Episode of the Week

[Deleted]

The Burden Hardest To Bear is one of the better Season 3 episodes. Rodimus Prime trying to come to terms with being the leader of the Autobots and thinking he has failed his predecessor brings out a side in him that we never knew he had. In a season that was largely full of terrible episodes this one stands out as one episode that definately merits a re-watch.

[charlesrocketboy]

SKY-BYTE SAVES THE DAY

This, this is why everyone loves Sky-Byte and the Predacon trio (RIGHT LASER!). Despite a ludicrous basis for a scheme, Sky-Byte initially manages to be menacing and dangerous - but his desperation and overreacting at the slightest problem causes it to descend into utter hilarity, especially when he outright forgets his original plan.

"Now, more than ever, my hostages need me!"

Actually, that ep's full of great lines. It also has one of the all-time great Badass Prime scenes - Scourge boasting Prime will have to go through him, to which Prime responds calmly "All right" and shoots him down.

[The Doctor]

It is indeed a splendid slice of entertainment. You can't go wrong with lots of Sky-Byte on the screen!

-Ralph

[Deleted]

After watching it in the Kix kids digital channel last night I nominate

Microbots

[The Doctor]

Ah yes, from season 2 of the Sunbow show. I'm watching it now and don't remember this one at all.

EDIT: Oh, I remember it now. My mind had obviously blocked the opening act where Megatron stands still while firing Supah Energy Bolts which the Autobots are too thick to avoid.

The episode is very stupid but seems to know it is so is quite fun. The Decepticons getting drunk is a hoot.

Some decent animation flourishes in this one compared to the usual standard.

Much better than most Sunbow episodes.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Also, the inside of Megatron where the 'heart of Cybertron' is located has the 'heartbeat' sound effect used for Dalek control rooms in Doctor Who. This explains much.

-Ralph

[Deleted]

The Autobots had two golden opportunities to get rid of Megatron once and for all in this episode and they turned them both down. They could have left the Heart of Cybertron inside Megatron and watch him go up like a rocket and Brawn and co. could have pulled out a few wires while they were inside Megatron. Megatron repays Brawn's gratitude by killing him in the movie!

[The Doctor]

From Sunbow's 'The Transformers', the last episode...

THE REBIRTH: part 3

-Ralph

[grahamthomson]

The only three things I can remember about this episode are;

1. Changing something from output to input saved the universe
2. There was some groovy disco music playing while the universe was being saved
3. Bumblebee danced with Goldbug after the universe was saved

[Stomski]

Good memory...


Galvatron's rant at the end is pretty awesome.

[Deleted]

The Rebirth trilogy was an average end to the Sunbow cartoon but I feel that more effort could have been made to it. People often lampoon the Japanese Headmasters series but that is still far superior to the Rebirth which wraps up an entire story in just one hour.

[charlesrocketboy]

THE FISH TEST

(I want to talk about Sky-Byte some more, DAMN IT)

[The Doctor]

My DVD's are packed away. Which one was that?

-Ralph

[Dave]

^It's the one where Sky-Byte tries to sabotage Scourge's plan by informing the Autbots but they don't believe him and he has to perform tricks. Also he takes the fish test and is informed he is a jellyfish

"Yes I'm a Shark I'll show the world I'm not a jellyfish!!!!"

Very funny episode with nothing working out for poor Sky-byte and him getting blasted by both Autobots and Decepticons. Lots of amusing moments like dressing up as Autobots and the universal greeting dance.

Some funny lines:
"Have you figured out what scourge is up to?"
"Yes the usual he's going to raid the Earth's power plants and siphon off the energy..."

"That's right he was too stupid to fall for my trick!"

[charlesrocketboy]

And it has that scene of Sky-Byte in shark-mode balancing a ball on his nose.

[legios]

Ah, "The Fish Test", an episode based on the most simple of premises - "Skybyte is fed up of playing second-flounder to Scourge, so he decides to show him up by ensuring the Autobots show up to defeat him. If he can just get the Autobots to believe for one micro-second that he is sincerely leaking them information....." It is a fairly simple concept, but it is all in the way it is played - and in this case it is played for as broad a slice of comedy (even by RiD's standards) as they can manage.

Rewatching the episode reminded me of something about the Predacons - whilst they may be nominally villians there is something terribly endearing about them. Indeed, they are actually more likeable than some of the Autobots - our nominal heroes. Their fall from "main flunkies" early on in the shows run to heroic levels of ineptitude has somehow made them more likeable, and results in their hapless conspiring in this episode being rather entertaining. Sky-byte especially has a superb inferiority complex that pushes him to ever more absurd lengths to attempt to regain standing in the eyes of Megatron. What is perhaps most apt is the fact that even when (self-interestedly) helping the good-guys he is still utterly hapless - he does no more damage to Megatron's cause when attempting to undermine Scourge's actions than he would have done if he had tried to assist.

Having Skybyte's intentions be foiled by the most hapless amongst the Autobots just makes things more appropriate. Skybyte and Sideburn are the perfect match up - Skybyte to come up with a plan only he is stupid enough to dream up, and Sideburn to be to stupid and hot-headed to be suckered by it.

At no stage could this episode be described as big or clever, but it isn't aiming for that. It is going after extremely broad comedy and lands a good solid hit at where it was aiming at. (Plus, lots of screen time for RiD's breakout character, Skybyte)


Karl

[The Doctor]

Skybyte is always brilliant whenever he is on screen. Combination of bonkers idea (flying talking robot shark) and great voice performance.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

From 'The Transformers'...

DINOBOT ISLAND

-Ralph

[legios]

It has been far too long since I have seen "Dinobot Island" for me to really comment in much detail on this. All I really remember is that I enjoyed any parts where the Dinobots were on screen (Sunbow Dinobots are endearingly dim.), and that Grimlock's training techniques:-

"Swoop, do flying stuff. Snarl, do tail stuff. Slag, do fire stuff"

is the only actual scene I can recollect (probably because it did amuse me somewhat). As to the rest of it, all I can remember is that one of the episodes had the Autobots fighting pirates who came through a swirly thing in space-time for no reason I recall in any clarity.

On to this week, might I propose that the episode for discussion be the Beast Wars episode:-

"Double Jeopardy"

if this meets with folks approval?

Karl

[The Doctor]

Cartoon Powerglide is hateful and needs to die.

You can't help but love pirates in space/time swirly things though. Even just typing that feels awesome.

-Ralph

[legios]

Padding onwards to:-

"Double Jeopardy"

Plot Synopsis: Predacon actions point to the possibility of a spy within the Maximal ranks, and Optimus Primal suspects Rattrap. Sent on a dangerous mission into Predacon territory, Rattrap surrenders to Terrorsaur and pledges alliegance to the Predacon cause.....”

“Double Jeopardy”, one of the early first-season “Beast Wars” episodes stands as a bit of a spotlight episode for the character of Rattrap. Early in the season there were a handful of episode which served the role of putting a particular Maximal centre-stage and allowing them to shine. In this regard the plot of the story is built around creating chances for Rattrap to be doing things. In this regard the fact that the “high-concept” version of the story – “A Maximal goes over to the Predacons and chaos ensues” – is pretty much the same as a subsequent episode (“Dark Designs”) is perhaps a little bit forgiveable (“Double Jeopardy” also has the advantage of having got there first in terms of airing order). Picking Rattrap as the Maximal to be accused of being a double-agent, and to have defect to the enemy in order to preserve his life is a good choice. Rattrap is, at this stage in the series perhaps the most “designedly unlikeable” character. As a coward, with a habit of insubordination and a somewhat meanspirited edge to him he isn’t entirely the sort of person you would want to have your back in the first place. So the idea that he might sell out the other Maximals to preserve his own hide doesn’t feel entirely far-fetched. Interestingly though, the character called Rattrap that emerges by the end of the episode isn’t really the same character who has appeared in previous “Beast Wars” episodes. This is the episode where they chose to replace the cowardly former energon miner with a distinctly different version which is the basis for his characterisation in the remainder of the series. – still sneaky, but now a competent, battle-ready Maximal with the nerves of steel that is needed for undercover work backed up with resourcefulness and the skills and equipment for intrusion. Would the real Rattrap please stand up, because one of these characters is not both the same (if you see what I mean). The Rattrap we have seen in previous episodes is a creditable candidate for a defection in-extremis, but the version of the character that emerges over the course of the episode could only possibly defect as part of some kind of ruse.
This being “Beast Wars” the drama is leavened with generous doses of comedy – some of it quite broad. I will admit I do have a soft spot for the comic-stylings of early “Beast Wars”. The little bits of business that Rattrap is doing in the background when he is introduced as Terrorsaurs “lieutenant” – snapping to attention, saluting, waving in a friendly fashion – do bring a bit of a smile to my face. Likewise, the antics of Terrorsaur – a fairly direct equivalent to the Sunbow series version of Starscream in terms of characteristation, but far more entertaining for this reviewer at least – are a bit of a highspot. It is obvious to the audience from the outset that he is hapless and hopeless as the new leader of the Predacons, and watching Megatron give him all the fibre-cord he needs to hang himself does entertain.
“Double Jeopardy” is not perhaps the most memorable of “Beast Wars” episodes, but I do think it is a rather fun little story. (I have to say too that I prefer the Rattrap character that debuts here to the similarly named character who was seen in previous episodes.)

Karl

[charlesrocketboy]

Love this episode.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the last time (bar Dark Designs) in which Terrorsaur does anything treacherous? It's probably cos the writers just weren't interested it doing it any more, but it works as a bit of character development - after this big a humiliating failure, Terrorsaur just gave up! (the fact that the other Predacons showed no interest in following him in Power Surge and repaired Megatron while he was out probably doesn't help)

[legios]

Nov 21, 2008 10:55:04 GMT charlesrocketboy said:

Love this episode.

Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't this the last time (bar Dark Designs) in which Terrorsaur does anything treacherous?

I'm not sure - I'm only part-way through a rewatch of Season One of "Beast Wars", but so far it does seem to be the last moment Terrorsaur does much of anything. I hadn't considered it in that light, but perhaps it does represent him actually learning that this wasn't getting him anywhere - which elevates him far beyond Sunbow Starscream, who never really grasps that point.

Karl

[charlesrocketboy]

He tries in Dark Designs - suggesting a deal with Rhinox - but that could be spur-of-the-moment desperation to avoid getting trampled.

So yeah - Terrorsaur is both crapper and better than Sunbow Starscream at the same time.

(Of course the spiders quickly usurped the ongoing-traitor position, so maybe Tarantulas just had a better voice for treachery)

[The Doctor]

Not an episode that made a huge impression on me, but watchable enough.

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

I've watched it on youtube, so now you have to as well. Sunbow's:

THE SECRET OF OMEGA SUPREME

-Ralph

[The Doctor]

Prime is a complete prick in it. He tells Omega to "talk normally" and shouts at Cosmos several times, telling him to piss off back to space because he's rubbish.

The plot for this episode almost makes sense (by Sunbow standards) right up until the bit when the orbiting asteroid the Constructicons are farting about on splits in two and a dragon alien thing comes out from inside to eat San Franciso. Then logic departs with a gaping fart.

-Ralph

[charlesrocketboy]

Dec 4, 2008 22:41:43 GMT The Doctor said:

Prime is a complete prick in it. He tells Omega to "talk normally" and shouts at Cosmos several times, telling him to piss off back to space because he's rubbish.

So THAT'S where Graham got the idea for Fire Convoy!

[Andy Turnbull]

Episode of the Week

DARK AWAKENING!

[legios]

Ah, Dark Awakening. Such a great shame - a strong script let down so far.

I do think that this has one of the strongest stories of all the Sunbow cartoon episodes. Indeed it is one of the few Sunbow episodes that I find I can actually rewatch and enjoy. The central story, of Optimus Prime brought back to life as a slave of the Quintessons and of Rodimus needing to reach beyond his hero worship of Optimus and act to protect the rest of the Autobots - to actually prove he deserves to be their leader - is a very strong one. It is a rarity in that it is a story that depicts Rodimus as making a mistake (not uncommon) but realising it and putting his own life on the line to correct it. It also presents a much more impressive and noble Optimus Prime than most if the Sunbow stories - struggling against his Quintesson Programming to do what he knows is right lifts him above the "Robot John Wayne" that the show usually depicted him as. The voice-acting is part of what really makes this episode - the cast seem to raise their game a little compared to other episodes and we get a real sense of character from the two Primes especially. The Quintessons are quite good as well - demonstrating a nice multi-layered deception and a trap that relies on the Autobots reacting to the "reborn" Optimus in very much the same way as the audience initally does.

In terms of its story I'd say that this is one of the strongest episodes that Sunbow can offer. Which is what makes it such a shame that it is paired with such woeful animation. I know that this is Saturday morning kids fodder, and a lot of it is farmed out on a "lowest bidder", but really. It isn't just the animators sheer refusal to treat the robots as made out of anything other than rubber, or the painfully inept staging of some sequences, or even the painfully dull colour work. It is the fact that there are some shots where perspective simply crawls away to die. In one or two scenes even Cthulu himself would be hard-pressed to fathom out how that works in a universe of three dimensions. The Sunbow show isn't always well animated I know, but Dark Awakening is a good candidate for the worst of the lot.

(Also, Arcee - I'm at a loss to work out why she is even in the episode - her entire contribution appears to be to get shot shot in the lower leg and reassure everyone that she is going to be alright. I know she is the "token girl" on the team but it really does push tokenism to a new level. I wouldn't mind Arcee being there if she actually seemed to have anything to offer the narrative, but she just seems to be there because there is a feeling that a female character should be present.)

So that's Dark Awakening - one of the best scripts that the Sunbow show got, partnered up with some of the worst animation. A crying shame really.

Karl