Military experiments gone bad have long been a source of inspiration for science fiction writers. We’ve seen superheroes emerge from such trials, as well as deadly dangers to humanity – and we get to see the worst of the latter in this episode.
So far, Love, Death & Robots has been a magical experience, with each episode delivering the series’ trademark shocks and turns. The fifth episode, Kill Team Kill, is no exception, as we once again witness the horrors of a military experiment gone tragically wrong!
The Tale of the Cybernetically enhanced Grizzly Bear
The episode starts off with a glimpse of a badass team of Special Ops soldiers. They are out on some deadly mission, but that doesn’t mean they compromise on their wicked brand of humor. Clearly, they have been through near-death experiences in their previous missions and the fear of death is hardly on their minds.
The Sergeant is displeased with the behavior of one of his soldiers, Folen, who is peeing from a cliff without the slightest regard for his own safety. Macy is another soldier who seems to be the Sergeant’s wingman and the Sergeant reveals that they are only about 500 meters away from their objective location. Radio communication seems to be broken, and the team of five heads to the location after climbing another steep cliff.
They arrive and are greeted by a gruesome sight. Team Two members seem to be slaughtered by some unbelievably powerful force, and their discussions about what may have happened are interrupted by a blood-curdling scream of some creature at a distance. The team prepares for a showdown and gets ready with their weapons, and this is when we get the first glimpse of the creature.
It looks like a giant honey-badger mixed up with a bear, and the monstrous entity stands some twelve feet tall. It has terrifying red glowing eyes, and the fangs are long and sharp. Nothing about the presence of the creature speaks friendly, and the team soon learns to their horror that their bullets have absolutely no impact on the beast. It rushes towards them, and the flurry of bullets simply deflects from its body.
One of the brave soldiers tries to stab it, but he is quickly snapped up by the sharp jaws. He still continues to stab the creature but to no avail. Suddenly a high-pitched uncomfortable noise is heard, and it seems to disturb the creature enough for it to retreat back into the surrounding woods. Two members of the team are already dead, one snapped in half, and the three surviving members watch the arrival of another soldier holding some kind of a machine that probably made the noise.
He reveals himself as Sergeant First Class Morris, who was a part of Task Force Griffin. They were stationed at Camp Eisenhower, which was built by CIA after the invasion of Afghanistan. We learn more about the creature as Morris reveals its true identity. It was a part of Project Barghest, which was used for patrolling with the soldiers. The creature was actually a genetically engineered grizzly bear, and according to the words of Morris, the thing was built like a tank.
It was strong enough to withstand hits from small firearms, and it could rip the enemy into shreds within minutes. The creature has retractable titanium talons, and its diamond carbine canines make the fangs stronger and sharper than anything.
There is also an inch of ballistic-resistant gel under the skin, which enables it to withstand the most powerful hits and bullets. Unfortunately, the mechanisms of the creature went awry all of a sudden, and it turned on its own. That would explain the fate of the slain soldiers and the recent attack on the Special Ops team that left two of them dead. Luckily, Morris had the machine that was designed to call off the creature, and it seemed to be working – barely!
They all head to the secret base, and some more shocks are in store for them. All of Morris’ colleagues have been slaughtered inside and it wasn’t that way a short while ago which means that the creature struck recently. The whole place is filled with blood and guts and remains of the dead, and the soldiers make their way to the ordinance chamber to get themselves some real firepower to match the beast.
They also have some help in the form of the MAARS-Bot, the robotic dog-like machine which is rather adorable. The four of them prepare for an attack from the creature, but it still takes them by surprise. Morris is dragged and beheaded, but the MAARS-Bot shoots a flurry of bullets and mini-missiles at the beast, only to stall it momentarily.
It soon takes down the MAARS-Bot, but the remaining three soldiers Macy, Sergeant, and Foles manage to shoot it down. Unfortunately, it was only a ploy by the cunning mechanized monster, and Folen is ripped apart by another surprise attack. Finally, it takes a direct missile hit from the sergeant for the creature to be defeated – but hold on, there is one last surprise. Just as you think the team accomplished the impossible, one of the explosive eyes of the creature pop out and a powerful blast takes them all out!
Laced with dark humor and action
There are two things that are impossible to miss apart from the perfect animated monster that you see before your eyes. No matter how bad the situation gets, the soldiers never lose their sense of humor, and it will put a smile on your face even when people are dying all around. Foley’s death has to be the most hilarious moment, and his last request to his Sergeant is the most outrageous thing ever said by a dying soldier!
The dog-like adorable MAARS-Bot is a fun addition to the narrative, and its evasive action actually buys the survivors valuable time to regroup. The climactic twist was obviously a bummer because we were rooting for the Sergeant and his men to get out of the situation alive! The animation quality is top-notch, and this cyberpunk military action in the heart of Afghanistan will keep your adrenaline pumping the whole time!
Why did the creature go rogue?
This is one of the first questions that come to mind once you watch the whole thing. It was the perfect weapon to take on the militants around the region, but why on Earth did it turn against its own platoon members? Well, the answers are not provided so it is up to your interpretation. It could be such that the bear genes suddenly gained superiority in all the genetic engineering arrangements that were put together to turn the beast into a fighting machine.
Bears have a natural repulsion toward humans, and it could be that very nature that turned the creature against its own soldiers. It could have developed sensations that weren’t initially planned, and that could have caused it to go rogue during one of the missions.
Whatever be the reason, it was thrilling and entertaining to watch the finest soldiers battling the meanest military experiment gone wrong. If you want some serious excitement with blood pumping in your veins, go ahead and watch the adventures of the Special Ops team!