Life's a Glitch

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ReBoot Episode
Dot with Bob covered in black
Life's a Glitch
Episode no.	4.06
Written by	Ian Pearson, Gavin Blair
Story by	Ian Pearson, Gavin Blair
Original Airdate	16 November 2001
Prev.: My Two Bobs | Next: Null Bot of the Bride
View Episode List.

Dot is in a lab room talking to Welman, hoping that somewhere her father could see and recognize her. Phong tells her that with Hexadecimal gone, Welman has reverted to his Nibbles persona, but that recent events have proven their theories on nulls true. He reveals to her that the Tech Boys have developed a Game Sampler to download Game codes to attempt to reverse the nullification process. Dot is hopeful for the plan, but lamented that it wouldn’t help her father since he wasn’t nullified by a Game.

In front of Dot's Diner, Mike the TV is giving a newscast on recent events, specifically on Hexadecimals sacrifice and asking the question of what exactly she did to Little Enzo’s icon.

In the War Room, Dot is talking to Mouse about her dilemma with two Bobs. Her big problem is that one Bob looks like the one she remembers, while 'Glitch-Bob' is different. Mouse asks about Phongs advice but Dot dismissed it as being too simple, ‘Follow your heart.’ Mouse agrees with Phong and tries to get her to just make a decision, but Dot is too preoccupied with the feelings of both of them.

Phong is trying a new method of reversing nullification when 'Glitch-Bob' shows up. He wants Phongs help in separating himself from Glitch and they both admit that it has never been done before. Glitch-Bob is frustrated that he feels like an outcast because the other Bob looks like the original, and he is certain that Dot is more partial to the other Bob. By separating from Glitch he feels that it is his only chance to win Dot's affection. He wants access to the Archives to improvise some method to get the seperation done, but Phong hesitats. He accuses Phong of believing he isn't the original, but Phong is able to avoid the question when an alarm goes off.

The alarm is for a build-up of Game energy, and Phong is called away to use the data storage device in the Game. Matrix, Bob, AndrAIa, Hack and Slash are also on hand. Little Enzo, against everyone’s wishes, slips into the Game as well. The Game is a new version of Rocky The Rabid Raccoon 2, where they instead have to face off against the raccoon as toys and other household items. Matrix becomes a Darth Vader-esque figure, Bob becomes a GI Joe, AndrAIa is a Barbie, Phong is a cup of yogurt, and Hack and Slash are pop cans. Enzo, despite everyone’s fears about his changed icon, reboots normally into a marionette. Phong sets up the device and everyone prepars to confront the User.

'Glitch-Bob' discusses his situation with Mouse and tells her his idea to seperate from Glitch. When he tells her that Phong didn't, or wouldn't, give him the password to the Archives Mouse hacks into the storage facility for him. 'Glitch-Bob' sets to work. He tries a variety of tactics that end up doing absolutely nothing. Upon further research, he remembers the way Gigabyte was split into Megabyte and Hexadecimal when he split a portal. (Gigabyte) He desides to do the same thing.

In the Game, things are hectic as everyone is working to keep Rocky from his goal of getting to the cookie jar. Little Enzo surprises everyone by roping Hack and Slash and using their carbonation to create a powerful rocket vehicle for himself, and effectively takes one of the Users lives. In the end, they all have to work together in a cartoony fashion, including using a thanksgiving turkey robot to finally beat the Game.

'Glitch-Bob' activates the portal generator in the Sub-Sphere and creates a portal that loops back to Mainframe. After entering, he uses the Glitch command ‘splitter’ and it backfires horribly, detonating the tear and 'Glitch-Bob' falls from the explosion encased in a hard black shell.

Everyone runs to his side, but no one has a clue what happened to him. They call for the Guardian medical teams and AndrAIa attempts to pierce the shell with her claws, which doesn't work.

Later, Turbo tries to comfort Dot with the fact that their best teams are working with 'Glitch-Bob'. 'Guardian-Bob' feels responsible for the actions of 'Glitch-Bob', and suggests he should stay at the Super Computer for a while. Dot stops him, admitting that she doesn’t want him to leave her. She says she loves him and always did, and he returna the sentiment. They share several passionate kisses, and Bob aska Dot to marry him, which she accepts. The share one more kiss.

[edit] References

• This is the second part of the ReBoot: My Two Bobs movie.
• Michael Benyaer, as Bob resumes the original "I come from the Net" introductory ReBoot opening from Seasons I & II.
• Mike announces the program 'Little Brother, virtual reality TV' a reference to "Big Brother" a reality television show first broadcasted in the Netherlands in 1999.
• Amongst the footage of Hexadecimal shown, a scene from Painted Windows was clearly visible.
• Mikes line during the newscast 'and where did we get that footage!?' is a jab at the common money saving practice of using stock footage to portray live footage, which couldn't possibly have such dramatic camera angles. It is sometimes called 'The Magical Security Camera.'
• Dot tells Hack and Slash "Boys, change that command to four point zero six", '4.06' was this episode's production number.
• Glitch Bob makes use of three small Telepod chambers identical to those from the 1986 film-adaptation of "The Fly".
• The binary control panel on the Telepods is an old calculator light-emitting diode (LED) display.
• Rocky the Rabid Raccoon returns from Between a Raccoon and a Hard Place and System Crash.
• The comical antics and domestic-violence involved in the Rocky Game sequel parody those seen in MGM's "Tom & Jerry" cartoons.
• Matrix reboots into a spoof of Darth Vader from the "Star Wars" fictional universe.
• AndrAIa has rebooted into a smiling doll resembling Mattel, Inc. "Barbie", created by Ruth Handler, inspired by predecessor German doll "Bild Lilli".
• Bob copy has booted into a "G.I. Joe" with "kung-fu grip" hands, one of the military-themed articulated dolls produced by Hasbro.
• Phong reboots into strawberry yogurt having the same sentence structure and voice of Jedi Master Yoda from the "Star Wars" movies. Yogurt is also the name of the Yoda parody from Spaceballs.
• Hack and Slash have Rebooted into two soda drink cans called "POKE" and "PEEK". The letter style design used is identical to those from Coke and Pepsi brands. The two commands were also used in the BASIC programming language on the Commodore 64 and Apple II series computers.
• Glitch Bob teleports using the Transporters as seen in "Star Trek" movies and television series.
• While browsing through the Archives Glitch Bob opens footage from Gigabyte.
• The items of food in the background include 'Cat-Chop', 'Stenchie's Weirdo's Favourite Mustard' and 'Wheelios'.
• Little Enzo flying Hack & Slash soda cans with cables is a spoof of the 'Podracers' high-speed craft from the Star Wars movies.
• Little Enzo reboots as a wooden puppet but dressed in a style reminiscent of the young Anakin Skywalker from "The Phantom Menace" which relates to the fact that he is the younger version of Matrix, who has rebooted as a Darth Vader spoof.

His speech is very broken, given that he is a puppet, but this may also be a small reference to the opinion that the portrayal of Anakin Skywalker was described as 'wooden' in a lot of reviews for the Star Wars prequel series.

• Bob copy waving the light pen at Rocky imitates a Lightsaber, a weapon from "Star Wars" movies.
• Matrix controlling the robot chicken is a pun on All Terrain Scout Transport (AT-ST) from "Star Wars: Return of the Jedi" movie. Due to their design and movement, they were often dubbed "chicken walkers".
• Bob copy tells Little Enzo "Luke, use the sauce", a pun on Luke Skywalker guided by the voice of Obi-Wan to "use the Force," and destroy the Death Star from "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope" movie.
• Glitch Bob's hands and facial expression when he is trapped in a crystalline state parodies Han Solo frozen in carbonite, leaving him in suspended animation from "Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back" movie.