As a forewarning, this section will contain spoilers for Generation One.​

Hello, everyone, and thanks for reading this post!

So, I first knew about Transformers through the Bayformer movies, which eventually transpired into me watching Transformers: Prime a few years back (2012-2013, I think), long before I joined this site. That was around the same time when I became interested in writing and the subjects surrounding it. I also remember watching a few episodes of Animated and an episode or two of Armada, though I don't really remember watching the entire series of either.

My newly-gained interest in Generation One came quite recently when I was perusing TFWiki and, if I remember correctly, while I was, and still am, interested in Beast Wars: Uprising. I had been meaning to watch it at some point, but I was waiting until Christmas or near Christmas Day until I would watch it, which is now.

So, as for some ground rules, all I ask that is that you don't tell me any spoilers about episodes that I haven't watched since other forum-goers, some of whom may have with little-to-no knowledge about the series itself, might be interested in watching this and they might be warded off by any revelations. As for format, since it's the school holidays for me at the moment, I think I will be watching these when possible.

If you have any thoughts on an episode or my opinion on it, I encourage you to post it here below, whether you agree or disagree, or you have any input at all!

With that said, I do have a question: Would it be better to watch this series linearly, or is there a selected choice of episodes (e.g. Episodes 1-3 then a later episode in Season One) for maximum enjoyment?

Also, for future reference and general ease of reading, I'm going to construct a contents page for each season in the post below.

 

SEASON ONE​

More Than Meets The Eye: Part One.
More Than Meets The Eye: Part Two.
More Than Meets The Eye: Part Three.
Transport to Oblivion.
Roll for It.
Divide and Conquer.
Fire in the Sky.
S.O.S. Dinobots.
Fire on the Mountain.
War of the Dinobots.

The Ultimate Doom, Part 1.
The Ultimate Doom, Part 2.
The Ultimate Doom, Part 3.
Countdown to Extinction.
A Plague of Insecticons.
Heavy Metal War.​

 

SEASON TWO
​

Autobot Spike.
Changing Gears.
City of Steel.
Attack of the Autobots.
Traitor.
The Immobilizer.
The Autobot Run.
Atlantis, Arise!
Day of the Machines.
Enter the Nightbird.
A Prime Problem.
The Core.
The Insecticon Syndrome.
Dinobot Island, Part 1.
Dinobot Island, Part 2.
The Master Builders.
Auto Berserk.
Microbots.
Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1.
Megatron's Master Plan, Part 2.
Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 1.
Desertion of the Dinobots, Part 2.
Blaster Blues.
A Decepticon Raider in King Arthur's Court.
The Golden Lagoon.
The God Gambit.
Make Tracks.
Child's Play.
The Gambler.
Quest for Survival.
The Secret of Omega Supreme.
Kremzeek!
Sea Change.
Triple Takeover.
Prime Target.
Auto-Bop.
The Search for Alpha Trion.
The Girl Who Loved Powerglide.
Hoist Goes Hollywood.
The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 1.
The Key to Vector Sigma, Part 2.
Aerial Assault.
War Dawn.
Trans-Europe Express.
Cosmic Rust.
Starscream's Brigade.
The Revenge of Bruticus.
Masquerade.
B.O.T.

 

SEASONS THREE AND FOUR​

Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1.
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 2.
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 3.
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 4.
Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5.
The Killing Jar.
Chaos.
Dark Awakening.
Forever Is A Long Time Coming.
Fight or Flee.
Thief in the Night.
Starscream's Ghost.
Ghost in the Machine.
Surprise Party.
Madman's Paradise.
Nightmare Planet.
Webworld.
Carnage in C-Minor.
The Quintesson Journal.
The Ultimate Weapon.
The Big Broadcast of 2006.
The Dweller in the Depths.
Only Human.
Grimlock's New Brain.
Money Is Everything.
Call of the Primitives.
The Face of the Nijika.
The Burden Hardest to Bear.
The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 1.
The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2.
The Rebirth, Part 1.
The Rebirth, Part 2.
The Rebirth, Part 3.

 

Good on you, it's a bit cheesy from what I remember but it gets better.

Just out of curiosity what's with all the recent 'Reaction' 'going to watch g1' threads popping up?

I genuinely don't understand why people make threads for others to comment on them commenting themselves as they watch, instead of just watching it themselves, is this the equivalent to reaction videos on YouTube?

 

Season One (the first sixteen episodes, from More Than Meets The Eye 1-3 through Heavy Metal War) have a decent continuity, so definitely don't watch them out of order. Continuity is looser in Season Two, but you still probably don't want to skip around.

Interested to know what you think as you get into it. I always find it fascinating when today's kids want to watch a thirty-year-old cartoon. I can't be objective about whether it's aged well or not. For me it's a defining aspect of my childhood, but it's probably very different from today's cartoons.

Are you going to be getting the viewing order off of the wiki?

 

I myself was inspired by @CaptainSlayer and his blog about Transformers: Prime. I think it's because people are generally interested in other people's opinions on what happened in an episode and they can then discuss about it; and it might also be handy to have it as a reference to refer back to one day.

For the most part, yes, but I will be using the episode selection on the DVDs as well.

 

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: PART ONE​

For me, this was a good introduction to this series! I loved the narration by Victor Caroli at the beginning alongside the extra-terrestrial-esque sound effects at the beginning; it really makes it seem truly alien, like we're visiting an unknown world in our galaxy. The animation, while a bit stiff, is definitely endearing and pleasing to the eye. The fight scenes at the beginning and the end of the episode were definitely engaging, though I do wonder why Prowl and Jazz destroyed some of the energon the Decepticons gathered at the oil rig. I understand that it was likely accidental, though they probably could have stole it from them. This is a minor gripe I have, but I must ask why Starscream's voice seemed to change at the beginning. Was it intended for a generic Seeker, like Sunstorm for example, or was it intended for Thundercracker/Skywarp?

I wonder about the fate of the Nemesis (the name of the warship isn't mentioned in the series itself, but I remember reading up its name on TFWiki). After the Ark crashed into Mt. Saint Helens, the Nemesis seems to disappear into nowhere. I wonder if it will be brought up in a later episode. I think it might have plunged into an ocean, since otherwise humanity would likely have found it during the four million year-long gap between the Transformers' slumber and awakening. With this, I'm definitely intrigued in finding out more about Cybertron and its history, and to see more characters arrive as the series progresses.

So, my favourite characters at the moment are Megatron, Starscream, Soundwave, Optimus and Cliffjumper. Megatron is definitely an entertaining character, and I can appreciate his 1980s villain persona, even though I typically prefer villains to have somewhat more complex moments than what Megatron seems to have at the moment (I think he calls himself evil at some point), though I will relent if they're entertaining enough. Hound's fascination with Earth and its inhabitants make me wonder if that will factor into a later episode, and I wonder if he'll be able to connect with Spike in a future episode. I like Cliffjumper's characterisation here: He's a trigger-happy hero who's dedicated to stopping the Decepticon threat, which definitely interests me. Starscream's want to usurp Megatron is definitely interesting to see, and even though his voice does grate on my nerves a little, it does suit the character; sometimes, I wonder why Megatron hasn't just killed Starscream yet. I wonder how many times Megatron will beat down Starscream for trying to betray him in this series.

And as always, Optimus is the archetypal father-like leader who's the leader of the Autobots, and Peter Cullen portrays him extremely well here. He seems to have more characterisation and flaws than he does in Prime: He seems to be more impatient here than in Prime, though he's still very much passionate and caring towards his subordinates. At the moment, I prefer the Decepticons; I tend to be fonder towards the villains since I usually find them to be more interesting and intimidating than the heroes, though heroes should be interesting in their own right. A hero is only as good as his villain, after all! Soundwave's voice is quite unique - especially so for its time, if I remember correctly - and it definitely plays off the fact that he's essentially a sentient robot to loyally serve under Megatron well. I have to commend all the voice actors involved for giving their all into their performances.

Anyway, onwards to Part Two!

 

Go through it straight, with two changes because they were originally shown out of order (and may still be depending on how you're watching): in Season 2 watch Child's Play before The Gambler; and in Season 3 watch Fight or Flee, then Theif in the Night, Starscream's Ghost, and Ghost in the Machine. Its especially important in the case of the S3 episodes, as some things will just be 'WTF?' if you don't.

--Moony

 

Thank you! I'll definitely keep this in mind for later on!

----------​

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: PART TWO​

​

Like the last episode, I really enjoyed this one! After the ending of the last episode, we see Optimus and the rest of the Autobots on Earth rescuing Spike, Sparkplug and their friends from the conflagration and overall chaos of the damaged oil rig. Afterwards, they return to the Ark, where Soundwave and Ravage spy on them, only for them to be discovered. While Soundwave manages to escape, Ravage is captured to be presumably interrogated, which I think will transpire in the next part. The Decepticons then attack a dam, which leads to Optimus and Megatron fighting one another on Sherman Dam while Hound and Spike stop Rumble from causing the tidal wave; while the Autobots manage to stop the dam from ravaging the town below, the Decepticons escape with the energon. After Starscream, to Megatron's ire, wastes some of the energon, the Decepticons take to the mines in Myanmar to mine some rubies. Bumblebee and Sparkplug infiltrate the mines to set an explosive to trap the Decepticons inside and are attacked by Thundercracker and Skywarp. Optimus sends Roller to check on their progress after they are attacked by the two Seekers, but he's sent tumbling down the mountain after the explosion detonates.

The dynamic between Megatron and Starscream was very entertaining; it was reminiscent of an argumentative couple at some points. When I heard them argue with one another, I was reminded of 'Starscream Cookies', a joke made by the Nostalgia Critic in his Transformers Generation One review. The scene where Hound and Spike drove throughout the desert while the sun was beginning to set was very interesting and it delved into their characterisation a little bit; I hope that their friendship develops throughout the rest of the series, they interact with each other very well! The dynamic between Optimus and Megatron was also interesting; to be honest, I didn't expect Optimus to insult Megatron, but I did find that to be very humorous! I can definitely say that I can't wait to see how this ends. The scene where Hound gives Spike first aid after Spike rescued Hound from being trapped underneath the racks was rather... suggestive. Finally, I definitely like Sunstreaker's character: He seems to be rather narcissistic, which is definitely unexpected for the Autobots. I hope that he'll act as more of an antithesis to some of the more humble Autobots, and that I can see him develop further.

As for the human characters, Spike and Sparkplug are personally some of my favourite in the franchise so far. I love how they're actually useful to the Autobots; an example is after Spike saves Hound. They also act as surrogates for the audience, which is especially evident in the beginning where Spike writes in his diary about his first time meeting the Autobots and the fact that that they're from outer space.

Now, for the final part to this miniseries!

 

Call me cynical but it seems like people who do reaction videos, are now doing it on forums.

 

To be, fair these blogs, still come off, as entertaining, reads and give a glimpse, of someone else's, view into something we, take for granted.

EDIT: Just to make that post right there perfectly clear, I am riduculing your inability to use one of the simplest punctuation marks in the English language. If needs be, google search "Our friend, the comma".



I personlly love seeing someone who didn't grow up on these shows giving them a go, just as much as people who grew up on later shows like seeing the grognards giving THEIR show a go.

 

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE: PART THREE​

This was an excellent conclusion to this miniseries! So, after the explosive detonated inside the cave, trapping Bumblebee, Sparkplug and the Decepticons inside, Optimus was sent tumbling down the hill, only to be helped up by his fellow Autobots. After Optimus struggled to transform, the Autobots dig into the rocks, and there they find Bumblebee and Sparkplug trapped beneath the rubble. Unfortunately, the Decepticons broke out, their energon haul unscathed, and they flew off to parts unknown. Ironhide proceeded to follow them and began to attack them, but he was quickly shot down by Skywarp; the Autobots rescued him after he was sent flying towards a nearby river. Following that, the Autobots tricked Ravage into believing that they were heading towards a site where there's enough energon to last four trips to Cybertron (and they used an enormous hologram to further trick them), but the Decepticons countered their trickery with their own by using decoys at the fake site. In truth, they were heading towards Cape Carlson. There, they attacked the humans there and stole the rocket fuel, and the Autobots and Decepticons fight once more nearer to the site of the Victory, but it was too late; the Decepticons managed to depart on the Victory, heading back towards Cybertron, and it seemed that the Autobots had lost.

Using Sideswipe's rocket pack, Optimus intercepted the aircraft, but he was shot down by the Victory's artillery. While Optimus licked his wounds and seemed to concede defeat, Mirage had managed to get onboard the Victory; meanwhile, Starscream attempted to usurp Megatron, nearly attacking him while his guard was down. Unfortunately for Starscream, Mirage attacked the controls, distracting him for long enough that Megatron fired on 'Screamer, and the Victory plunged into the ocean. It seemed like the day was saved, but it still goes on, for the Decepticons survived.

I still love this animation, though I noticed some animation errors here and there (Soundwave's Autobot insignia, for example). I like the dynamic between the Autobots; they seem to be not only a unit of soldiers, but they also consider one another to be family, as shown by their deep concern for one another. Like I said before, I love the personalities of the Autobots and Decepticons; they are all very distinct from one another. I still prefer the Decepticons to the Autobots, however, though that's because I tend to like the villains more than the heroes. By now, I've gotten use to Chris Latta's Starscream, and it definitely does suit the character. Optimus is definitely a lot more emotive than he was in Prime, and to be honest, I prefer him this way; while he's the father figure of the Autobots and supposedly infallible, he's still flawed and can have character development. Also, I noticed that the sound effects from Star Wars; I presume these are going to be used throughout the rest of the series? I personally think these sound effects definitely does suit this show.

 

It's because people who grew up with the show like to see the reactions of those who have never seen it before.

Coming onto this site, my only exposure to the Transformer franchise was the Michael Bay films which are rightfully polarized among fans. When I started my G1 blog, a lot of people were super excited to see what I thought of the show and I believe, over the course of the year or two it took to finish, readers were able to see my thoughts transform from "Wow, this is super cheesy" to "This is really -really- fucking awesome" and it made them feel good to know that the show is still affecting lives all these years later.

I've moved through multiple series now and each time I go into a new one, people are always excited to see what happens next when they know exactly how an episode is going to end but no idea how it will affect the viewer.

So, I guess it's -kind of- like reaction videos but not entirely. It spawns a good medium for conversation that might not have happened otherwise.

When you spend all your time chatting about Transformers with fans who already have the same knowledge as you, it might get a bit stale as opposed to bringing someone in who is as fresh as they can be.

As for @Pax Cybertronia, good luck on the blog!

You're in for a very long, bumpy and fun ride. Be sure to listen to some of the suggestions about viewing certain episodes out of order. Most of all, keep an open mind and remember to have fun. I know I did!  

 

TRANSPORT TO OBLIVION​

So, it has been a few months in-universe since Optimus and the Autobots defeated the Decepticons, but not all of the Autobots are convinced they're rusting in the ocean for good; a trigger-happy Cliffjumper shoots a small plateau that resembles a Decepticon. Meanwhile, we return to Cybertron, where an energon-starved Shockwave attempts to contact Megatron on Earth. To his surprise, Megatron actually responds, and the two hatch a plot to gather some energon cubes and return to Cybertron. To do so, they attack a solar power plant and shut down the generators so they can gather the energy, causing the entire city to undergo a blackout, causing traffic jams and probably killing a few people at least somewhere. Optimus assembles a strike team of Bumblebee, Ironhide, Gears, Ratchet, Prowl, Jazz and Cliffjumper (everyone else is out on patrol) with Spike tagging along, and together they invade the solar power plant and fight the Decepticons. After a fight, Optimus accidentally rejuvenates Megatron and Ironhide, who protects Optimus from a blast, is shot in his chassis; the Decepticons escape with the energon cubes. Ironhide is repaired by Ratchet, who replaces his terminal and has his [Ironhide's] rear-end assembly repaired with a blowtorch. Optimus then decides to send Bumblebee out on recon, and Spike decides to accompany him; there, they find the Decepticons testing out their space bridge, and in a few more tests, it will be ready to transport energon to Cybertron!

Unfortunately for our heroes, they are captured by the Decepticons and Spike is used as a dummy to test out the space bridge, while Bumblebee has his memory chips altered by Megatron after he's attacked by Starscream and Skywarp. Bumblebee returns to the Ark and tells them that the space bridge is located inside a cave. The Autobots arrive there, but they're ambushed by the Decepticons, who eventually trap them inside the cave. The Autobots, after discovering that Bumblebee's memory chips were altered, break out, but not before Megatron manages to start the space bridge. A battle commences, the energon cubes are destroyed, and Megatron is sent through, presumably having been destroyed. But in truth, he survived, and he swears vengeance upon the Autobots!

I noticed several animation errors (e.g. there were two Starscreams near the end when the Decepticons retreated after Megatron was sent to Cybertron, and there was another Bumblebee just before Bumblebee returns). Also, I think they edited out some dialogue from the "Prime is target" line. But other than that, it was a very engaging episode. The fight scene in the power plant was quite tense; I didn't expect Ironhide to throw himself in front of Megatron's blast. That part really highlights the familial bond the Autobots have with one another. Also, Megatron was punched in the crotch by Cliffjumper during the fight scene; that part definitely highlights his endurance! Also, I love how Cybertron wasn't just there for just the miniseries; I hope that it will serve an important role in later episodes. The characters were on-point as usual, most notably with Cliffjumper. I like how they displayed his twitchy trigger-happiness in the beginning when he fired on that Decepticon-looking rocky formation. It also makes me wonder if the other Autobots did the same. Finally, I wonder when the Ark will be ready to return to Cybertron. They didn't mention it in this episode, though I expect they'll return at some point in this series.

 

Its good you're not doing the Animation Error Drinking Game, as you'd be dead by your third episode.  

The only episode that didn't have coloring errors was Fire in the Sky - until some numbnuts at Rhino mistook Trailbreaker and Skywarp for characters that had lost color in the masters, and colored them as Ironhide and Thundercracker respectively.

--Moony

 

ROLL FOR IT​

​

Overall, I like this episode, though I prefer Transport to Oblivion over this. Chip Chase is an interesting and likeable character; it's definitely interesting how a gifted 14-year-old boy is allowed access to an antimatter laboratory. I wonder if his parents have connections within the government or something along those lines, since I doubt most people would be allowed to access antimatter. Is that why the guard at the laboratory recognizes Chip and Spike? As usual, the fight scenes in this episode are quite engaging; I understand why the energon cubes containing antimatter had to be destroyed far more than the regular energon cubes. They probably would have led to quite a few Autobots being axed off, which might not be the best for sales; that, and the Decepticons would've had too much of an advantage over the Autobots. I like how, by this point, the Autobots and Decepticons are recognized by the public. It's a change of pace from the general "robots in disguise" and "hide from humanity; they're not ready" that I've come to know from the other Transformers series and comic books. I wonder how this would've gone in real life.

I have noticed some of the animation errors throughout the episode, though it's probably commonplace by this point, to paraphrase what @Moonscream said; there's probably only a few episodes with a low amount of animation errors. I recall seeing Brawn's helmet being coloured yellow at one point, and Starscream's dark grey head). I also noticed that they used a more stylized art style at times (most notably with the Seekers), which I do like as well. As usual, I love the characterisation of the Autobots and the Decepticons, and I hope that they each eventually get their own individual episode or they have individual focus placed on them at some point. While it isn't as good as the other episodes, it's still good in its own right. If I had to give any improvements, I'd say that they should have built up Megatron's return more and have him return at the end of the episode or in the next episode, and maybe have Shockwave return with him. I also wonder if we're going to get some names for any of the generic Transformers that appear throughout the series. I'm aware that the first Seekers we see alongside Starscream in MTMTE are called Sunstorm, Nacelle, Hotlink and Bitstream, but I don't recall hearing the names of the other Seekers.

Up next is Divide and Conquer!​

 

Keep it up, Pax. I'm old enough to have watched these episodes when they first aired on TV over 30 years ago. It makes me happy that you not only seem to be enjoying them, but you also care enough to take the time to let everyone know what you think of them. That just may prompt others in your generation to give them a go as well. I have tried re-watching many different animated series from my childhood, and the G1 TF series is one of the few that has seemed to stand the test of time. If you can forgive the occasional animation and continuity goofs, you will continue to enjoy yourself. And, don't forget to watch the 1986 movie before you dive into Season 3 of the series! It is a must-watch.

I'm just taking a wild stab at this, but I'm thinking that maybe some of the more recent interest in the G1 series may have to do with a lot of the G1-inspired toys coming out (new masterpieces, TR, etc.). I have been generally out of the hobby/fandom for several years, and the past few days I have been revisiting TFW2005 and getting a general feel for the state of the fandom. It seems there is more focus on G1-inspired stuff at the moment than the Bay movies or the new(er) animated series. Perhaps this may prompt people to dig into the G1 origins a bit more? I dunno. I realize that most stuff in the TF fandom is G1-inspired in at least a general way, but a lot of things at the moment actually seem to be modern updates to the G1 originals (the TR stuff, for example) as opposed to complete reimaginings (as in Armada, Energon, Cybertron, etc.). Just a thought.

 

Thank you! I'll be sure to watch the movie if it's on the DVD. For anyone wondering, it's the Metrodome edition released in 2014, if I remember correctly.

 

I enjoyed reading CaptainSlayer's humorous and heartfelt reactions to the G1 series, and I look forward to seeing yours as well. It's always great to see a young'un take an interest in the origins of Transformers...though it does remind me that I'm old as f***.

I've been hooked on the G1 series since it was first aired in '84 (though I missed the first 2 eps because I forgot what time they were on; hey, I was 8  ), and over the last few weeks I've been showing it to my 5-year-old twin boys for the first time. We just watched the movie and have started on season 3.
(And I can say, whoever let AKOM animate most of S3 can rot in hell  )

I certainly hope you're watching the Shout Factory releases. The Rhino DVDs are garbage, what with all the extra animation errors from using uncorrected masters and the annoying extra sound effects.