Max gets a tough lesson on knowing his limits when he competes in a grueling obstacle race, made worse by the Weatherheads![ATV 1][revised]
Plot[]
Troy and the moose
Upon pulling into a parking lot, Max excitedly awakens his grandkids for a surprise - which turns out to a be a race known as a "mud run". Though Gwen is somewhat uninterested, the prospect of mud gets Ben's attention. Sometime later, they walk up to a sign-up table, where the clerk gives them wristbands, which according to her, is for her bosses to monitor the runners. Ben and Gwen begin arguing over which of them is going to win the race, to Max's dismay. A more fit, elderly man with two kids then appears at the table, riding a moose. He introduces himself as Troy Herington III, and his grandkids as Spencer and Madison, who get along seemingly perfectly.
Four Arms finds a solution
At the starting line, Gust-O (in a disguise) starts the race, and Gwen suspects something is up. As the race commences, Max becomes jealous of Troy's strong relationship with his grandkids. Further into the course, Gwen tells Ben to think outside the box, leading to him using Four Arms to bust his way through an obstacle. Later into the race, Ben uses Heatblast to dry up a muddy moat, easily making his way across. At the log segment of the race, Max struggles to cross, and his wristband beeps. Elsewhere, the Weatherheads are alerted to his progress, as other participants approach the hill. As Heatblast and Gwen scale the hill, they notice a strong wind. A man is almost pushed down the hill by the wind, and Heatblast tries to help him, but times out. Gwen manages to grab his hand. The two realize something is up, and Ben hopes Max is doing alright. Back at the mud moat, Max again notices Troy and his grandkids. Troy compliments his abilities considering his age, further driving Max to beat him.
Back on the hill, the cousins notice that the wind is getting colder, and that a wooden tower in the distance is releasing red waves. They realize it's the work of the Weatherheads, and find the three inside the tower, arguing over who gets to control the weather. Gust-O demands they return to the race, explaining that they are collecting data on human emotions to understand their usefulness. Gust-O then promptly uses his aerokinesis to throw Ben and Gwen out the window. They arrive back at the foot of the hill, where they soon see lighting strike the ground, threatening the racers. Ben transforms into Jetray and swoops in to rescue some people before they are hit by tumbling rocks. Using the lightning, he takes out the Weatherheads' tower, clearing the skies, before timing out.
Omni-Kix Diamondhead meets Sunny
The Weatherheads recover from the attack, concerned that someone will be sent to them, as that was their "last chance". On the ground, an avalanche occurs. Max sees it coming and hides behind a tree, as does Gwen. Max then sees Troy, being pulled down the hill by the snow. He yells to Max, who grabs his hand. Spencer and Madison, meanwhile, find themselves on a boulder. Suddenly, Ben, as Omni-Kix Diamondhead, appears, and makes a crystalline wall, blocking the avalanche. As the racers continue, Omni-Kix Diamondhead goes to defeat the Weatherheads. He easily traps Gust-O and Hail-O, but is zapped by Shock-O. Gust-O breaks free and sends him into the sky, but Omni-Kix Diamondhead comes crashing down with a blade made up of both his arms, finally taking them down. However, before he can finish the job, he is attacked by another Weatherhead, Sunny, who introduces herself as the Weatherheads' manager. Omni-Kix Diamondhead tries to explain the situation to her, but she shoots him with her optic lasers. She teleports herself and the Weatherheads away. Sometime later, Ben finishes the race. Troy thanks Max for saving him, and offers him a smoothie, but Max rejects it.
Ben: I'm Ben and I'm a mud enthusiast. One might say mud expert. Is your mud sourced locally or do you use any imported dirts?
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Troy: C'mon, kids! If we hurry, we can squeeze in some Tai Chi before the race! Spencer & Madison:Yay! Eternal enlightenment!
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Ben: Sorry to interrupt, Weatherduds, but your little party is over. Hail-O: This would hardly qualify as a party. There are nowhere near enough balloons.
In some scenes, Ben was seen wearing his regular green jeans instead of his blue shorts.
In one scene, Ben's left leg had a layering error.
In some scenes, Jetray's forehead was black instead of red.
Wrong pants
Wrong pants
Wrong pants
Wrong pants
Black forehead
Transparent sock
Layering error
Trivia[]
Screenwriter Tom Pinchuk based this episode's story on experiences from his own hobby, running in competitive obstacle races with challenges (monkey bars, 10 foot walls, mud pits, wire crawls, etc.).[TNP 1] The bracelets the Weatherheads use to study the human condition were even inspired by wristbands racers are often made to wear to chart their course progress.[TNP 2]