The Problem with Reece in Lab Rats: Elite Force
DISCLAIMER: I originally wrote this back in 2020 along with a load of other posts talking about Lab Rats: Elite Force, and for whatever reason, this one just never got posted (I don't really know why; it was genuinely one of the first ones I wrote). Anyway, it has been stuck in my drafts since July 7th 2020, and since there's been some likes popping up on those original posts again, I figured I'd take that as a reason to finally publish this one... so, if you at all care, enjoy :)
Reece actually looked like she could have been a really interesting character - but the issue is that she was given absolutely no build-up. Instead, she was introduced as Chase’s new girlfriend, whom he’d only met 3 hours beforehand and then, about 10 minutes later, we see her true nature and learn that she’s evil. There’s no time to bond with her as a new character, let alone as Chase’s new girlfriend.
Neither the audience nor the characters are given any chance to put their trust in her or to believe she might be good. This lack of time means that, other than Chase, nobody feels the sting of her betrayal. The emotional reaction from the audience is in our sympathy for Chase - not our belief in Reece. It’s the same with the other characters - other than Chase, none of them feel betrayed; they don’t actually show much reaction at all because they haven’t been given the chance to know Reece - to them, she’s just some girl Chase brought home.
The only one to do anything is Bree - and even though it is the greatest moment in the entire show (seriously, it’s brilliant), it is still only fuelled by her defending her brother. It contains nothing of her own feelings towards Reece. What would have been more interesting is if Bree, from the beginning, had had doubts about Reece and had tried telling Chase, but because of his love/trust in Reece, he wouldn't listen. This would not only have pitted the siblings against each other, but it would have highlighted how strong a hold Reece had on Chase. He trusted someone he had just met over his sister - which would have added an extra layer of guilt with the reveal, whilst making him feel even more stupid for getting things so wrong.
Having her not trust Reece would have also shown great development for Bree as a character, for she knows what it’s like to be manipulated by someone you like - she even says, “It’s ok, you got carried away by a crush, it happens.” This is a massive callback to ‘Bionic Action Hero’, where she was the one who messed up because of her crush on Troy - she didn’t think about the consequences, and as a result, Chase was almost killed. Having this moment would have shown personal growth - something you tend not to see much of in these types of shows. She’s learned not to instantly trust everyone who comes into their lives - she understands that there are people out there who would and have used them to hurt them. It’s something you would expect her and Chase to have learned after 4 seasons of Lab Rats (I don’t really understand the timeline of the show, so I’m just gonna talk about it in terms of seasons.) They live dangerous lives that aren’t normal.
So basically, I wish this could have happened, not only for Reece’s development but for Bree’s as well, as it’s only with this full rewatch that I’ve realised just how brilliant a character she is. I love her so much - and I wish the show had given her more emotional growth than her simply wanting to be more powerful. She deserved more.
However, getting back to Reece, more time should have been given to build her character into the team's lives... Whether that was through introducing her earlier in the background of a shot watching them, or having Chase save her on a mission to first establish their meeting onscreen before reintroducing her as his girlfriend later, or even just making the finale into a 2 part/hour long special - like ‘Bionic Action Hero’ is (I still can’t understand why this didn't happen). Anything to better integrate her into the world that isn’t just: Hello, new person. Stay there, new person. Oh, the new person is evil. Oops. It’s just a waste of an emotional reveal.
Don’t tell me they only met 3 hours ago - show me their relationship and build up a solid connection which you either root for or are nervous about.
Chase only knowing Reece for 3 hours and immediately trusting her is kinda an insult to him as a character. He has had 5 seasons of development at this point (4 really because no one developed in Elite Force), and he and his siblings have been through a lot, including their fair share of betrayals - Marcus, Giselle, Troy, Sebastian - to name a few. And I know they are all prone to bouts of stupidity from time to time (especially within this show), but 3 hours?! Really? That's the foundation you want to set this "relationship" upon? 3 hours of unseen interaction before the relationship's introduction, a relationship that was only ever going to lead to a betrayal anyway. A betrayal that has little to no emotional impact because no one but Chase even cared about this character.
Chase is supposed to be the smartest man in the world. And while I won't say it's impossible for him to be manipulated within 3 hours by a girl showing interest in him, it is Chase. I do think we needed to at least SEE some of that manipulation happening to really validate the power Reece had over him. Not enough time or effort is put into justifying the insult it throws at Chase for having fallen for Reece. There was a better way to make this situation work without throwing Chase under the bus for plot convenience, and that’s to actually work with what came before…
Yes, his eagerness does fit with his rather possessive nature. However, I would have much preferred it to have been framed as a relationship he had been trying to keep secret for a while, in fear of what the others might think or do should they find out about it. After all, the last time a girl showed interest in him, Adam sabotaged it and activated Spike to scare her off; even Bree told S-1 she was crazy for even thinking Chase was cute. Prior episodes have proven that his family aren't the most supportive when it comes to matters of the heart - especially his. Meaning there is precedent for his wanting to keep this kind of thing a secret, he doesn't trust those around him not to ruin things for him - because that is what has always happened. Keeping Reece a secret before revealing their relationship would have made a lot of sense, whilst also ensuring the decision was based on the insecurity he has from past experiences, instead of just making him overly possessive (like this show loves to do).
But hey, I fully believe this show didn't know what it was doing week to week, let alone how to effectively build towards a compelling betrayal plot… I mean, they wasted so many episodes on pointless filler shenanigans, they didn't even put two episodes towards their final (mid-season) conflict. Lab Rats: Elite Force could have been a really compelling show. It was following on from two very well-crafted series that had already successfully interacted in a brilliant crossover and contained an ensemble of pre-established characters who still had a lot of potential worth exploring. However, whoever was in charge of it clearly didn't give a shit about any of what came before and just saw it as a guaranteed win without need of putting any effort into maintaining what was actually successful about them. So of course it failed miserably!
The problem with Reece is the same as everything else in this show… There was zero thought put into any of it.
Of course they didn't build Reece up properly; that would require some sort of plan, which they absolutely didn't have. Of course they didn't consider how Bree and Chase's pasts could have legitimately influenced their actions in this situation; that would require being aware of what came before, which they evidently didn't care about in the slightest. This show constantly devolved and devalued its characters to make them fit the shenanigan/argument of the week, instead of playing off of its strengths - the character/actors its aquired - and building a solid narrative that could have thrived on more mature conflicts and purposeful character growth. It should not have been that hard to actually make this show work - the groundwork was done.
That is why it will always remain such a disappointment that it was handled the way it was and that it ultimately had to be cancelled on such a major, unsatisfying cliffhanger... Chase having messed everything up, Douglas having been severely attacked and the threat of a war being on the horizon. I don't care if their intentions for the second half of the season were gonna be epic, do not waste 13/16 episodes on pointless filler with nothing to do with the overarching plot and then finish your final episode on a cliffhanger, which they probably knew would never get explored anyway. It disrespects the characters. It disrespects the actors who have spent years working in this universe of shows. And it disrespects the audience members who genuinely care about these characters and the story they're in!
Hi, 2026!Me here, turns out, I may not have actually finished this back in 2020 like I thought, which may explain why I never posted it. So, rather than abandoning it again, I decided to just blag those last few paragraphs (despite having not watched any of the shows since 2020), which is why it may go a bit off topic by the end, but I think what I've put is more or less accurate to my feelings back then… however, if anything doesn't quite line up, that's why. Anyway, I don't know if what I've added is even the right ending for this - I'm not very good at concluding things anyway, let alone 6 years after the fact - but I figured it would be better than posting this without an end... (like Lab Rats: Elite Force.)
Which finally brings us to the end… if you did give this a read, thank you so much! i hope you found at least a little something about it interesting 🙂
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