G1 season three thoughts

[andersonh1]

Beast Wars

So did Galvatron hunt him down and kill him again, or did he survive to make another return (which never happened?). The episode doesn't say. I like to think he escaped, but we'll never know.

ERROR

Well, in Beast Wars, Starscream says something about his spark not being bound by space and time, hence he can tumble through space until he ends up in the distant past and visits the Beast Wars. There's no indication of what point in his own time that he came from, either directly after the movie or after the events of "Ghost in the Machine" and "Starscream's Ghost". Could have been either one.

[Gomess]

Hmmm I guess. I suppose it's only a *spiritual* sequel to Ghost in the Machine. In all likelihood BW's writers didn't even watch the old G1 episodes (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Pretty sure Starscream explicitly refers to Galvatron and/or Unicron in BW, though.

It is a shame that S3 didn't up the continuity a bit, I think one of its most constant criticisms from fans is the gimmicky one-off episodes. Focusing on things like Galvatron's madness, Rodimus' insecurity, Starscream's ghost and the TFs' origins as actual story arcs might've kept my attention better as a kid!

[Onslaught Six]

Pretty sure Starscream explicitly refers to Galvatron and/or Unicron in BW, though.

Yes. In fact, he basically lies about it and says something like he killed Galvatron or something. Blackarachnia, because she's a Huge Decepticon History Buff, calls him on his shit later.

[138 Scourge]

Pretty sure Starscream explicitly refers to Galvatron and/or Unicron in BW, though.

Yes. In fact, he basically lies about it and says something like he killed Galvatron or something.

He says he was killed by Unicron, protecting his commander, Galvatron. Which is an amazing bullshit story coming from this guy.

[andersonh1]

Pretty sure Starscream explicitly refers to Galvatron and/or Unicron in BW, though.

Yes. In fact, he basically lies about it and says something like he killed Galvatron or something.

He says he was killed by Unicron, protecting his commander, Galvatron. Which is an amazing bullshit story coming from this guy.

But that's Starscream for you. Completely shameless.

[andersonh1]

The Big Broadcast of 2006
What do you know? Omega Supreme is still alive and active. Nice!

"Broadcast" is a mix of continuity and a somewhat rambling storyline. The Quintessons are still after their journal, last seen in "The Quintesson Journal" (and I don't think I wrote my thoughts on that one... I'll catch up at some point). The Junkions have it, so those dastardly Quints come up with the idea of brainwashing the Junkions for some reason. The problem is, the signal gets redirected out into the galaxy. Ignoring the fact that it would take millions of years for said signal to reach all corners or this galaxy, the signal begins to brainwash everyone into going to Junkion and fighting. Until some enterprising Autobot (Blaster, I think) jams the signal and Galvatron destroys the TV that "bewitched" him.

Not the best episode. At least Omega Supreme can still put a good scare into those evil Decepticons. The episode gets at least a point from me for that alone.

[Gomess]

O man, Big Broadcast and The Quintesson Journal is a CRAZY two-parter. So out of left-field, and they cram so much in. It's like... *almost* epic. But then just wacky.

[andersonh1]

Only Human
I guess there was only so far they could take the "Transformers become humans" concept on a kid's show, but it's still a good episode. With a bonus appearance by Cobra Commander! This pre-9/11 cartoon shows tall buildings in a city hit by explosives, with the guys who did it referred to as terrorists. I'm reminded of the RID episodes that were pulled after 9/11 and have to wonder if the same thing would have happened to this episode at the time.

For once the Autobots are involved with human law enforcement as they attempt to stop some terrorists from stealing weapons. Said terrorist leader, Victor Drath, enlists the aid of Cobra Commander (never named as such, just called "Old Snake") to kill the Autobots. Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, Springer and Arcee are transferred into Synthoid bodies and spend some time as humans, working to stop an attack on Autobot City. It's amusing when Springer ends up driving his own body and Ultra Magnus threatens to destroy his and Arcee's robot bodies in a great scene. "Don't think I don't have the nerve to detonate this! Believe me I do!"

The episode never actually shows us how the four convince the Autobots that they are who they say they are though. We cut from the aborted attack on Autobot City to Perceptor transferring the four back into their robot bodies. Still, it's another favorite season three episode for me.

Grimlock's New Brain
So what is this, the third new miracle generator installed on Cybertron this season? And it goes goes wrong, again? No wonder the war over energy sources dragged on for millions of years... these guys just can't build a power plant to save their life.

The high concept/joke behind the episode is that Grimlock is rendered super-intelligent by the malfunctioning generator, and outclasses Perceptor in intelligence (even telling him how limited his intellect is when Perceptor wonders why he didn't think of something obvious). The plot (Galvatron and the episode's) require everyone to travel to Unicron's head, where Grimlock leaves the Autobots to find for themselves while he builds the Technobots. While it's nice to see an origin episode for them, it's just an odd time for Grimlock to choose to do a little robot-building. At least we know where Computron gets his vast intelligence.

[Gomess]

Always thought that episode should've been called "I, Grimlock".

I mean, come on.





Also: YAAHOOO! IT FEELS GRRREAT TO BE A TECHNOBOT

[BWprowl]

Always thought that episode should've been called "I, Grimlock".

"Shattered Glass" would get to that years later in the only good (and interestingly, the first) piece of fiction ever spawned by that universe.