The Zeta Project tek's rating: ½

The Zeta Project, on The WB
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This Saturday morning cartoon is a spin-off from Batman Beyond, and like that show, it's set roughly 50 years in the future (from the perspective of the other shows in the DCAU). Zeta is a robot, an infiltration unit belonging to the NSA. Infiltration units can assume virtually any holographic form, and are used as undercover agents to infiltrate criminal organizations, gather information and sometimes kill their targets. Zeta has somehow developed a mind of his own, and a conscience. He doesn't want to kill anymore, he just wants to be free. But the NSA believes he's been reprogrammed by someone for some nefarious purpose, and a group of agents led by Agent Bennett are constantly chasing him. The other agents we mainly get to know are Agent Lee (who isn't convinced Zeta is the threat Bennett thinks he is), and Agent West (who is constantly bungling missions, so much so that I sometimes wondered if his clumsiness was actually an act to cover intentionally foiling plans to capture Zeta; but I'm probably wrong about that).

Zeta has been befriended by a homeless teenage girl named Rosalie "Ro" Rowen, and together they stay one step ahead of Bennett and his agents, meanwhile helping out folks they run into each week. Ultimately, Zeta wants a chance to talk to the man in charge of the group of scientists who created him, Dr. Selig. He hopes Selig will be able to convince the NSA that he really does just want to be free and not have to hurt anyone anymore. And... that's all I can really say about the show. It wasn't nearly as good as the other shows in the DCAU, but I still liked it well enough, and I was sorry that it didn't last longer. There really never was any resolution to the story, as far as I'm aware....


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DC Animated Universe
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TV: Batman: TAS * Superman * Batman Beyond * Static Shock * The Zeta Project * Justice League
Movies: Mask of the Phantasm * SubZero * Return of the Joker * Mystery of the Batwoman
Comics: The Batman Adventures * Gotham Girls * Batman: The Adventures Continue
Other: Chase Me (short film) * Gotham Girls (web) * Lobo (web)