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EPISODE 1: ‘The Reunion’ – We meet Jake, your average mildly-depressed and sleep-deprived 30-something millennial. He puts on a good enough show of competence at the NYC high school where he teaches history, but afterwards he’s late to his newest therapy support group. The others there have stories you might expect, but Jake’s mental health troubles involve animals… and time travel… and aliens. Yeah. It doesn’t go over well (as usual). But then Marco (Jake’s best friend since childhood) shows up unexpectedly, in town for the ‘Internet Creators Conference’. Back at Jake’s place, they catch up, and Jake starts to tell Marco about the strange dream he keeps having — but Marco suggests Jake save the story for dinner… where — surprise! — they’re joined by Rachel and Cassie. But it’s not quite the happy Animorphs reunion that Marco had in mind… It’s kind of tense and awkward: even after a decade, Jake’s clearly still hung-up on Cassie; Rachel’s still upset about Tobias; and everyone’s so preoccupied, Marco doesn’t get to tell them his secret.
EPISODE 2: ‘The Secret’ – A few weeks before Episode 1… Rachel is vid-chatting with Marco about mutual friends/family gossip, and the upcoming Conference which she’s also been invited to; they decide to take Jake and Cassie as their plus-ones. Rather than returning to video editing when she hangs up, Rachel instead updates her secret ‘TOBIAS’ dossier, an elaborate extreme-conspiracy-theorist-quality compilation of content on everyone who ever had any connection to Tobias in the old timeline. She then rushes to Melissa and Tom’s to (begrudgingly) lend a hand with her cousin’s campaign. All of Rachel’s family and Tom’s parents are there already; Hedrick Chapman stops by, but excuses himself after a barrage of ‘innocent’ nosy questions from Rachel. She and Melissa escape to the mall to meet their friend Taylor; Melissa confides her suspicions that her father’s having an affair with a woman in New Mexico. They visit a pet store, where Rachel discusses falconry with the exotic pet specialist, David. Rachel then heads out to Marco’s to work on a joint announcement video about the Conference in his studio in his parents’ garage.
EPISODE 3: ‘The Discovery’ – We meet Cassie… in the original timeline. She farewells Ronnie (her boyfriend) at the airport and heads home to California for the holidays. The destruction from the Yeerk War (even though it ended 4 years ago) can be seen from the plane. Her parents pick her up, but Cassie goes out to wander (what’s left of) the Animorphs’ old haunts — including the construction site where they first encountered Elfangor and their adventure began. She finds a strange object, the Time Matrix, and wishes Jake were there to help. Suddenly, time and space start to swirl together, and then Cassie’s in the middle of Yellowstone with Jake and Ronnie… Exactly like the last time she saw Jake… Six months ago. She interrupts Jake’s exposition about Ax being taken prisoner — to realize (or, freak out about) what’s just happened with the Time Matrix. They mostly figure out how the device functions, then plan how to use it in order to bring Rachel back, and set things right. Cassie says goodbye to Ronnie. Again. Probably forever.
EPISODE 4: ‘The Decision’ – Cassie and Jake together manipulate space-time to ‘collect’ the other Animorphs and undo the Yeerk War. They get Marco first, who is busy contemplating the abyss of fame and fortune via lobster morph at the bottom of the pool at his California mansion; then they find Tobias (a wearied red-tailed hawk) in his woods with the help of Toby Hamee the Hork-Bajir. They time-travel to a pivotal moment in the war before Rachel is about to sacrifice herself under Jake’s orders. Then back in time again, to reunite with Ax, and collectively decide how to disrupt the events of Seerow’s Kindness that led to Yeerk advancement. Ax puts the plan into motion, and they say their final goodbyes and send him back to his homeworld. Rachel is the one who realizes (too late) — as they return to their new ‘present day’ as ordinary (i.e. never-Animorphed) high school seniors — that without those events, Tobias no longer exists. Cassie tries to console her, but there’s nothing anyone can really do — except accept this new ‘normal’.
EPISODE 5: ‘The Message’ – At the ‘Internet Creators Conference’ gala dinner, Marco reveals why he’s actually gotten everyone together: He’s figured out a Z-Space Communicator! Which means they can call Ax on the Andalite homeworld — Marco’s sure of it. (Cue lengthy montage of his previous failures and mistakes.) He wanted them all together to make the call; so they go back to Jake’s, set the tech up and, hey, it actually works! They see and talk to Ax, jogging his memories of their past that ‘never’ happened. Ax talks of his life at home, especially about his brother, Elfangor, and his nephew... an Andalite named Tobias. Ax is completely oblivious about the effect of this news on the others — and Rachel particularly struggles to keep herself together. As the novelty of the call wanes, the Aftermorphs all express the wish that Ax could come visit; Ax matter-of-factly counters that they would need access to a time / space travel device to do so. The Aftermorphs share a pointed, calculating look with each other. “Ax…can we call you back?”
EPISODE 6: ‘The Stranger’ – In California, Erek King opens his door to find four travel-weary Aftermorphs (prompting a flash of data recall of a night when four bedraggled teenagers brought him the Time Matrix and explained how they already knew everything about him and the Chee). Erek ushers them to his high-tech basement-slash-secret-dog-park, where the Time Matrix is safe and sound. They call Ax, who advises how to theoretically connect the Z-Space Communicator to the Time Matrix, to use it as a transporter. At the last moment, Ax’s nephew Tobias bursts in, and both Andalites end up on Earth! During all the excitement, Jake has a flash of The One, and time seems to freeze… because of The Ellimist: He explains the stakes — that The One is real and must be stopped before It can direct Crayak’s attention to Earth. To ‘help’, Ellimist declares he has granted each Animorph access to one morph of their choosing. While the group discusses options, Ellimist quietly reclaims his Time Matrix and disappears to resume a battle with Crayak.
EPISODE 7: ‘The Encounter’ – To keep the incoming alien threat ‘on the DL’, the Aftermorphs (plus Erek, Ax and Tobias) agree on luring The One to Roswell, New Mexico, UFO Capital of the World. While the others discuss ‘ethical' explosion options (to attract The One’s attention), Rachel realizes she knows a woman in Roswell… and Erek’s Chee network verifies Loren still lives there — and with an adult son. Rachel is almost giddy, proposing that an energy surge from Erek, when merging Human Tobias with Andalite Tobias, should be enough to hail The One. The others are horrified at this ‘solution’ based on Rachel’s own starfish morph debacle in the old timeline — all except Tobias, who grew up so obsessed with Ax’s mythical stories about humans that he’d give anything to be one. With no better ideas and time running out, they go to Roswell and meet Loren’s son, Elias, a trans man who is surprisingly on-board with the entire ‘insane’ plan. Erek finally complies; Tobias and Elias hold onto one another and attempt to ‘morph’ into each other. And in the surge of energy, Jake has a vision of The One, locking on to their location.
EPISODE 8: ‘The Unknown’ – The arrival of The One is imminent. But the Aftermorphs are more concerned about Tob/ias, who keeps uncontrollably shapeshifting into unpredictable part-Andalite part-Human amalgamations. As The One’s ship appears in the atmosphere, Erek vows to protect Tob/ias. Jake orders the others to morph: Siberian Tiger fur sprouts on his face; Marco becomes a Silverback Gorilla; Ax is already a walking weapon… but Rachel and Cassie hesitate. Rachel finally goes African Elephant; Cassie’s face starts to elongate too — but Jake is livid: she’s wasted her choice on a horse morph instead of her fierce Grey Wolf. But there’s no time to argue; the ship lands and The One emerges, a cyborg Andalite with machine tech enhancements. The Aftermorphs attack! — but get their asses handed to them. They regroup, chasing The One into its ship where It tries to contact Crayak. And then — time freezes… Marco finally loses it, gigglingly recalling the Animorphs mission at ‘Zone 91’ where they investigated what turned out to be an Andalite toilet. Which prompts Ax’s realization — this ship’s ablution pod has an 8-hour quarantine / decontamination function… And when time unfreezes, they shove The One into the toilet and start the quarantine. Cassie and Erek suddenly announce they are leaving, unwilling to continue the fight. Marco loudly denounces their pacifism, then works with the others on a plan.
EPISODE 9: ‘The Resistance’ – The One comes out of quarantine to find the ship’s comms jammed. A tiger (Jake), gorilla (Marco), and elephant (Rachel) are waiting when It emerges from the ship. But The One wasn’t idle in isolation: as It approaches the Aftermorphs, It begins to morph, into some kind of tige-rilla-phant megamorph! Rachel steps forward anyway; The One then roar-hisses, suddenly developing venom-dripping fangs and a giant rattlesnake tail. The One rears up to stomp on a nearby rattler — Ax in morph — but a red-tailed hawk swoops in at the last second and scoops him up. Tob/ias saves the day?! But then The One sprouts wings… As Tob/ias and Ax hightail it out of range, The One’s wings and fangs shrivel up, and It slams to the ground. Jake and Marco realize what’s happening and retreat, but Rachel stands her ground. The One boasts about its invention of ‘mirror-morphing’ as It gores Rachel with its elephant tusks. Tobias and Ax distract The One, giving Rachel time to demorph… and time for the cavalry(?!) to arrive! There’s a mighty roar — but it’s not from Jake… It’s… a lion?! The rest of Erek’s ‘blank’ hologram dissipates — and there’s an entire menagerie: the Auxiliary Animorphs (and a horse of course, named Cassie). The Auximorphs overwhelm The One, its mega-morphing becoming too unwieldy; Erek’s Chee friends then restrain The One and confine It in the ship, for Ax to deliver to Andalite High Command for trial and sentencing. Tob/ias announces he will go with Ax, too.
EPISODE 10: ‘The Beginning’ – One week later. During his lunch break, Jake watches Marco’s latest video (filmed in Jake’s apartment) teasing a new tech project. Another teacher invites Jake out to after-work drinks, but he declines; he’s got a new therapy group to attend… Except it turns out to be just him and Marco, spending two hours in morph, stopping would-be ‘bad guys’ and petty criminals as “your friendly neighborhood Animorphers”. Back at Jake’s, they call the ‘West Coast Avengimorphers’ (Cassie, Rachel, and the Auximorphs) to check in. Cassie’s phone rings while she strains in front of the bathroom mirror, her face bulging out slowly, mid-morph — but it’s the beginnings of wolfish features, not horse! Ronnie knocks; she loses her progress, then joins the video call with the guys. Rachel is online, too, showing them a live news report about a lion terrorizing people in California. They call James — but the lion isn’t him. Rachel stares at the TV — “That fucking little rat!” — then leaves the call. Ronnie pokes his head in at the outburst and Cassie drops her phone, hanging up. Jake goes to call his brother, so Marco fishes out the Z-Space Comm and calls Ax, still in transit with Tob/ias and The One. Ax mentions the Time Matrix as they hang up. Marco quotes The Fly, then transports himself across the room using the modified Communicator. He’s fine, but his watch — or is it time itself? — has stopped.
The AFTERMORPHS will return in Season 2…