Episode 06, Masters and Students Options

[Fenix Twilight]

Skyquake doesn't have a vehicle mode yet...even though he has wings and a cockpit.

I don't mind sound in space when it doesn't affect the plot, but Megatron's groan got Starscream's attention. That bugs me.

Skyquake's cockpit and wings bugged me too.

And I'm going to chalk Starscream hearing Megatron to acute audio sensors.


Starscream going on about warriors in stasis was making me hope that they were slowly building up the Cons. I was afraid Skyquake would be a one episode villain, I hope he somehow comes back.

It amazes me how much I enjoyed Soundwave just standing there, Starscream tells him to ignore Megatron's signal and just one radar ping breaks him.

Ratchet's crazy, I guess that shows how little he knows about Earth if he thought that volcano was a good idea.

[Master Fwiffo]

Well, Skyquake didn't last long. That's disappointing. Likely he's not dead though - he'll come back. Probably as a Dark Energon posessed monster.

[Strafe]

Some cringe-worthy dialog in this episode. Would it hurt the robots to speak somewhat colloquially?

I actually like that aspect of the show, it lends believability. They can learn Earth's languages, but they're still aliens, and mastering a conversational style isn't going to happen right away. I think it's more apparent in the formal way of speaking Optimus uses, but for me, it works.

That was pretty solid, the animation and overall presentation were a lot better. We learned a bit about Bumblebee, and his efforts to attain "Warrior" class. Ratchet has another awesome quirk - vanity.

This post has been edited by Strafe: Feb 11 2011, 07:46 PM

[crazyjw18]

Skyquake doesn't have a vehicle mode yet...even though he has wings and a cockpit.

I don't mind sound in space when it doesn't affect the plot, but Megatron's groan got Starscream's attention. That bugs me.

Skyquake's cockpit and wings bugged me too.

And I'm going to chalk Starscream hearing Megatron to acute audio sensors.

I'm going to chalk it up to it being over a radio channel and we heard it too because we are the audience, because acute audio sensors in space explains nothing. No matter how good the audio sensors are, there would be no audio to recieve. There is no medium for it to travel along.

I have to wonder why Skyquake wouldn't still have whatever last alt mode he used still in memory. It's not like he was newly protoformed or transforming is new to these guys. I guess we can say stasis lock erases that data, but why would it?

I'll only forgive him having the alt mode details in robot mode because it's a long standing tradition for Transformers to inexpicably have porche chests and jet nose torsos.

[Fishbug]

Maybe it was meant to imply that he didn't have an Earth mode, so he would stick out like a sore thumb if he did transform.

Or maybe it's just crappy animation budget restrictions.

[Goblez]

no youtube yet? >.>

[Nyarlathotep]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4OPdySF4xc

First part.

[Mouse_Pad]

Or maybe it's just crappy animation budget restrictions.

Yeah, but even Beast Wars managed to give us glimpses of skeletal robot modes, and that was 15 years ago. It bugs me. I can overlook it, but it bugs me.

It also bugs me that this was a character introduction episode, and the only character trait of the new guy was "RARR ANGRY KILL."

But oh, well. I hope this was just a poor episode and the show gets better from here.

[ZacWilliam1]

just watched the first half. Thoughts so far:

Love Starscream. Just so well acted both vocally and body language.
Soundwave is very cool looking too.
Skyquake looked cool. He seemed to actually really have something personal agains "Primes" as a whole from his dialogue. Like he detested the whole lineage for some reason. Interesting.

The only thing I didn't like this half is Optimus's robot mode. It hasn't bothered me much before. Didn't catch my eye during the miniseries for any reeason. But who knows why the design kinda grated on me in this ep. The odd head crest and weird proportions just struck me as weak.

But like I said, other than that, I thought the first half was very good. Waiting for part 2 ta go up now.

[Mugen no Ken]

Everyone keeps saying "Oh, well, I'm sure he's not dead," but didn't in the past week or so leading up to this premiere the creators say in one interview, "Dead means dead."?

Megatron's a bit different in that we didn't SEE what became of him last episode, but between Cliffjumper and Skyquake there's not really any reason to believe they'll be back in any real way. Sure, you might get a zombie Skyquake, but that'll be brief, at best, until he's killed AGAIN.

Yes, yes. I realize a lot of times creators will say that about character deaths - comic books are notorious for this - BUT... these guys haven't yet given us any reason to disbelieve them on that.

That said...

Ratchet = Stark raving nuts. I love it.

[ZacWilliam1]

What's weird is that in interviews they've gone on about how cost/work prohibitive it is to make a TF character model and how that forces a relatively small cast... And yet we appear to already have two of these limited, precious models used and killed off.

Assuming they're not lying about the dead means dead thing I wonder if maybe we'll see other characters reuse a good portion of the CJ or SQ models down the line.


ZacWilliam, would have thought Seekers the answer to a CGI budget but apparently not...

[Silent_Magnus]

Everyone keeps saying "Oh, well, I'm sure he's not dead," but didn't in the past week or so leading up to this premiere the creators say in one interview, "Dead means dead."?

For me itis less of a "I think this will happen" and more of a "I hope this will happen".
I'd like the decepticons to actually build up a bit before they start dropping like flies.

Hopefully this pattern of characters dying in their introductory episodes won't last long.
Doing it once with Cliff was ok. Doing it every episode wiould be tiresome.

[TheOptimusPrime]

The animation in this episode got to be the best I've seen on a TV Show.

Loving how the story isn't lagging, and hoping that Skyquake isn't dead, his voice and design were awesome.

[Goblez]

Despite hating the first 5 ep opening I really liked this episode both story and animation I hope they keep it up. AND MORE SOUNDWAVE!

[Nyarlathotep]

Well, that was pretty damn great. Feels just like the first season of Beast Wars, what with a slight awkwardness, but very entertaining episodes.

It should develop pretty well.

[son of unicron]

second half is up on you tube

just finished watching, the stasis pod thing seems really convenient.... but, eh, ill live with it. at least its a way to expand on the cast.

i loved the line where arcee asks if the kid can build her a small intestine

[Gizmoboy]

I really enjoyed that episode. It was great animation. I am LOVING Soundwave and Starscream. I love those characterizations of both guys.

[MrBlud]

Still massively uneven.

The animation was improved but the voice acting and direction still suffer. Prime and Ratchet especially. I know BOTH of them are capable of more. Cullen still has Prime stuck in "all epic all the time" mode which makes him very irritating to listen to. Combs sounds like he's reading off a script. I did like how he (and Ratchet) perked up working on the projects but that also pretty much came out of left field. It sounded like Ratchet was scared to go or something. Bumblebee and Soundwave not talking continues to annoy me but that's just the way it is.

Blum's Starscream continues to be the best part about the show.

[Master Fwiffo]

Now that I've sat on it for awhile...

Ratchet was definitely the highlight of the episode, as was Starscream.

The action was all top-notch, and the series will be a visual treat if nothing else. I get what they're trying to do with Bumblebee's voice (check out Bees intro scene in ROTF with him slaughtering the kitchenbots and then stalking off for it done right), but damn if it isn't just a terrible attempt. Sound artist need to work on that.

I am still highly disappointed about Skyquake. I had hoped they would, at very least, leave his ultimate fate up in the air. I still hope it isn't permanent, but introducing him then killing him before he even had a chance at developing a character is harsh - and unlike Cliffjumper, his death won't even have any lasting effects. Terribly disappointing.

[DrSpengler]

It's weird. I really liked the characters and the voice acting... but the plot (if you can call it that) left me positively cold. Starscream wakes up Skyquake, Prime fights Skyquake, Skyquake loses, The End.

Meh?

It was the subplot with Ratchet that really got me smiling, thanks in large part to Combs's voice acting, but because it was genuinely funny.

I really like how Soundwave is "keeping Starscream honest", as it were. His startled outburst of, "Soundwave! uh... if you're listening..." was great. Digging Blum's take on the character more and more, particularly when he's flustered or irritated (like when the drones weren't responding to his thrilling speech at the beginning).

So, again, I'm all about the cast and the characters, but this wasn't a particularly well-plotted installment, comedy relief subplot aside.