Watch

 

It sucks, skip it.

If you've finished watching TF Prime then you'll be sorely disappointed with RIDs cheap animation, retcons, repetitive plot, lacklustre action and poor characterisations.

 

It's a cute show, definitely more enjoyable and lively than Prime was.

 

I thought it was a decent show. It had some fun twists on the characters and while the bright, cartoony cel-shaded style may not be everyone's cup of tea it was fun that they at least tried something different.

I think though that it's hurt more than helped by its association to Prime. I say this as someone who liked Prime and who thinks this show was good in its own way, but the sharply different tone/approach probably turned off a lot of Prime fans that look at it and think "Prime died for this?". Honestly aside from explanations of Bumblebee's backstory and the eventual presence of a handful of returning Prime characters later on, there really was little reason to make it explicitly be a sequel to Prime and is probably viewed better as something that is almost entirely stand-alone.

 

I barely made it through the pilot due to it's...sense of humor...'kiddyness'? Unlike TFP, whose pilot got me interested in the rest of the show..Rid15 did the opposite: it had me running away screaming 'nope'.

 

Made more sense than TFP and was far less stuck up its own posterior, but if you like TFP then you won't like NuRiD. Your choice.

 

RID2015 is one of my favorite Transformers shows for a number of reasons. I can see why some folks don't find it appealing, but I'd highly recommend giving it another chance. It's a light-hearted take on Transformers, but more importantly, it's a fresh and energetic take. There's nothing quite like it already in the franchise, which is welcome if you consider Siege and Earthrise to be dull and recycled.

• Bumblebee struggles to lead a unique team of Autobots with a young dynamic. Strongarm and Fix-It were brand new characters, playing off of Sideswipe (who we hadn't seen in a cartoon since Armada?) and Grimlock (think Bulkhead, but less self-aware). Drift and his two mini-cons become mainstays by the end of season one, who also hadn't been seen yet outside of comic books.
• The Decepticon cast is almost entirely new, led by Steeljaw. Other notables are the bounty hunter Fracture, mafioso Thunderhoof, and the revolutionary Quillfire. Just about all of them have animal-like robot modes, but they all have defined and often quirky personalities and aren't just mindless brutes for the Autobots to capture every week.
• Arguably, the main villains of season 3 are the Stunticons, making their first appearance on screen since G1. They are, of course, a break from the animal Decepticons, and do combine into Menasor (the first cartoon combiner since Energon?).
• Starscream and Soundwave make a return and continue from where they left off in Prime. I thought both were handled well and have considerably more power and gravitas than the rest of the Decepticon cast.
• The human cast is a cast of two -- a son and his father. They aren't annoying or overused, and more often than not, they don't come along for missions.
• The voice cast is stellar. Will Friedle (Bumblebee) and Troy Baker (Steeljaw) need no introductions, and are two examples.
• Each season has an overarching plot, and by the end of the series, they all tie together as part of a conspiracy. Some episodes feature villains never seen again, some feature returning villains, and others have Bumblebee and Steeljaw's teams clashing.
• Kevin Kiner (of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels fame) composed a slick score.

If you want an example of the show at its best, I'd watch the Starscream arc. It's technically five episodes, but the main three are "Mighty Big Trouble," "Mini-Con Madness," and "Worthy." I am, of course, partial to them as a Starscream fan, but they're also three of the darker/more mature episodes of the series.

 

So is it ACTUALLY worth a watch?

Absolutely loved Transformers Prime and that era, but I gave it a watch awhile back and made a few episodes in, but wasn't really into it. But I also said that about Cyberverse, which I also wasn't a huge fan of, but it definitely had its moments. Then I watched the Netflix series and realized holy fuck, how is this even worse than all of those. So once again, is it TRULY worth a watch? Based on a number of other threads, RID2015 seems to be pretty low on people's list of favorite series. I genuinely might consider giving it a second chance if it is actually worth a watch, but the biggest complaint I hear is that it totally ruins your opinion of Prime because of it.

Or just reccomend the best episodes because I honestly don't know if I can make it through the whole series.

 

It's a relatively lightweight show. It doesn't have the serious or stakes or somewhat oppressive atmosphere that Prime had at times. It's kind of a lot more "saturday morning" than the franchise's serious stuff.

Also I don't think it's fair to say it "ruined" anyone's opinion of Prime becuase it's a different show. Yes it's nominally a sequel. But even as a sequel it does nothing to Prime itself just by existing. It's not like


If you go in expecting Prime, you're going to be disappointed.

If you go in expecting a lighter, softer, more comedic, slightly younger-skewing show, it's not bad and certainly not among the worst things this franchise has ever produced.

Like I said earlier, it's a good show that's hurt by the fact that it's a sequel to (and thus compared endlessly to) a show that couldn't have been more different from it if it tried.

It's like finding a restaurant the serves a burger you really like, then when you go back a week later you sit at the table and they put a plate of pasta in front of you. Sure the pasta might be good, but if you went in expecting a burger you'll probably not be happy with anything they give you when it's not what you had come to expect.

 

Ok, decided to give it a rewatch and if you have a couple of beers and forget everything related to Prime, it's alright, not the best show ever, but entertaing enough. Would also reccomend you start at the end of season of 1 around when Windblade comes in and go from there. Overal, tolerable, but definitely not the greatest, but like I said, have a few beers, and you can get a few good laughs in as long as you forget that this is a sequel to Prime. Of course I will always choose Prime over this show, and just about every other Transformers series except Machima and the Netflix series, but if you got a few friends and a few beers, this show is definitely some dumb fun for a little bit at least.

Also, where the Hell did this Windblade go? I enjoy this version even more than the Cyberverse and after getting so many bad iterations if her, I hope the next series gets her character right and improves it (as long as they keep the bullshit supernatural powers out of it and what not)

*Edit* You will most likely be like me and have to give this series a chance multiple times, as I hated it the first three times I watched it.

 

You won't know if you like it until you try watch it. If after a few episodes it's not grabbing you, then you know.

 

I'm glad RID2015 seems to be getting a fair amount of love here. I actually recall it being pretty well-liked during the first season. The only major complaint I remember was Strongarm's shtick being annoying and overused (which thankfully balanced out as the show went on). I recall a lot of praise for the creative Decepticon designs and the unique premise. Initially it seemed like the reception was about even with Prime, maybe a tiny bit less-liked. But as time went on, the show kind of got a reputation as a boring average Transformers show. Which might be earned, considering the following seasons do get a bit gimmicky and and repetitive. But I still think the show has a lot to offer, and isn't quite deserving of the flak people tend to give it.

 

The show is decent enough as another representation of Transformers and deserves at minimum a complete viewing experience. While there are some notable moments in the series as it was just starting out (I recall really being enthralled about Drift v. Fracture), sadly nothing stood out for immediate recollection as the series progressed. I recall as the show was starting out I was aboard the "monster of the week" formula up until they started reusing villain designs that should have remained one-off. I think for a decent amount of time, Steeljaw was depicted as a competent foe.

The Autobots and humans have good intentions, so unfortunately it's more jarring when they oppose their better nature. Part of that characterization of pushing them to their more negative extremes also feels like a nongenuine way to raise the stakes or cause conflict. Think the show really could have benefited from being independent of any connection to Transformers Prime as well as if they just removed Optimus Prime completely, but overall it's sufficient and still a fun series to board

 

I enjoyed it. But you can ultimately take or leave it. Its a helluva lot better then Cyberverse.

 

the only part that i like was the starscream episodes the majority was dissapointing so i would say is really boring and too kiddie with bad jockes

 

I actually really liked Cyberverse...

 

I enjoyed it. Even as a sequel to TFP, I think it works.

TFP was gloomy as hell because the Autobots started the show at their lowest point, seemingly on the brink of extinction. By the end of the show they’ve won the war, brought Cybertron back to life, and are rebuilding their society.

So when RID starts out and Cybertron is colorful, full of life, the stakes are lower, and everyone generally seems happier- it seemed like a natural progression to me.

Also- to watch Deep Trouble from season 1. That’s a good one if you’re looking for gems.  

 

Just saying if you’re a prime fan, you owe it to yourself to watch the starscream arc. It is absolutely amazing and I can’t stress enough how much I love those few episodes.

 

So I am currently on my first watch through of the series and I would agree completely 100%. Pretty much nothing really stands out as most of it is honestly pretty generic. The only two things that really stand out are Strongarm and Windblade. Besides that, its just average and honestly pretty forgettable.

Of course this show would have been WORLDS better if it was not related to Prime whatsoever. Just knowing it's a sequel to Prime characters really pisses me off, primarily because they went from badass soldiers who were fighting 100:1 odds to cops who never touched a weapon or been in a fight before. That honestly really pissed me off. Bumblebee went from killing Megatron to not knowing hand to hand combat, which makes absolutely no sense at all. But besides that, and if you completely forget this is a sequel to Prime, it's a fun enough watch through the first time, but highly doubt anyone will watch it twice.

I would also agree that this show would be better if they removed Optimus completely. This show is supposed to be about Bumblebee not Prime, so he shouldn't be here at all. At most, he should have been a vision or in the matrix guiding Bumblebee when needed, but not physically on his team. He should have been moral support for Bumblebee becoming his own leader not part of his team.

 

Oh yeah. The decision to connect it to Prime feels like a detriment for both series: it contrasts with Prime in tone, and tethering it to Prime really doesn't allow RID15 a fair shot to form its own identity.

I honestly don't understand why Optimus was like "I need you on Earth Bumblebee!" and once he's got his dad bod back, he's all like "yo let me lead". At the very least Optimus should have been given mental flashes of danger or more visibly demonstrated that he felt out of place on Earth and leading is all he knows how to act in times of trouble (almost like placing him in BB's position when originally starting out) and making him feel more weighty as an actual character in terms of dead weight

I hope your viewing experience improves and you find some more things you genuinely enjoy