Spellbinder gets teens addicted to virtual reality fantasies and forces them to steal for him if they want more.
Tropes:
- Abusive Parents: Donny, one of the teenagers addicted to Spellbinder's VR machine, has an abusive father who mistreats his mother. Mr. Grasso makes it clear to Terry and Max that he couldn't care less if his son came home or not.
- Bait-and-Switch: After Max seemingly goes missing, we cut to her returning to her family for dinner. They act supportive about her life, giving the impression this is an out-of-nowhere slice-of-life moment for Max. Then we cut to a reveal she's inside one of Spellbinder's machines, showing that not only is Max in trouble, but also hinting her home life isn't as functional as we were momentarily led to believe.
- Cruel to Be Kind: Terry pulling the plug on Max's fantasy.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Max's parents split up years ago. Her father's long gone, while her mother is often away due to work.
- Dark Secret: Max views her dysfunctional home life as this.
- Freeze-Frame Bonus: Terry faces off with Spellbinder, who attempts to use mind control on him. During this time, Terry flashes back to several previous moments in the series, including one frame from when he fought a hideously mutated Dr. Cuvier in "Splicers."
- I Just Want to Be Loved: This is how Spellbinder reels in his "customers", by offering them an artificial way to experience the love and affection they crave. And in exchange, they must steal for him. Donny's VR gives him a reality where he's a rock star adored by countless fans. Another customer, Jessie, imagines her employer/crush Wendell taking her out on a romantic date and proposing to her. And Max wants so badly to second-hand experience a healthy relationship with her family that she quickly falls into line and steals for Spellbinder.
- It's All My Fault: Terry blames himself for Max getting sucked into the whole mess with Spellbinder.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: Spellbinder puts teens in a highly addictive one so that when he cuts them off, they'll do anything to get back in...including steal for him.
- Mood Whiplash: Jessie, one of Spellbinder's clients, is having a date with Wendell, the employer she's crushing on. It's played up as the carriage ride she's always dreamed of, culminating when he pops the question, much to her ecstasy...only to cut to Jessie as she is in real life: a Lotus-Eater Machine addict in the process of becoming a vegetable from (for lack of better words) too much happiness in one sitting.
- "Not So Different" Remark:
- After her lousy home life comes out, Max observes she and Terry both have secrets. Terry quips she doesn't have to wear tights.
- While Terry blames himself for what's happening with Max, Bruce says he's felt similarly many times before and reassures him it's not his fault.
- Oh, Crap!: Terry when Donny lets slip that the new VR room Max was dragged off to is run by Spellbinder.
- Parental Abandonment: Max and her older sister were essentially abandoned by their folks a while back. Ever since then, it's just been the two of them. Deconstructed as the reason Max is so addicted to Spellbinder's VR.
