Twisted Metal – Season1 Episode 9 “R04DK11” Recap & Review

R04DK11

Episode 9 of Twisted Metal begins with Marcus (Sweet Tooth) and Stu bullying Mike. The former has put an electric shock collar around Mike’s neck and treats him like a dog. When Marcus is away, Mike tries to explain to Stu that he is not safe with him. The duo have known each other since kindergarten and Mike has never seen Stu behave like this. He also warns Stu that when push comes to shove, Marcus will not listen to him.

When Stu suggests to Marcus that they start a new life since Stone thinks they’re dead, Marcus does not even consider it. They head straight for the dam as Marcus pours gasoline over his head, asking Stu to “light it up” when he gives him the indication. He also smears their faces with faint clown paint.

Just 48 hours are left to the expiration of the deadline. Quiet still has the package with her and has to steer abruptly off the road when she spots a dead deer on it. She is confronted by Vulture while trying to get the car back on the road. Although they discuss his ex, Tasha, and other things, he eventually points a gun at her. Quiet is almost killed only to be saved by Watts and Amber. 

Quiet is surprised to see the rig and Watts explains that it was John who found them. He knew Quiet would be following the map. Quiet is greatly upset with him and does not speak. Watts reveals to the duo that Stone and all his men have fallen back to the Dam ever since Marcus started taking out all his outposts. The way to New SF is through the dam. But the good news is that there is an opening in the blockade that will give them safe passage. Watts offers to drive them to the blockade and leave them with an “able-bodied car.” 

Stone gathers up his men and vows to catch the “mute and the Milkman” with a trap. Meanwhile, Quiet and John repair an old car in the rig to use it for the journey. Quiet angrily confronts John for his betrayal. The fact that he left her for the car proves that they aren’t partners in this journey. John is self-centred and only cares about his delivery. John tries his best to explain to her about his motivations. He also gifts her the signature throw blade she has been using. He confesses that they both make each other better and that he cannot imagine his life beyond day 10 without her. 

Quiet seems to be moved by John’s words but they instantly have a new challenge. Stone’s men have attacked the Convoy and the duo must spring into action. They armour up the car and arm it with heavy weaponry. They are released on the road and name the new car “Roadkill,” the title of this episode.

Watts and Amber – in the rig – and Roadkill makes it through the blockade, which is uncharacteristically quiet. They see a fleet of cars around the large compound. This is Stone’s trap as all his men are inside those cars, waiting for their enemies. The episode ends with the promise of an epic showdown, that is joined by Sweet Tooth and Watts’ beloved F1 car, Twister. 

The Episode Review

The final few moments of episode 9 were a highlight of this season. We caught a glimpse of “Twister” when we first saw the insides of The Convoy. But this time, Watts’ blazing race car was seen in all its former glory.

It was expected that all of these main characters would converge at a single place come the finale. Episode 9 leaves a lot of responsibility for its successor, as it did not have too much to offer this time around. This might be the only episode in the entire series that qualifies as lacklustre given the general tone. It was a filler episode with no story progression. It is no coincidence it was the shortest as well, at a measly 22 minutes. There is not much to say about this episode because we didn’t get a lot to take away from it.