#also Adam and Leo never showing up in elite force was a crime

[shaineybainey]

Lab Rats: Elite Force – What Exactly Went Wrong?

An Opinion Piece from a Viewer’s (and a Writer’s) Perspective 

[written and posted on another site september 2018]

Let me begin this piece by stating one important fact that could or could not affect your acceptance of this piece: besides the finale, I’ve seen none of this show’s episodes. None. I only ever knew what was happening in it through the reports of others who had watched the show and had formed their own opinions about it, most of which were either negative or neutral. Could that have affected my own view of it? Of course. Could those have turned me off from the show more? Sure. But, the fact remains: the project that seemed to be the biggest and most promising in its time only had one season, ran only a few months, and was never renewed. When the show and its cast were first announced, I was admittedly upset. My favorite character was not included. I found it unfair since this spin-off seemed to be a new, exciting arena with a fresh concept. It bothered me a bit to see the five main characters in the promo image posted on Twitter, too. It was a little too...monotonous compared to how the audience had known Lab Rats and Mighty Med to be. But eventually, I’ve learned to accept that Tyrel Jackson Williams, the actor who played Leo, may have wanted to move on to new projects (and he did) and that maybe the creators just thought that the five actors they handpicked could carry the show a lot better. It was all okay. Soon, though, it became apparent that the negative feedback that had surprisingly come from some of the most loyal fans of Lab Rats, Mighty Med, or both were actually a reflection of how the viewers felt in general. When the finale aired on October 2016, the news that it was a series finale rather than just a season finale had already rocked the fandom. Twitter and Tumblr were flooded with complaints against Disney XD for canceling “another great show” in favor of a “trashy one”—which seemed to be an indirect snipe at the network’s then newest program, Mech X-4. Fans took to the actors’ Instagram accounts, asking them when the second season would come or why there wouldn’t be anymore episodes. They were understandably heartbroken over this loss. They tried to save it for months but – it didn’t work. The plea for #RenewLabRatsEliteForce didn’t carry the impact the petitioners wanted it to have, sadly because those left were too few in numbers. Many of the most vocal and most outspoken ones—the viewers whose voice when Lab Rats aired were the most powerful—have unfortunately already left the show long before and could not be counted on anymore for any help. Thus, Lab Rats: Elite Force never came back on air. It may be a wonder to some how that could have happened. Lab Rats, the main ‘universe’ this show played in, still remains as one of Disney XD’s powerhouse shows due to its iconic interracial family, bright and bold sets, and seamless, innovative plots. Meanwhile, the lore and mythology that came with Mighty Med was the most complex and held the most potential. These two combined should have generated a show worth the four-season run that Disney treats their most exciting and popular programs with. So, what exactly went wrong? Below is just a few of the things that I think may have caused the show its demise. The Reasons 1. When the shows combined, they were both stripped of their characters of color (save for one) – which resulted in lack of both visual diversity and diversity in storytelling. When Lab Rats aired in February 2012, there was already a considerable buzz about it. Besides its predecessor, Pair of Kings, Disney haven’t been playing much with the idea of featuring an interracial family. That was why it piqued the interest of many people when trailers of a Black teenage boy finding himself in a new family with his Black mom, White stepdad, and three White stepsiblings aired. It was icing on top of the cake, too, when at the time, it appeared that the main character might actually be of color this time. Mighty Med followed this diversity trend to a degree. The two main characters were both White, but the rest are of other races—two Hispanic and one Asian, to be exact (or Calderan, if we’re speaking of the character rather than the actress). These characters offered different voices, backgrounds, and personalities to their shows. They also served as beacons, lights of hope that maybe, just maybe, Disney is starting to understand that there were also other races and ethnicities they could pick to tell their stories and that they didn’t have to worry about it ‘not working.’ Everything was working, but fast forward a couple of years later, one of Lab Rats’ creators announced that the two shows would merge, and here, they are your new team! To be exact: William Brent, Kelli Berglund, Bradley Steven Perry, Jake Short, and Paris Berelc. Two of the stepsiblings from the Lab Rats fandom, and the three main characters from Mighty Med. Of course, this is not to knock them as actors. They’re all quite good, in my opinion! In fact, Paris Berelc is still unbelievably wonderful in her new Netflix show Alexa and Katie as Alexa Mendoza. Kelli Berglund and Jake Short have new projects they’re currently involved in as well. However, as a viewer, I thought the production could have put together a better combination. Past the shiny and admittedly impressive costumes and cool vibe of the cast, the promotional image and the trailers that subsequently followed lacked the oomph! the other two shows, as separates, had. The characters as a collective weren’t visually interesting anymore because they didn’t reflect the way the viewers saw the world. It was like Disney XD went back to how it was before Pair of Kings aired. It would have been better if they made a few switches. It could have even been somewhat forgivable if there was a recurring minor character of color. Sadly, there wasn’t. Everyone looked the same. 2. There were two Chases, two Brees, and one Adam in the team. Disney has long ago earned the reputation of having repeating archetypes in their programs—and the two shows, even as separates, weren’t safe from this. Still, they were all balanced out. Lab Rats' book smart, shy, sometimes egotistic, but truly kind character Chase Davenport was balanced out by his stepbrother Leo Dooley, who had impeccable street smarts, was rather mischievous, dangerously curious and clumsy, but was also ultimately good at heart. At the same time, Mighty Med’s resident teen doctor Oliver, who was resourceful, introspective, and the voice of reason, was balanced out by his best friend Kaz - his impulsive but loyal partner-in-crime who prevented him from being eaten up by his own seriousness through jokes and lax regard to the rules. When the shows merged, well, things went off-kilter. All of a sudden, the show had two young men (Chase and Oliver) with the leader personality. It was also evident from the sudden changes in the character’s clothing style that Skylar Storm had lost her individuality and her rather funny but genuinely heartwarming curiosity of the world around her. She had adopted Bree Davenport’s style and also, subtly, her treatment of the world and the people closest to her (which, if you haven’t seen the original show, wasn’t stellar at all). Kaz was the only one safe from the character cloning. Kind of. He remained to be the sense of humor in the show, but I can’t help but think when I saw the finale that he essentially served the same purpose Adam Davenport did in Lab Rats’ narrative. This lack of variation in personalities made for a bit of a static storytelling. One fanfiction writer who used to be really into Lab Rats told me a few months into the show that the characters brought out the worst in each other. Gone was the sweet Chase Davenport and was replaced instead by a character who had to constantly assert his dominance over his teammates. Oliver, whose affection towards Skylar had been cute and heartfelt to watch, had become obsessed with her and had turned stalker-ish, reportedly pressuring her into becoming his girlfriend. And the team as a whole had become a bratty bunch, too consumed now by their own importance and their own problems to show warmth and kindness towards one another. Again, this could have easily been prevented by making a couple of switches. The fanfiction writer part of me thought that it would have been better if the team was instead made up of Bree, Leo, Oliver, a new WOC character with a rather stoic personality, and Skylar, who would serve as the team’s leader. That could have offered an interesting dimension to the show: varying voices, potentially initial conflicts that can turn into warm, lasting friendships, and varying strengths and weaknesses that can play well with each other and can definitely move the story forward for a couple of years. Lab Rats: Elite Force was trying to achieve a Teen Titans feel, and those five could have done that. But, reality turned out differently, and there's no undoing what had been done. 3. The Villains in the Mask, Part 3. As much as I love the writers and creators of the Lab Rats universe, I do have a few complaints, one of which is: do the villains always have to be concealed or be wearing a mask? Victor Krane, and now Roman and Riker. All of them were introduced to the show wearing masks! Also, they all had the same reason for doing the villainy they did: revenge. Now, from the outside looking in, that may not be as bad. Revenge is a rather strong motivator, but in comparison to the best ones this show had seen, did it really have to be that again? I’ll give you the best villain Lab Rats had as an example: Marcus Davenport. He was an android bent on destroying Adam, Bree, and Chase—and most specially, Leo—for the sole reasons that (1) that was his order, (2) he hates them, and (3) he hated them because they had their father’s affection and attention, and he didn’t. What made him complex and gave him a nice layer as a character was that despite his manipulative and murderous nature, at the end of the day he just wanted affirmation and affection from his dad. From what had been revealed, the spin-off’s villains had a reason of their own to go after the protagonists. Roman and Riker’s father had been drained of his powers for his own good, but the boys and the rest of their family didn’t see it as such. They saw it as an insult to them, although if I’m not mistaken, the show didn’t really explain why they felt that way. It was just a reason that was just...was. In the finale, they introduced another villain: Roman and Riker’s sister, Reece. Oh, she was manipulative and cunning. She also seemed promising because there was a moment of doubt when she was caught red-handed by one of the good guys. She was torn on whether she should hurt him to make her escape or not (spoiler alert: she chose the former; she blinded him). But, that was as far as it went. As mentioned, the show didn’t come back for a season two—which still haunts the rest of the fandom even after two years of its sudden end. 4. Everything was rushed. Good stories take time. Like flowers, the characters and the plot need time to grow. The writers of Lab Rats understood that when the original show first began. We saw character development and storylines that were quite impressive, mature, and relatable despite the show being marketed for children. There were also plot twists that were actually incredible. It became a memorable show because the writing team took their time. In the spin-off, they didn’t. The best example is the Oliver/Skylar pairing. The two years of slow burn between the two characters quickly changed into a wildfire that was erratic and didn’t make sense. Oliver was strangely out of character, and Skylar only seemed to have agreed to the relationship because she got annoyed. The relationship was awkward because it was handled impatiently. Reece’s introduction was rushed, too. She was maybe shaping up to be the big bad of the next season, but unlike Marcus, whose presence and role were built slowly and surely, she was pushed in. So, maybe she wasn’t going to be the main villain? The ambiguity created by all of these off-paced writing turned off the viewers one by one. At the end of it, I heard more unhappy responses to the show than I did positive. Maybe, somehow, the show-runners knew about that, too. They just didn’t say anything about it. 5. ‘Who’s your audience?’ It’s important to know the answer to that question because if you don’t, it will show. Lab Rats was marketed to children, perhaps in the ages 8-11 demographic. However, it was crafted to also appeal to teenagers and adults who may have been curious about the new project of the That 70’s Show’s former creators. Mighty Med, basing on its writing, appeared to have been meant for ages 6-11. Fans of the show might disagree with me on this, but it’s good to remember that one of its creators also made ANT Farm, which had silly humor oftentimes. (Not a bad thing at all. It’s just revealing of its audience.) Lab Rats: Elite Force seemed to have had problems identifying who it should actually appeal to. Should it be written like Lab Rats had been written? With silly humor here and there but also with jokes that teenagers and adults would appreciate? Or should it be written like Mighty Med, directed to the younger viewers and used laugh tracks more often? Well, the winner remains unclear. The characters’ sudden immaturity suggests they wanted to appeal to the new audience, but their rushed treatment of the Skoliver pairing also showed that they wanted to please longtime viewers somehow. They also gave Bree a new ability, perhaps to keep the interest of the loyal fans, but it didn’t really serve its purpose. It was probably meant to have been a wow factor. Sadly, it was another thing that didn’t work because the people they were trying to direct it to have lost interest—probably because they felt that the writers had ignored them for far too long in favor of newer, younger viewers who didn’t even stick around to watch the show. Concluding Thoughts At one point, I kind of hoped, too, that the spin-off would be green lighted to have a second season. When it finished, the hard feelings I had against it was almost gone, and I was earnestly hoping they would come back. Whatever the real reason(s) may have been for it not being able to, the cast and crew still deserve credit for doing their absolute best to make the show as enjoyable as possible. The finale, in particular, had a few highlights, and the set where the battle scene took place was impressive. The cast also put their best foot forward. The writers, meanwhile, perhaps despite knowing about the impending end, really did craft something special for those who had stuck with them until the final second. Despite its problems and potentials that were not explored, Lab Rats: Elite Force still graduated as a nice show with moments of excitement, dashing costumes, and memorable sets.

[shaineybainey]

Lab Rats Spin-Off, Reimagined

Okay, so picture it: Davenport never formed the Elite Force. Mighty Med was attacked, but Horace and Alan survived. Threats of various levels are popping up, not just in Centium City, but all over the world.

Help is needed, and a team is formed to investigate mysterious cases and hunt down superpowered lawbreakers - both from this planet and beyond.

This is an alternate version (and honestly, what I thought would have been more interesting to see) of a Lab Rats spin-off series. It’s geared more towards older teenagers and maybe early 20’s viewers? Think Agents of SHIELD x [insert your favorite crime procedural], but lighter and milder. The cast is diverse. Instead of one city and similar, repeating sets, the show goes to various countries all over the world.

Below is the cast of characters making up the team.

Agent Herman Delgado

Supervisor

played by Adam Rodriguez

Nicknamed “HD” by Leo, Delgado has been assigned by the covert international group to supervise the young team. He’s a seasoned agent with years of experience under his belt. He's tasked with relaying new assignments to the members, and during missions, he‘s there to guide them.

Though considered a ‘no-nonsense’ supervisor, Delgado truly cares about the young people entrusted in his care. His job prevents him from being with his family and having one of his own, so he’s spent years being by himself. Now, having the five in his care, having a semblance of a family, he’s thrilled. He’ll never admit it, but he’s glad that he’s not so alone anymore.

Skylar Storm

Team Leader

played by Paris Berelc

Skylar is appointed to be the leader despite not having her powers back (yet). Her team benefits from her quick thinking, level-headedness, and fair sense of judgment as it often diffuses high-tension situations and keeps them safe during dangerous missions.

If she’s to be honest, this new assignment is challenging. She’s so used to working alone that suddenly having to care for three then four others around her age is an adjustment. Still, in each week that passes she learns she can count on both Oliver and their new friends to have her back no matter what comes their way.

Bree Davenport

Recon Expert, Ocassional Co-Leader

played by Kelli Berglund

Bree didn’t want to accept the job in the beginning. Although she did sign the contract accepting it, she was that close to walking away. They’re deceptive, she thought, this unnamed organization, and she didn’t know if she could work with people like them.

Still, she stayed, because at the end of the day she knew that here she could do more good.

Being one of the only two superpowered members when they first started, Bree feels the weight of the job at times. Nonetheless, as things continue to shift and change for them, she realizes that things won’t be too bad as long as she’s with her team. She can lean on her little brother and her friends, just like how she could on Adam and Chase when she was still with them. 

Leo Dooley

Hacker & Tech Expert, Linguist

played by Tyrel Jackson Williams

Out of the Founding Four, Leo is the most eager to start this new job clouded in mystery. He takes everything with a wide-eyed wonder, and he’s always ready to jump into action - which annoys his teammates at times. Though the most vulnerable out of the five due to lack of experience and abilities, he continues to be the most spirited and most motivated.

He also contributes much by providing the team with the gadgets and intel they need in their many assignments. Because of his diplomatic personality, the international group has opted to train him in speaking many languages - in both Earth ones and ones from other planets.

Oliver (Connelly)

Medical Resident

played by Jake Short

Guilt has been plaguing Oliver since reports of Mr. Terror attacking innocent people began sprouting like dandelions. He can’t shake the feeling that it was all his fault, and so out of that he agrees to work with the nameless organization.

He brings his medical expertise to the table, a knowledge that surprisingly extends in usefulness outside the superhero world. Because he also works with regular humans, he’s trained by the organization’s professionals on how to care for his teammates when they’re injured (and in this job, they do get hurt - a lot).

This doesn’t restrict him to his clinic and medical supplies, though. His list of abilities also makes him a valuable asset to the team during missions.

Ranavalova Girard

Ex-Assassin, Probationary Member

played by Tati Gabrielle

Ran never intended to become part of the team - or any team for that matter. The half-French, half-Malagasy is a trained assassin, bent initially on destroying the men and women that caused the death of her mother and destroyed her family. Her quest for revenge eventually put her in the path of the team. She proved to be the first real challenge to them due to her intelligence and skills. Eventually, though, they caught her.

The committee ended up offering her a deal: go to a max security prison for her crimes and lose her freedom forever, or join the team in relative freedom, helping them catch enemies who has hurt many individuals and families like the people she was going after.

Thinking that she’s got a better chance at escaping if she’s outside, she chooses the latter.

She doesn’t warm up much to the team even after a long while, especially as she senses the girls’ lingering distrust of her. Still, after a while, she learns to enjoy the challenging job. Though she doesn’t think the rewarding feeling stems from knowing she did a good deed, as Leo suggests (her gauge of good and bad had long been broken by life), she can admit that she likes how a good day’s work help her sleep a bit better at night.

The Atlas

The Team’s HQ

located somewhere in Alaska, USA

Named by Oliver and Leo, The Atlas is the team’s base of operation. The building itself is built with a cloaking device, among many other defensive features, to prevent the team from being discovered by their enemies. Underneath it is a spacious underground port that houses a jet and a few other modes of transportation such as a car and two motorbikes.

The main headquarters contains:

the Cortex, where the team convenes and is briefed on new cases;

a fully-equipped training area;

the Vault, which houses all the gear and equipment the members will need in their assignments;

the Observatory, Leo’s laboratory and ‘classroom’;

the Triage, Oliver’s domain, ‘classroom,’ and the team’s clinic/infirmary;

the Principal’s Office, aptly named by Bree, which holds items potentially hazardous items confiscated by the team, all awaiting recovery and transport;

a state-of-the-art entertainment room; and

various rooms for each of the members, all designed and equipped to have whatever the members will need.

When not on an assignment, Delgado stays here with the five.

What Else is Different?

Since Disney XD is primarily geared towards boys, I find that they often depict female characters in one of two ways: (1) tough and kick-butt objects of desire or (2) boy-crazy, generally crazy, high-maintenance ornaments. Sadly, it seems that Bree and Skylar fell into this limiting characterization. In this version, I want to expand on who they are as people, their capabilities untied to the stereotype subtly being introduced to children through the shows. This version will feature their strengths and their weaknesses, fully fleshing all of them out, and will show how circumstances and challenges realistically mold these young men and women still adjusting into adulthood.

Uh, the girls’ hairstyles ain’t finna be the long and super styled type they oddly always were in their respective shows. Like, they’re superheroes?? While they can have long and styled hair, it’s not really practical. Or at least, I’m convinced not all of them would choose long hair. Skylar would definitely cut hers short, just a bit above her shoulders. Bree would hold on to the long hair a bit, but then she’ll cut it shorter eventually. Ran has always been practical; she knows that hair can be used against her by enemies and can be an inconvenience. So, she’s never grown it out longer than a pixie cut.

THEIR AGES, Y’ALL. Disney is so obsessed with being young that they never let these kids age ㅠㅠ When it begins, Skylar is 17, Bree is 22, Leo is 19, and Oliver is 19. Ran will be 23 when she joins the team. These children will continue to add years to their age. Getting older is just reality and none at all a shameful thing.

Relationships. We’ll talk about that on another post.

All right, that’s it for now. We’ll add more to this universe later.