Ep 1. Steal Wheels

In the first episode of Kim Possible's third season, titled "Steal Wheels," we find Kim and Ron returning from their mission to stop Monkey Fist from obtaining the Lotus Blade. As they arrive back in Middleton, they are met with a bombshell – the Tweebs have developed a revolutionary new transportation device!

The device in question- a pair of motorized inline skates- has the ability to speed up transportation to a whole new level, literally! They can reach speeds up to 40 mph which is nothing short of groundbreaking. Naturally, Kim's excited to give them a spin. She promises to be an enthusiastic and helpful test subject for the Tweebs so she can give them the best feedback possible.

But when they set out to ride the skates, it becomes clear that the Tweebs have promised a lot more than they can deliver. The skates have a bit of a learning curve, and both Kim and Ron struggle to get the hang of them. That's when a pair of shifty-looking street racers blow by them, mocking the "newbies" for their lack of skill.

Kim, being ever the competitive one, takes this as a direct challenge. But as they soon find out, street skating doesn't play by the same rules as other forms of skating, and they're in way over their heads. With no real knowledge of what they're doing, Kim and Ron end up challenging the street racers to a race without considering what the stakes may be.

As the episode unfolds, we see Kim and Ron go to great lengths, including soliciting help from Bonnie and even hacking a computer system, to assist them in this race nobody expected to happen. They feel as though they're in over their heads as they realize the race comes with a lot more than just bragging rights, there is a cash prize at stake.

While the skates definitely give them an advantage over their opponents, who are all using regular skates, their lack of experience means they're often barely hanging on for dear life. To make things more challenging, Ron acquires a handheld fan- pretty innocuously as far as he knows- when they were in the exchange club as they needed them to experience New York's heat. They learn too late that the fan has serious value, with multiple parties seeking to acquire it by any means necessary. They also realize that it's their fault the fan is stolen as they were caught up in the competitive nature of the race and threw it aside, and now have to rectify the situation before something drastic happens.

Throughout this episode, we see their attempts to navigate this unbelievably intense race and the stealing of the handheld fan they thought couldn't hurt anybody. They experience a true crisis as they find themselves in situations they've never been in before. Despite everything, they never give up nor lose hope that they will emerge victorious, but what if by some miracle, they lose? Readily, they come up with contingency plans that will enable them to forego the grand prize altogether and come out unscathed.

Each new development brings a new element of danger that makes it all thrilling: reckless cart umbrellas, explosive peanut vending machines, a breakfast buffet booby-trapped with heat-seeking missiles, you name it.

By the end of the episode, not only do we see a characters' amazing development, but we also recognize that growth can only happen when placed in utterly unfamiliar and overwhelming environments. Furthermore, Kim's sheer adaptability to the situation has shown her that she can persevere through all odds even if all the odds seem against her, as long as she puts her mind to it. Through Ron's experience, he finds courage in the face of danger, which enables him to be a selfless hero on multiple occasions in the episode.

Throughout the episode, we get to see the recurring characters we've all grown to love in the show, such as Kim's family, her typical high school nemeses (Bonnie), and her tech-savvy friend Wade. "Steal Wheels" has become a staple for particular fans of the show, since it embodies the non-stop action and excitement they've come to expect from the cartoon.