Spoilers for Lab Rats and Mighty Med are left unmarked.
According to a tweet from actress Kelli Berglund, the series would not be returning for a second season. The series finale aired on October 22, 2016, ending the series on a cliffhanger.
The series was the last live-action show made for the Disney XD channel with all further live-action shows being made exclusively for the Disney Channel (or Disney +).
Tropes in Lab Rats Elite Force:
- Arson, Murder, and Admiration: In "Follow The Leader", Perry calls Chase out for purposely locking Skylar in Mission Command, pulls a What the Hell, Hero? moment on Chase by telling him they're not so different, then ends with saying "You really could be my son!".
- Big Bad: Rodissiius, a Fallen Hero who turned to villainy because he lost his powers, and he's one horrible dad to his sons.
- Chekhov's Gag: In Follow The Leader, Kaz and Oliver keep playing a game called "Topple the Tower", which was a running gag that annoyed Bree, but their experience in that game turned out to be very useful in rescuing Chase and Skylar.
- Call-Back: Oliver's fear of needles from the Mighty Med episode "Evil Gus" is relevant again in "Power Play", as he couldn't handle the large needle carrying a serum.
- Continuity Nod: Justified, as previous events in either show are often referenced in order to help new viewers better understand:
- Kaz and Oliver mention that they gained superpowers from the Arcturion after trying to stop Mr. Terror/Bridget in the Mighty Med finale, "The Mother of All Villains".
- Bree mentions her upgraded super speed, which is a result from an upgrade that was created in the Lab Rats finale, "The Vanishing".
- The Elite Force is the "new team" that Davenport was talking about at the end of "The Vanishing".
- Oliver recounts to Chase how The Annihilator drained Skylar's powers and put them on a shelf as a trophy.
- Crossover: An entire crossover series between Lab Rats and Mighty Med. With half the cast of the former (though Donald is a recurring character) and the Power Trio of the latter. Several other characters from Lab Rats make it into this show too, such as Douglas, Perry, Bob, and Tasha; unfortunately, neither Adam nor Leo appeared and none of the other Mighty Med characters returned.
- Demoted to Extra: While superheroes who are not Kaz, Oliver and Skylar were commonly seen in Mighty Med they have been pushed into this trope, which is justified because all the surviving superheroes are forced to remain in hiding until Roman and Riker are dealt with.
- Disney Villain Death: Scarlett in "Home Sweet Home, Part 2" falls into the very lava pit she wanted to drop our heroes in.
- Empowered Badass Normal: Kaz and Oliver were once normos, but received powers from the Arcturion in the Mighty Med finale “The Mother of All Villains”.
- Evasive Fight-Thread Episode: The episode Need For Speed was an attempt to answer whether Bree or Skylar was faster in terms of Super-Speed. It ends with a draw.
- Fanservice: It's hard not to notice that Bree and Skylar have a taste for Painted-On Pants. Also, see the page image.
- Fate Worse than Death: The first villain of the show, Rodissiius, considers a superbeing stripped of their powers to be this, which ties into his motivation.
- Foil: Chase and Oliver. Both are Badass Bookworms, both possess a strong sense of heroism and both are huge nerds who have trouble getting girlfriends. However Chase is an arrogant and experienced leader, who generally focuses on the bigger picture and holds the logical thing over emotions and opinions. Oliver is inexperienced, generally a supporter, suffers from insecurity and self-doubt and will normally choose what feels right or will makes others happy, most of the time over what is the logical path.
- Irony: Kaz goes against Chase's orders and goes on a mission alone to accomplish a dangerous task. Chase made this exact same mistake in the Lab Rats episode "Avalanche!", and Chase ultimately sees Kaz do the same. When Kaz comes back, Chase is the one who gets in trouble for it, though Kaz takes full responsibility for it. Guess Chase learned his lesson about going on missions alone.
- Late-Arrival Spoiler: Kaz and Oliver’s powers (received from the Mighty Med finale), and the reveal of Oliver's mom being Mr. Terror.
- Loophole Abuse: Superheroes are not allowed to use their powers in public because people will freak and turn against them. However, since bionic heroes are already public knowledge, Kaz, Oliver, and Skylar can get away with using their powers in public by passing themselves off as bionic.
- The Masquerade: Bionic superhumans are public knowledge, but superheroes aren't. The Superhero Code forbids superheroes from using their powers in public, because people will freak and turn against them. The Lab Rats had the same issue themselves, but they can get away with using their powers in public because theirs are explainable through science. As a solution, Kaz, Oliver and Skylar can get away with using their powers as long as they pass themselves off as bionic. Since bionics are accepted as real, normos who see superheroes will just take them for bionic superhumans.
- Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: Skylar found out her old friend Crossbow was in Centium City, and a concerned Oliver decides to accompany Skylar and they decide not to tell Chase. Unfortunately, the two Shapeshifters were watching, and they led Roman right to Crossbow, while them talking about the list led Riker to infiltrate Mission Command as Kaz and get the list. They really should have listened to Chase.
- No Ending: Reese makes off with The List, Douglas is in critical condition, the shapeshifters are still on the loose, and The heroes are unsure what their next move is. Wordof God is that Douglas is alive, though everything else is left without answers due to the abrupt cancellation.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: The normally aloof Kaz is all gung ho about finding and stopping those that destroyed Mighty Med, and this works against him, befitting his usual recklessness.
- Only Sane Man: Between Chase’s arrogance, Kaz’s rashness and inability to think things through, Oliver’s insecurity and eccentricities, and Skylar’s alien values, there is not much sanity to go around. As the oldest of the group, Bree is normally left as the voice of reason. Having said that she still has her moments of foolishness. However, this role shifts between her and Skylar a lot, and when Skylar takes the role, she often reminds the others what being a hero truly means, as she was a seasoned superhero long before everyone else.
- Power Incontinence: Just like the Lab Rats when they get new abilities, Kaz and Oliver have to exercise discipline or their powers will spiral out of control.
- Personality Powers: As usual, Chase and Bree's powers reflect their already established personalities, but this also goes for the Red Oni, Blue Oni pair of Kaz and Oliver, too:
- Kaz is hot-headed, extremely impulsive, and has the power of fire and heat.
- Oliver is Stoic and prefers to be more calculating, and has power over water and ice.
- Put on a Bus: Donald stays for the first two episodes, but heads back to Mission Creek afterwards to be there for Tasha when she gives birth to their daughter. Instead, Douglas takes up the role as the father figure.
- Rearrange the Song: The theme song is the Lab Rats theme, but amped up to have superhero edge. In addition, the show retains the exact same interlude and background music from Lab Rats, but remixed to fit the show's superhero theme.
- Running Gag:
- Oliver can fly, but he's still working on the landings.
- Making fun of Donald's age is carried from Lab Rats, but it's subverted in one episode where it is widely prevalent, but Oliver was referring to a sculpture of Donald's head.
- Chase constantly mentioning Skylar being an alien, because he can't fathom it.
- Shapeshifting: The heroes’ first opponents are shapeshifters who can materialize and take any form.
- Spin-Off: Obviously of Lab Rats, but also of Mighty Med.
- Spoiler Opening: The opening credits give away the fact Skylar gets her powers back, which she did in Episode Three. However, before episode 3, one wouldn't be able to discern how she got her powers back (whether it's her original powers or bionics).
- Theme Naming: Rodissius' children all have names beginning with R.
- Throw the Dog a Bone: After all the two Lab Rats have been through, they get something they've been constantly yearning for that caused them a lot of angst—Bree finally gets Skylar as a surrogate sister, and Chase gets Oliver as an intellectual companion who can truly appreciate his smarts.
- Trash the Set: Offscreen, Mighty Med Hospital was destroyed, and Kaz and Oliver show the damage that was left.
- Truth in Television: Naomi (Bree's baby sister) has a panic attack every time Bree holds her because Bree is overanxious about being "a good big sister". Skylar conversely is a calming influence because she's confident in her child care skills. Young children are quite observant of emotional states and respond accordingly. When Bree stops having anxiety attacks, Naomi accepts her.
- Two Girls to a Team: This show averts The Smurfette Principle by having Bree and Skylar in the same team.
- Wham Episode: "The Attack" Chase's girlfriend Reese is Rodissius's daughter; she's incapacitated Douglas, and has the superhero list. And thanks to cancellation, we're never going to find out what happens next...
- You Killed My Father: The first villains of the show are the two sons of a former superhero looking to take revenge for their father's de-powering at the hands of Mighty Med. It was necessary to save his life, but the two of them think their dad now having to live without powers is a Fate Worse than Death, which makes this an inversion. We find out they're trying to make Rodissiius proud, and he's the mastermind behind the revenge scheme.
