Sick as a Bot​

OK, this episode was a lot better than the last.

First of all, Bulkhead, the man himself, decides to show up and proves to be the perfect companion to Grimlock while somehow being the 'brains' of that dynamic duo and a new Decepticon, Wingcode, is introduced and proves to be a lot more interesting than most we've been introduced too.

I really liked that she was out trying to survive and not conquer the planet or escape. She was just trying to, you know, not die, and her toxin ability was really really cool.

Unlike the last episode, this one feels like it progressed the plot but only a smidge. We know that Optimus has asked Bulkhead to meet him on Earth which makes me wonder if he's also reached out to Arcee since she's the only one missing from Prime at this point.

The Cybertronian illness was interesting and I liked that the Autobot insignias along with other lights on the Autobots turned that tealish green.

I know we're only at three episodes left now, so I'm hopeful that Bulkhead remains through all three of them. He is one of my favorite characters and I want to see him do dope stuff before the series concludes.

I also meant to mention in my previous entry that it sucked Grimlock's trailer was eaten by Underbite but then they somehow managed to get three more as hospital beds. I guess the Scrapyard really does have everything.

 

Five Fugitives ​

I had Dropforge's appearance accidentally spoiled for me a while back when I quoted a post containing a spoiler tag but I'd almost forgotten about it by today. I didn't know the guy was a minicon and I didn't know that he was basically the Yoda of the Transformers Universe. In other words, I like him.

His officers also remind me of Prowl from G1 in their design and I'm a fan. What I don't understand is why Dropforge said that their blasters were set to be able to take down Dinobots but when Team Bee started attacking them, the officers rushed at them like it was a melee fight instead.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's because the story would suck if all of our heroes just got shot to death in about two seconds but it's the principle  

We learned that good Autobots are being brain washed by something or someone back on Cybertron and that the effects are reversible. It's got to be Shockwave, right? Like, he's always on Cybertron and he's always doing this mad scientist stuff.

I guess we're going to find out as I dive into these final two episodes.

 

Enemy of my Enemy​

Well, I was wrong. It's not Shockwave. It's Cyclonus, who is for some reason, an Autobot. I guess they're really sticking to the 'insignia doesn't mark the alignment' bit.

This episode feels good. We get to see so many Autobots on screen at once it almost feels like G1. When Optimus mentions that everyone whose ever associated with him has been deemed unsavory or whatever, I wish I could have made out a lot of those faces because I feel like there's plenty I would have been stoked to see.

If I was five, I'd probably be freaking out that Team Prime got exploded and Team Bee got surrounded but I have a sneaking suspicion that literally everything is going to work out just fine in the final episode. I'm a little concerned though, as the episode is only 22 minutes like the others. I was hoping for something a bit longer to close the series out.

Also, shout out to the invading Autobot forces for using literal stick dynamite TNT to explode Team Prime. It's like they're being led by Yosemite Sam.

Cybertron also seems like it's an Imperial controlled planet right now with all the fascism.

Lastly, I know it's hypocritical and it feels wrong but throughout this entire episode I kept feeling really bad for Steeljaw when Bumblebee refused to trust him. The guy is the master of deception and is likely to back stab the Autobots the first chance he gets but I still really want him to turn a new leaf for some reason. Maybe it's just because he's been around for so long...

Here's to hoping he gets his chance to shine in this final episode!

 

Thanks for another triple upload!

Something he ate​

Yeah, this episode seems to have the sole purpose to remind you that Underbite exists.

But with teleportation now!

This is a TFWiki writer's dream article, since they have a lot of material to write for the Transformers reference section.

The truth will be revealed soon. But except more...

Yeah, I knew four episodes were left when it aired, but I wasn't worried about the finale, since the first 2 seasons wrapped it up in 2 episodes, so I knew this would be no different.

Sick as a bot​

I believe this episode was written by Bumblebee's voice actor, who also voiced Batman in Batman Beyond.

Bulkhead has improved since we last saw him; more calm than before.

Another nice power.

From the core group, yeah. There's Wheeljack, Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen as well. But Arcee would complete it. Of course, the RID comic does have her, Bulkhead and Ultra Magnus as well.

Tealish green? Learning something new everyday...

Indeed.

Most plot convent location.

Five Fugitives​

Who doesn’t like Yoda?

A missed opportunity for Prowl and Barricade.

Well no one except Megatronous has died, so even if they did get shot, they would have survived somehow.

Find out in the next episode. Although that is a good idea.

Hope you enjoy them.

 

Wow, you are quick! And next episode reveals why he is an Autobot, although the toy line reveal did spoil his appearance for me.

I'm glad they acknowledge their appearance. Now if they make more than a mugshot is another thing.

I believe they are fine. They are too important to die at this stage. And yeah, a longer episode would really help with the finale, in terms of pacing.

You'd think they would use a more futuristic weapon.

And yet, in a better state than it was before Prime concluded  

Or because he's an Autobot in the G1 continuity? Also, I doubt he'll turn around; he's broken promises to both sides on multiple occasions. Plus, I doubt he'll seek redemption.

Only a matter of time to find out.

 

Freedom Fighters​

Man, they really love that light bending technology, huh? That stuff was used so much through out the series and was even the cause of Cybertron falling victim to a brutal dictatorship hell bent on destroying the foundation of it's rebirth.

This episode revealed that traditional Decepticons were still very much alive and well even when the majority of their faction had been wiped from the forefront of Cybertron. Cyclonus, thankfully, wasn't actually an Autobot and even more surprisingly we got another look at a Decepticon actually having a heart of sorts with Cyberwarp.

Ratchet, Jazz, Bulkhead and Windblade end up becoming the temporary high council which means there's going to be a drastic shift in the way things are ran - particularly with Bulkhead and Ratchet trying to agree/disagree on things.

Steeljaw made me proud by actually sticking to his word and helping the Autobots without actually going soft. In fact, the final scene of the show leaves a very open ended feeling that lets the viewer feel like even though it's over, it's not done.

We finally got more combining but even with this fight I can't help but feel like the tagline was pretty wasted for Season 3 but I'll touch more on that in my final thoughts entry.

Overall, I feel like things wrapped up nicely but really wish the creators would have put more time into building up these final showdowns. It all felt a tad bit rushed. But I guess it all worked out in the end.

 

Alright I see you’ve chosen my birthday to conclude the blog on. Not a bad choice at all. Let’s dive right in.

Starting with Something He Ate.

- Nothing much to say other than it’s just a filler episode.

- The GroundBridging plot was unique for the series.

- I consider this episode a calm before the storm that as you’ve seen, is slowly approaching.

Onto Sick as a Bot.

- Another virus episode. That’s cool with me.

- Bulkhead finally appears after being name-dropped all the way back in History Lessons.

- Optimus summoned him to Earth because he needs a warrior to help him deal with Cybertron’s Government.

- Grimlock and Bulkhead becoming buddies was really nice. I never expected that to happen so it was a treat.

Lastly, on to Five Fugitives.

- The High Council is yet again trying to silence the Bee Team.

- Strongarm became one for my favourites in this episode. Her relationship with Dropforge really shines showing that she was never going to give up on her master. Even when things looked bad, she fought to prove that something was wrong.

- I want to take a moment to point out that Bulkhead and Steeljaw’s banter through out the episode was amazing. That was one of my favourite parts honestly.

 

The writers must love physics...

I referred Cyberwarp’s ‘Autobot’ design over her Deception one, but she’s got a good personality. Cyclonus being thrown in the plot was not someone who I expected to carry all of this out, but worked for him...until he lost control of a limb due to Cyberwrap.

One is good for demolishing, another is good for repairing. Opposites do really connect.

This made me excited at the time for a possibility of a follow up to RID, and while it may not happen now, I expect it some point in the near future, one form or another.

It is a waste of a tag line. They could have named it, Detective-force for example. Do you have a better tag line as well.

Look forward to it. And yeah, this finale was very rushed. Goes to show the importance of pacing.

Also, happy birthday Sean!

 

Final Thoughts​

Alright, we did it. After seven months and one day, we've finally made it to the end of our RID2015 journey and so as with every other blog, I'd like to compile my final thoughts into a single post about the series overall.

This series is probably one of the most diverse I've reviewed as far as my feelings towards it go. Sometimes, I was engrossed with the art, characters and animation while other times I was bored to tears with my eyes glossed over as I kept glancing to the clock eager for the episode to be over.

As hypocritical as it makes me, I found that I originally loved the 'story of the day' plot lines and when all these new animal Decepticons were being introduced things constantly felt fresh and exciting. However, this rapidly became stale and felt like the plot had no real progression, particularly when we started to see a massive use of recolored models.

A lot of the villains felt very wasted. They would be introduced with amazing designs, cool voice actors and exciting abilities only to be captured in their introduction episode. Granted, a few of them were released later on and had a second chance but it almost always ended with them being tossed right back into stasis. With the Decepticons leading the Cybertronian High Council, why didn't they release all of the prisoners from stasis and send them back to Earth instead of just Steeljaw's Pack? Wouldn't their odds have been much better?

I also know that I'm in the minority when I say that I really enjoy the humans in Transformers media and I was really bummed out that Russel and Denny seemed to become very minor background characters through most of the series after Season One. They still had a few episodes where they were important to the plot but Season Three hardly showed them outside of ten-fifteen seconds per episode and they were hardly every doing anything interesting. I mean, there was an episode about Russel getting his TV broken but that was pretty much it... Whatever happened to all of his football friends?

I absolutely agree with a lot of you who stated that season 2.5 was the best the series had to offer. That season kept me engrossed through out it's entirety and introduced another incarnation of Starscream that I fell in love with. Season one was exciting with all of the new and unique designs and Season three was probably the most boring as I constantly waited for either more combining or the big bad to be revealed who unfortunately, was not Megatron.

There were a lot of cameos in the show that I didn't expect and I honestly think Bulkhead has to be my favorite, even beating out Ratchet. When I saw him stepping through the portal, I did that dumb little fist pump thing people do when they get excited. I don't know why I love the big guy so much, but I really do.

Looking at the premiere date of the last episode, it's hard to believe that I'm wrapping up a show that finished airing less than a year ago. It's a first for me and it feels good to be 'caught up' in a sense as I look forward to Cyberverse premiering.

But coming off of Prime into RID2015, it's hard for me to view this as a real sequel to the former. It's got some very loose connections but in reality they feel like two completely different shows and Bumblebee feels like a different character all together - not in a bad way but not necessarily a good way either.

I never felt like the stakes were high or that I really could expect anything to happen. The show was so lenient from episode-to-episode that I didn't know what to expect which should be a good thing but honestly felt more like a chore to plow through a lot of the filler episodes.

There were characters that appeared and I would immediately perk up. The main one being Springload, though Clampdown was a second favorite of mine. The mentally deranged, acidic skinned frog was by far my favorite villain in the entire run of the show and the episode where he appears in the train yard at night had some of the best looking animation I can recall from the entirety of the series. Here's to hoping he one day finds Doradus.

All in all, I enjoyed RID and it's characters but the story line is one of my least favorites out of all the blogs. It's not as bad as making Cybertron organic at the end of Beast Machines, but it's just bland and boring. Thankfully, a good cast and sense of humor carried the show other wise.

My Top 5 Autobots from the show are:

• Grimlock
• Drift
• Strongarm
• Windblade
• Fixit

Yes, Bumblebee was great and all and so was Sideswipe but I found Grimlock to be the most entertaining, Drift the wisest of the bunch, Strongarm showed the best growth (although she kind of reverted back on it a few times), Windblade the coolest combatant and Fixit the most adorable. Sideswipe continuously got on my nerves, though he did have his moments.

My top 5 Decepticons were:

• Springload
• Clampdown
• Bisk
• Starscream
• Steeljaw

I've covered why I loved Springload, I loved Clampdown's personality of constantly wanting to flip, Bisk was one of my favorite designs and voices, Starscream was perfection and Steeljaw ended up being one of the most likeable villains I've watched.

Unfortunately, I don't think I can make a top five episodes as I usually do because frankly, a lot of them run together. A lot of the cameo episodes were fun and anything with Springload was a treat but no five stick out as the best of the best.

RID2015 was a bumpy but enjoyable ride and I'm glad to have had all of you ride along with me. I'm sure there's still plenty of discussion to be had as there's quite a few replies I haven't been able to get to yet while doing these entries but I still want to thank each of you for taking the time to read my thoughts and provide your own.

As always, I'm unsure if I'll be doing another blog after this one. I always want to say no but after a long break my mind can often be changed. But for now, that's exactly what I'll be doing, taking a long break and waiting for Cyberverse to premiere so I can finally watch a show right alongside everyone else!

Thanks for reading and I hope you've all enjoyed going through the show with me!

- <3 CaptainSlayer

 

Yes, the season's length was known before it even started. And I remember thinking "why aren't they back on Cybertron yet" while watching each episode.

What about Ultra Magnus, Smokescreen and Knock Out?

That was a huge surprise for everyone. And I don't think Dropforge's name was ever used in any other TF media, so there was no way to expect it.

Have you ever played "War for Cybertron", especially the Nintendo DS version? Cyclonus was one of unlockable characters in the Decepticon game, so RiD is not his first appearance in Aligned. Besides, he was spoiled in promo materials for the season and, finally, by his toys. When he appeared in this episode, everyone was confused, not being sure if it's actually Cyclones, someone working for him and posing as him, a disguise, or the show doing something strange.

Figuring out who the characters are was pretty funny and challenging, but eventually we were able to identify all of them. It's every Autobot from Prime, Rescue Bots, this series and then some other names known form G1 cartoon and one totally new character. I would recommend slowly rewatching this part for maximum fun.

 

Happy Birthday, Sean!  

The pacing of this show is probably my biggest complaint about the entire thing. Particularly in Season 3.

I was referring to the original main cast. At least we've had Knock Out vehicle mode cameos  

I have played the multiplayer for War for Cybertron on Xbox 360 but never the story, nor on the DS.

Totally new character? Does s/he have a name?

 

Yes. Tuneup - Transformers Wiki
Actually, every card from this scene has name, function and stats written on it, but reading them is usually very hard and in some cases even impossible.

 

I remember that when I found out RID 2015 was a thing, I binge watched seasons 1 - 2.5, and then watched 3 live, and that took 5-7 months. But I’m glad I found this blog, to allow me to reflect my opinions on the episodes I watched, as well as see different perspectives of the show.

It can be a very polarising show, with high highs and low lows. But even at the low lows, it still had something to make me watch it, which isn’t something you can say about other shows.

I always dislike that concept from the start. It felt to me like that was a way for the writers to just satisfy Hasbro, and try to make as many toys as possible. It never did have much meaning. Also, the lack of any bot with a jet mode made feel a little disappointed.

While the humans didn’t appear that much, I very much like how useful they were, and how they interacted with the Autobots. I might actually prefer them over Prime, in that regard.

Season 1 was good, especially in terms of plot structure, as they were building the anticipation for Optimus Prime’s return, and Megatronus’ return as well, as well as getting us use to the main characters. Season 2 felt like a bunch of filler episodes put together, as only the last two episodes felt like they had any significant stop plot. Season 2.5 was the prime example of writing a great season, and having a entertaining plot, and antagonist, namely Starscream. Season 3 had the same problem as 2, only with pacing issues for the finale as well as the lack of combining; but it did have some likeable villains.

The cameos were great, but the second last episode of season 3 made me wish they took this even further; it feels like they weren’t using it to their full potential. Having said that, the bots that did appear were written and appeared wonderfully.

Despite being a follow up to Prime, I judge it differently; it’s trying to be it’s own thing first and foremost, so that’s why I liked it more than I would have if I compared it to Prime. This show could even pass of as an independent show with a few changes here and there. And I like how this was a breather to the franchise, in terms of art style, animation and tone.

The lack of deaths/risks, huge amount of filler episodes and problem of pacing were what hurt this show.

I liked Windblade the most from this show. Her design and voice are top notch, she had an ideal personality, and she seemed to not revolve around one personality trait. Steeljaw was great as well; he reminded me of Megatron, in a good way. The other characters were decent, although I’m not a fan of Sideswipe’s personality, as well as him and Strongarm bickering all the time.

I’d say all of Season 2.5 stood out as the best, in terms of top 6 episodes.

Thank you Captain, Sean, and every one else for making this possible! I really enjoy these types of blogs, and hope in the near future we’ll do this again. I hope you’ll enjoy Cyberverse Captain, and look forward to hearing your opinions.

 

It truly was a great ride and was fun following you through another series. Looking forward to the next blog  

 

I wasn't expecting you finish off all 5 of those episodes in one morning. Impressive. This series, while far from perfect, was still enjoyable for me while it lasted. Like all Transformers shows (and TV shows in general, really), it had its ups and its downs. There were several characters and moments that I absolutely loved, and numerous others that I didn't. If I was to write a list of my Top 5 Favorite Transformers Series, RID 15 probably wouldn't even make it onto that list, but it would most definitely be an honorable mention (less honorable than some other mentions, maybe, but honorable nonetheless).

Top 5 Favorite Autobots:

1) Grimlock
2) Jazz
3) Drift
4) Bumblebee
5) Dropforge

Top 5 Favorite Decepticons:

1) Steeljaw
2) Motormaster
3) Underbite
4) Cyclonus
5) Nightstrike

If I could choose only one character from this series to return in the future, it would absolutely be Steeljaw. He was everything a Decepticon should be: devious, manipulative, sadistic, cruel, and brutal (though, not as brutal as he could have been, as I'll get to shortly), with a touch of charisma, as well. Truly one of the standouts amongst what was, in my opinion, a largely unimpressive cast, and one of the very few 'Cons I can actually picture fighting in the Great War alongside Megatron and the others.

However, due to the much more lighthearted and kid-friendly nature of the show, Steeljaw just couldn't live up to his full potential. By far his most greatest achievement was when his pack forced the Autobots out of their base of operations, and even that was undone just a few episodes later. Not only that, but as stated above, he wasn't allowed be as brutal as he could have been, despite being the most brutal character in this show. He easily incapacitated Strongarm in his debut episode, only for her and Sideswipe to quickly give him a run for his money once she was set free. If Bumblebee and/or Grimlock had been there, too, I'd be fine with it, but two rookies alone shouldn't be able to drive off a supposed war criminal. Then there's that time he beat up a fellow Decepticon so badly, they literally could not show it onscreen. If this was Transformers Prime, we would have at least seen some of that beating. And who could forget that time he threatened to jab two spikes into Bumblebee's eyes, only for Bee's team to come to his rescue at exactly that moment. If we ever see this guy again, I hope it's in a darker and more mature series, that way the writers can make him out to be more of a threat without having to worry about the children. At the very least, I want to see him kill even a single Autobot.

 

How about "Wasted Potential"? Kidding. ;p

Bayformer Fan Watches Bayformer Fan Decide What Show To Dedicate A Year Of His Life To Next [BLOG]

Thanks for being here, Super.  

Honestly, I wasn't expecting myself to finish either but once I saw the finish line, I sprinted for it. It's hard to explain but these blogs wear me out. :|

I don't know if RID2015 would top any of the shows I've watched. It'd probably be above or beside Beast Machines. Like I said, it has some very good high points but a lot of it was a drag to get through due to the repetitive formula.

I'd probably agree with you on Steeljaw actually. If we ever get Beast Machines in Disguise, I'd hope he'd be the lead character.  

I think the lack of real violence is part of what separates RID2015 so far from Prime for me despite being a sequel. I mean, Prime started with Starscream ripping out Cliffjumper's spark. It's hard to beat that.

 

My overall thoughts in RID2015 is similar to yours, @CaptainSlayer; It's a fine show and definitely not the "train-wreck" that some fans say it is. It did has some genuinely good moments, funny moments and fun characters, but as time went on I also acknowledge that this show could be so much more than what it is. I still like the show for what it is however (Or at least, didn't dislike it the same way that most fans is towards this show.

I can kinda agree to this to some degree. In terms of the quality of the episodes, this show probably has the most inconsistent episodes quality among all of the TF cartoons (Perhaps even more so that Armada, Cybertron or Prime). There are quite a good numbers of great episodes, but when the show had its boring episode.... it just boring.

I think a better way for someone to watch this show is just expecting a light-hearted cartoon with some funny moments, and that's exactly what I do. I know that this show is a bit of a punching bag in the Transformers fandom especially in the YouTube TF community, but this show is far from being genuinely awful; Even then, this show would been better received if this show is been marketed as a spinoff series with some loose connection to Prime (I'm not a big fan of the Prime cartoon, but still)

Nice choice. Mine would be:

1. Grimlock
2. Fix-It
3. Optimus Prime
4. Drift and his mini-cons
5. Bumblebee

I know that it's a bit of an unusual choice for Optimus Prime to being at the 3rd place, but I do appreciate that Optimus in this show isn't the overly stoic, boring and instant epic sounding one-liner generator like he did in Prime (For a show like TF: Prime that is named based in Optimus Prime, Optimus is ironically one of the most boring character in that show).

Mine would be:

1. Starscream
2. Steeljaw
3. Underbite
4. Thunderhoof
5. Cyclonus and his fellow "Autobot council" members

Looking forward to your next blog in the future!!

 

So, the journey has finally come to an end. It's hard to believe that you started this blog over seven months ago, as I recall when it had merely just begun.

I'm glad that you enjoyed RID 2015 despite a lot of the bumps and issues that the show suffered from throughout its run. In comparison to Transformers Prime I didn't find myself nearly as impressed with RID 2015, but as a whole I believe that it's an enjoyable show nonetheless.

It's been quite the ride Captain, and I'm glad to have been able to join both you and everyone here on yet another one of your insightful Transformers blogs, and hope to do so again in the future  

 

Steeljaw was imprisoned for starting an uprising, we don't have anything to suggest he had ever participated in the war. He's not actually a fighter, which makes all his battle achievement even better and also shows why he had to behave the way he did.

 

I'll take your money now, thanks.

I really felt that the series fell apart in this "last act".

Rescue. Bots.