Jaws of Orthrus (TV story)

Jaws of Orthrus was the eighth episode of Series 1 of K9.

Synopsis
Inspector Drake is attacked by K9, or so it seems. June Turner and the Department have orders to capture K9 and detain him., but Starkey discover Drake has plans to capture K9 and have him dismantled. Whilst watching a video playback of the alleged attack, Jorjie wonders why Drake had a smug smile on his face and June investigates Project Orthrus.

Plot
June speaks to protesters on the introduction of Department microchips. She insists they are for their own good. When they start throwing fruit, Drake orders the CCPCs to arrest the protesters. K9 arrives and opens fire on the Department banners and balloons, then shoots Drake. June wonders why K9 has done this. At Jorjie's house, she tells Jorjie of K9's attempt on Drake's life. They go to Gryffen's, where they show Starkey, Gryffen and K9 footage of him shooting Drake. K9 says that he has no memory of it. June tells him to hand himself over. Gryffen tells K9 to download his memory of the morning, but K9 says he erased an alarm. Half an hour was wiped.

Darius and Starkey argue over K9's innocence. K9 insists that he must turn himself in. Later, when Darius is cleaning Mariah, Jorjie is appalled he could accuse K9 of attacking Drake. Darius says he's just a machine and Jorjie asks if that's the same way he feels about Mariah. Jorjie talks to Starkey about K9 and speculates that K9 malfunctioned or another robot dog from the 50th century came through the STM. Starkey tells Jorjie about the time Drake threatened Starkey and K9 offered to "take him out". Jorjie voices her concerns about Starkey to Gryffen, concerned he may put himself in danger.

Darius is apprehended by CCPCs and sent to Drake. He says Darius isn't someone who picks the losing team and offers to join Darius. Jorjie wonders why Drake had a smug smile on the recording. Starkey wonders if Darius has a point about K9. At Jorjie's house, June tells her that she will make sure Drake deals with K9 "by the book". K9 is fitted with a device to find him if he goes "walkabout" during the night. K9 says he would like to know himself. Gryffen adds a transmitter to K9's tail.

Later that night, K9 attacks Mariah. At Department HQ, June sees Drake's smug smile in the recording and finds his warrant for K9's arrest under Operation Orthrus. When she tries to look into the matter, access is denied. She meets Drake and asks why she hasn't been informed of Orthrus. He says it's classified. She asks why, before he was shot, he smiled while everyone else ducked for cover.

At the mansion Darius goes to wash Mariah. He finds her a wreck, with the words, "K9 woz ere", on her window. As Darius furiously tells Starkey about K9, K9 destroys the device Gryffen put on his tail. When the team watches the recording, Starkey insists K9 has been framed to distract them. K9 insists that he must surrender himself. When CCPCs arrive at the door, Starkey tells K9 to prepare his photon cannon, but K9 refuses. When Drake and two CCPCs arrive to arrest K9, Jorjie demands to see the warrant. One of the CCPCs grabs her arm, but Darius puts a bucket on its head and Gryffen uses the same device he modified K9 with to disrupt the other CCPC's circuitry and make it start dancing.

As the kids leave, Drake stops Gryffen's control over the CCPC. As the CCPCs pursue K9 and the others, they are split up and Darius is alone with K9. K9 arms his photon cannon and fires at Darius, but misses. Darius runs to Starkey and Jorjie and tells them that K9 tried to kill him. They don't believe him, but K9 arrives and arms his cannon at Jorjie. Starkey stands in front of her to protect her. As K9 prepares to fire, he is shot by a second K9, the true K9. When the fake prepares to fire again, K9 disables it. Drake arrives to arrest K9 but is stopped by June who reveals that Project Orthrus is not approved by the Department.

Cast

 * K9 Mark 2 - John Leeson
 * Starkey - Keegan Joyce
 * Jorjie Turner - Philippa Coulthard
 * Darius Pike - Daniel Webber
 * Professor Alistair Gryffen - Robert Moloney
 * June Turner - Robyn Moore
 * Drake - Connor Van Vuuren

Production crew

 * Writer - Lindsay James
 * Director - James Bogle
 * Producers - Penny Wall, Richard Stewart, Simon Barnes
 * Executive producers - Jim Howell, Grant Bradley, Steve Robbins
 * Associate producers - Bob Baker, Paul Tams
 * Supervising producer - Dale Bradley
 * Co-Executive producer - Mark Blythe
 * With special thanks - Sam Tromans
 * Line producer - Pam Collis
 * VFX Director - David Napier
 * Series Production Designer - Jon Dowding
 * Episodic Designer - Adam Head
 * New K9 Design by - Paul Tams, Alex Kubalsky
 * Series Director of Photography - Ben Nott
 * Episodic Director of Photography - Tony O'Loughlan
 * Music by - Christopher Elves
 * K9 theme music by - Michael Lira
 * Editor - Patrick Stewart
 * Casting - Faith Martin and associates
 * Episodic casting - Lisa Maloney
 * Drama/Dialogue coach - Peter Kent
 * Story Producer - Greg Walters
 * Script Adaption - Michaeley O'Brien
 * Production Accountant - Pru Donovan
 * 1st Assistant Director - Peter McLennan
 * Script Supervisor - Sue Ketchington
 * Costume Designer - Joanne Thompson
 * Makeup Designer - Sharon Robbins
 * Puppeteer - David Pawsey
 * Location Manager - Charles Boyle
 * Sound Recordist - Ian Grant
 * B Camera Operator - Dan Maxwell
 * Gaffer - Steve Monk
 * Key Grip - Billy Harmer
 * Special thanks to - Space Furniture, Shredox, J. Barbour & Sons Ltd, Heath Williams at Firefly Lighting, Videopro
 * Safety Supervisor/Stunt Coordinator - Danny Baldwin
 * Transport Manager - Alister Ward
 * Unit Manager - Graeme Suhr
 * Post Production Facility - Cutting Edge Australia
 * Head of Post Production - John Lee
 * Sound Design - Warren Pearson

Story notes

 * This episode first aired on Disney XD the same day the Doctor Who episode Victory of the Daleks was broadcast. This episode was also first broadcast on Five on Christmas Day, the same day as DW: A Christmas Carol was broadcast.

Ratings
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Home video releases

 * This episode is featured in the Series One complete box set, released in Australia on 29 September 2010.
 * This episode is featured in a "vanilla" DVD called Alien Avatar, along with The Fall of the House of Gryffen, Dream-Eaters, Curse of Anubis, Oroborus and Alien Avatar, released in Australia on 1 December 2010.
 * This episode was released along with episodes 1–7 and 9–12 as "K-9: Series 1, Volume 1" on 31 January 2011.