Cold War (Code Lyoko episode)
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Cold War is the forty-fifth episode of the French animated television series Code Lyoko. It premiered in France on January 18, 2006 and in the United States on October 25, 2005.
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[edit] Summary
A famous reporter named Thomas Vincent visits the school, planning to do a story on the lackluster performance of today's education system. Meanwhile, XANA begins to exhibit some strange behavior, activating Towers and then deactivating them before the group can get to them. Confused, Aelita and Jeremie stay at the Factory to investigate while the others head back. It's only after they head back that XANA takes action, activating a Tower and causing a massive snowstorm. With a blizzard between them and help, Jeremie is forced to send Aelita to Lyoko alone.
[edit] Recap
The episode starts on Lyoko. XANA activates a Tower in the Ice Barrier.
In Jeremie's room late at night, the Superscan activates, but picks up nothing. Jeremie is confused, but too tired to investigate.
In the morning, he tries to find out what happened. As he works, Odd is tearing his room apart for a DVD he made. He says he needs to give it to someone named TV if he wants to be famous. When Aelita asks about TV, Odd explains that he's a famous news reporter named Thomas Vincent. Odd eventually finds the errant DVD on the desk by his desktop computer.
At the Administrative Wing, the Headmaster and Jim greet Vincent. The journalist is rather conceited and self-absorbed. He chastizes his camerawoman for being slightly late and asks Jim to pay for TV's car, which is in valet parking. Vincent and his crew have come to Kadic Junior High School for an in-depth report of some nature.
In class, Mrs. Hertz is talking about a field trip they went on to a field of corn. She questions the class on the predicted yield of the field. Nicolas is called upon and gives the estimate of 1024 tons. Mrs. Hertz finds this funny, commenting on how he's solved world hunger. Vincent barges in at this point. Mrs. Hertz is annoyed by the interruption and tries to get some answers. Vincent just ignores her and starts his work. After a small speech about how the nation's school system is sub-par and how it is causing students to fail, he needs examples of the lackluster Grade Point Averages. Vincent picks Jeremie at random to get his GPA. Jeremie answers with 99.87 out of 100. Vincent tries to find someone who's failing after hearing this. Odd raises his hand, but not for that reason. Once Vincent walks over, he tries to give him the DVD he made. The bell rings and the kids cheer that class is over for the day.
Outside of the Science Building, Odd is annoyed that Vincent wouldn't even look at the DVD. A Tower actvation cuts any further conversation short. Odd just hopes they get back in time for spaghetti and meatballs at lunch. They head off to Lyoko.
Once there, the gang is placed on a long, narrow passage to a Tower in the Mountain Sector. Nine Hornets show up to deter the crew's progress. The nine break into groups of three and engage each warrior. Ulrich gets to fight first, using his katana to perform some swordplay. The virtual sabre deflects a laser bolt back a one of his three, blowing it up. Yumi is up next. After a short run and a long, spinning jump, she uses her Tessan Fans two take out two of her pursuers. The last is dispatched just as easily with another fan toss. Ulrich uses a Super Sprint to take out the last of his opponents. Odd comes last when fighting. His Lazer Arrows impact two of his three attackers. The last is dispatched by Yumi. A new Hornet arrives, but leaves just as quickly. The gang heads to the Tower to shut it off, but it does so by itself.
Back on Earth, Jeremie says that XANA keeps performing the same action over and over again: Activating a Tower and then deactivating it again in a vicious cycle. Both he and Aelita stay to figure the problem out. The others head back to school.
In the Cafeteria, Vincent cuts in line and takes most of the meatballs, much to both Odd and the Rosa Petitjean's annoyance. He even comments on the food's poor quality after doing so.
Meanwhile, XANA decides to activate a Tower and make the activation permanent. Neither Aelita nor Jeremie are sure if the virus means is serious this time.
In the city's Hi-Tech Park, a TV satellite dish on the PAJH Television Corporation building lights up and one of XANA's ghosts is shot into the atmosphere. The local climate is changed drastically, and it begins snowing lightly. Jeremie calls the others and warns them of the attack. All the kids at the school are having fun in the snow, until XANA upgrades the snow day to a full-blown blizzard, with all of the children crying and afraid. Everyone is forced inside, Odd, Ulrich and Yumi included. Hervé and Sissi are forced to take refuge in Vincent's car, since they strayed too far from the buildings and got caught in snow drifts.
Inside the school's buildings, Jim passes out stocked cold weather attire to the students, staff and guests. Vincent is treated to wearing a particularly foolish-looking snow cap (with a Christmas theme). Jim is able to keep track of the outside temperature via a thermometer he got as a free gift from his subscription to Sumo Magazine. Everyone is kindly and gently lead into the Boiler Room by Jim and Mr. Delmas. Knowing that the blizzard will only get worse, the gang sneaks off to get to the Factory. At the same time, Vincent wants to go outside to film the blizzard. His camerawoman won't go with him, citing the danger of getting frozen solid in the cold. In response to this intransigence, Vincent fires her and goes by himself.
In the car, Hervé makes a bold suggestion to Sissi about huddling together for warmth. He gets shot down without so much as a pause. Vincent arrives and moves the two eighth graders to the back seat so he can drive, despite zero visibility. Meanwhile, the gang has also managed to get outside. They arrive just in time to see Vincent crash his car into a tree. Vincent blames the power steering. Yumi orders Vincent to go back to the Boiler Room with Herve and Sissi. Once the three depart, the tree that Vincent damaged falls. Yumi pushes Ulrich out of its path and is caught under it as a result. Unable to move the tree, Ulrich elects to stay behind while Odd heads for the Factory.
At the Factory, Aelita and Jeremie are arguing over going to Lyoko. A news report on the computer details just how bad the weather is. All economic and social activity in the cities of the region have been driven to a standstill by the unexpected blizzard. Aelita finally convinces Jeremie to send her to Lyoko. Once there, she heads for the Tower on the Overbike. Jeremie says that three Hornets are following her, but once Aelita turns to look, it's clear that's not the case. They're actually Mantas.
Back at the school, Ulrich uses a chain and wheel to make a pully system to shift the tree. It's so cold outside that the chain breaks when he pulls it. He goes back to Yumi to keep her awake, knowing that if a human sleeps in the snow, death will come in the form of hypothermia. (Jim, too, knows this as well, but it's unclear how he knows). Meanwhile, Odd has been stumbling through the snowbound streets and frozen neighborhoods and is almost to the Factory, but almost frozen as well due to the super-chilled air.
On Lyoko, the Scyphozoa arrives to capture Aelita. The Mantas drop their crap flak bombs to ensure that she doesn't escape. With a small use of her Creativity, Aelita makes a ramp to jump over the Scyphozoa and the minefield. She succeeds, but doesn't stick the landing and falls off the Overbike. The minefield disappears as the Scyphozoa moves in.
Odd arrives in the Lab, collapsing as he reaches it. Jeremie picks him up and drags him to the Scanner. Odd is sent to Lyoko still groggy from the cold. His Overboard is already under his feet when he arrives. He shakes off the grogginess and heads for Aelita. The Scyphozoa has caught up to Aelita now and actually grabs her in mid-run. Odd shows up just as the Scyphozoa begins to steal her memories. He chases it off with no trouble. Catching Aelita as she is dropped, he speeds off towards the Tower.
Back at the school, Ulrich's repeated attempts at using the pully have all failed. He's now resorted to just keeping Yumi awake. He tries to reassure her with comments on how the gang couldn't function without her.
In the Boiler Room, morale is low and the boilers are breaking down due to the super freeze. Many students are freezing and about to drop out. Jim begins to tell everyone a story about he was a test subject in a Government research center at one point. Vincent is seen trying to steal a blanket from Milly and Tamiya. His ex-camerawoman promptly smacks him for it.
Back on Lyoko, Aelita and Odd are forced to deal with the Mantas. Using flying crap flak bombs, the Mantas set up a wall around the Tower. Reckless as always, Odd flies right in. One of the Mantas crashes into the ground when it tries to pursue them. Eventually, the Mantas get ahead of the two. Odd was waiting for this. A well-placed shot into the lead Manta's wing sends it spiraling into the ground, making an opening for the two on the Overboard to get through. Odd clears a few wayward crap flak mines and drops Aelita off. All the mines disappear as he does. Odd takes off to stop the last Manta, but achieves the opposite result. With no more resistance, the Manta heads for Aelita. She gets into the Tower before it can stop her.
Conditions in the Boiler Room are getting worse. The boilers have now gone out completely, and everyone but Jim is dying of hypothermia and frost bite. Jim, who is still trying to tell his story, finally collapses. At the tree, Yumi is out of it as well. Ulrich is almost gone, but remains awake just long enough to say that he needs her. Whether or not Yumi hears this is unclear.
Aelita deactivates the Tower just as he closes his eyes. Relieved, Ulrich checks on Yumi. She doesn't appear to be breathing. He tries to call the Factory, but his cell phone has been shut down from the deep freeze. Needless to say, he's a little more than distraught over this. Odd heads up to the Lab and has Jeremie activate a return trip, citing Yumi's problem as the main reason for it.
Back in time in the Cafeteria, Vincent cuts in line yet again. Unbeknowest to the journalist, Odd and Rosa have worked out a special deal. When Vincent approaches the serving vats, Rosa ladels out a lump of meatballs and sauce. She immediately proceeds to dump it on Vincent's head. As sauce dribbles down his front, the assembled students laugh at the steamed but disarmed Vincent. Odd even tells the reporter that he can get seconds if he wants.
[edit] Memorable Quotes
- (The temperature outside grows colder)
- Yumi: Leave me.
- Ulrich: You won't get rid of me that easily.
- Odd: Well my lady, your Tower is served.
- Odd: Oh, no. More ice!
- Odd: TV didn't even want to see my masterpiece.
- Aelita: Is that what it means to be a starving artist?
- Odd: If I don't find the DVD of my short film in the next three seconds, I'll turn into a pumpkin!
- Yumi: Weird, I guess XANA's not up to snuff today.
- Odd: Well weird or not, it's better for us because we have something waiting for us. MEATBALLS AND GRAVY!
- Hervé: It's a scientific fact that if we huddle together, we'll keep warmer. (Sissi slaps him) Ouch!
- Sissi: It's a scientific fact that a good slap will keep your cheek warm!
- Ulrich: (to Yumi) I need you...
- Odd: Can I drop you off at the next activated Tower, perhaps?
- Aelita: I wouldn't say no!
[edit] Trivia
[edit] Cinematic Notes
- During Vincent's little speech about the "failing" averages, he appears to be talking through his teeth, like he is getting very angry and irritated.
- When Jeremie places Odd in the scanner, his undershirt was skin tone.
- When Odd attacks a Flying Manta, his arrow misses the Eye, but it still explodes.
- The children are wearing their normal clothes (that clearly do not warm them up) outside when they are playing in the snow! They wear winter outfits inside.
[edit] Allusions to the Real World
- Title: Cold War
The Cold War was an economic game-of-chess and arms race between the United States and Soviet Union, fought de-facto from the end of World War II until the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991.
- The episode itself
The episode's plotline is partially inspired by The Day After Tomorrow, an apocalyptic sci-fi movie that has a similar snowstorm.
[edit] Character Notes
- Jim acts very kind and sweet in this episode, clearly indicating the personality shifts he gained from the first season. This episode clearly shows that Jim can be very brave and a nice person like Sissi. In fact, Jim shows the same change of heart he had in Code: EARTH and False Start.
- Ulrich: I need you...
Finally, we hear that Ulrich needs Yumi, a clear sign of his feelings for her.
- Everyone, minus Mr. Delmas, Sissi, and Hervé, wears winter outfits in this episode.
| Preceded by: "Vertigo" |
Code Lyoko episodes | Followed by: "Déjà Vu" |
