Transformers Prime

I like how the series is understated in some parts, but cartoonish when it can be. Ratchet's overtaking of the kids science projects (and the resulting joke Miko's model of Jupiter being turned into Cybertron) was hilarious but certainly detached from the rest of the plot. The humans have their place and I like that they aren't forcing them to be in danger every episode. I'm not too fond of how they squeezed Fowler into the story, it's nice to see him being quite helpful but it seemed more of a coincidence and Fowler still wearing a suit with his necktie at half-mast while piloting a jet just screams of Limited Wardrobe.

Optimus' interaction with Skyquake and Starscream was very interesting, it's like real life politics where a new leader means new opportunities. Of course Starscream is way too smug and overconfident but I think that just makes him more of a wild card, we don't know when he'll suddenly become a threat. And Megatron barely surviving because of the Dark Energon he absorbed highlights the care being put into smoothing out the plot, he didn't survive because he's just that badass.

The fight with Skyquake was engaging, unfolding a mini-gun a la Predator was a nice touch where most other Transformers have simple gun hands. They also utilized their vehicle modes to good effect and Bumblebee's "Jet Judo" rivaled his movie incarnation for badassery.

The only thing I didn't like about Skyquake's jet form is that it did the dual guns on both sides rather than the minigun sticking out of one side like real aircraft do.

Honestly, I think I'd like this version of Screamer to stick around as Big Bad for a little while. Megatron is an enormous threat here thanks to his competence, his tendency to plan big, and his hookup to a bona fide Eldritch Abomination, but I think that means he works best when used sparingly in finales and big, mid-season two-parters. Starscream, meanwhile, thinks smaller, but has the right balance of cunning, overconfidence, and creative sadism to be a straightforwardly defeatable but still menacing persistent threat. Let me put it this way. Megatron would bury the world under a wave of robot zombies. Starscream would come after your family in the middle of the night. They're different flavours of evil, suitable for different roles within the work.

edited 14th Feb '11 12:58:49 PM by Iaculus

So, is this the ultimate distillation of Starscream, or an evolution?

So far, I'm somewhat underwhelmed by this series. Maybe it's because they have three humans rather than just one, and the fact that two of them are really annoying (Raf and Miko).

Huh? Raf's annoying to you? How?

Many Teen Genius characters tend to be The Scrappy, but as far as Raf is concerned I like him. He isn't a know-it-all who single-handedly solves the problem and when Miko and Jack were arguing he showed himself to be rather emotionally fragile.

As for Starscream, I think he is a more pure incarnation of G1 Starscream than Animated Starscream was. If only because he is biding his time and waiting for Megatron to leave or be killed/incapacitated before he takes control. Animated Starscream outrightly betrayed Megatron in the first episode and ultimately acted as a seperate entity from other Decepticon forces during the course of the series; his motivation started as seeking for leaership but ended as merely revenge against Megatron himself. Both are certainly fantastic characters in their own right.

Making him a sadist was definitely a step in the right direction. Also having Steve Blum do his voice.

I'm not sure why I haven't warmed up to Raf much. Probably because someone like Ratchet could also do a lot of stuff like him, and this show should be about the Transformers.

^ And because super-hackers, espeically child ones are a stupid idea.

Here's a rather long clip of the next episode. Bulkhead's jitteriness in the beginning was funny but strange, but once the little metal termites show up I see why.

Starscream betrayed Megatron gee than didn't take long. However I think for once we see a why and a good reason. The why is he can't get respect from his master, or the other for his relatively good job. Second as I said before Megatron is going dangerously around the twist, and while Starscream's... well The Starscream, he does prove that Sanity Has Advantages.

Or, at least, Screamer's flavour of crazy is less likely to backfire on the galaxy as a whole quite so enormously.

Does Scream's attitude in the latest episode seem like a contrast to anyone else? He seems actively treacherous toward Megatron now, which seems contradictory to him warning Megs away from the blast at the end of the five-part pilot.

Considering fearless leader tried to strangle him...

Flesshhhh...

Exactly Colonial1 this Starscream is different because unlike the usual Starscreams of the past as he's less the undermining weasel, and more the Bastard Understudy with The Dog Bites Back reason for the betrayal.

That actually makes a lot of sense. Scream (understandably) never liked being lead by Megatron, but never had the nerve to betray him before now, when he's had his first taste of power and Meg is at his weakest. Niiiice.

The latest episode "Con Job" I would have to say is my least favorite episode so far, if only because it's a collection of fairly basic plots. Spotting the Thread, a new friend shows up and doesn't stay, etc.

That said, Wheeljack certainly made a mark as his own character (the only thing missing is his glowing ears) and I really enjoyed the references to the Wreckers. The series is making a concentrated effort to expand the mythology (each episode so far has made a direct reference to a prior episode or unexplained event) and give each character a detailed history.

Arcee and Optimus got the most characterization in the miniseries and Bumblebee got a moment to shine in "Masters and Students." Bulkhead has gotten to be the hero twice in a row now, and like Transformers Animated seems destined to be a fan favorite. I'm interested in seeing Ratchet be given a spotlight episode, he's the only one who hasn't gotten to be the genuine hero yet.

I like it. The "pet humans" kind of grate on me, but other than that...

And they have Peter Cullen and Frank Welker.

Hell yes.

Love it so far.

• The Good:
  • Peter Cullen and Frank Welker!!!!!
  • Amazing Stories!
  • Love the Designs!
  • 2 of the three humans aren't too bad. Ralph is nice. The other dude we don't see that much of him on his own for me to care.
  • Agent Fowler is cool!
  • The fight scenes are BRUTAL! EPIC!
  • I like the designs.
• The Bad:
  • The environment are kinda bland. We've seen the one canyon how many times now? Lets see... Optimus and Ratchet fought zombies there. Then Skyquake. Then a Palette Swap artic version...
  • Miko is the source of 90% of all human-related annoyance from this show.

edited 27th Feb '11 8:31:28 PM by Ghilz

Aaaaaaand we now learn with 'Con Job', that like in unfortunately almost all other Transformers incarnations, the bots inexplicably speak English from the get-go without ever learning it.

I mean, I know I'm being nitpicky on possibly the softest sci-fi ever, but is it too much to ask for a handwave?

The Bayverse just said it was the internet, if that helps.

Meh, I've seen shows who claim to be harder not bother explaining it, so like I will care about TF not doing that...

I seriously wonder how many episodes will take place on desert-like areas. Seriously, how much are they gonna milk that one desertic set piece they have? And how many times will we see the SAME canyon over, and over again.

Seriously, count how many times the characters have two sheer cliffs to each side, in an area void of vegetations (Bonus point if it's sand-colored!):

• Darkness Rising Part 2: The Energon mine
• Darkness Rising Part 3&4: Fowler's helicopter chase takes place in one. The Canyon full of zombie robots, and the canyon with the deception ship. Three for the price of two!
• Master And Students: The entire Skyquake fight takes place in one.
• Scraplets: We get an ice Palette Swap for the arctic segment.

And I am not counting the expanses of sand without cliffs. Just the canyons. Seriously, wtf.

edited 28th Feb '11 11:42:13 PM by Ghilz

You need certain geography to make fist fights possible. If it's just open ground, they'll just shoot each other.