From what I can tell, there are times where a TV movie finale is done as sort of a final act, unrelated to the original intent of ending/cancellation. For example, there was talk of G.I Joe Renegades having a TV movie finale (with some toys) after the show's cancellation (apparently the show was cancelled right before they aired it).

The recent announcement of 2x44 minute Cyberverse episodes is definitely a new example. The show essentially getting a very brief revival a short time after the original intent to end/cancel it at Season 3. The recent news has me wondering, can the same logic be applied to Predacons Rising? Or was Predacons Rising more in line with G1's The Rebirth? It's been a while since I watched Prime S3 so I may be forgetting plotlines.

 

Heh, I wouldn't be surprised since that season as a whole felt like an afterthought.

G.I. Joe Renegades got massively screwed over mainly stemming from the fact that they put it on hold because Retaliation was delayed for a year, due to them wanting to keep "in continuity" with the movie, which in retrospect was a terrible decision. As a result the show was cut off at the knees when it still had plenty more to offer.

 

I don't think that it was produced as an afterthought. It was always stated from the time that season three was announced that it would be 16 episodes: Transformers Prime Season 3 will be 16 Episodes, NOT the Final Season - Transformers News - TFW2005

 

That raises more questions (specifically the not final season part) but thanks.

 

In light of the pandemic delaying plans for the next live action movie, it can be deduced both movies are a stop-gap to prolong Cyberverse line and revenue.

 

The movie came out in October, the series finishes in July. So its easy to rule it out as an afterthought.

 

Its definitely an afterthought in my mind. On the creators part, I doubt it.