Jeremy and Aelita, using data sent to them through the network from Franz Hopper, manage to reconstruct part of Lyoko: Sector 5. It would seem that things have taken a turn for the better: the real William reappears at Kadic, apparently unscathed. His unexpected return comes not a moment too soon, because Sissi—who forcefully assumed editorial control at the “Kadic Herald”—has taken a marked interest in finding out more about him. But William, now clearly still under Xana’s control, kidnaps Aelita and absconds with her onto Lyoko…
This episode contains examples of:
- Anti-Frustration Features: An In-Universe example: When recreating Lyoko, Jérémie and Aelita got rid of the countdown and key mechanism in the Core Zone of Sector 5.
- Continuity Nod:
- Jeremie mentions how Milly and Tamiya argued so much during his interview, the paper was in danger of being folded for good, and Odd tells him that he did skip out on it. When Yumi rejoices at the news, Odd rebutts saying that he'll "never know who's going out with who now", a nod to the episode The Secret.
- "Paco the Disco King", the film Odd almost blackmailed Jim over returns, and surprisingly, the whole school likes his dance moves.
- Cool and Unusual Punishment: Jim punishes Odd for breaking his promise not to tell anybody about Jim's old disco film Paco the King of Disco by threatening to place Odd in a different class from Jérémie, Ulrich and Aelita unless Odd practices the dance moves from the film. After a long practice session, Odd slips away when some students come to tell Jim how much they like the film.
- Double-Meaning Title: The title of the French version of the episode, "Renaissance", meaning "rebirth", could refer to either Lyoko being recreated by Jérémie and Aelita, or William being reintroduced as an agent of XANA, complete with a new outfit and set of powers.
- Entertainingly Wrong: Odd examines William up close, pinching him, to see if he is one of XANA's clones or possessed by XANA. William appears to be totally normal and Jérémie confirms that there's no activated tower on Lyoko. Subverted when it turns out that William is under XANA's control, just a seemingly different kind of control than the usual possession via activated towers.
- Just in Time: Odd gets to the Desert Sector just in time to devirtualize Yumi before she falls into the Digital Sea and to save Aelita when William throws her into it.
- Pinned to the Ground: After kidnapping her, the possessed Wiliam lays Aelita sideways down on the back of a Manta, climbs onto it himself and then puts his foot onto the side of her upper body pinning her to the back of the Manta preventing her from escaping.
- Promotion to Opening Titles: William, as the new major villain of the show.
- Status Quo Is God: A variant: Milly and Tamiya don't stay mad at each other for long. Instead, after taking so much crap from Sissi bullying the two with embarrassing scoops for the paper, the two quit and become friends again. At the end of the episode, the two even say hello to Jérémie, the previous episode's events forgotten.
- Wham Shot: Two:
- The first is of the scanner opening, leading into the second wham shot of William standing at the Arches in Kadic Academy.
- The second is of Aelita looking into William's eyes, seeing XANA's symbol in them.
- Why Don't You Just Shoot Him?: Once out of Sector 5, William had the time to throw Aelita into the Digital Sea, but waited until Odd could easily get to her.
