Rhinox and Dinobot are comparing symbols on all the previous alien sites with those on the Alien Disk, realizing those sites and their locations compared to the Maximal forms a triangular pattern.
Huh, how? The floating island was clearly moving...
There's some animosity however, as Rhinox clearly holds a grudge over Dinobot's action from the last episode. The hurting note is when Rhinox infers Optimus is too forgiving and trusting. And coming from Gentle Giant, Friend to All Living Things Rhinox, that hurts. They however track where the next site should be. Tigatron and Airazor are heading there, but they can't be contacted because there is a Predacon jamming tower in the area. Dinobot heads with Rattrap to take care of the tower.
Meanwhile, Tarantulas in his lair decides he's done with... something. And just in time, his computer informs him of an alien energy signature detected, and he heads out.
At the Darksyde, Blackarachnia spots on a camera Tarantulas leaving. Megatron is displeased at the transmetal spider, especially when he does not return comms. Megatron is in a bad mood today.
Tigatron and Airazor see seeds flying past them, the first sign of plant life they've seen since the Planet Buster incident. Optimus, Silverbolt and Cheetor are trying to reach them, before they can trigger any alien traps. They fly over grass. You know, vegetation that according to Tigatron isn't around. But the jammer is still up, and they can't reach the pair.
The two loverbots go in the valley where these come from and transform around a flower, enjoying the sight and sharing a tender moment. Sadly as they hold hands they do not see the vines creeping up to them. They grab the two transformers, hauling them up. Airazor uses her wrist mounted missiles to shoot those holding Tigatron, saving him.
Both are beamed into space just as Cheetor arrives. He tries to reach them, but gets shocked. He lands and lets out a Big "NO!". Tarantulas arrives and shoots him. Hope you enjoyed Tigatron and Airazor's contribution to season 2. Because they are out of here.
At the Darksyde, the Predacons pick up the alien signal, and the Maximals heading to the site. And they hear their jamming post is being attacked, Quickstrike and Waspinator needing backup. But Megatron decides to use the fact that the Maximals are all out makes it an ideal time to attempt to recover the Alien Disk.
Tarantulas is trying to get a vine sample when he hears Optimus approach and GTFO. Optimus lands and Cheetor fills them in on what happened to Tigatron and Airazor. Rattrap and Dinobot take out the jamming tower, and Optimus tells them of their loss.
The Maximals are re-building Rhinox's arm. There's dissension over what to do with Megatron and the Aliens, and about Tigatron and Airazor. Cheetor also shows hostility to Dinobot, outright calling him a Predacon.
The Predacons are researching the disk, when Tarantulas arrives. He explains they need him to implement anything to counter the aliens, and he declares he is leaving Megatron's command, not that Megatron can do anything about it without losing his one chance to take out the Aliens. Errr, sure, but what about AFTER the aliens are dealt with?
Optimus ultimately agrees with Dinobot that taking out Megatron first is a priority, as their last truce was a joke. But a spatial anomaly means the Maximals won't have a choice to deal with Megatron and the aliens at once.
Megatron and the rest of the Predacons are setting up some devices around the plant. He asks why if Tarantulas is leaving his command, is he helping him now, and Blackarachnia reveals he hates the aliens, she learned him when they were psychically connected. The chat is interrupted by the Maximals.
Both sides transform, but the landing of the Alien craft (shaped like the seeds from earlier) prevents the fight from starting. The UFO releases a wave of Energon, knocking all the Transformers in Stasis Lock...
Exceptionally, I'll review this part individually. Because Tigatron and Airazor's departure kind of force it. No doubt there were many reasons behind the scenes for that. Demands from Hasbro (who did see the show as a publicity vehicle), as well as, I think, the writers not knowing what to do with them (Airazor in particular, who barely got any screen time since her debut episode, and most of her appearances were roles anyone else could have filled). That said, the way this departure was done was rather... Lame. We've barely seen them this season, and they are immediately abducted, without much resistance. It's not a bad scene, there is an element of tragedy as they try to reach for one another and in their final words, but considering they'll barely ever be mentioned again till late season 3, it would have been nice to see them put up a fight, or get more spotlight in what is essentially their last episode. I am not too fond of the way it was done, the way two characters being removed from the show is essentially treated like a footnote in a two parter. While it does drive the rest of the episode, as we will see in part 2, the Tigatron and Airazor stuff is put on the back burner, where it'll go ignored for a long, long time.
I am no fan of Tigatron, but I did like Airazor, and I assume the writers wanted the viewers to like them. And I don't think giving them such an unfulfilling exit really pleases those viewers. Doubly so when we remember that Tigatron and Airazor's mission, the very reason we haven't seen them, was to find stasis pods. And they got nothing to show for it before being so abruptly taken!
- The original script called for the alien plant to lure Tigatron and Airazor in with a stasis pod containing a blank.
- The Maximals show bitterness to Dinobot over last episode's event.
- We never learn WHERE Tarantulas got his knowledge of the aliens (which predates the finding of the disk). Or why he hates them so much (Though that could be the planet buster thing). We never will.
- Speaking of which, WHY does the disk exist? Why would the alien leave information on them and their devices for people to find and use? Especially since both creators' vision for the Vok and their project seem to imply the Vok would want to keep their actions hidden, never explaining what's the deal with the disk.
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