Feed the Beast

While trying to hunt it down, Cody and the Bots discover the legendary Maine Ridge Monster is closer than they thought.

Synopsis

Cody is doing his astronomy homework, taking photos of constellations through a telescope while the Bots help, though Blades's assertion that he can see the Mirtonian Star Cluster doesn't help. While they discuss what humans might call the constellation, Chase points out something closer to them and Cody quickly snaps a picture of what appears to be a large beast moving through the forest. He believes it to be the Maine Ridge Monster, which he explains is New England's version of Bigfoot. When he asserts they have to warn the rest of the island because monsters are bad, Heatwave leaps to the attack, and finds himself instead sprayed by a skunk. Chase consults the Lad Pioneers Handbook for a remedy, but they decide to head home first.

The rest of Cody's family doesn't believe Cody's seen the Maine Ridge Monster, despite the photograph he furnishes as proof. The next day, the team is at the charity sandwich sale where Mayor Luskey drumming up interest in his "Magic Meat" and is giving out free samples. Cody spots Huxley Prescott about to do a news report and tries to interest him in the photo of the monster, but Prescott's there to cover Doc Greene's Magnetic Insta-Grill. The demonstration goes off flawlessly, until Luskey loads some Magic Meat into the invention. The result is a missile of flaming meat that hits an overhead blimp, lighting it on fire. The team swings into action, clearing the area and dousing the blimp when it crashes, and in the aftermath, Luskey presents Graham with a case of Magic Meat. Cody tries once again to interest Luskey in his photo, and knocks one of the cans which, unnoticed by anyone, reveals a second label under Luskey's Magic Meat label.

As Cody and the Bots prepare to go out looking for the monster again, Boulder asks Graham whether the monster is likely to be bad just because it's a monster. Graham thinks that humans fear what they don't understand, like his quantum mechanics homework. The Bots and Cody are soon out monster hunting for "Ridgey" and Cody gives a potted history of the creature's sightings. They soon track down the monster attacking an old cannery. They follow him inside to find him tearing the place apart, and after he flees, the Bots have their work cut out stabilizing the building. Unfortunately Cody's camera has been smashed in the ruckus, rendering its contents useless. Despite this, the monster appears to have left behind some hair, which Cody collects.

The rest of Cody's family still isn't impressed with his story, and the hair he collected turns out to be fake. The discussion is derailed when everyone's distracted by the fact that Graham keeps eating Magic Meat, and interrupted when Luskey calls to report that someone has raided his store of the food. The storehouse is indeed cleaned out, but there's a conspicuous trail of empty cans which turn out to lead to the fire station. Cody checks the security camera footage from last night, which show the camera's being taken out by the monster. While they're still reacting to that, Graham straight up metamorphoses into the monster and flees. The team prepares to track Graham down. Time isn't on their side, as word has spread of the monster's existence, and some of the islands residents have started preparing traps for it.

At the lab, Doc Greene identifies the Magic Meat as Fo-Foo, an experimental ever-lasting food which was discontinued due to the unfortunate side effects. A store of it was in Bunker 16, located near the Mayor's mansion. The only remaining place it can be found is in the Best Left Forgotten section of the Hall of Inspiration. As the team closes in on the hall, it soon becomes apparent that there are two monsters, and they realize that the Mayor has been eating Fo-Foo as well. They reach the hall, but both monsters enter first. Unfortunately the Fo-Foo is stored near some nitroglycerin, making the situation even more dangerous. Boulder stops Heatwave from attacking the monster, and instead talks to Graham himself and manages to calm his partner down. They manage to restrain Luskey as well, but Boulder is knocked into the shelf containing the explosive, and it's only quick work from Graham that prevents an explosion.

With Graham and Luskey back to normal, Doc Greene breaks the news that there's a cure — eating vegetables. Heatwave apologizes for nearly trouncing Graham, and Cody promises to continue trying to hunt Ridgey. Out in the forest, something howls...

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Mmm, good science is delicious!"

—Doc Greene

"It is true that most legendary creatures prove to be imaginary — the Loch Ness Monster, the Yeti, Prince Charming. There is no hard evidence they exist."
"Well of course they do! I've seen all of them in movies."

—Chase and Blades

"If that was CGI, it was very well done!"

—Blades on Graham's transformation.

"Where are we going, Dad?"
"Obviously to file for Graham's animal license."

—Cody and Chase

"Now, the only place to find some..."
"Don't say it."
"...is on the Best Left Forgotten shelves."
*sigh* "Just once, couldn't something in the B.L.F. stay forgotten?"
"I'm afraid Griffin Rock is quite thorough when cataloging its scientific failures."

—Doc and Chief discuss the last known location of any remaining Fo-Foo.

"I wonder if any other late movie creepazoids exist, because if a zombie mutant potato attacks, I am so out of here."

—Blades watches some strange movies.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Chase first developed his deep relationship with the Lad Pioneers Handbook in "Rules and Regulations".

Transformers references

• The Mirtonian constellation was originally mentioned in Optimus Prime's Generation 2 Laser Rod bio.

Real-world references

• The Maine Ridge Monster is a real-life cryptid, and others such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster are mentioned throughout the course of the episode.
• Mr. Talbott's name and appearance both reference the classic werewolf movie The Wolf Man, though he doesn't transform during the events of the episode.

Animation and technical errors

• The encounter at the cannery takes place at night, it's morning when Luskey reports his storehouse raided, and night again when the team reaches the end of the trail of cans?
• When Cody goes to use the ComTab to check the security cameras, he's initially holding it upside down, but between shots, it switches to right way up.

Trivia

• It's odd that with an island full of hyper-advanced technology, Cody appears to be using an old fashioned camera loaded with film rather than a digital camera.

Foreign localization

French

• Title: "Le monstre de Griffin Rock" ("The Monster of Griffin Rock")
• Original airdate: ?

Hungarian

• Title: "Szörnyeteghajsza" ("Monster Chase")
• Original airdate: 17 November 2014

Italian

• Title: "Un mostro in mezzo a noi!" ("A monster between us!")
• Original airdate: 14 July 2017

Portuguese

• Title: "Cadê o Pé Grande?" ("Where's Big Foot?")
• Original airdate: 1 April 2015 (Netflix)

Home video releases

👁 United States of America
2014 — Rescue Bots — "Mystery Rescue" (Shout! Factory)
👁 Australia
2015 — Rescue Bots — "Space Bots" (Beyond Home Entertainment)