- "We risked a lot by saving Mr. Perkins, but it paid off. We still have a ways to go in our battle against the Yeerks, but that's not going to keep us from doing things the right way. Even if it means saving the world one person at a time."
- ―Jake[src]
The Release is the eighteenth episode of the first season of the Animorphs. It is a loose partial adaptation of a minor storyline from The Alien. It originally aired on February 2, 1999. It was directed by Robert K. Sprogis and written by Marc Scott Zicree and Carl Ellsworth.
Synopsis[]
With too many Controllers and not enough Kandrona rays, Yeerks are dying and losing control of their hosts, including Tom, whom Jake and Marco try to rescue. Among the Controllers regaining their freedom include Jake's science teacher, Mr. Perkins, who has begun a crusade to free other Controllers.
Plot[]
With too many Controllers and not enough Kandrona rays, Yeerks are dying and losing control of their hosts, including Tom, whom Jake and Marco try to rescue. Among the Controllers regaining their freedom include Jake's science teacher, Mr. Perkins, who has begun a crusade to free other Controllers.
Appearances[]
Protagonists[]
Supporting Characters[]
Antagonists[]
- 557 (First Appearance) (Dies)
- Visser One (Hologram Projection Only)
- Laura (Hologram Projection Only)
- Visser Three / Victor Trent
- Iniss 226
- Iniss 335
Other Characters[]
- Karen (First Appearance)
- Temrash 114 (Mentioned Only)
Locations[]
- Earth
- Brockwood High School
- Mall
- Wildlife Preserve
- Yeerk Base
- Woods
- Milton Park (First Appearance)
Organizations[]
- Animorphs
- Yeerk Empire
- The Sharing (Mentioned Only)
Items[]
- Kandrona (Mentioned Only)
- Yeerk mothership (Mentioned Only)
- Yeerk Pool (Mentioned Only)
- Andalite disc (Mentioned Only)
Major/Highlighted Events[]
- Yeerks begin starving following the destruction of the Earth-based Kandrona in The Leader (Part 2).
- Jake and the Animorphs help to set Mr. Perkins free.
Morphs[]
| Morpher | Morphs acquired | Morphs used |
|---|---|---|
| Jake | -- | Golden Retriever (Homer), Bengal Tiger |
| Rachel | -- | -- |
| Cassie | -- | -- |
| Marco | -- | Wolf |
| Ax | -- | Human |
| Visser Three | -- | Human (Victor Trent) |
Trivia[]
- This episode is loosely based on a storyline from The Alien. In chapters 6 and 7, Jake and Ax witness Mr. Pardue (a human-controller) struggle against his starving Yeerk before being abducted and killed by the Yeerks. Jake's increasingly dangerous attempts to save Tom also share similarities with The Conspiracy. However, The Conspiracy book was not released until in June 1999 while this episode premiered in February 1999 meaning that any similarities are likely coincidental.
- Mr. Perkins previously appeared in The Capture (Part 2).
- While Mr. Perkins is most analogous to Mr. Pardue from The Alien, he also shares some similarities with Mr. Tidwell, a teacher and human-controller, who, along with Illim, aided the Animorphs as part of the Yeerk Peace Movement from The Sickness.
- This episode is one of the few not named for a book that still follows the naming convention of the main series titles. The others are the two-part The Leader and The Front.
- This episode marks the final appearances of Visser One / Laura, Nikki, and Mr. Perkins.
- Tom's Yeerk's name/rank is revealed as Iniss 335. Mr. Perkins' Yeerk's number designation is revealed as 557.
- With Principal Chapman's Yeerk being called Iniss 226 and Tom's Yeerk being called Iniss 335, "Iniss" appears to serve as a Yeerk rank (or possibly as a very common Yeerk name).
VHS Releases[]
Australia Releases[]
- Volume 6 ("Tobias", "Not My Problem" and "The Release")
Gallery[]
Transcript[]
To be added
References[]
| TV Episodes | ||
| Season 1 | #1 My Name is Jake (Part 1) | #2 My Name is Jake (Part 2) | #3 Underground | #4 On the Run | #5 Between Friends | #6 The Message | #7 The Escape | #8 The Alien | #9 The Capture (Part 1) | #10 The Capture (Part 2) | #11 The Reaction | #12 The Stranger | #13 The Forgotten | #14 The Leader (Part 1) | #15 The Leader (Part 2) | #16 Tobias | #17 Not My Problem | #18 The Release | #19 Face Off (Part 1) | #20 Face Off (Part 2) | |
| Season 2 | #1 Face Off (Part 3) | #2 My Name is Erek | #3 The Front | #4 Changes (Part 1) | #5 Changes (Part 2) | #6 Changes (Part 3) | |
| Book Tie-Ins | Meet the Stars of Animorphs | |