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Season 1 part 1 |
Part
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S2 |
S3 |
S4 |
S5 |
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| Jack is the original inhabitant of the Mall, living
alone in the electrical shop long before Amber or Lex find it.
But he will eventually run out of supplies so he needs other
people to help him survive. He knows how to raise and lower
the grille to keep unwanted people out. When Amber, Salene and
Dal arrive with three younger kids and a dog, Jack decides to
let them come right in; but Lex, Ryan and Zandra are a different
matter: they seem hostile, making threats, and Jack drops the
grille in front of them. Jack comes out of the shadows, introduces
himself and shows Amber around. The downside is Jack is no longer
his own boss, though he seems happy to let Amber make the decisions,
like whether to let Lex join the group. |
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| Amber's first rule is that everything must be
shared. In the café Jack reluctantly shows her what food
he has left. It's not much, but it's more than anyone could
have hoped. Next he surprises them all when he brings out a
portable cooker. They can all eat hot food! |
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The decision is made to allow Lex's group to join the
group, largely based on Lex's persuasive argument that he and Ryan
can protect everyone. They start by giving chase to Bray, who has
been lurking in the sewers. Bray is smarter than they are and doubles
back. He is accepted into the tribe, long before Ryan and Lex get
back and start objecting.
Next arrival is Trudy, brought to the Mall by Bray. She is pregnant
and many doubt whether a small band of kids can cope with everything
this will entail. Lex says no. Jack would like to have a say, because
"It's my place after all." Lex gives Jack a reality check,
"Not any more." |
| Jack is soon to get another reality check from
Dal. Jack is still in denial, refusing to believe that all the
adults are dead. He's been trying to make contact with survivors
by radio, so far without success. |
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| Dal sternly tells Jack to face reality, there are no
adults left - anywhere - and the sooner he faces up to the new reality
the more useful he will be to himself and everyone else. |
| It turns out that Jack has a secret food stash
in the Service Area, for his own exclusive use. What he showed
Amber in the café is tiny by comparison. By chance Paul
and Patsy discover Jack tucking into a snack. They make a deal,
food for secrecy. No one else must know, especially Lex! |
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| In Ep.8 when everyone is asleep Bray brings Zoot
to visit Trudy. What most people don't know yet is that Zoot,
not Bray, is the father of Trudy's Baby. Lex and Ryan, alerted
by Patsy and Bob, investigate - and attack - both Bray and Zoot.
In the ensuing fight, Zoot falls to his death from the balcony.
Jack suggests they bury his body in the local graveyard and
at dawn he takes Bray, Amber, Trudy and Dal there. When they
discover that the Demon Dogz have taken up residence there Jack
offers an alternative, burial at sea. He takes them to the beach
by the safest route where they give Zoot a Warrior's funeral,
setting fire to the boat. |
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Sooner or later the secret of Jack's food stash
is bound to come out. It happens like this: Ryan teaches Paul
and Patsy to play Poker. At first they play for chores. Paul
and Patsy end up doing Ryan's chores as well as their own. Later,
they play for food rations. Ryan wins repeatedly and to stay
in the game Patsy has to get supplies from Jack. Ryan follows
her the second time and learns Jack's secret.
Ryan informs Lex immediately. Lex is running an election campaign
for tribe leader. He sees an opportunity here, to blackmail
Jack into voting for him. Needless to say Lex has been using
blackmail tactics on everyone and wins the election. |
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| Jack
is put on Trial - Ep.11 |
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Jack's secret is totally blown when Ryan announces
creamed rice to celebrate Lex's victory. ("Who's got creamed
rice?...")
Lex's first task as leader is to put Jack on trial. While in
the cage, and with nothing to lose, he threatens to tell everyone
about Lex's own secret water stash.
Lex appoints Ryan as judge. He votes 'guilty' before the trial
has even started!
Driven by Jack's threat (or promise) Lex persuades the court
to find Jack not guilty - even though everyone knows otherwise. |
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As leader, Lex has enough problems already. The
girls have gone on strike in protest that he has given them
all the chores.
Dal races up the stairs to the Café to tell Lex: he has
seen a puddle of water on the floor. Jack realizes this can
only mean one thing, the water supply from the roof tank is
leaking. Looking into the tank he announces that it is now empty.
Lex enforces water rationing. When the girls come for theirs
they get one bottle - for all of them! |
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Jack and Dal set about modifying and repairing
the water supply. When they are finished all they have to do
is wait for rain. When a storm comes the excitement is short
lived. The water poured into a glass is very cloudy, like mud.
Other things are happening. During the storm Patsy notices Cloe
is missing. A search party fails to find her. The search for
Cloe is put on hold. The water situation is now so critical
that supplies must be brought from the nearest stream. |
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| Jack and Dal construct a filter using gravel and
sand from the hardware store. It works! Amber has sufficient
faith in them to taste the water first. It's good. Ryan decides
it tastes like real water! Their success goes to Jack's head;
muttering to himself he calls himself a genius! Dal gives another
reality check: it was a team effort, and besides, unless Jack
can make it rain three times a day, they must still get most
of their water from the stream. |
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Much to everyone's relief, Cloe returns safe and
well, brought back by stranger Tai-San. Lex alone sees Tai-San's
easy entry as a security breech, highlighting the need for a
security system.
Jack's next idea is an alarm system consisting of tripwires
in the sewers connected to a laptop PC. The alarm sound is a
cacophony of screams and/or baying wolves, designed both to
alert the tribe, and to frighten any would-be intruders. As
so often happens, Jack has the idea, but Dal has the practical
know-how to get the job done. |
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| One skill one wouldn't expect from Dal or Jack
is concern for and care of babies! In Ep.16 Trudy is neglecting
Brady as usual. She needs changing - badly, and feeding. The
two boys care about Brady more than her own mother and take
her to Salene and Amber. But that's as far as it goes. They
then make a rapid exit! |
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The Mallrats' next crisis comes when Ebony captures
Bray, releases him, then follows him back to the Mall. They
put her in the cage but she outwits Lex and escapes. It is almost
certain she will come back with an invasion force to trash the
Mall.
Jack has some way-out ideas, including balloons filled with
gasoline to incinerate their attackers in the sewers. Amber
vetoes them all for being too inhuman. They settle for really
scary sound effects, a communication system, and hiding the
kids in the Market lift shaft. |
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In his Supperette HQ Lex forgets that his microphone
is turned on while Zandra bawls him out over the issue of what he
was doing in the cage with Ebony. It's good entertainment for the
listeners. The expected Loco attack never comes. Instead Bray makes
a secret deal with Ebony, giving her the Talisman that Zoot always
wore in return for her pledge to leave the Mall alone.
The next crisis is all about Trudy. Her post natal depression hasn't
been helped by Bray and Salene having feelings for each other. Her
answer is to commit suicide - or try to, an overdose of sleeping pills
taken from Dal's bag. |
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Dal spends more time with Trudy than anyone, he
feels it was his fault for not keeping his supply of drugs under
lock and key.
This is all most inconvenient for Jack. His latest project is
a wind turbine, to generate power for recharging all those batteries.
When asked, Jack will always claim he doesn't need Dal. The
truth is, Jack relies on Dal's practical skills.
Even when Dal isn't with Trudy, he wants to be. He is preoccupied
or falling asleep exhausted. Jack loses patience with him, so
Dal spends more time with Trudy! At the end of Ep.22 Dal and
Trudy leave the Mall. By coincidence newboy KC sneaks in. |
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KC thieves from everyone's room unobserved and
unnoticed for a surprisingly long time. It's Lex who catches
him, thieving from his room, the Boutique. Surprisingly it is
also Lex who makes the strongest case for allowing him to join
the tribe.
KC turns up outside Jack's workshop, willing and able to help
with the wind project. Jack really doesn't want or need his
help, but takes pity on him. When Jack breaks a drill bit he
blames KC and uses that as reason to get rid of him! |
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Trudy returns to the Mall in Ep.25 without Dal.
Jack is making little or no progress with the wind turbine.
Is there any chance that Dal will also come back soon? Trudy
dashes his hopes. It's very unlikely.
Jack studies Dal's drawing once more. He's got the 'S'-shaped
barrel sorted. But how does he couple it to an alternator? In
frustration Jack shouts and kicks the barrel - "DAMN <kick>
YOU <kick> DAL <kick>!" |
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When Trudy came back she brought news of an upcoming
Tribal Gathering. It will be part carnival, part trading market.
Bray and Amber are very keen to participate. Amber tells Jack
they are all counting on him. The wind turbine, with its potential
for unlimited power, will be their main trading strength.
Zandra is playing hard-to-get as far as Lex is concerned. She
wants him to prove his devotion to her and sets him a test,
to find her a wedding ring. This is harder than it sounds, all
the jewelry stores were looted long ago. Lex uses his initiative
and searches Jack's workshop. Bingo! Copper wire from the alternator.
Snip-snip, the job is done. |
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| KC wanders into the workshop again and guesses
Jack is having a hard time. Spotting the alternator on the counter
KC recognizes it as a good model - he should know - he used
to steal them to trade! Jack sees light in the darkness - maybe
KC can help instal it on the windmill? |
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| Before they can test it properly, the wind blows
the entire contraption over. They will have to redesign it. |
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Bray tells Jack it's time to pack the whole thing
up to take to the Tribal Gathering. Jack admits there is a small
fault, but nothing he can't handle. Of course it will work at
the Gathering!
Of course it doesn't. By now KC and Jack have figured the missing
coils of copper. This can only mean one thing, one of the Mallrats
sabotaged it back at the Mall.
Glen is looking for trouble. He and a band of Locos have already
beaten up Lex. Now they intend to smash the wind turbine. Jack
spots the missing copper - on Zandra's finger, but it's too
late. |
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| That's not all that's gone wrong. KC has spotted Dal,
now sold to Ebony as a slave by the Nomads. Amber loses a wager to
get him back and joins Dal as Ebony's slave. Taking matters into his
own hands Lex starts a riot. Tribe fighting against tribe, mostly
all the other tribes against the Locos. Amid the chaos Ryan frees
Amber and Dal along with Sasha. They are lucky to escape. |
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| Jack has never given up hope that he might contact
adult survivors somewhere in the world. Dal reminds him that
Sasha, who has traveled to many places, has never found any.
Suddenly a distant voice replies to Jack's signal. He goes frantic
at the controls. But it's only Sasha messing about! He slowly
emerges from his crouched position behind the counter. Dal goes
along with it, but Jack just can't handle this kind of joke. |
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