The Escape

The Escape
Season 1
Episode 07
Airdate	October 15, 1998
Written by	Jessica Scott and Mike Wollaeger
Directed by	Ron Oliver
Previous episode	The Message
Next episode	The Alien
Episode list	List of Animorphs episodes

"I can forget the Yeerks sometimes. It feels good even if I'm only pretending, but then I see something like this and remember we can't look away. The Yeerks are everywhere."

―Rachel

The Escape is the seventh episode of the first season of the Animorphs. It is loose adaptation of The Underground. It originally aired on October 15, 1998. It was directed by Ron Oliver and written by Jessica Scott and Mike Wollaeger.

Synopsis

The Animorphs have discovered a secret weapon to use against the Yeerks - maple-flavored oatmeal! The Yeerks crave it, and when they eat it, they are unable to control their hosts! But to use the oatmeal weapon successfully, the Animorphs will have to return to their darkest nightmare...the Yeerk Pool!

Plot

The Animorphs discussing how to dig into the Yeerk Pool

A water balloon exploding on Visser Three's head

The Animorphs discover that a certain type of oatmeal is a stimulant to the Yeerks, and they are unable to control their hosts' actions. The usage of this "drug" also affects the hosts, but the Animorphs know they must use this advantage to inflict some serious damage upon the Yeerk pool.

Appearances

Protagonists

• Jake
• Rachel
• Tobias
• Cassie
• Marco
• Ax

Supporting Characters

• George Edelman (First Appearance)

Antagonists

• Visser Three / Victor Trent
• Various Hork-Bajir and Human-Controllers
• Chip (First Appearance)

Other Characters

• Naomi (Mentioned)
• Tom (Mentioned)

Locations

• Earth
  • Svan's Diner (First Appearance)
  • Wildlife Preserve
    • Cassie's Barn
  • Psychiatric Hospital (First Appearance)
  • Tom's Burgers (First Appearance)
  • Yeerk Pool

Organizations

• Animorphs
• Yeerk Empire

Mentioned

• Planet Hollywood (Mentioned)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger (Mentioned)

Items

• Kandrona rays (Mentioned)
• Bio-Filter (First Appearance)
• Dracon beams

Major/Highlighted Events

• The Animorphs return to the Yeerk Pool for the second time.

Morphs

Morpher	Morphs acquired	Morphs used
Jake	Cockroach, Ferret	Cockroach, Ferret
Rachel	Cockroach, Ferret	Cockroach, Ferret, Lion (Bongo)
Cassie	Cockroach, Ferret	Cockroach, Ferret
Marco	Cockroach, Ferret	Cockroach, Ferret
Ax	Ferret	Human, Ferret
Visser Three	--	Human (Victor Trent)

Trivia

• Despite being named "The Escape", this episode is actually a loose adaptation of The Underground, and is unrelated to The Escape, which was never adapted for the TV series.
• In this episode, instant maple oatmeal instead of instant maple and ginger oatmeal is the drug-like substance that causes dependency for Yeerks.
• George Edelman's line "Aren't you too short for doctors?" is an homage to Princess Leia's line "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?" from Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope.
• Unable to set a Yeerk Pool entrance inside a McDonald's, the entrance is placed inside a generic fast food restaurant named Tom's Burgers. Additionally, the passcode to gain access to the pool entrance is to order a "cheeseburger hold the cheese" instead of "Happy Meal with extra happy".

Goofs/Inconsistencies

• Tobias is able to enter the Yeerk Pool despite being unable to morph a ferret.
• Tobias is seemingly killed during the attack on the Yeerk Pool, but appears uninjuried in the next episode without comment.
• Rachel falls into and is fully submerged in the Yeerk Pool, but is uninfested.

VHS Releases

Australia Releases

• Volume 1.3 ("The Escape" and "The Capture" parts 1 and 2)

Gallery

Title card

Hork-Bajir

Hork-Bajir

Digging into the Yeerk Pool

The Yeerk Pool

A water balloon exploding on Visser Three's head

Summary from Australian VHS 1.3

Quotes

"The Yeerks are parasitic slugs. They enter the brain through the ear canal. They take over every function of your conscious mind."

―George Edelman

"I was eating breakfast and then I had control again. I think it was the oatmeal...I know how it sounds, trust me. Instant maple. It's the only flavor that works...The Yeerks, they crave more. They forget to keep control of their hosts."

―George Edelman

"I can forget the Yeerks sometimes. It feels good even if I'm only pretending, but then I see something like this and remember we can't look away. The Yeerks are everywhere."

―Rachel

Transcript

To be added