"Trouble in Delta City" is the third episode of RoboCop: The Series.
Plot[]
As three people break into a drug store and a riot is reported at Delta City Hall, RoboCop chases after a speeding car. When the pursuit ends, he approaches the car, finding that an apologetic and sobbing Detective Lisa Madigan is the driver.
A new miracle diet drug has been rushed to market by OCP called No Gain. Within a week after the initial introduction, Delta City is rocked by a wave of violent crime, though murder rates have dropped by five percent. The majority of these perpetrators are ordinary citizens with no prior criminal records. OCP's Dr. Gene Julius surmises that the rise in crime is a side effect of increased societal stresses.
The Metro South precinct is overbooked by these criminals and the police are at a loss as to what to do with them. RoboCop approaches Sergeant Stanley Parks with Madigan, having arrested her on the charges of speeding, reckless driving, evading arrest, endangering the public, and possession of an impound vehicle. In Parks' office, Madigan explained that while at home, a desire to go out and do something. Uninhibited, she decided to take a car from the police impound lot. Parks places Madigan on suspension. OCP corporate employee Kevin Frosh arrives at the precinct and kicks Gadget out of a lab. From elsewhere, Gadget observes Frosh obtaining records from the computers and learns his passcode.
The OCP Chairman announces the overwhelming success of No Gain. However, Frosh is apprehensive about expanding the product's market, believing more research should be done. His unease falls on deaf ears and he desperately tells Cheddarman to suspend the sales of No Gain.
RoboCop checks on Madigan, who takes a No Gain pill just before Nancy Murphy arrives to give Madigan a ride home. Her presence prompts RoboCop to recall Murphy's memories of her and he excuses himself.
Charlie Lippencott presents to the police ISO Flow, a spray product designed by OCP to reduce traction on any surface, causing suspects to slip.
Dr. Cray Z. Mallardo watches a holograph in his jail cell until he is interrupted by a visit from Frosh, who knows that the city's violence is caused by VMN, an active ingredient of No Gain, which was devised by Mallardo. Much to Frosh's dismay, Mallardo reveals that the product's test run was performed with a product different from the one that made it to market. Mallardo reveals that the drug's results were all going according to his plan for revenge against OCP and Delta City. Back in his cell, Mallardo reports his meeting with Frosh to Cheddarman, who is part of the revenge conspiracy. Cheddarman sneaks around a distribution plant and smiles as he finds a machine covered by a tarp.
Saddened by Madigan's suspension, Gadget approaches her about the situation. Madigan explains that sometimes people do stupid things, despite their best intentions in life and was surprised by her own actions. Madigan leaves with Nancy and RoboCop listens to their conversation in which Nancy says she has finally allowed herself to have a social life. Diana Powers interrupts Murphy's eavesdropping.
Frosh berates Cheddarman for the failure to shut down No Gain production. Cheddarman draws a gun on Frosh and pursues him through the distribution plant, assisted by several plant employees.
As Mediabreak's Bo Harlan reports Pudface Morgan's fugitive status, RoboCop breaks up a fight in the aisles of a drug store and discovers it was all over the last pack of No Gain, which he procures as evidence.
Gadget uses Frosh's security code to gain access to the No Gain files. She prints some of the files off and runs into Parks, accidentally leaving a paper behind before running away.
Madigan frantically searches her home and finds some No Gain pills. However, she is visited by Gadget before she takes any. From the files, Gadget has determined that No Gain was the cause of the uptick in violence, revealing such to Madigan, who throws the bottle of pills across the room and picks up her gun, leaving with Gadget.
A group of police officers use ISO Flow to keep an angry mob away from a truck carrying No Gain. RoboCop arrives and impounds the truck.
Parks sends the files to the OCP board, the Chairman ordering a recall of No Gain.
Madigan arrives at the No Gain facility, resisting the urge to consume a pill from a bottle she finds outside. Inside, she encounters Frosh. They are confronted by Cheddarman and his men.
Officers remove the contents of the No Gain truck as Parks arrives to the scene, commending RoboCop for his management of the situation and retrieving him to go to the No Gain plant.
With Madigan and Frosh restrained, Cheddarman monologues about No Gain, revealing his plan to overthrow OCP alongside Mallardo. He gives Frosh a drink of pure VMN, knocking him out, and implies that he and Mallardo plan to release the substance into the Delta City reservoir. The police arrive at the plant and Cheddarman reveals himself to be Pudface Morgan.
Mediabreak details the No Gain recall, which Dr. Julius claims to be a precaution due to the possibility that one packet of No Gain had been tampered with.
Pudface's men engage in a firefight with the police as he takes Madigan to his machine, a grenade launcher, and sets a trap for RoboCop. However, when Pudface struggles to load ammunition, RoboCop throws his can of ISO Flow into the gun, causing an explosion that causes him to fall. As RoboCop struggles to move across the pool of ISO Flow, Pudface gets to his feet and prepares to fire again. Madigan manages to undo her restraints and dislodges a wedge from the grenade launcher, causing it to fly back when Pudface fires, his shot missing Murphy. The police storm the building and arrest Pudface's men as RoboCop knocks out their leader and asks Madigan to arrest him.
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
- Tony Rosato as Kevin Frosh
- Cliff de Young as Dr. Cray Mallardo
- Ed Sahely as Charlie Lippencott
- Jennifer Griffin as Nancy Murphy
- James Kidnie as Pudface Morgan
- Dan Duran as Bo Harlan
- Erica Ehm as Rocky Crenshaw
- Murray Cruchley as Announcer
- Wayne Best as Officer Wilcox
- Graham Harley as Dr. Gene Julius
- Catherine Swing as Martina Marx