Tron: Uprising’s first season 1 has finally ended, after the series started airing in May last year it has followed a rather irregular schedule which I think contributed to the show’s declining ratings. Disney has further honored the series by placing it in a midnight timeslot thus squeezing it off from a vital young demography. All this has irritated fans of the show who now understand that it’s first season may also be it’s last. I think Tron: Uprising is a top quality show and it’s season finale ‘Terminal’ is an example of that.
As for the plot of ‘Terminal’…
The episode continues with immediate aftermath of Able’s death. Though Beck knows that Able sacrifice himself Mara thinks ‘The Renegade’ abducted her and caused Able to sacrifice himself. While Tron and Beck are practicing their fighting skills Tron becomes ill with the virus that he has been affected with, despite Beck’s efforts Tron warns him that he has two or three cycles left to live. While Beck is strolling through Argon he is ambushed by Cutler, who reveals that he knows that a weapon CLU built is on it’s way to Argon city. Cutler convinces Beck to meet him at the docks as ‘The Renegade’, Beck is ambushed again by Cutler but this time for real. It is revealed that CLU has repurposed Cutler and has send him to flush out Tron.
Beck manages to flee in a light-jet but is pursued by Cutler’s henchmen, Cutler orders them to bring in Beck alive but during the spectacular pursuit they don’t seem to care. Finally Beck is cornered, Cutler tells him that he knows Tron is ill and that he has one chance to save himself with handing himself in. Tron deliberates this, there is a chance that is Beck can interrupt the procedure he will be healed but not repurposed. Beck states they have no other choice. Meanwhile, General Tesler’s right hand man Pavel has taken over command of Able’s garage, this prompts Mara, Zed and the other workers to plan a revolt. While Tron is in Cutler’s healing chamber Beck is moving through the recognizer to reach him. Beck manages to do so just in time, Tron even succeeds into letting Cutler briefly think that he was repurposed.
Both Tron and Beck try to escape the recognizer but are cornered by Cutler, as Beck fights him Cutler’s repurposing seems to show cracks. Even though Beck tries to completely undue the procedure he fails and has to let go off Cutler who falls into the depths of the recognizer. After the recognizer has crashed near Able’s garage Beck fights off Pavel’s guards to help Tron escape, Mara and her co-workers decide this is the moment to start their own rebellion and join the fight. Meanwhile General Tesler angrily asks Paige what the recognizer he has never seen before is doing in Argon city, she tells him it must be CLU’s doing. The final scene of the episode show CLU’s fleet approaching Argon city with CLU being accompanied by Dyson on his flagship.
Conclusion…
This last episode of the season is very effectively written, all scenes have a clear purpose and pacing is very fast. The episode’s light-jet pursuit is nothing short of spectacular and so is the final showdown between Tron, Beck and Cutler. The small scene for Paige and General Tesler was a bit of a disappointment but there was little room for them in the plot. The arrival of CLU is an effective cliffhanger for the next season. My hopes are that the show will continue and that the storyline between Beck and Paige will be further fleshed, I hope there will also be more eappearances of Dyson and Quorra.
I fear however that Tron: Uprising won’t be back for another season, you don’t have to be an idiot to understand that the ratings aren’t spectacular. In part Disney themselves are to blame for that with poor marketing and the choice of an 22-minute per episode format that fails to allow storylines to be fleshed out. Creative choices such as trying to appeal to a very wide audience may also be to blame. The high-points of this show so far have been the spectacular visuals and excellent soundtrack which is now available for retail.
I hope we see Tron: Uprising back.
TRON Lives!
Best quote; Tron: ‘Good news! I’m healed! Bad news! I’m healed’ while attacking Cutler’s guards.
Score; 9 / 10.
I hope that soon that this show comes back, but it was also really cool to see Tron fully healed and he and Beck were fighting together again. I even felt sorry for Cutler when he got repurposed and was supposedly killed. And after seeing the renegade fighting off the black guards, Mara, Zed and all the workers of Able’s garage step in to protect the Renegade even Bartik and Hopper join in also.