"Inside Crime" is the twelfth episode of RoboCop: The Series.
Plot[]
Inside Crime is a hit television show hosted by Rochelle Carney that follows criminals while they commit their crimes. One such episode follows a diamond heist, which goes well until RoboCop bursts in and takes on the criminals, led by Pudface Morgan. He chases Morgan and the camera crew out of the building, though the criminals escape as Detective Madigan arrives with backup. He saves the show's camera man, Marty Flan, from a fall, though Flan suffers whiplash. The director, Mack McAdam, is angered, ordering Madigan to arrest RoboCop.
Madigan, Sergeant Parks, McAdam, and Flan appear on What's On Your Mind? to be interviewed by Umberto Ortega about the controversial show. Madigan dismisses Carney's claims that Inside Crime is a public service, based on the fact that the show touts the fact that Pudface Morgan was on the show to get ratings, rather than suppressing his identity. McAdam points out that Mediabreak also reported Pudface being the crime's perpetrator and his identity was inadvertently revealed by RoboCop. Parks retorts, saying that RoboCop was just doing his job. McAdam insists that he did not know Pudface was involved with the crime until his unmasking, claiming that they were notified of the crime through a confidential hotline that the police have no access to.
The OCP Chairman and Aubrey Fox watch What's On Your Mind? and examine the high ratings for Inside Crime, surmising that RoboCop's appearance had a significant effect on them. Carney enters, suggesting that perhaps Pudface had something to with the ratings as well. Fox and Carney try to figure a way to make RoboCop and Pudface appear on the show again, with the Chairman warning them against manipulating the show. Once they are out of sight in an elevator, Fox starts kissing Carney, but she is disinterested, instead paying attention to a photo of the Chairman.
RoboCop, Parks, and Delta City Bank worker Brendan Forbes examine a prototype armored vehicle, which is to be used for the largest-ever shipment of gold bullion. RoboCop and Parks assure Forbes that the vehicle cannot be hijacked, even by a Carbon-16 drill, Carbon-16 being a synthetic diamond that is the hardest substance in the world. They are certain that Pudface will attempt to rob the vehicle, but are so confident in its impenetrability that they intend to "let him try."
Carney is approached by Pudface and they discuss Inside Crime's ratings and plan for Pudface and RoboCop to have a rematch. Carney then goes to Metro South to arrange a meeting with Madigan. She meets RoboCop, telling him that she hopes they can all work together from now on. As Pudface makes a call to the Inside Crime crew to inform them of his next crime, Madigan shows Carney the precinct's dispatch monitor. As Carney leaves, she calls the Inside Crime crew, telling them to follow Pudface's crime. She then calls Pudface to tell him where RoboCop is located.
Pudface begins to carry out a robbery and RoboCop arrives minutes later. Pudface brandishes a flamethrower, setting RoboCop and the building ablaze. The criminals get away as RoboCop rescues the hostages. Inside Crime's ratings benefit greatly again. Because of RoboCop and Pudface appearing on the show two weeks in a row, the Chairman suspects that the show's crew is colluding with Pudface. The crew claims innocence and leave. Carney stays behind a moment to tell the Chairman of her meeting with the police, set to take place in the OCP boardroom. She then encounters Fox in the elevator, brushing him off by saying she does not wish to rush their relationship and says she will call him.
RoboCop encounters two young boys playing with toys that make them sound like himself and Pudface. He asks the boy playing as Pudface why he would want to be Pudface, to which the boy claims Pudface was "so cool." RoboCop remarks "television has a lot to answer for" and the boys run off. He joins Parks and Forbes, going over the plan for the bullion transport, with records of Pudface buying supplies for the hijack. RoboCop feels that Pudface would be more secretive and may not be going after the armored vehicle, but rather the vault they are in. He tests the structural integrity of the vault they are standing in. Pudface and his men wait below, preparing their heist. Pudface steps out to meet with Carney, who suggests Pudface kidnap her and the Inside Crime crew to help diminish rumors of collusion. They plan for the kidnapping to occur right in front of the police and the Chairman.
As the gold is brought to shore, Parks assures Forbes that the gold will be kept safe. RoboCop leads the gold's escort convoy and Diana appears to him, asking about Pudface. RoboCop fears that something is wrong and that Pudface is manipulating the police somehow. Pudface watches the convoy pass, looking forward to ruining RoboCop's reputation.
Madigan meets with Carney, the Chairman, and Fox at the OCP board room. The Inside Crime crew enters, Carney claiming they are filming a special segment to reassure that Inside Crime and the police are working together. Carney spills a little of her drink on her shirt and excuses herself from the board room. She lets Pudface and his goons into the building, making the final arrangements for the fake kidnapping. She returns to the board room, where Madigan disagrees with Fox's assertion that Inside Crime is an advocate for crime prevention. Pudface and his men interrupt. They hold the board room hostage and contact RoboCop, telling him to hand over the gold shipment in order to free the hostages. RoboCop encounters the boy playing as Pudface again, finding that Pudface's voice from the toy is an exact match to Pudface's live message minutes earlier. He asks Diana for her help.
Diana delays the live Inside Crime broadcast by thirty minutes, causing Pudface to suspect Carney of deception, exposing her connection with Pudface to the Chairman, Madigan, and Fox. When Fox blurts out his amorous relationship with Carney, the Chairman demotes him to Public Relations. Carney says she will resign. RoboCop, Parks, and other police officers enter and Pudface attempts to hold Carney at gunpoint. However, she fights back and knocks Pudface out. However, RoboCop unmasks Pudface, showing that he is actually the goon Shorty wearing a Pudface voice-changing toy.
The real Pudface breaks into the Delta City Bank vault as he watches the broadcast, unaware of the half-hour delay. He accesses the vault, but is confronted by RoboCop. He tries to escape, but is apprehended in front of the Inside Crime camera. The show is canceled and replaced by Those Darn Vigilantes!, born from a sarcastic remark made by Madigan during the meeting.
Cast[]
- Richard Eden as RoboCop
- Yvette Nipar as Lisa Madigan
- Blu Mankuma as Stanley Parks
- Andrea Roth as Diana Powers
- David Gardner as Chairman
- Sarah Campbell as Gadget (credit only)
- Marla Sucharetza as Rochelle Carney
- Ed Sahely as Charlie Lippencott (credit only)
- James Kidnie as Pudface Morgan
- Dan Duran as Bo Harlan
- Eric Ehm as Rocky Crenshaw
- Patrick McKenna as Umberto Ortega
- Jason Blicker as Aubrey Fox
- Wayne Robson as Shorty
- Ian D. Clark as Brendan Forbes
- Tim Progosh as Mack McAdam