Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 12

 An unexpected win? Maybe.

Last time on Beast Wars, Rattrap’s prank almost gets people killed. He used Rhinox’s new non-lethal security system to tie Dinobot up in ropes. Dinobot, rightly pissed off, breaks free and tries to stab him. He misses and hits the computer console and causes the new system, Sentinel, to register all the Maximals as intruders. The others escape but Rattrap elects to try to get to the computer core and deactivate Sentinel to make up for his mistake. He has a lot of fun while doing it, as he finds most of Sentinels security features to be cute at best. Rattrap does get the system shut down and has a good laugh at everyone when they assumed he died for a minute. Meanwhile, Tigertron is put on the trail by Optimus of a Predacon plot. He discovers Terrorsaur, Blackarachnia and Waspinator in a cavern beneath the base. They are preparing to blow a hole into it with a sonic emitter. He steals the emitter, and scares off the Predacons by using it as a bomb. This causes a huge sink hole to form just outside the base… which I guess they fill in between episodes? Because the hole is never seen or mentioned again. It was the 90s, continuity could only go so far. Enough recap. Let’s get to it.

 

We open on the Predacons working on an experimental Energon refinement process. Megatron seems extremely excited about it… right up until the crystal explodes and turns to dust. He orders Terrorsaur to get another crystal, only for his minions to turn on him. Cheetor, who is watching from a spy camera the Maximals had been able to set up, is shocked to see Terrorsaur, Waspinator and Scorponok turn on their boss. The others are watching with him and Dinobot notes that it looks serious this time. A fight breaks out, the Predacons hitting their Energon stockpile and the camera cutting out. The explosion is big enough that they feel the shaking from the Darksyde at the Axalon. The Maximals go to check out the base, finding the crashed ship smoking a new and the building deserted. Rhinox uses a scanner and determines there are no lifeforms on board. Dinobot is skeptical, but Rattrap insists that Rhinox’s equipment doesn’t lie. Optimus declares they might have to accept an abrupt end to the Beast Wars.

 

Inside, they still don’t detect any life signs. Rattrap suggests they start looting the place. Optimus insists on caution, only taking Transwarp and other space flight parts to repair their ship, as the Darksyde is still a Predacon ship and could be dangerous. Rattrap pokes at Dinobot, saying maybe he should start searching first. Dinobot, weirdly, agrees and walks off to look around. Rattrap is extremely flummoxed by Dinobot, saying that he is pushing all Dinobot’s buttons but isn’t getting a reaction and how weird that is. Optimus just shakes his head and just asks, “haven’t you figured that out yet?” Dinobot is obviously having some conflicting feelings about the death of his nemesis and former crew.

 

Dinobot leads the others deeper into the base to the engine area. He then almost immediately turns to search around some more. Rattrap asks what they’re going to do about Dinobot. Optimus counters, asking why he thinks they need to do anything. Rattrap believes that Dinobot may turn on them at any moment now that there’s no other enemy to fight. Optimus doesn’t think so. Rhinox activates the engines and opens them up. Optimus tells Rattrap to get the others, as they have what they need.

 

Dinobot is looking around some more when Tarantulas’ legs appear on the wall behind him. He turns to fight, only to find Cheetor holding a set of disembodied legs. I guess Tarantulas just left spare parts lying around. Weirdo. He starts laughing at spooking Dinobot, but Dinobot…quotes Shakespeare? “Alas, poor Tarantulas, I knew him.” Dinobot is clearly not processing his former allies’ deaths well. Rattrap stops Dinobot from attacking Cheetor and says they’re heading out.

 

The Maximals minus Dinobot begin working on engine repairs. Rattrap still wants to discuss Dinobot, but the others are focused on fixing the drive and getting back into Space. Optimus lays out the plan, that they’ll need to retrieve the pods floating in space first and foremost. Cheetor wants to head right back out into galaxy exploration, but Rattrap and Optimus agree that they’ll need to head back to Cybertron for repairs first. They don’t bring up the golden disk at all, but I assume that they assume Megatron kept it on him when the explosion happened, and it was destroyed. Rattrap announces that he can hear the dames crying for him already. Dinobot comes in and suggests they’re crying because he’s coming back. Rattrap laughs at the comeback, saying it’s lame but a sign that Dinobot is feeling better. Dinobot admits why, he’s decided to stay on the planet. He’d thought it over and realized that on Cybertron he’d be a Predacon criminal, so he’s going to stay on the planet. He figures as the best warrior and most advanced life form on the planet, he can just be the unquestioned ruler. Of a deserted planet. Optimus tells him that he understands but advises against this decision. Ya know, because he’ll either die or be driven insane by solitude, eventually. Dinobot says that eventually can be a long time. He salutes his former commander and comrades before walking off, much to everyone’s chagrin, Cheetor especially.

 

Dinobot starts wandering the planet, I guess looking for a fight. He scares a white rat, and it falls into a large hole. He walks on without noticing. We dive into the hole and see the rat get gobbled up by… Tarantulas. Turns out, the Predacons are all alive, having secreted themselves into a cavern near their base and using signature dampeners that Blackarachnia designed to hide themselves. They’re also all feeling extremely claustrophobic after being stuck down there for an unspecified amount of time. We get the background on how this happened, Terrorsaur tripped over a cable that led to the spy camera, alerting the Predacons to its presence. Seeing an opportunity, Megatron had his minions fake a coup and their destruction, to get the Maximals to take the parts they need from the Darksyde and repair the Axalon. They’ll then attack when the Maximals finish and their guard is down and steal the ship. They’ll use the ship to collect the pods, boost their forces and continue to do evil things. After finishing yelling at Terrorsaur that no one leaves until the repairs are done, some debris falls on Megatron’s head. The Predacons look up to see Dinobot looking down. I guess he heard their voices when they started arguing. Dinobot runs as the Predacons Terrorize and follow him. Terrorsaur and Waspinator are the first out and Dinobot shoves a boulder onto them and crushes them. He runs as the other Predacons transform, saying that he must warn Optimus and the others.

 

We jump over to Tigertron entering the base. He says that it’s weird entering an artificial structure, which is odd when you remember his structure is artificial. The others are preparing to take off. Rhinox activates the engines and they rather loudly kick on. The ship starts to rise. Rattrap, still feeling good about their apparent victory, says that he’s going to take Tigertron to this sweet little hole in the wall he knows. He’s cut off by Optimus announcing Dinobot’s name. We see Dinobot running toward the ship. Cheetor is excited at the though of him coming back with them, Rattrap annoyed by this change of mind… right up until the Predacons come into frame. Dinobot takes a shot to his back and drops. He drives the Predacons back with laser eyes. Optimus heads out to save Dinobot. Rhinox tells him that the ship is taking off in 2 cycles (minutes) and that with the damage it’s sustained he can’t afford to stop the takeoff. Optimus tells him not to, that if he and Dinobot aren’t back in time they need to just go. He makes it a priority order when Rhinox objects, Transforms, grabs a riot shield, and leaps out the entry bay. Cheetor grabs a shield and follows. Tigertron Maximizes to help too, but Rhinox demands he sits back down and work the ships autocannons to help Optimus and Cheetor.

 

Outside, a full on battle is being waged.  Optimus tells Cheetor to give him cover while he goes for Dinobot. He flies in and grabs him, the limp Dinobot saying this is strategically unsound. Optimus tells him he can complain on Cybertron. He’s shot down by Terrorsaur, though. Cheetor is shot by Megatron while trying to help. The Predacons run for the ship, but Tigertron gets the guns online and blasts them all back. Optimus hits his limit and reverts to Beast Mode. Cheetor is able to drag himself onto the loading platform. Optimus limps his way back to the ship with Dinobot, throwing his injured ally onto the platform as it rises. He leaps after it, Cheetor grabbing his hand.  Scorponok gets up, however, and being a sore loser shoots their clasped hands, causing Optimus to drop. Optimus falls to the ground. Personally, I’d risk the damage to Transform and fly after them, but maybe his bell was rung by the fall. Megatron chases after the ship and leaps onto it.

 

Cheetor and an injured Dinobot come onto the bridge. Dinobot croaks that they should have left him behind, Rattrap yells at him for trying to spoil Optimus’ sacrifice, and Megatron walks in to reveal that it has been thoroughly spoiled already. He shoots each of the Maximals except Rattrap. Megatron grabs him before he can transform, intent on crushing him like a rat in a trap for some reason. I guess he hates rats specifically. Whatever. Rhinox gets up, saying not a chance, grabs Megatron and slams him into the floor. He drops Megatron out the open airlock. Unfortunately, in the scuffle Megatron’s tail-sword-thing was thrown and stabbed into the ship’s computer. The ship starts dropping, Rattrap starts screaming they’re going to die. Suddenly they see something in the sky. “Is it a bird?” Dinobot inquires. “Maybe a plane?” Rhinox postulates, “No,” Rattrap announces, “It’s Optimus!” They then play a variation on Superman’s theme song from the 70s as Optimus flies up, catches the ship, and uses his overworked jets to slow its descent. I love these kinds of bits.

 

Later, Optimus asks for a damage report as Cheetor and Tigertron hug him. Rhinox says that it’s bad, the ship won’t take off again. Dinobot is hurt but in the CR chamber so should be fine. Cheetor asks how Dinobot and Rattrap are doing. We pan over to Dinobot and Rattrap, who are fighting as the CR chamber boots up to repair Dinobot. Optimus notes that they’re taking the setback pretty well. Cheetor says that he won’t have them any other way as the credits roll.

 

As far as Megatron plots go, this one was downright devious. Faking their deaths in order to get the Axalon flying again as an escape attempt was brilliant. I commend the Preds for being able to stay in a cavern in Beast Mode for at least a day or two as the Maximals gather, transfer, and install the parts to the Transwarp drive. Sure, Terrorsaur was starting to freak out and they were maybe an hour from Tarantulas and Waspinator killing each other but they didn’t. If you’re wondering what plot type this is, I count it as a one-off-technology episode as the Maximals never try to get a spy camera in or around the Predacon base again. This episode also did a good job exploring Dinobot’s psyche and what he feels his place is in Transformer society. He’s truly an outcast, working with the Maximals, but will undoubtedly be considered a criminal by both their superiors and perhaps something worse by the Predicon command. The show has yet to confirm how “in the know” the Predicon leaders are, so he could very well have betrayed a sanctioned but clandestine mission after Megatron betrayed him. The idea that he’d just stay on the planet is wacky, but I can see how he came to that conclusion. Tis better to rule in hell than serve in heaven, I guess. I should note that technically, Dinobot is my first introduction to Shakespeare. He’s apparently a fan, as he quotes and/or adapts several monologues from Hamlet specifically to process his feelings as the show goes on. Weird right? It was Beast Wars and the 90s Gargoyles, where a villain is confirmed to be the literal Macbeth from Macbeth, that was my introduction to classical works. I liked how Rattrap and Dinobot’s relationship was further fleshed out in this. By this point, they’ve been stuck on this planet together for several weeks, if not months, and they’ve clearly formed the friendship archetype of “we’re constantly bickering but we enjoy it.” Rattrap might still be a little distrustful of Dinobot, but it’s pretty clear he’s about as bummed at Cheetor that Dinobot is staying behind. Also, props to Cheetor for being the one character emotionally mature enough to admit he’s going to miss his friend. Like, Optimus dismissed Dinobot like an officer, Rhinox didn’t say anything, Rattrap was in denial, but Cheetor’s like “but come on, man, lets go home!” the whole time. He might be reckless, but the kid is the most honest. And that’s all I have to say about that. So… next month I’ll be doing Guardians 3, Spider-Verse 2, and Rise of Beasts. We’re probably going to do a few more Beast Wars episodes along with them and do all Secret Wars in August. But we’ll see how things go. Have a good night, everyone. 

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Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 11

 Rattrap hits the spy gym.

Last time on Beast Wars, Optimus was struck by a cyber bee from Scorponok. The bee was designed to infect his mind and make him into a coward… but Scorponok is bad at his job and instead turned Optimus into berserker. He could barely control his rage and was placed in a holding cell. He’s freed by Cheetor, who was convince by Optimus who thought he can aim his rage at the Predacons to try to get the antidote to the virus. When the others aren’t sure, he says, “Screw you guys, I’m doing it anyway,” and flies off. The others follow, causing a distraction that gives Optimus enough time to confront Megatron. Megatron offers him the antidote in exchange for his loyalty, but Optimus decides to take a page from a plant he saw earlier and rips the bee off him and throw it at Megatron. As it’s also a bomb, Megatron ran off to try to get it off him. Cheetor arrives, gets the antidote, and cures Optimus. They all flee, victorious. At the end, Dinobot says it’s good to have him back and back to normal. This closing the story arc for him this episode, where he initially is unimpressed by Optimus’ scientific thinking, strategy, and ingenuity, and now realizes that these make Optimus a better leader not a worse one. Enough recap. Let’s get to it.

 

We open with an aerial shot of the Axalon that shifts to a cavern in the cliffside it’s stuck on. Deep inside are small lights attached to robotic spider drones, and Waspinator, Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur working on something. The something is a large device Waspinator is forcing into a tunnel. He calls it a bomb, but Blackarachnia corrects him, saying it’s a sonic emitter. It’ll blow open a hole in the Maximal base… so it feels like they’re arguing semantics. Terrorsaur says they need to dig a wider tunnel, causing Waspinator to say, “screw you guys, I’m going home.” Terrorsaur tries to force Blackarachnia to take over digging, but she threatens him better, so he does it.

 

We jump up to the Maximal base proper, where Rhinox is showing a simulation of the upgrades he’s been making to the ship’s security system. It shows Megatron getting tied up in energy cables, hit with stun guns and then hit with an energy field to knock ‘em out for real. Optimus and Rattrap are impressed with Rhinox, who rather smugly says the base is now impregnable. Rhinox says he’ll have the system, Sentinel, up and running in 3 or four megacycles (hours). They get an alert for Waspinator flying near the base. Optimus notes that this is the third time they’ve detected Predacons in that area in a week, so he’s suspicious. He orders Cheetor to contact Tigertron and to have their scout meet him at those coordinates and flies off.

 

Shifting to Waspinator, he’s flying and whining about not being respected by his peers as Tigertron watches from the forest floor. Optimus joins him and asks how long Waspinator has been flying in circles. He says long enough to make him dizzy; he asks if he should shoot Waspinator down, but Optimus has a better idea. He’s going to scare the bug and see where he flies to, he wants Tigertron following from the ground in case he loses Waspinator. Optimus transforms and flies up to Waspinator, doing the shoulder tap to get his attention. Waspinator, freaking out, flies off with both Maximals in pursuit.

 

Back at the base, Dinobot is less impressed with Rhinox’s defense upgrades, thinking the nonlethal route he took with them was a waste of time. Rattrap, being a dick, turns on the “tangler” energy guns and tangles Dinobot in them. Dinobot, extremely pissed at this attack, breaks free and tries to stab Rattrap with his sword. Rattrap shoves Rhinox and then dives out of the way himself, letting Dinobot stab the console. Sentinel starts going off, having detected “intruders” which turns out to be Rhinox, Rattrap, Dinobot and Cheetor. Rattrap asks why the Friend or Foe program isn’t working to which Rhinox, rightly, angrily says he was installing when Rattrap pulled this stunt. They’re forced to flee the base, Cheetor grabbing Dinobot and Rhinox running after. Rattrap, instead, runs farther into the base and pulls a panel off the airducts. He says that they can’t abandon the base, and because he broke Sentinel, he’s got to fix it. As he’s climbing through the ducts, he laments that he’s starting to sound like Optimus Pinhead.

 

Optimus, meanwhile, is chasing Waspinator. Waspinator ducks into the cavern to avoid him and Optimus almost runs into the cliff. He scans for Waspinator, but can’t find him, and then starts shorting out so must return to Beast Mode. He links up with Tigertron, who also lost Waspinator, visually, but still has his scent. Optimus gets the alert from Sentinel about “intruders” in the base and is confused that the system is already online. Tigertron tells him to go check in on that and he’ll keep searching for Waspinator. Optimus offers to send backup when he can, but Tigertron says he doesn’t need help. Optimus transforms again, his computer telling him he’s at 15% shielded, but decides to risk it to get back to base. He activates his maximum burn and flies off.

 

The three Maximals make it outside of Sentinel as it activates its proximity shield. Rhinox tries to get in contact with Rattrap, but the shield is blocking them. Dinobot notes that Rhinox “built a better mouse trap,” as we go into Rattrap’s POV. Inside, he’s avoided detection, but Sentinel actives “zero friction fluid” a water like substance in the hallways. Rattrap isn’t impressed, dropping a grate onto the fluid, and riding it like a surfboard. Sentinel then activates several energy nets. He leaps over it and onto dry ground. Rather cockily, he says this isn’t a security system but a gym for spy guys like him. Sentinel starts firing plasma bolts at him, but he dodges around them, down a hall and then out of sight… only to pop back into the camera’s view and waving goodbye. He’s got so much Bugs Bunny in him.

 

Tigertron is still searching for Waspinator. He followed the scent trail to its end but couldn’t see anything. He looks around and then puts his paw through a wall. He walks in and realizes the wall was being created by a holo-projector. He walks into the cave, sees one of the spider lights and follows it.

 

Back at the base, the Maximals try to blast through the shield, but it takes all they can dish out. They start shorting out and return to Beast Mode as Optimus joins them. They let him know what’s going on, Cheetor saying Rattrap must deactivate Sentinel soon or he’s toast. Rattrap enters a maintenance shaft. Sentinel actives a crossbow with disruptor ammo and a disabling field. It fires on Rattrap, who dodges and says that Sentinel has no chance, as he’s a stealthy, a master marksman and a demolitions expert. He pulls out a demo charge at that last bit and throws it at the crossbow destroying it. He’s the best at what he does… which is ironic as his voice actor, Scott McNeal, would go on to play Wolverine in X-Men: Evolution. Scott is also Dinobot and Waspinator, just saying. Anyway, Rattrap blows the crossbow, so Sentinel decides to upgrade its defense protocol and activates more crossbows. Rattrap almost falls into the disabling goo, but dodges around crossbow fire and blows a hatch open. He says he now must get to the core show the ship who’s boss.

 

Tigertron finds the Predacons, Waspinator demanding that his allies stop what they’re doing to get rid of Optimus. Tigertron Maximizes and creeps around closer to the Predacons. He almost gets caught when a thermal vent goes off, but they Predacon don’t give it a second glance. Blackarachnia activates the emitter, saying they’ll be in the base in 15 cycles. Tigertron says they’re going to the slag heap instead and starts firing. He grabs the emitter, rips it from the wall and runs off. The Predacons Terrorize and chase after him. He leads them deeper into the cavern, leaps up and gets behind them. Blackarachnia says that he can’t escape, the emitter will go off and destroy him. He decides to return it, throwing the emitter and imbedding it between the Predacons. They scatter, Tigertron returning to Beast Mode and running off. The emitter goes off, blowing a hole a few feet from the Maximals. They maximize and go to investigate, only to find Tigertron digging himself free. He says he’ll explain, but they’ve got to deal with the base first.

 

Inside the base, Rattrap enters the computer core. He climbs round and finds Sentinel’s main terminal. Sentinel detects him and activates its turrets. Rattrap dodges around and gets to the terminal, but almost falls into a disabling liquid. He catches himself with his tail and transforms. He shoots the turrets and starts putting in the code shut down Sentinel. He hits the terminal to get it to reveal the shut down button, and Sentinel actives a shatter cannon to finish him off. Rattrap dodges one shot but gets pinned under debris. He stretches to reach the button as the cannon prepares another shot.

 

We cut to outside, where Sentinel shuts down. Rhinox is terrified by this because Sentinel wouldn’t shut down if an intruder was still active. Cheetor refuse to believe he’s gone. Optimus says Rattrap was a difficult, almost impossible Maximal to deal with, but he’ll remember him with honor. Dinobot says that he “won’t disgrace his memory with lies. He was a stinking, omnivorous pestilence. But still, in some perverse way, I will miss him.” Rhinox says that of course he stank, as he’s a rat, but he was still Rhinox’s best friend. The episode almost cuts to the credits, but then pulls back in as Rattrap comes down from the ship. He says that there’s not a security system he can’t get around with. You just need to know how to talk to them.

 

We’ve had a few episodes where Rattrap being a rat has been useful, but this one really highlights how his beast mode coupled with his other skills makes him an expert infiltrator. Climbing through ducts, dodging cannon fire, using a prehensile tail, all really useful things for an infiltrator to have. I do also appreciate that he immediately tries to take responsibility for breaking Sentinel by being the one to fix it. Rattrap is often a colossal dick, but he’s at least willing to own up to his mistakes. This won’t, like, stop him from being a dick to Dinobot in the future, but he never intentionally shoots him again. The bit where everyone thinks he’s dead and mourns him for a moment is hilarious. I’ll be snickering to Dinobot’s summation of the rodent for a while now. Rhinox, I think summed him up best, as he’s an asshole but he was their asshole. The B-plot was neat just to show off Tigertron. While he’s literally a bigger Cheetor with stripes design wise, the show does a good job of highlighting his unique skill sets when he’s in an episode. Namely, he’s the best tracker the Maximals have, as he’s most in tune with his Beast Mode’s senses and uses them when his optics and sensors fail him. And, not every Maximal could take on three Predacons at once and come out a winner. I also liked the seeming confirmation that these guys do wait around for the best lines before springing their attacks. It’s good to be vindicated. So yeah.  I’m still figuring out what the last post of the month will be, so I’ll see you there. 

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Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 10

 Release the Beast, Primal!

Last time on Beast Wars, rescue almost came for the stranded Transformers. The Maximals high command sent transwarp probes through time and space to try to find them. The Maximals detected the probe’s arrival but couldn’t reach it with their damaged ship. Rhinox came up with the idea that they could make a relay to send a copy of their Transwarp drive signature to draw the probe’s attention. They build a relay in Predacon territory as it’s the clearest area they could build in. Tigertron is brought in to help with perimeter surveillance. After taking out Waspinator, he’s attacked by Tarantulas and a new device. The device, a transforming lens, hits Tigertron and forces him into Beast Mode and locks him into it. Cheetor is also locked up in Beast Mode and captured. The Predacons figured out that a probe is in the area and vowed to stop it. Using the lens, the Predacons lock up the Maximals in Beast Mode and destroy the relay before the probe arrives. Cheetor and Tigertron free themselves and repair themselves and drive off Megatron. Sadly, Optimus tells Cheetor that they aren’t going home just yet. Enough recap. Let’s get to it.

 

The episode opens with Optimus and Dinobot out on ecological survey. Optimus is enthused when they find a new plant specimen, while Dinobot is… annoyed. He rightly points out that they could be in the crosshairs of a Predacon attack at any moment, but Optimus counters by saying he’s an explorer first and foremost, and he refuses to stop learning because their little war is going on. Optimus says that learning the environment can lead to strategic advantages, a counter to Dinobot whining about how they should be devising battle strategies. To try to speed things along, Dinobot attempts to transform and blast the plant out, but Optimus stops him and uses his simian feet to move the boulder the plant is under. Dinobot leaves in a huff, saying that the plant can teach Optimus nothing about beating Megatron (foreshadowing) before blowing on the plant. The plant then moves, rearing back and launching a spiny seed at Dinobot’s back. It sticks to his neck and Dinobot has a panic attack at not being able to reach. Optimus pulls it off, dropping the plant and revealing that the spiny ball was its seed. Dinobot vows to shoot his dinner salad going forward. Optimus says that they need to find another specimen, just for Scorponok to leap out and ask, “How about an Arachnid?” I just know he was waiting out there for an opening line, he’s that kind of dork. He launches a missile at them. They Maximize and fight back. Scorponok keeps them pinned down with missile attacks. Optimus sees a boulder about to drop on Dinobot and tries to warn him, but it drops and pins him. Optimus runs to help him, but Scorponok launches a “cyber bee” at him, saying he prepared it just for him. Optimus is able to shoot Scorponok and send him over a waterfall. The bee clamps down on Optimus’ chest as Dinobot frees himself.

 

…

 

The show acts like we don’t need to be told what a cyber bee is, but this is the first time he’s used one. Like Soundwave before him, Scorponok can launch smaller robots to use as recon drones, his preference being small bees he can fit into his claws. He uses them much, much less often than Soundwave, though. I think the grand total is 3 times.

 

Back at the base, Cheetor yells at Dinobot for not watching Optimus’ back like he was supposed to. Rattrap tells them to save the fight for his birthday, and asks Rhinox what the scans are saying. Rhinox says the bee attached to his chest is fusing with his internal systems. They can’t remove it, as that will kill Optimus. And them, as the bee has a mine attached to it that will destroy everyone in sprinting distance when it goes off. Oh, and Optimus can’t Transform while it’s attached. Cheetor asks what could this be for. Dinobot says that he knows Scorponok’s work and that the “viral mind” that Rhinox mentioned in his overview of the bad situation was designed to turn Optimus into a coward. He’ll have an antidote, though. We then learn that Scorponok is terrible at designing viruses as Optimus blows himself free of the CR Chamber and asks who wants some. The bee is clearly driving Optimus into a rage, screaming at everyone that no one is taking the bee off him and that he fears no one. Rhinox grabs him before he can hurt anyone, and Dinobot points out that Scorponok is an idiot. Cheetor tells Optimus to fight it, but Optimus is barely keeping the rage back. He tells the others to take his weapons and lock him up.

 

Back at the Predacon base, Megatron visits Scorponok at his work station. Scorponok says that he got him with the bee and that he prepared one dose of antidote like he was told. Assuming Optimus is curled up in a cowardly ball, Megatron predicts that Optimus will try to lead the Maximals on a desperate raid to get it back and thus be destroyed in the final battle of the Beast Wars. Thus proving that even the most intelligent minds can’t predict things with faulty data.

 

Optimus, meanwhile, is being kept in a holding cell with energy bars. He’s slamming into the bars and trying to escape. Cheetor watches from an observation area. Optimus screams at him, and then apologizes, saying that it’s hard to control. Cheetor gives him words of encouragement. Optimus thinks he can’t fight it but maybe he can control it and use it to their advantage. The others are having a meeting. Dinobot says that they should use the berserker state to their advantage, give Optimus as many weapons as possible and send him to reign destruction. Rattrap and Rhinox point out that that’ll destroy their friend, which isn’t okay. Optimus comes in with Cheetor and agrees to the plan. He thinks he can control the rage and channel it at the Predacons. The others are apprehensive but are willing to try… right up until Optimus shoots one of the security cameras by mistake and starts shooting left and right in a fury. Rhinox and the others try to tackle him but he throws them off. He says that this is the only way to destroy the Predacons and if they’re not willing to help him he’ll do it himself. He flies off.

 

Cheetor outfits himself with guns and prepares to go out. Dinobot is trying to be the voice of reason, shockingly. He realizes that there’s no strategy to Optimus’ attack or in just following him to back him up. He thinks it’s best to do what Optimus, when not hopped up on rage, would do… negotiate. You can tell he feels dirty even saying it.

 

The Predacons pick up a signal from the Maximals. Cheetor warns them that Optimus is extremely pissed and will fly in to destroy them and asks that they just hand over the antidote. Megatron isn’t worried and says any Maximal that enters their territory will die. He slaps Scorponok aside for his incompetence. Cheetor is pissed that negotiating didn’t work and blames Dinobot for tipping off the Predacons. Dinobot laments that only Optimus can think like Optimus, and they’ll have to think on their own to help.

 

Optimus bursts into the Darksyde and starts laying waste to the Predacons. Tarantulas is the first to be sent against him and Optimus walks through his machine gun fire to slam him against the wall and impale him with his own dart. Megatron orders Blackarachnia and Terrorsaur to defend the perimeter from the approaching Maximals and for Waspinator to stop Optimus. Waspinator says he will get him… and lasts less than fifteen seconds before being beaten unconscious. Poor guy. Terrorsaur and Blackarachnia head out to face the Maximals.

 

Optimus, damaged and tired, hears Cheetor’s voice telling him to not let go of his old, real self. The Maximals draw enough cover outside to allow Cheetor to run in while in Beast Mode. Optimus reaches the lab, but the antidote isn’t on the stand. Megatron arrives holding it, he compliments Optimus’ new tactics and gives Optimus an ultimatum. If he wants to antidote, he needs to swear his allegiance to Megatron. He thinks Optimus can’t refuse, as to refuse will lead to his death. Optimus decides to embrace a third option, if he’s going to die anyway, he’s going to take Megatron with him. He rips the Cyber Bee off his chest and hucks it at the retreating Megatron, saying he learned this trick from a plant. Megatron runs into the bowels of the base screaming for Scorponok. Cheetor runs in and grabs the antidote before it can fall and break and injects Optimus. With the virus taken care of, they run outside, Cheetor yelling at the others “Time to fade, heroes!” Inside, the bomb goes off and does significant damage to the Predacon base.

 

Sometime later, Optimus is fully repaired but under observation. Optimus wakes up to Dinobot standing over him. Dinobot says that it was his shift, but that its good to have Optimus back. Optimus asks if he means back home or back to normal, and Dinobot says both as he walks out. Optimus looks over at his bedside table and sees the fully bloomed flower from earlier there as a houseplant. Oh, that was nice of Dinobot to fetch.

 

This was a good episode, especially for Dinobot. While he’s been warming to most of the Maximals over the course of the show, he’s kept a “shoot them now, ask questions later” mentality about Megatron and the Predacons that has kept him from really joining the Maximals. With Optimus infected with the rage virus, he was able to see this ideal brought to its most perfect form and it legitimately disgusted him. While advocating for violence constantly, as his faction want to do, seeing kind and intelligent Optimus turned into a raving lunatic that couldn’t stop to think even for a moment shook him to his core, I think. Optimus taking what he learned from the seed throwing plant and using it on Megatron highlighted a key point about him, that learning is a strength not a distraction in this war of theirs.  Optimus Primal isn’t a Prime, he’s not a chosen hero meant to lead the Maximals to salvation (yet), he’s a scientist and a ships captain and he is at his best when he approaches situations tactically. Taking away his intelligence doesn’t make him a better warrior, it makes him a liability. This was also a good moment for Cheetor. He’s incredibly trusting and looks up to Optimus. Seeing Optimus at this low point was troubling to him, to the point he was willing to believe that Optimus could hold the rage back despite virtually no evidence. And actually that trust was vindicated in Optimus still thinking tactically at the moment where it counted. Good on ya, Cheetor, you know Optimus better than anyone. So yeah, good episode for the good guys. Next time, Rattrap runs a maze. It’s much more interesting than it sounds. 

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Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 9

 A chance to go home.

Last time on Beast Wars, it seems like the Maximals have a spy. After a third ambushed mission leads them to losing the second Proto-form, accusations are thrown at Rattrap of spying for the Predacons. He’s sent on a dangerous scouting mission in Predacon territory and attacked by Terrorsaur. He begs for mercy and swears allegiance to Terrorsaur. He’s brought into the Predacon base and helps Terrorsaur usurp Megatron’s place. He and Megatron are put in holding cells while the Predacons deliberate. It’s revealed that he’s on a spy mission FOR Optimus, investigating the base. He finds that the Predacons got their hands on a Maximal decoder chip and were using it to scan their communications. The Maximals attack the base, freeing Rattrap and basically ruining Terrorsaur’s chances of ever running the Predacons again. Enough recap. Let’s get to it.

 

We open in the space outside of Cybertron. Maximal leadership has scoured normal space near the coordinates on the Golden Disk and have concluded that the Axalon and its crew aren’t in normal space. They elect to send transwarp probes out and try to search time for the missing crew. I’m sure this’ll go off without a hitch.

 

One of the probes pops through a wormhole and appears just over the alien world. The Maximals, Cheetor, Rattrap, Dinobot and Optimus are on their way back to the base. Cheetor says that the last one to the base is Predacon chow and runs off, and Rattrap chases after him. Optimus, not in a playful mood, transforms into Robot mode and flies ahead of them and lands in front of Cheetor. Rattrap asks if cats ever get tired of being stupid. Optimus chastises the rookie for being careless outside the base, as Predacons could attack at any time and tells him to pay attention. They enter the base and find Rhinox trying to get a lock on a deep space signal. With Cheetor and Rattrap’s help, they detect the temporal probe. The Maximals might be able to go home if they can break through the Energon interference and reach the probe. Rhinox tries to use the ship’s communicator to reach the probe, but it doesn’t work. Everyone is depressed that the signal didn’t work, Rhinox taking it hardest as his best attempt didn’t work. He gets an idea though. Temporal probes can lock onto the transwarp signature of space crafts, which is what allows them to track ships through time. While their engines haven’t worked since the crash, if they can mimic the signature, it should be able to get the probe’s attention when it swings back toward the planet at the end of it’s sweep. The Maximals are excited at the prospect, except Dinobot who looks extremely worried.

 

The Maximals begin setting up their faux engine. Dinobot points out that they’re building in Predacon territory, which seems… dumb. Rattrap agrees. Optimus says that it’s the clearest space for them to build, and that Tigertron is patrolling nearby to give them early warning.

 

Tigertron takes a moment to bask in the natural beauty of the planet and muse is Cybertron can match it, when he picks up a scent, Waspinator’s to be precise. He maximizes and then shoots the bug down, Waspinator having been too busy whining to himself about being on patrol again. Tarantulas sneaks up behind Tigertron and reveals that Waspinator was a bait to get someone to test his “new toy.” A flying probe attacks Tigertron, firing a purple energy pulse at him. Tigertron dodges around it.

 

Back at the relay array, they hear the explosions of Tigertron’s fight. Optimus sends Cheetor to help Tigertron. Dinobot wants to go with him, but Optimus tells him he’s needed to help them finish the array. Dinobot is again clearly upset at the thought of the probe, and with a little needling from Rattrap, finally reveals why. He might have joined the Maximals here, but in the eyes of Cybertron he’s still a Predacon. When the Maximals come to rescue them, he’s worried his fate will be lumped in with the Predacons and may even be worse as he betrayed his commander. Optimus tells him that he won’t let that happen and that he’s a Maximal now. Dinobot says he’s not sure he wants to be and walks off.

 

Tigertron finally gets hit by the device, and it forces him back into beast mode. Tarantulas terrorizes and it’s revealed the probe seems to lock up Transformers ability to transform. He captures Tigertron in an Energon net and goes in for the kill. Cheetor arrives tries to free Tigertron, but he’s hit by the ray and forced into Beast Mode. He asks, “Don’t cats ever get tired of being stupid?” echoing Rattrap from earlier. Cheetor is captured in a net and Tarantulas chuckles to himself that that’s two down four to go.

 

Rhinox meanwhile finishes working on the copy of their transwarp signature and copies it to disk. He learns he has 1.4 megacycles until the probe arrives and says he needs to get his gears in high.

 

Optimus tries to reach the cats, but they obviously can’t reply. He’s spied on by Scorponok, who copies his scan to a disk and gives it to Terrorsaur to bring it to Megatron. We jump over to the base, Megatron, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia are looking over the data and wondering why the Maximals are building in their territory. Blackarachnia suggests asking the cats and Megatron goes over to them. Cheetor refuses to answer, but the Predacon scanners pick up the probe, Cheetor stupidly calling it that, and Megatron figuring out what’s happening. He orders his soldiers to destroy the array at all costs. Cheetor is obviously upset with himself for saying even that little, but Tigertron tells him that they were going to attack the array regardless. He says it at least got all the Predacons to leave and starts swinging his cage. His plan is to slam their cages together to break them free.

 

Back at the array, Scorponok attacks, shooting Dinobot in the back and trying to destroy the array. Optimus shoots down his missiles, Rattrap blows his hand off and Dinobot uses his laser eyes to blast him away. Rattrap and Dinobot giving each other the thumbs up for the teamwork.

 

Tigertron and Cheetor free themselves, Cheetor almost falling into the lava pit below. Tigertron gets him by the tail, though and pulls him up. They head for the Predacon restoration chambers to hopefully free themselves from the lock they were put in. I wonder why Megatron doesn’t have those locked down, but whatever.

 

Optimus, Dinobot and Rattrap are on alert for an attack, knowing that Megatron is going to attack in force. Rattrap says maybe Rhinox will arrive first, but Terrorsaur flies in and shoots at them. He flies off, as he was a diversion to let Megatron, Tarantulas and Blackarachnia get into position. Dinobot charges Megatron but gets hit by the lens and reverts to Beast Mode. Blackarachnia beats the oil out of him and drops him to the ground. Rattrap shoots at her, saying nobody does that to his team and fires at her until she falls off a cliff. Rattrap is hit by the lens and Beast Mode locked at well. Tarantulas goes to attack Optimus, but He pulls out an arm cannon and fires through his chest. He’s hit with the lens and Megatron fires a missile at the relay array. Optimus grabs a steel beam and knocks the missile away. Megatron charges him and pins him to the ground. He says that it’s over, only for Rhinox to pull the ol shoulder tap and says, “Don’t count on it, motor head” and punches him into next week. Rhinox goes to check on Optimus, but he says to get the array working.

 

Rhinox gets the array ready, but he’s hit with the lens before he can put in the disk and input the code to send their signal. Rhinox brings the disk to Optimus and says he needs to put in the code, but Megatron gets up and shoots the Array before they can. He goes to finish them off, but Tigertron and Cheetor arrive, shooting the lens and destroying it. Megatron is scared off, saying that the Beast Wars will go on until he is victorious. Optimus gives Cheetor the bad news about them not going home today, as the probe reenters transwarp space.

 

This was a fun episode. Even as a kid I appreciated that there are a handful of episodes showing that Cybertron is looking for the missing Transformers. Being lost in time as well as space complicates search and rescue that much more. It’s been a while since I’ve watched another show with survival elements, but I remember most go the Cast Away route of not leaving the stranded characters side much if at all. Tarantulas’ one-off weapon is pretty devastating. Transformers, regardless of faction or era, are incredibly reliant on shifting between forms. Losing that always messes with them, as being able to change on the fly is kind of their whole thing. Granted, this feels less devastating to Optimus as he keeps his apposable thumbs, but got his ass kicked thoroughly enough that he couldn’t just type the code in. Dinobot having mixed feelings about returning to Cybertron is an interesting bit of character development. Yes, while he seems to be integrating with the crew, at the end of the day he is still a Predacon, was part of Megatron’s insurrection plot and then betrayed that plot. Depending on how “in the know” the ruling body of Predacons are in the plot, yeah he would be in for a real bad time back home. Dinobot and his mixed loyalties and uncertain future post Beast Wars is a plot we’ll be making regular visits back to, so be prepared. This episode did have some weird editing choices, like repeat-repeat-repeating Optimus swinging the steel beam to block the missile away, and also this weird bit where we see Megatron laughing behind the explosion as Optimus and Rhinox are tossed in the air. It just looks weird. It was good to see Tigertron again, this being the only time where he might be upset at being stuck as a tiger. The dude is a major nature lover so being a tiger full time is kind of his dream. It was also funny to see Rattrap and Tarantulas say the same thing about cats and their stupidity. The Transformers are stranded for a while longer. Next time, Optimus has to deal with some more than average Rage, see you then. 

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Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 8

Baddies get a new spider and maybe a rat?

Last time on Beast Wars, a pod made landfall. The Maximals prepared to race to the north to retrieve it, but Megatron and the Predacons decided to cheat. Optimus, the only flyer of the Maximals, was ambushed by Terrorsaur and Waspinator and severely damaged in the process. He may have been destroyed if Dinobot hadn’t been out with him and pulled him back into the base. Cheetor, Rhinox, and Rattrap are sent out on foot to do their best to reach the pod while Dinobot stays with a recovering Optimus. They’re further delayed by the Predacon fliers destroying the fastest route to the pod. While Optimus is in the CR Chamber, Dinobot activates his consciousness and lets him know what happened after Rattrap reports in. The two come up with an idea to reach the pod first, in a way. Megatron tries to convince Dinobot to betray Optimus and surrender the base, but Dinobot doesn’t bite, shooting at him and getting their satellite into place. Optimus activates the laser pulse, bouncing the pulse off the moon and toward the pod. Megatron and the arachnid Predacons are driven off by the Maximal perimeter guns. Megs races across the ice to catch up to his scouts, rightly not trusting Terrorsaur and Waspinator to do their job right. Everyone arrives at the pod within a minute or so of each other. Megatron, seeing a way to defeat the Maximals without fighting, threatens to kill two white tigers if they interfere. The Predacons get the pod open… only to find it empty. It’s then revealed that one of the tigers was the pod’s occupant. Dubbing himself Tigertron, he defends his tiger friend and the Maximals. Optimus arrives and helps drive the baddies off. Optimus greets his new recruit and offers him a place at their base. Tigertron, though, declines. His crash damaged his identity circuits were damaged and he feels more tiger than Maximal because of it. He wants to remain in the frozen north as a long-range scout, at least until his circuits are repaired. Optimus and the others agree to this arraignment, and Optimus promise they’ll meet again. Enough recap. Let’s get to it.

 

We open with another pod crashlanding on the planet. Optimus and Dinobot are the ones sent out to retrieve it. The pod also lands in a polar region, landing on an ice shelf above their heads. Before they can reach the pod, Terrorsaur, Waspinator, and Scorponok arrive and attack. Dinobot thinks they’ve been betrayed, but they really can’t discuss that right now because, ya know, firefight. Despite being surrounded and outgunned, Optimus and Dinobot put up a fight. They get buried in ice from a shot from Scorponok, but Optimus breaks free and tries to chase down Waspinator, who attempted to escape with the pod. He’s shot down by Terrorsaur and the Predacons flee. Optimus pulls himself from his crater and announces that that was just Prime.

 

Back at the base, we learn that this was the third operation that has been ambushed recently. Cheetor metaphorically says a rat might be slipping them info, offending Rattrap. Dinobot points out that Rattrap lead them into the canyon, and suggests maybe a rat did do it. Rhinox and Cheetor are offended on Rattrap’s behalf, but Optimus pulls Rattrap aside for a private conference.

 

Meanwhile, the Predacons have booted up the pod and activated its DNA scanner. Tarantulas chooses to scan a black widow spider for the newly reprogramed Predacons alt form. Were I Megatron, I’d be a little upset by this choice given there appear to be a lot of Dinosaur bones in the area, but whatever. We’re introduced to Black Arachina, the first female Transformer of the series. She transforms to show off her looks. Megatron does call out Tarantulas for seemingly deliberately choosing to make their recruit into a female of his Order but is happy at having a new minion none the less.

 

Cheetor and Rhinox question if Optimus does believe Rattrap is a spy. Before they can settle on an answer, Rattrap yells at Optimus for accusing him of that. Optimus says that Rattrap’s loyalty is in question so sends him to sector 12, the lava pits, to look for Energon. It’s right beside the Predacon territory, so everyone is rightly shocked by this choice. Rattrap leaves in a huff, Optimus saying this should prove Rattrap’s loyalty one way or another.

 

Rattrap searches the area for Energon but doesn’t find any. He radios in as such, guess they fixed the range issue. We then cut to the Predacon base, where we learn that the Predacons have broken the Maximals codes and are monitoring their communications. Terrorsaur is sent to take care of him. Rattrap and Terrorsaur fight, Rattrap being knocked to the ground. Terrorsaur goes in for the kill but Rattrap begs for his life and offers to switch teams. This shocks the Maximals, all of whom were still listening over his comm link. Terrorsaur agrees, provided Rattrap gives him certain… services. Rattrap waves his hand over the Maximal insignia over his forearm and turns it into the Predacon bee.

 

At the Predacon base, Terrorsaur introduces Rattrap to the Predacons as his new lieutenant. He says that with Rattrap and Blackarachnia, they’ll defeat the Maximals once and for all. But because he brought in Rattrap and Blackarachnia, taking full credit for a group effort there, he should be made the Predacon leader. Megatron calls him an idiot right off the bat, saying Rattrap is obviously a spy, but is cut off by Rattrap getting out of the cage he was in to zap him from behind. The device he used shorts out his servo circuits and stopping him from Transforming. Terrorsaur announces he’s the new leader. Scorponok is against it, Blackarachnia seems to be for the change in management, and Tarantulas somewhere in the middle, but the bigger spider suggests they discuss this in private. Terrorsaur orders Rattrap and Megatron taken to the holding area while the discuss.

 

Back at the base, Cheetor is shocked by Optimus ordering the team out to capture Rattrap. He thinks they need to rescue him, but a depressed Rhinox says to just let him go. Optimus insists they go, though, saying Rattrap is too dangerous to be left with the baddies. Dinobot is gung-ho for the capture and implied torture. Wow, pot calling the kettle black, am I right?

 

Rattrap and Megatron are lowered in cages into the holding area. Megatron seems surprisingly upbeat about the situation, but reveals why a moment later. Turns out, he’s got a voice command override for all the Darksyde’s computer systems. He frees himself and gets a hover craft to take him to the CR Chambers. “A wise tyrant always ensures his prisons are designed for his… personal escape,” as he puts it. Once alone, Rattrap reveals to us he’s a Maximal infiltrator not a spy, changes his insignia back to the Maximal insignia and picks his lock. Once free, he escapes into the air ducts.

 

The Predacons, meanwhile, are arguing whether to follow Terrorsaur or not. Rattrap overhears Terrorsaur demanding the Predacons follow him while Scorponok loudly disagrees. Rattrap spies an actual rat slinking through the ducts and follows it.

 

Outside the base, the Maximals have gathered. Cheetor and Dinobot wonder why they aren’t going in to get Rattrap. Optimus tells them they move on his signal, not before.

 

Rattrap finds Waspinator working at a computer terminal. The computer voice helpfully says it’s scanning for Maximal frequencies but detecting none. Once Waspinator leaves, Rattrap pries the computer open and finds a Maximal chip in it. He removes the chip and continues exploring. He trips a laser wire and gets stuck in one of Tarantulas’ stasis webs. The spider come to investigate, but Rattrap escapes before he arrives. Tarantulas, not being an idiot, goes to check the cells and sees Rattrap getting back into his cage. Tarantulas transformers, but Rattrap shoots him, badly damaging him and keeping him from sounding the alarm. He sends a signal to Optimus and the attack begins.

 

Terrorsaur is shocked that their codebreaker didn’t warn them, but obviously the battle keeps him from investigating thoroughly. Megatron, fully repaired comes out and asks the ‘leader’ what they should do. Terrorsaur is also shocked that Megs is letting him lead, but Megatron is clearly hoping this will prove to the others to never follow Terrorsaur in another coup in the future. Give him enough rope to hang himself sort of thing. The fight begins, the Predacons and Rattrap vs. the Maximals. They’re outnumbered, but Optimus says they have a secret weapon. He takes off but is shot down by Rattrap, proving to Cheetor that he’s a traitor. Cheetor saves Optimus from being executed by Blackarachnia, by distracting her and getting kicked in the face. Tough break kid. Dinobot throws Terrorsaur aside and prepares to kill Rattrap, but he’s grabbed by Megatron who tells Rattrap to prove himself by killing Dinobot. Rattrap shows his loyalty by shooting Terrorsaur’s head off and letting Dinobot sucker punch Megatron. The Maximals fall back, mission accomplished. As the dust settled, Megatron has an official vote and screams at Terrorsaur for screwing up this badly.

 

Back at the base, Dinobot prepares to punish Rattrap, but Optimus reveals that Rattrap was sent in on an infiltration mission. The chip he took is revealed to be a Maximal decoder, hence why the Predacons could hack their signals. Rhinox asks why they kept this a secret from them. Optimus says it was to protect his cover but says that Rattrap didn’t have to make the shot so believable. Rattrap shrugs and says he was trying to miss and the credits roll.

 

This episode is kind of in between two of the main plot types I’ve mentioned before. There is a pod that lands and a new character is introduced, but it’s more about the one-off technology of the Predacons using a decoder and the Maximals trying to stop it. Shame for Blackarachnia, as she’s not the main motivating course of her introductory episode like Tigertron was, but she makes up for it with a fair number of focus episodes in the future. Shows like this were always hesitant to have too many girl characters back in the day but the funny thing is that they’re usually some of the most stand out characters. I mean, Blackarachnia had three scenes in this, one of which is her telling veteran Scorponok he’s an idiot for being overly loyal and another was her not even flinching when her spider legs were shot off and then kicking Cheetor in the face. Bad ass. As to the codebreaker, this was a cool episode in theory but I kind of wish it’d been the first two-part episode. Like, do a full episode that is just a red herring about Rattrap’s loyalty, have him bad mouth his friends, doing seemingly underhanded things to earn the Predacons loyalty, and only then reveal it was all a ruse to get him inside and steal things. It could have also played up Cheetor’s denial that his friend would betray them and Rhinox’ depressed certainty that he did. Ya know, character development type stuff. But that is asking a lot from a show that was only one series removed from the long format toy commercial that was G1. Don’t get me wrong, I still like G1 Transformers, but it IS a toy commercial first and foremost. I do give them props for showing us insight into Megatron’s mind, having built in escape routes in the prison because he’s a self-described tyrant and letting Terrorsaur lead so poorly that it’ll hurt any future coup attempts. Mostly because he has five soldiers at the moment and really can’t spare killing or imprisoning Terrorsaur for treachery without weakening his force overall. It’s nice to see how the Tyrant Lizard thinks. Next time, a probe is a coming.

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Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 7

 It's a race to the frozen north. 

Last time on Beast Wars, Terrorsaur went full Starscream. The flying Predacon found a flying mountain that was filled with Energon. He accidentally gets exposed to a high dose of the stuff, being super charged into a destructive form. He immediately flies back to base, usurps Megatron and rallies his new minions to prepare to attack the Maximals. His plan is delayed by his super charge running out and needing to return to the mountain for another hit. Cheetor witnessed all of this from a distance and ran back to base to warn the others. Optimus and Rattrap head out to stop Terrorsaur, while Terrorsaur is trailed by Tarantulas, who wants to steal the Energon. A big brawl breaks out between Optimus and Terrorsaur, while Rattrap sets charges to destroy the Energon. He’s attacked by Tarantulas, but he holds the spider off.

 

We open in orbit, amongst the various bits of debris from the Maximal and Predacons first fire fight, a stasis pod drops fully into the planet’s gravity well and is about to make a big impact. Rhinox is the firsts to detect the dropping pod and lets the rest of the team know. We’re shown the actual impact, the pod hits somewhere in the frozen north, a white tiger seeing it happen from a mile or so off. The Predacons also detect it. Megatron, being clever, knows that Optimus will go out alone in his haste to get to the pod and says that they’ll make sure “he encounters… turbulence” before they make for the pod themselves.

 

Optimus prepares to take off, Cheetor and Dinobot both telling him this might be a bad idea. Optimus isn’t willing to listen, though, and transforms. Dinobot, being weirdly insistent, demands the right to exit the ship first, as he has… suspicious. He transforms and exits. He uses his optics to make a thorough scan of the area. He detects nothing but is still suspicious. He wants to lead a scouting patrol, but Optimus is anxious and won’t listen. They exit together, Optimus taking off, he turns to order Dinobot to lead a land team to follow him, just before he’s ambushed by Waspinator and Terrorsaur. The two injure Optimus, knocking him into statis lock. Dinobot, vindicated but annoyed, uses his laser eyes to cut a boulder from the cliff and drop it onto Waspinator. Terrorsaur frees him and the two fly back to their base, having completed their mission. Dinobot takes pot shots at them but can’t hit them. Cheetor goes to check on Optimus, Dinobot assumes the worst and says that he’ll ensure that Optimus gets a funeral proper for a warrior that died in glorious battle. Optimus, very badly hurt but still very much alive, says that he appreciates the thought, but he’ll have to miss it. They drag Optimus back inside and into the CR chamber for repairs.

 

Back at the Predacon base, Megatron is annoyed that Optimus is still functional, but is happy enough that Optimus has been temporarily disabled. He orders Terrorsaur and Waspinator to the pod, and that the land based Predacons will head to the Maximal base to attack it. He, rightly, assumes that the Maximals will go in force to the pod, but leave someone to watch over the recovering Optimus. As Cheetor, Rattrap and Rhinox race to the pod, they discuss not feeling great about leaving Optimus alone with just Dinobot for protection, but Rhinox reminds the other two that they had to as 1. Dinobot’s weapons were damaged in the fight, so he needs recovery time too, and 2. If the pod was damaged, the proto-form inside could be killed by the planet’s Energon field.

 

The Maximals approach an icy land bridge as Waspinator and Terrorsaur reach them. The two Terrorize and carpet bomb the Maximals. They transform and attempt to “Shred those lousy fliers!” as Rattrap puts it. Unfortunately, air > land, and the Predacons out fly their attacks and destroy the ice bridge. They fly off cackling. Rattrap radios back to the base and let him know that they’ll have to take the long way to the pod and that odds of them reaching it before the Predacons are basically zero. Dinobot tells him, “No excuses, you pathetic rodent, keep moving!” and then cuts the connection. He thinks for a few seconds before asking the computer to access Optimus’ core consciousness from the CR chamber and to display Optimus’ digitized face on screen. Optimus guesses there are problems already, Dinobot tells him the situation, and Optimus asks if there’s any way that they can reach the pod first. They rattle off a few ideas, they can’t use standard communications due to the Energon fields, and they need line of sight for a laser pulse. Optimus asks if there isn’t anything they could bounce the pulse off, and that gives Dinobot an idea.

 

Outside, the Predacons have arrived. Megatron is excited at the idea of getting to kill both Optimus and Dinobot and sends his arachnid minions to their positions. As Dinobot prepares the satellite for the pulse, Megatron approaches Dinobot and tries to convince him to surrender the base and Optimus to him. Dinobot, not being an idiot, tells Megatron to “eat slag” and eye blasts him. He orders Scorponok and Tarantulas to attack. He gets shot from the roof of the base, and down to the ground. He dodges another attack, getting to the auto-lift to the base and orders their autocannons to arm. The cannons are activated. There’s a funny bit where they just aim at Tarantulas and Scorponok for a second, Tarantulas shifts his weight to move and is shot off the ship. Scorponok lasts a minute longer, but starts shaking so bad that the cannons fire on him. The cannons all turn on Megatron and start unloading. Megatron orders them to fallback and get to the pod. Dinobot tells Optimus that the laser pulse dish is ready. Optimus orders the computer to upload instructions. The pulse bounces off the moon and down to the pod, the white tiger from earlier watching. It triggers the pod’s DNA scanner. The Maximals see the pulse and wonder what is going on, and lament that the Predacons will reach it first. Waspinator and Terrorsaur race each other to reach it to earn the credit, and Megatron is full on sprinting to reach the pod. Why? Because he knows he can’t trust those morons.

 

Back at the Maximal base, Dinobot is put into the CR Chamber and Optimus prepares to take off after the others. He has the autocannons deactivate for 30 seconds so he can fly through them and heads out.

 

At the pod, Waspinator and Terrorsaur are trying to cut the pod open. The Maximals arrive and try to stop them, but Megatron joins them. To ensure that they don’t interfere, Megatron melts some ice and snow, trapping two white tigers in the canyon and pointing his T-Rex cannon head at them. He tells the Maximals to back off or he’ll kill the wildlife. The Maximals stand down and let the Predacons cut open the pod. Megatron walks over to it to personally reprogram the proto-form, but they find the pod empty. Megatron demands to know where the Maximal is. “Right here,” someone says from off screen. Megatron turns to see one of the tigers, whom them announces “Tigertron, MAXIMIZE!” and starts unloading on the Predacons. The other Maximals, including the arriving Optimus, start firing on the Predacons. They flee, Megatron being heard shouting “Blast it all!” after the final shot hits him.

 

Tigertron returns to beast mode and introduces himself to his comrades. Optimus tells him that he had the worried for a while. Tigertron reveals that his identity circuits were damaged in the crash, so he had been confused initially, not sure which side he was on. That was until the Maximals were willing to sacrifice the pod to protect him and his tiger friend. Optimus offers him a spot on the base, but Tigertron says that with his damaged circuits he feels more tiger than Maximal, so he wants to stay in the wilds. Optimus agrees, appointing Tigertron to be their long-range scout here in the north for them while he recovers. The others head out, Tigertron saying “Let the trails lead where they may, I will follow” before the credits roll.

 

And so, ends the first pod episode. Each one is a little different, but there’s almost always a race of some kind to get to the pod first. And, unfortunately, the Maximals aren’t always this lucky. I think the race against the clock aspect of the episode was well done. It showcased Megatron’s cunning, sacrificing the chance at getting there first for the chance to eliminate Optimus and guarantee they arrived first. Heck, without the Hail Mary play that Optimus and Dinobot came up with, Tigertron would be sporting a bee symbol instead of the Maximal… wolf? Their animal is harder to figure out. You may notice that Tigertron is essentially just a recoloring of Cheetor. That’s not completely true… Tigertron is also taller. I kid, yeah, the character and toy are just recolored figurers. Which does make it fit in with the OG Transformers as basically half of the initial troops were clones of each other. Don’t give me that look, Thundercracker and Skywarp were literally just Starscream in blue and black. Tigertron is also the transformer with the most sporadic appearance in the first season. He sticks to his solo exploration of the wilds, only popping in every other episode or two to report on something or get involved with a large plot. The other pod introduced Transformers are much more common after their initial episodes, I have no idea why. Tigertron and the other pod transformers do add a little bit of confusion to the lore, though. See, Proto-forms are essentially the babies of the Transformer lifecycle. While exact method varies from series to series, typically, their bodies are forged in the legendary Plasma Energy Chamber, and then they’re implanted with the Spark from the Well of All Sparks that give them their personality and form. So… it just seems weird that fresh out the pod Tigertron is clearly more mature than Cheetor from the get-go.  I’ve read that some comics try to explain this away with a retcon that Tigertron and another Transformer were active on Cybertron but were damaged in someway in the fire fight between the Axalon and Darksyde before they went through the transwarp portal and had their Sparks removed and placed in new Proto-forms… but that’s extremely convoluted. I don’t have a good answer for ya, sorry.  I liked how they telegraphed how Tigertron would appear by showing us the solo tiger, later revealed to be named Snowstalker by Tigertron, in multiple shots only for there to mysteriously be two tigers when Megatron threatens them. The same goes with Tigertron revealing that he realized which side he was on when the Maximals were willing to lose the Proto-form to protect him and Snowstalker. Compassion wins friends, all I’m saying. So that’s all I have to say about that. Next time, Rattrap turns traitor. Or does he? See you there.

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Viewer Log: Beast Wars ep 6

 Terrorsaur goes full Starscream.

Last time on Beast Wars, the Transformers investigated an alien structure dubbed the Standing Stones. A battle breaks out between the two forces, Terrorsaur destroying a part of the structure in a “if we can’t have it, no one can!” and somehow ends up sending a signal into deep space. After another battle at the site between Optimus and Dinobot, and Megatron and Waspinator, Optimus is seemingly vaporized by an alien probe that arrived. Rattrap and Dinobot fight over who should take command, but Optimus’ disembodied voice reaches them and tells them he’s still alive. The team goes back to the Standing Stones and try to pull Optimus out of the device. A third fight breaks out at the structure, Rhinox unloads hundreds of shots on Waspinator, knocking him back into a stone and the energy surge causes the device to barf Optimus out. The Maximals drive off the Predacons, and then they muse as to who sent the probe and why. Enough recap. Let’s get to it.

 

We open on an eagle flying through a canyon. The bird is suddenly snapped up by Terrorsaur who was looking for a free meal. He flies around another bend and discovers a floating mountain. He flies inside and finds metric tons of Energon crystals. The amount of energy in this place intrigues Terrorsaur, enough that the Predacon chances transforming into robot mode for a few seconds to perform a scan. … I question why he doesn’t have a scanning function in beast mode for this exact reason, but then we wouldn’t have a plot for the episode. Terrorsaur immediately starts shorting out, his internal system telling him to return to beast mode or he’ll go into ‘statis lock.’ This is the transformer equivalent to a coma, which would be bad given its location. He goes to take a sample but gets blasted back between two pillars of Energon. The energy supercharges Terrorsaur, the usual blue-white Energon build up effect turning red. He says that the Energon has been fed directly into his superstructure and he’s never felt more alive. As a Predacon, this immediately make him decide to return to base to kill his boss and usurp command. It’s amazing they get anything done. Terrorsaur rockets off, just in time for Cheetor to see him from the canyon. Convenient. Cheetor runs after him, wanting to learn more.

 

The Predacons, meanwhile, are at their base testing out their new perimeter defenses, a pair of high-powered cannons. Just after the cannons destroy a target box, Terrorsaur descends and challenges Megs to a duel. Instead of whipping out a pair of Magic: The Gathering decks, Megatron transforms and Terrorsaur stomps him. His enhanced body is basically immune to Megatron’s attacks, and he can rain plasma down upon him. Megatron breaks apart into a dozen pieces and Terrorsaur declares himself leader. The other Predacons are apprehensive at their new boss, but being the bad guys, roll with the change over quickly. Terrorsaur tells his troops to prepare for battle and that the Maximals will be the next to taste his power. Cheetor, watching from the distance, announces that this is ultra bad. But, a moment later Terrorsaur’s boost runs out. He runs a diagnostic to confirm that, yes, the super charge is completely gone. He’s warned that he has only a few seconds before his power drain is so severe that he goes into stasis lock. He puts Tarantulas in charge while he goes to “check on something” transforming back into beast mode and flying off. Scorponok is obviously pissed at losing his second-in-command position, but Tarantulas could care less about the promotion, telling Scorponok to do as he pleases and chases after Terrorsaur. Waspinator asks him what his command is, and Scorponok orders he prepare the RC chamber so they can repair Megatron.

 

Cheetor runs back to base and gives everyone the details about Super Terrorsaur and the floating mountain. Rattrap is skeptical about a flying mountain, but Optimus trusts the young scout’s info. He tells Rhinox to start a search and try to reach Dinobot, who is scouting. Cheetor points them to the Mountain’s location.

 

Terrorsaur lethargically flies toward the Mountain. He theorizes that the Energon there is extremely unstable, which is why it super charged him but also drained away so quickly. He’s planning to get a hit of the stuff and then rush to finish off the Maximals for good. Tarantulas is following from the forests floor, planning to steal Terrorsaur’s secret and take over.

 

Back at the Maximal base, they get confirmation that there is a flying mountain due to a huge Energon surge messing up their tracking software. Optimus orders Rattrap to get his demolition gear and meet him for take off in five cycles. I don’t think they ever explain the whole “cycles” thing, but I figure cycles are minutes, megacycles hours and solar cycles days. Rattrap complains but goes to get his stuff.

 

Terrorsaur and Tarantulas arrive at the Mountain. Terrorsaur flying in and Tarantulas climbing up from the ground. The radiation is so intense that Tarantulas gets the surge warning despite the distance. Optimus in robot form flies in, with Rattrap holding onto his back. Rattrap whines about how he’d have taken a bat alt from if he wanted to fly. Might just be the fact the words are one letter different, might be a tongue and cheek nod to the fact Optimus was originally going to be a bat. There were actually a bunch of toys sold with that alt form with him, Megatron being a crocodile. They reach the mountain, Rattrap saying he owes Cheetor an apology. They land and Optimus starts shorting out. He returns to gorilla mode, and they prepare to investigate.

 

Optimus is clearly in awe of how much Energon is in the mountain, noting they’ll need to use their robot modes sparingly. Rattrap wants to just blow the place and run, but Terrorsaur lands and takes their attention. He gets another hit of super Energon. They come up with a quick plan, Optimus will draw him away and hopefully dodge until his charge runs out, Rattrap will set the charges and prepare to blow the mountain in four cycles. Optimus transforms and draws Terrorsaur away. The super charged Predacon is tough, but Optimus is able to hold his own. Rattrap transforms and quickly sets a pair of explosive charges. He mutters a prayer to Optimus that he returns in time to get them out of there.

 

Optimus takes a big hit from Terrorsaur, knocking him to the mountain side. He transforms back into beast mode to avoid a surge, and Terrorsaur flies down to finish him off. Meanwhile, Tarantulas attacks Rattrap. The two fight, which is kind of hilarious as they’re stuck in their beast modes, but Rattrap is able to hold him off. Terrorsaur runs out of juice before he can finish off Optimus, transforms back and goes for a recharge. Rattrap throws Tarantulas off him, throws mud on his eyes, and tricks the spider into running off the side of the cliff. Rattrap has got some Bugs Bunny in him. He sees Terrorsaur fly in, and muses that he’s one gone rat without Optimus. Terrorsaur reaches the inner part of the mountain just a moment before the charges blow. He flies off and Tarantulas leaps from the Mountain. Optimus reaches Rattrap and the two have to take a flying leap off the Mountain. The surge from the explosion would fry Optimus circuits in robot mode. They land in the forest below, not much worse for wear. Rattrap tells him that was crazy, Optimus retorting that sometimes Crazy works.

 

Terrorsaur returns to the Predacon base. He’s pissed at losing his Energon source but comforts himself at least having gotten rid of Megatron.  This confidence is immediately wiped away when Megatron walks out, saying “Look who’s back.” Terrorsaur’s scales immediately lose all color as he squeaks “Help.”

 

This was a solid villain episode for Terrorsaur. We’ve seen him before, obviously, but this is the first time where he’s gotten more than two or three scenes. He’s… well, basically OG Starscream. He’s the extremely treacherous, cowardly, smug aerial commander and is routinely beaten for his backstabbing plans. Hell, he’s also primarily red. Yes, I know calling him aerial commander is a bit of a stretch when the fliers consist of literally just him and Waspinator, but Waspinator is clearly number 2 in all their interactions. I give the dude props for having one of the most efficient plans of a traitor to date. First hit, usurp command of the Predacons, second hit, destroy the Maximals, a simple, elegant plan. If Cheetor hadn’t seen and told the others it might have even worked. Maybe, it seemed like the power drain was faster the second go-round but that might have been Optimus overtaxing him. There’s also a nice dichotomy with Tarantulas’ style of treachery. I don’t believe he ever personally tries to usurp command from Megatron, but the whole “follow Terrorsaur to steal his secret” thing does suggest that this is more from not having his own opportune moment than from loyalty. But, of course, if he axed Terrorsaur after Terrorsaur axed Megatron, he’d be leading a team of three. One of them being Waspinator. Not a great outlook against the Maximals, me thinks. This was also a good showing of Rattrap and Optimus’ relationship. We never hear anything about their times before the Beast Wars, but episodes like this always made me think that these two and Rhinox are very old friends. There’s a banter between them that just feels like these two have known each other for a long time. Sure, Rattrap is skeptical of his leadership and often back talks, but it seems to be more from a “we both got detention in school, don’t boss me around” vibe than from actual malice or distrust between them. You have to have a lot of trust in someone to just grab on their back and fly you to an alien mountain, it’s all I’m saying. The final shot of Terrorsaur is great too. That image of him going sheet white and squeaking help has stuck in my brain more vividly than a fair number of other scenes in this series. So yeah. Next time, well meet the first new recruit of the series. See you then. 

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