Just finished watching this episode for the 2nd time. Before I get into anything else, I just have to say that this is the most visually striking cartoon on TV today. In addition to the character animation, which surpasses even Lucasfilm's high-end Clone Wars show IMO, the backgrounds are vibrant and jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Each shot looks like a postcard. I love all the added details like the old, beat up pickup that was holding up traffic. Any random truck could've been put in there, but they created something new and memorable. In a cel-animated show it wouldn't stand out to me as much, but in a CGI show where everything costs a bunch to render, I was pleased to see so many new models make it into this episode. I loved the train too. And when one of Mech's cars flipped, I noticed that the undercarriage was modeled too; something you almost never see.
With Star Wars: The Clone Wars, I do think it has some of the most impressive backgrounds around, but perhaps in this case Transformers wins me over because I can related to its native landscapes. The desert roads, snowy tundras, and mountain passes ground this fantasy show in reality in a way that the alien landscapes of Clone Wars don't.
Okay enough about the animation. The story was pretty sharp, with a couple hiccups. The Decepticons played a largely insignificant role in this one, with their appearance seeming more for the benefit of Silas. Part of his role in this episode was to become aware of the robotic aliens among them, so as to become a more worthy opponent later on. His presentation was handled well. He's a different kind of villain than Megatron, and I like that he doesn't bash on his troops when things go wrong. He even shows a modicum of concern when he tells Fowler that he hopes he treats his cargo better than his Mech prisoner.
Oh! And I do love that one of the regular Eradicon drones got in a solid hit against Prime. With a tree! I did not see that coming. I always worry about villain degradation in these kinds of shows, and especially where canon fodder is concerned, it's important to show that they're not completely inept. Of course, none of the other Eradicons score so much as a single hit, which makes the tree trunk hit all the more important. Thought it was funny when the one Eradicon covered his head after his buddy got smoked though. Hehe.
The hiccups: Warping Jack and Miko into the train. What exactly did that accomplish? The Autobots were already aware that there were soldiers aboard the train (well, 1 soldier) guarding the DINGUS. I don't think they knew that the soldier had been knocked out. If they were, they didn't mention it. So warping the kids into the train seemed unnecessary. Plus, their presence there was soon proven to be unneeded anyway. Although, I will give them points for having a somewhat dramatic moment there when Jack and Miko thought they were about to die.
The Decepticons- again, pointless to have them here except to remind us that they're not just sitting on their duffs like the IDW 'cons under Starscream's rule. Also important towards Silas' development, but otherwise put in a weak showing. Their lack of importance in this episode is made all the more apparent by the fact that Starscream's reaction to their failure was never touched on. After the 'cons are taken care of, we never hear a peep about them for the rest of the ep. I understand though- this ep was all about MECH, not the 'cons. I'm willing to let it slide.
I DO like Silas' and MECHs' reaction to the Autobots and Decepticons in this episode. I like that he wasn't the type of villain where everything went right for him or everything wasn't foreseen. I liked it when Raf hacked the train and gave it a new course, throwing the helicopter off. I liked seeing Silas getting thrown about in his helicopter a bit. I hate those kinds of villains where everything goes to plan for them, like they planned for every eventual outcome and their hair never gets mussed. Those kinds of villains are absolutely boring to me. Like Jigsaw from the Saw movies. So lame.
Overall: A solid episode with a good new villain.
