Tanner is stuck with all the children from his hotspring.

-13: Absolute Zero Ro passes by a lab with a bag of groceries when a man attacks her and runs off. The guard runs after the attacker, as an old lady points out the direction he went. The senior is revealed to be Zee (who was also the attacker). He takes on the guard's appearance and sneaks into the building where he downloads some retinal scans. The other guard becomes suspicious when Ro gives her groceries to a homeless woman and alerts security. Zee escapes the building and is picked up in a hovercar by Ro. They head to a scientific institute where Dr Selig is by posing as Dr Wilhelm and his assistant. They meet Dr Selig, but don't get a chance to speak to him before the real Dr Wilhelm shows up. The guards fire shots and accidentally trap Dr Selig in a cryogenics machine. Meanwhile, Bennet has located where Zeta is, but a superior officer tells him not to interfere. Bennet sneaks into the first lab and discovers what files Zeta downloaded. At the institute, Zee is manually stabilizing the machine that Dr Selig is trapped in when Ro is flung off where she is sitting by an explosion. After a tough decision he goes after her, but she climbs back up, uninjured. The cryo machine begins to break down, and Zee decides to brave the cyro gases and rescue Dr Selig. He does, warming the doctor with his own thermal element. As the doctor wakes up, Zee tries to speak to him but the guards break in. Zee and Ro flee, disappointed about their visit. Bennet arrives at the scene but so do his superior officers. Agent Lee, having betrayed Bennet to them, quits. Bennet figures out that Zeta is searching for Dr Selig.

Season 2

-14: Wired (Part 1)

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-15: Wired (Part 2)
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-16: Hunt in the Hub
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-17: Ro's Gift Zee and Ro are standing outside a clothing store examining a jacket. Ro wonders what it would look like being worn, so Zee changes into a hologram of her. She heads into the store to buy the jacket. Meanwhile, a cleaning bot goes out of control and begins to attack people. Zee (still wearing his hologram of Ro) disables and fixes the robot. A woman watching tells her companion that she believes the girl has ability. They chase after her, but Zee resumes his normal image to evade them. Ro exits the store and is kidnapped by the strange woman and some gangsters. Zee chases after them, but stops to save a milk truck from careening out of control. Ro is taken to a farm and placed with some children. She learns that everyone on the compound has psychic powers, and they believe hers is to be able to communicate with machines. They force her to fix a bomb. The young girl, realizing that Ro does not have any real psychic powers, does it for her. The woman Bombshell reveals her plan: she will set the bomb on a local radio tower, and when it goes off it will bring out the latent psychic powers in children- or kill them. Zee interrogates the gangsters who kidnapped Ro and discovers where she is. He meets up with them as Bombshell's minions are planting the bomb. A couple of police officers recognize him as the renegade Infiltration Unit, but decide to see what he's up to before they try to arrest him. (Intelligent police officers? Whoa...). With assistance from the psychic children, Zeta is able to diffuse the bomb. Bombshell is arrested and the kids are returned to their families.

-18: Quality Time
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-19: Resume Mission A young boy is given a box of old parts from a hospital by his father. He finds an interesting looking motherboard and plugs it into his computer. The board, the last remnant of IU7, takes over the boy's computer and begins to order part to make itself whole again. Meanwhile, Ro and Zee are at a Ground Wire cafe, trying to order a new part for his shoulder. (It sparks.) Zee comes across orders for the remains of IU7 and begins to investigate. IU7 destroy a delivery bot, and as a result the police are called into to investigate. When Zee and Ro arrive, they find the street completely barricaded. They sneak in by posing as a SWAT team member and confront IU7. They fight and IU7 rips Zeta in half. The stronger IU kidnaps the boy and heads to his father's shop where a plasma cannon is waiting for it. Zeta solders himself back together (!) and the two chase after it. They catch up to it at the shop and manage to hit IU7's weak spot. The evil Infiltration Unit falls apart and our heroes continue on their way.

 

-20: Lost and Found
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-21: On the Wire
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-22: Cabin Pressure
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-23: Finder's Keepers/The Wrong Morph*

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-24: Eye of the Storm
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-25: River Rising
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-26: The Hologram Man
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*I had previously listed on here an episode titled "Finder's Keepers." According to Robert Goodman (the creator of Zeta Project) himself, this was an early working title for the episode "Resume Mission," and not the title for #23.

 

Batman Beyond Guest Appearances

-Zeta Terry becomes suspicious of his biology teacher when he notices that she is speaking word for word with the textbook. Outside of school, she is attacked by a group of federal agents. Her appearance fades revealing a sophisticated android (without a head...). Terry goes to investigate the teacher's house and discovers his real biology teacher tied up in the basement. He speaks to his friend Max about it, but she seems distracted and makes a mistake about the gender of a friend of theirs. After Terry leaves, Max heads to a warehouse where the real Max is tied up. Zeta Drops his hologram of Max. He tells her his story and explains that he doesn't want to kill anymore. Max suggests that Zeta get rid of most of his weapons, and he does. Batman breaks in to save Max and he and Zeta fight. Zeta is finally able to convince Batman of his true intentions when the NSA arrives. Zeta has a chance to kill Agent Bennet but lets him go instead. Batman helps Zeta escape and the robot begins his quest for freedom.

-Countdown In Gotham City, Mad Stan is threatening to blow up a science symposium when Batman arrives and stops him. Mad Stan flees the building. Also in Gotham City, Zee and Ro have arrived to look for Dr Selig at the same symposium. They are chased by the NSA who place a paralyzing device on Zeta, but he is saved by Mad Stan who takes him home in his truck. At Mad Stan's place, Zeta's holograph fails, reveling him to be a robot. Stan is shocked and attaches a bomb to Zeta's back. Meanwhile Ro is phoning the police trying to reach Batman when she is attacked by a gang of Jokerz. Batman arrives in the nick of time to save her. Ro tells him that Zee was kidnapped by Mad Stan. Zee is waking up and Stan gives him a location where he can meet up with Ro. The android leaves happily, not knowing that Stan plans to use him as a walking bomb. Batman and Ro visit Mad Stan's hideout and learn that they have until midnight to find Zeta and diffuse the bomb. Ro and Batman split up to find Zee. Terry goes to see if Bennet knows where he could be, but the agent seems disinterested. While Terry is talking to him, Agent West plants a tracking device in his vehicle. Zeta is attacked by the same Jokerz that threaten Ro, and he beats them up(!), and one lands on Batman's windshield. The frightened Joker tells him where to find the android, and Batman is able to tell him of the bomb just before it goes off. The NSA arrives, but are tricked as Zeta leaves in the batmobile. Zee and Ro discover that Dr Selig has already left Gotham and continue on their way.