It's time once again for a new episode of Transformers: Cyberworld, and a new recap/review!
The official description for Episode 26, "What Lies Beneath", reads as follows:
Check it out for yourself here:
After the new stuff, game scenes from episodes 21, 20, 14, and 13 are included (thanks, Sabrblade).
And of course, here are my spoiler-filled thoughts and what I noticed throughout this surprisingly brisk episode:
We join Wheeljack, Optimus, Bumblebee, and Elita as they drop in to one of the hidden tunnels beneath Cyberworld. A bit of a jump from our last episode, where they were facing/helping out Snarl and Grimlock. Neither are anywhere to be seen here, so I guess they're back to doing their own thing, as is their wont.
Like the description says, Wheeljack thinks it's too dangerous, but Optimus, noting these tunnels were made for access, believes they'll find answers to their current situation here.
Easy for him to say, he's still got Megatron's axe out. In fact, he looks at it while reassuring Wheeljack, stating they can't afford any more losses. Interesting he considers Megatron such a "loss". Is it just respect between age-old rivals, or is this one of those continuities where there's something more going on between them?
As Wheeljack stops Optimus short of falling into a pit of acid, it's now his turn to reassure Prime. Optimus feels he has a lot to live up to as a Prime, and Jackie assures him that he's doing fine (and that he's more worried about Bumblebee, who just nearly had a boulder fall on his head [and I don't mean the Rescue Bot]).
As they navigate further traps, Bumblebee notes that Wheeljack still has that drone with him. Aside: Funny that his toy doesn't have that. It would make an Armored Cyber Changer version an easy sell, I think.
Anyway, Wheeljack notes that Starscream didn't make these drones, but found them. He starts to go into what their code reveals, but Bee cuts him off to say he was just making conversation. Well, thank you, Mr. Loredump Killer.
Optimus thinks that if these are access tunnels, then maybe they could lead somewhere, like a control room. Wheeljack notes that makes sense, as all this infrastructure would need some sort of hub, even if it was just for maintenance. Bumblebee and Elita postulate that if there is a control room, maybe it could bring down some of the barriers they've encountered.
Bumblebee then says maybe there's something they aren't supposed to find, but Wheeljack notes it could also be someone, as he found some doors previously that were scanner-locked, and looked like elevator shafts.
Bumblebee then just hits the button, something goes off and Prime flies backwards, and finds a hole revealing that his optics have been met with something greater than anticipated. As he's looking into that, Wheeljack proceeds to bite Bumblebee's head off, which is impressive for a guy who's talking through a face plate.
They also find an empty pedestal like the ones they've seen with the boost devices, and Optimus asks Wheeljack for one. After handing it over, Bumblebee makes a joke calling back to when he got one from Chop Shop, and Wheeljack is too distracted by that to see Prime putting the device on the pedestal, and races to stop him.
Both have some sort of energy course through them as their eyes glow pink, they see visions of Wheeljack screaming "Optimus, no!" and they get thrown back from the pillar, where they begin to spasm. Also, a nearby rock changes into a different material. Elita notes it's a power source that activates the planet's conversions. She goes to take it out, but Wheeljack stops her, noting they have to do it carefully, lest they trigger a lockdown.
Unfortunately, he used his right hand to stop her. You know, the glitchy makeshift one he put together himself?
Okay, just the way the hand freaks out before just casually smacking the device aside and off the pedestal was kind of funny. Plus, his defeated "I really thought it'd be Bee that did that."
The four race back the way they came as lava comes down through the walls. They come to a fork, and Wheeljack isn't sure where to go, and OP gives him the ol' "trust your instincts" speech. After determining the cables on the ceiling are what they want to follow, Wheeljack thanks OP for the speech and says that's why he's Prime: Because he brings out the best in them. "And you, me," Optimus tells him.
As they slide under a door, Optimus basically transforms and rolls through face down, and please excuse me while I go off on a slight tangent here: I couldn't help but note that so many of Hasbro's releases these days are chasing animation accuracy for the models from the '80s. And doing a fine job of it, too!
But a lot of those character models also tucked away much of the "kibble" and vehicle parts, like all of Optimus's wheels. I know that was to make them easier to animate and all, but at the same time, this show really shows why having that kibble -- on the character models as well as the toys themselves -- can be so much fun, and it's kind of too bad those fun features are basically going by the wayside on so many new toys.
Anyway, they find their way out, and into a new biome: Snow! Wheeljack notes that "it feels real" and that "the replication is flawless," indicating that they are -- or at least he is -- aware that they are in some kind of simulation.
We close on Bumblebee and the others looking out at mountains stretching out before them, with some sort of barrier or other honeycombed energy grid over it.
This was a fun little episode, and was over before I knew it. Again, they give us just enough breadcrumbs to feed us on the story, but not reveal too much, ensuring there's more to tell later. At the same time, I think most of it was stuff we could have figured, like "If the are access tunnels, there are probably people who use the access tunnels."
Still, the character interactions were fun throughout, particularly Wheeljack with Optimus and Bumblebee (ironically less with Elita), and it moved things along to our next setting, so I'd say it's worth checking out.
Not that you need me to tell you, right? After all, there's 10,080 minutes in a week, and these are coming ever two weeks, so surely you can spare five of them, right?
Like the description says, Wheeljack thinks it's too dangerous, but Optimus, noting these tunnels were made for access, believes they'll find answers to their current situation here.
Easy for him to say, he's still got Megatron's axe out. In fact, he looks at it while reassuring Wheeljack, stating they can't afford any more losses. Interesting he considers Megatron such a "loss". Is it just respect between age-old rivals, or is this one of those continuities where there's something more going on between them?
As Wheeljack stops Optimus short of falling into a pit of acid, it's now his turn to reassure Prime. Optimus feels he has a lot to live up to as a Prime, and Jackie assures him that he's doing fine (and that he's more worried about Bumblebee, who just nearly had a boulder fall on his head [and I don't mean the Rescue Bot]).
As they navigate further traps, Bumblebee notes that Wheeljack still has that drone with him. Aside: Funny that his toy doesn't have that. It would make an Armored Cyber Changer version an easy sell, I think.
Anyway, Wheeljack notes that Starscream didn't make these drones, but found them. He starts to go into what their code reveals, but Bee cuts him off to say he was just making conversation. Well, thank you, Mr. Loredump Killer.
Optimus thinks that if these are access tunnels, then maybe they could lead somewhere, like a control room. Wheeljack notes that makes sense, as all this infrastructure would need some sort of hub, even if it was just for maintenance. Bumblebee and Elita postulate that if there is a control room, maybe it could bring down some of the barriers they've encountered.
Bumblebee then says maybe there's something they aren't supposed to find, but Wheeljack notes it could also be someone, as he found some doors previously that were scanner-locked, and looked like elevator shafts.
Bumblebee then just hits the button, something goes off and Prime flies backwards, and finds a hole revealing that his optics have been met with something greater than anticipated. As he's looking into that, Wheeljack proceeds to bite Bumblebee's head off, which is impressive for a guy who's talking through a face plate.
They also find an empty pedestal like the ones they've seen with the boost devices, and Optimus asks Wheeljack for one. After handing it over, Bumblebee makes a joke calling back to when he got one from Chop Shop, and Wheeljack is too distracted by that to see Prime putting the device on the pedestal, and races to stop him.
Both have some sort of energy course through them as their eyes glow pink, they see visions of Wheeljack screaming "Optimus, no!" and they get thrown back from the pillar, where they begin to spasm. Also, a nearby rock changes into a different material. Elita notes it's a power source that activates the planet's conversions. She goes to take it out, but Wheeljack stops her, noting they have to do it carefully, lest they trigger a lockdown.
Unfortunately, he used his right hand to stop her. You know, the glitchy makeshift one he put together himself?
Okay, just the way the hand freaks out before just casually smacking the device aside and off the pedestal was kind of funny. Plus, his defeated "I really thought it'd be Bee that did that."
The four race back the way they came as lava comes down through the walls. They come to a fork, and Wheeljack isn't sure where to go, and OP gives him the ol' "trust your instincts" speech. After determining the cables on the ceiling are what they want to follow, Wheeljack thanks OP for the speech and says that's why he's Prime: Because he brings out the best in them. "And you, me," Optimus tells him.
As they slide under a door, Optimus basically transforms and rolls through face down, and please excuse me while I go off on a slight tangent here: I couldn't help but note that so many of Hasbro's releases these days are chasing animation accuracy for the models from the '80s. And doing a fine job of it, too!
But a lot of those character models also tucked away much of the "kibble" and vehicle parts, like all of Optimus's wheels. I know that was to make them easier to animate and all, but at the same time, this show really shows why having that kibble -- on the character models as well as the toys themselves -- can be so much fun, and it's kind of too bad those fun features are basically going by the wayside on so many new toys.
Anyway, they find their way out, and into a new biome: Snow! Wheeljack notes that "it feels real" and that "the replication is flawless," indicating that they are -- or at least he is -- aware that they are in some kind of simulation.
We close on Bumblebee and the others looking out at mountains stretching out before them, with some sort of barrier or other honeycombed energy grid over it.
This was a fun little episode, and was over before I knew it. Again, they give us just enough breadcrumbs to feed us on the story, but not reveal too much, ensuring there's more to tell later. At the same time, I think most of it was stuff we could have figured, like "If the are access tunnels, there are probably people who use the access tunnels."
Still, the character interactions were fun throughout, particularly Wheeljack with Optimus and Bumblebee (ironically less with Elita), and it moved things along to our next setting, so I'd say it's worth checking out.
Not that you need me to tell you, right? After all, there's 10,080 minutes in a week, and these are coming ever two weeks, so surely you can spare five of them, right?
Feel free to talk about this episode here, or the series as a whole over in the "Transformers CyberWorld: You Know The Song!" thread in our forums!
