Starscream isn't stupid intellectually, no, he's just really ambitious and tends to overlook the small details that ultimately undo his schemes. Tactically he's pretty good for Megatron to keep him around as a high-ranking officer, and the seekers are the elites of the Decepticon army. As a leader, he's worse than Megatron. Megatron has both intimidation and respect keeping him as the leader, while Starscream is hated or thought little of by everyone but his own seekers, who act like a gang of yes-men to him.

 

ENTER THE NIGHTBIRD​

So, this episode focuses on Nightbird: a robot ninja created by Dr. Fujiyama, which was intended to be the pinnacle of human science at that time. Of course, it gets taken by the Decepticons and reprogrammed to their benefit. First off, I love the concept of the humans trying to replicate Cybertronian technology, even if it is primitive compared to the Autobots; give them a few decades and they'll probably start to terraform other planets, like Mars and maybe Venus. Second of all, Starscream has balls of steel, I swear to God. Even if it didn't initially work out all that well for him, Starscream outright assaulting Megatron - not only the leader of the Decepticons, but arguably one of the strongest non-combiner 'bots amongst them - shows a high amount of confidence in escaping that scenario unscathed. Likewise, him thwarting the Decepticons' plans for Nightbird, which he aided in its beginning, by using his null-ray to deactivate her is also quite surprising; he's a real wild card. I wonder if we'll get any more moments like this in the near future. I also wonder if we'll ever see Nightbird again in this series - maybe not in this season, but in the upcoming seasons.

As for animation and technical errors, I noticed that, for a brief second, Starscream's optics were blue instead of red towards the end, and Starscream's null-ray used an Autobot sound effect rather than a Decepticon sound effect when it disabled Nightbird. Oh, and Optimus did return her with a scratch - more than a scratch, anyway. I mean, he shot her through the bloody chest in the battle with her. Granted, he had no choice, but did the Autobots repair her at some point? Also, Cliffjumper struggled to jump up a cliff to chase Nightbird. OK, that's a bit funny and ironic, especially considering his name. I'm highly interested in Nightbird: she doesn't seem to have any characterization but the closing scene seems to imply otherwise. Her stare into the camera might imply some sort of resentment for her human creators and the Autobots, whom captured her within the electro mesh prison. I don't think she's a sapient lifeform just yet, but I do wonder if Bombshell somehow granted her some form of sapience. If she does appear at some point in the future, I'll be glad to see if they expand on her characterization and address this.

So, the next episode will be A Prime Problem, which is, if I remember correctly, about Megatron creating a clone of Optimus to dupe the Autobots.

 

A PRIME PROBLEM​

So, this episode is about the Decepticons trying to lure the Autobots into a trap (they discovered korlonium crystals within a crevice near their mountain base that's able to destroy mechanoids), and so they, thanks to Starscream's suggestion, create a clone of Optimus Prime to try to lure them into said crevice to destroy the Autobots once and for all. However, the real Optimus Prime reawakens after he was attacked by Laserbeak, who used his head-camera to send holographic images of Optimus to Megatron to clone, and he goes off to his base and there, the Autobots try to discover who is the real Optimus Prime. First off, I wonder how Ironhide wasn't at least a little bit suspicious of the false Optimus Prime (MegaPrime? Optitron?) when clone!Optimus called him Bumblebee instead of Ironhide. Sure, the real Optimus seems to have called Spike "Splick" at the end of the episode, and clone!Optimus shrugged it off as his circuitry merely being scrambled from the fall, but you'd think that Ironhide would try to look deeper into it. When I was watching this, I wondered to myself why the Autobots didn't simply just ask the two Optimuses (Optimi? What's the plural form of Optimus?) questions that only the true Optimus would know, though that might not have made for as interesting a story.

The jump from a laser sharpshooting contest to a racing contest was a little odd, though the Autobots might have performed more tests on them off-screen. Looking back, maybe there was a better tactic that Powerglide could have used to catch Spike rather than swooping down and letting him land on his metallic plane mode after Megatron tried to let him fall to his death from a great height, like using a grappling hook to capture him or something along those lines. Granted, the grappling hook might not be the best idea, but it's better than letting Spike crash on a metallic surface, which isn't better than letting him land on the ground. Now, as for animation errors, I noticed that Starscream's Decepticon insignia was miscoloured red when he objected to Megatron's plan to let his clone, which believed was himself, be destroyed by the Optimus clone, and I also noticed that clone!Optimus's faceplate was missing when he said that they would 'spring any traps that need to be sprung'. Oh, and Megatron's optics were blue instead of red when he began to control the Optimus Prime clone after its creation.

So, all in all, I enjoyed the episode, even though I had some problems with the Autobots' reaction to the two Optimus's. I would have assumed that they would have, like I said earlier, asked the two Optimuses some questions that only the real Optimus would know; it would have also potentially given us some more insight into Cybertronian society and the likes of the Ark, as well as some of the other Autobots. I really liked Starscream in this episode: his suggestion to Megatron was very clever, and it nearly worked out for them. Not only that, but he controlled the Starscream clone and nearly defeated the Optimus clone, which is a bonus for him. Also, I still don't really know who Windcharger is, despite the fact that they put him in the spotlight in this episode; he and Spike were instrumental in stopping the Decepticons' plan, and I know that Windcharger survived the fall into the korlonium crystals by transforming and using his rubber tyres to protect himself from said crystals' potent energies, but I don't know anything off the top of my head about his actual personality.

 

You missed Windcharger's Decepticon symbol...

 

Reading your entries make me realize just how little of G1 I remember. To be honest, it almost seems like a fever dream in most cases. I really should add a healthy dose of the show into my weekly routine. The last time I watched an episode, it was the one where they go back to 'fantasy land'. I'm not sure if you've passed this episode yet or not so I'll spare the details. But I remember Starscream's voice being like nails on a chalkboard in that 80's quality audio.

Regardless, I hope you're enjoying your time with the show. I'll try to remember to check in more often!

 

Thanks! Over the last few months, I've definitely gotten use to Starscream's voice, and I'm still enjoying the show, even if I have some problems with the more egregious animation and technical errors/story ideas here and there.

 

THE CORE​

So, before I begin, this episode is animated by AKOM, who also animated City of Steel and The Autobot Run, from which they have a fantastic reputation. This episode is situated around the Decepticons' attempt to drill a hole into the Earth's core and mine energy from it. By the end of the episode, to put it bluntly, shit utterly hits the fan (Devastator's logic chips are fried and he goes berserk, and the Decepticons' secret space bridge is destroyed) and the Decepticons, to their chagrin, are forced to side themselves with the Autobots to stop the drill before it destroys the Earth. I'm interested by the concept of dominator discs: if the writers decide to use them again later, then it's likely that the Decepticons could use it to enslave the Autobots into doing their dirty work for them in a later plot Megatron hatches. Also, when Starscream ran over to Devastator in an attempt to defy Megatron's very brief alliance with the Autobots at the end, I briefly thought that he'd try to jeopardize the Autobots and Decepticons' plan to stop the drill, allowing it to destroy the Earth - which would mean that the Autobots and Decepticons would have to stop Starscream as well as Devastator. That wasn't the case, however, and Devastator smacked Starscream away. Now, about the Earth's core: how the hell is it the most potent energy source in the galaxy? I'm pretty sure that, at the bare minimum, the Sun would be a far more potent energy source than the Earth's core. Then again, if they tried to mine the Sun for its energy, it'd obviously burn up before they even got there, but I'd imagine the Decepticons would be able to create a Dyson sphere or something along those lines.

This isn't exactly some animation errors, but when I read the wiki after finishing the episode, I noticed that AKOM used the older designs for several characters (e.g. Grimlock's design and Megatron's dark grey fusion cannon). So, I believe this AKOM will use these model sheets for the rest of the series? Now, as for non-model-sheet-related animation errors, I noticed that the Seekers' Decepticon insignias were all missing when they prepared for a counterattack in the canyon, and that the animation of the Autobots driving up the riverbed is mistimed; most of the Autobots in that patrol all tilt up as a group, even though they're in a line, and Mirage drives all the way into the slope before he tilts up to start climbing it. About this episode in general, I think it was quite entertaining; like I said, the concept of the Autobots using dominator discs to control Decepticons is quite interesting, and it certainly could have been used for malevolent purposes had it fallen into the wrong hands - like the Decepticons. I noticed that Starscream called Megatron a "traitor" when he refused to shoot Sunstreaker's crew of Autobots - initially it seemed a tad hypocritical considering his previous actions, though Starscream seems to be more loyal to the cause rather than Megatron; he sees himself as the suitable candidate to become Decepticon leader. To summarise, I found that the episode was quite entertaining - not the best, exactly, but it was alright.

So, up next is The Insecticon Syndrome!

 

Grimlock had a fusion cannon?

 

Not as far as I know (he might have one later on in the series); I've added to it so that it mentions his older design.

 

Just saw this forum. It’s nice to know another Prime fan also watching G1 as well   I’m doing this as well.

 

Remember, in this universe the Earth produces energon - so perhaps in that context it's unique in our system - even when compared with the Sun??

 

Excuse me but I believe you might be confusing the exact universe were talking about

The universe in this topic is that of the Sunbow G1 cartoon, And in the G1 cartoon universe the earth does not produce Energon naturally

 

I have the DVD boxsets of the 3.5 seasons lol. Plus the headmasters series. Sunbow is what made me a fan. Love it even after all these years.

 

True, in fact in G1 energon has to be MADE by TFs from whatever energy source they have at the moment (oil, electricity, crystals, the earth's core, weather, etc.). Come to think of it, they never really explained exactly how it can be extracted from the various and weird sources, attracted into the cubes (aside from when its poured), and becomes explosive liquid refreshment regardless of its original source.

Must be magic!      

--Moony

 

Sorry, that wasn't quite what I meant - I mean as opposed to our actual Earth, rather than any specific in-continuity "universe" - in that energon can be extracted in any way must be quite desirable considering it's needed to function...

 

THE INSECTICON SYNDROME​

This episode focuses on the Insecticons' attempt to mind control the Decepticons so they could capture Iron Mountain and siphon a vast amount of energy from the military base to sate their hunger; this is after they consume some redwoods and consume the energy at the Nova Power Plant. While A Prime Problem introduced Powerglide and Warpath, this episode introduces Beachcomber and Inferno and the latter two are focused on more than Powerglide and Warpath. If I remember correctly, they only got a few lines, as well as Powerglide saving Spike after Megatron threw him out of his flying mountain base at the end of the episode, while Beachcomber got several scenes dedicated to him. On that note, I was very interested by Beachcomber's character - he seems to be very intertwined with nature. You know, I've just realised that a lot of episodes end with the Autobots laughing at the Decepticons' expense. Last time I remember this happening was in Enter the Nightbird and Day of the Machines. Anyway, by this point, I think I've got use to the Insecticons' voices; I don't think they're all that annoying anymore.

As for animation errors, I noticed that Soundwave had a purple Autobot insignia when he put into a full nelson by Shrapnel and was cerebro-shelled by Bombshell, and Thundercracker's cockpit cowlings were yellow instead of blue as he, Starscream and Skywarp ejected their cerebro shells at the end of the episode. About the episode in general, I personally loved it and found it to be quite interesting. This is the second episode in a row where the Autobots and the Decepticons are forced to join sides to take down a powerful foe; it was Devastator in The Core and it was the Insecticons in this episode. I wonder if this'll happen again down the road. It's an interesting concept: Megatron (maybe some of the Decepticons) is forced to join forces with the Autobots to save his own arse, and also because the situation is dire enough that it warrants two warring factions to side with one another in order to neutralize it. With that said, I'll be interested to see if the Insecticons make another appearance as separate antagonists from the Decepticons later down the road.

After this, I'll be watching the Dinobot Island two-parter!

 

DINOBOT ISLAND, PART 1​

So, this episode introduces a metric ton of new characters, both Autobot and Decepticon alike (there's far more Autobots than Decepticons, though). The episode is basically about the Dinobots, after rampaging through the Ark because Wheeljack tried to demonstrate that the Dinobots are capable of finesse, training on a mysterious island that was investigated by Powerglide and Bumblebee. There's also some temporal distortions that may be connected to the mysterious, Mesozoic Era-looking island in the middle of the sea; Bumblebee and Spike are attacked by a barbarian on mammoth from the Ice Age after they return from Dinobot Island. The library's destroyed and Bumblebee and Spike are currently trapped underneath some rubble. We also receive an ominous episode: the Dinobots are forced into a tar pit by a variety of dinosaurs, who were coerced by Megatron into doing so because the Dinobots were trying to stop the Decepticons from harvesting the island's energy reserves from geysers and the like.

There isn't really that many animation errors in this episode; it's very crisp and on-model, if anything, though I did notice that Megatron had a red Decepticon insignia when the Decepticopns interviewed Laserbeak's recordings. The animation here's definitely an improvement compared to the likes of The Autobot Run and City of Steel, but I digress. I liked what I saw of Inferno and Red Alert's companionship; they mesh well with one another, and I'll be interested in seeing them again. We don't see Beachcomber or Warpath in this episode, but the writers do focus a lot more on Powerglide. In my opinion, Powerglide's one of my favourite characters in the show - I have to remind myself to compile a list of my favourite characters in this series when I've finished watching this season; Starscream's up there, for example. I just love his eagerness and his daredevil antics; it's an interesting characteristic, and he's the second Autobot who's capable of flight. I'll be interested in seeing his appearances in the future, as well as seeing if the writers focus more on the new characters introduced here both in the next episode and in the rest of the season.

So, overall, I loved the first part to this episode and I'm interested in seeing its conclusion.

 

DINOBOT ISLAND, PART 2​

So, this episode continues on from the last one, where we last saw the Decepticons (or at least Megatron) laughing over the tar pit in which they had some prehistoric dinosaurs push the Dinobots into. Y'know, if I normally said to someone that an episode of The Transformers involved giant robots trying to bring barbarians on wooly mammoths, pirates and cowboys - who were fighting a biker gang - and that there was also a prehistoric island whose captured energies nearly caused the destruction , I think I'd probably get laughed at. That isn't a bad thing; it just goes to show how wonderfully crazy this show can be at times in regards to its plot. Now, it's revealed in the last ten minutes or so in the episode that the Dinobots survived being pushed into the tar pit, and Bumblebee and Spike are also revealed to have survived being crushed by the library's rubble somewhere in the beginning to the middle of the episode. Just as the last episode introduced a ton of new characters, this episode continues to expand on them; we first saw Warpath in A Prime Problem, but we didn't really get much of a characterization from him if I remember correctly.

As for animation errors, like I said in my last post; there isn't really that many major errors. From what I saw, I noticed that Tracks' optics were coloured yellow instead of blue, Sunstreaker had Sideswipe's voice when he says "I hope you packed your trunk," and Blitzwing was missing his tank barrel as he fired alongside Soundwave and Starscream in the last battle of the two-parter. When I first started watching this series, I never would've expected there to be a batshit-crazy, psychotic Autobot who shouted "boom" and "pow" and loved to shoot at the Decepticons - I honestly love it; it's very unexpected. I'm also very interested in Perceptor: how he manages to compress himself into a human-sized microscope, for one, and seeing his vast knowledge of science in action. Out of all the new Autobots introduced here, he's the one who I want to have a single episode focusing more on. Seaspray was alright, I guess, and Tracks seems to be somewhat similar to Sunstreaker: their predominant traits seem to be that they're self-absorbed and vain. I'm also interested in the Coneheads (Dirge, Ramjet and Thrust); I'd like for there to be a small army of them for the Decepticons to use as generic soldiers, actually, like there was back in Season One. It's wonderful to see Starscream command more than two Seekers, really. We didn't get any major focus on Hoist and Blitzwing, though I'm sure that the writers will focus on them soon in their own episodes.

So, all in all, I loved this episode and I'm intrigued to see more of these new characters.

 

Got some awkward phrasing here...I thought you were talking about Starscream being an Autobot until I read it a couple times.    

--Moony

 

.
Just like soundwave and the cassettes do....... Hell Even Megatron did it once