RID2015 - Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting - Review

If you want to read my reviews for previous Transformers shows, click here for the first archives or here for the second archives.


PREVIOUS SEASON ONE REVIEWS:
1+2. Pilot
3. Trust Exercises
4. More than Meets the Eye
5. W.W.O.D
6. As the Kospego Commands!
7. Collect 'Em All!
8. True Colors
9. Rumble In the Jungle
10. Can You Dig It?


As always, SPOILERS!









”Young Bee is an evil genius!”

My birthday is drawing near (as of this writing) and aside from reflecting on my feeble, mortal soul, it also reminds me I’m no spring chicken. I’m not the only fan who writes episode reviews of their favorite television series. I’m not the only one who overlaps symbolic meanings behind Grimlock’s personality with say, a banana he’s holding or something. Sometimes I get super critical over certain plot points and weird character directions. I reassure anyone I do this out of love, but I often grapple with numerous doubt terrorizing my mind on how much of this is just pure fan enthusiasm and how much of it is “Old Woman Yelling at Clouds?”



I do my best to remind myself that Robots in Disguise and Rescue Bots are all-age shows. It is and should always, always be targeted to children first. No exception. Anyone who says otherwise is entitled. But I ask myself, “How long can I keep these reviews going before it stops looking amusing" and especially “This woman is almost thirty and she is writing episode reviews of a kid’s cartoon and isn't that sad and weird?” Never mind that I think the best kid’s cartoons are the ones that appeals to a wide age range; one where it targets children first, but has broad subjects and materials for adults. Never mind that animation is primarily made by adults, I still wonder with every review I write if I was being too harsh or if I should have said This instead of saying That or “Dude, of course this makes sense, kids will love and understand it!” I look back at my old Transformers Prime reviews and I want to cringe because as much as I agree on what I said, I wish I could have phrased them better so they don’t come off vitriolic and/or petty. Luckily, the whole aging thing means you grow up from your mistakes and learn to be a better amateur-critic.

Nowadays, I consciously try to rationalize why I feel this way over a certain direction on the plot, try and never take potshots at the people working behind the show or the people who enjoy a certain episode/show (because doing so is RUDE), and always inject a level of humor to ensure no matter how analytic I can get over a TV show, it’s still just a TV show. Needless to say, I try and be as reasonable as I humanly can.

If you managed to sit through my sadsack anecdote and currently  wondering what the point of all this is, well, it’s partially a reflection (and let’s face it, reassurance) of myself and partially because Bumblebee is a super relatable character. I’ve mentioned before that Bee is kind of stuck in the thresholds of full adulthood and leftover teenage mannerisms. He’s shown to be fun-loving, lighthearted, and able to relate to his younger peers. He hasn’t age so much that he forgot what it was like to be a little punk like Sideswipe or overconfident as Strongarm. But he IS older than they are and has a certain level of maturity and responsibility they don’t have yet. Which is why Kid Bee not only works as a narrative plot, but it especially emphasizes Bee’s growth from his younger heydays because if his behavior in this episode is anything to go by, he was much, much worse.

It’s hard to blame him, I mean; he has the mind of a six-year-old. Kid Bee is a rambunctious troublemaker who’s unable to sit still for more than five seconds. Wave a chain of keys and he’ll flutter around like a bright-eyed dork. That face he makes when he watches TV is quite honestly the most hilarious thing I have ever seen. It is my new avatar. Thank You, Robots in Disguise.



This presents a rare opportunity for Strongarm to self-appoint herself as the new—temporarily—leader of the team. I love the confidence Strongarm; it doesn’t always lead to good decisions, but it does ignite the passion she has for her job and goals. Strongarm is exhausted by the end, but she has a better understanding of what being a leader is about and going through the motions is a huge part of it. Naturally, Sideswipe is the one who takes amusement in all this. He doesn’t necessarily join Bee’s games; he’s kind of like that older brother who watches from the side, approving of the little devil’s shenanigans.

“Adventures in Bumblebee-sitting” is oddly reassuring. Bee returns, obviously, but he ends the episode with mild approval of a childish prank. He hasn’t left that side of him even though he’s grown up. I tackle with this issue all the damn time. For a show that clearly aims for the little’uns, they crafted a central protagonist whom people in their twenties might understand better than grade school kids will. I hope I never end up a Grandpa Simpson, but if I do, I can only hope someone will be kind enough to shut me down. At the least, can I grow up as a Sassy Old Lady? I would love to be a Sassy Old Lady when my smooth Asian skin wrinkles into sandpapery Troll form.
 
Forgive my brief existential crisis, but I want to thank the creators of this show and Rescue Bots for endless hours of entertainment. You guys: you writers, animators, voice actors, composers, producers, harmonica engineers, editors, and more gave something that kids will appreciate all around. I don’t know if anyone who works on either show is even reading this or even aware this post exists, but thank you anyway. I think there’s this too terrible attitude recently where older folks my age try to deny anything they love as actual things for children and seek to hoard it for themselves like Smaug’s insecure cousin; it’s a problem that exist and needs to end. All you fine folks at Hasbro, keep doing what is it you guys are doing, because you guys are doing it awesomely. RID2015 is awesome, Rescue Bots is awesome, and I hope we keep the TF franchise alive by reaching out to future generations. I hope I can keep writing these fun fan reviews for as long as I’m capable of because I love Transformers so much. And for anyone else reading this right now, I am sorry for getting sentimental. My heart will shrink back three sizes when my birthday passes and I’m not lying on the floor in fetal position fearing for my mortality.

At least I get presents.
OUT OF FIVE STARS





SQUEAKERS: This show really loves squeaky-voiced characters. After the Mike Tyson-ish Ped, we get Quillfire’s high pitched tone. The same thing happens to Bob the Security Guard. Somebody at the sound studio must enjoy this kind of humor.

PUBLIC TRANSFORMING IS A PLAYTHING OF THE EYE: Bee transforms to leap over a car to presumably catch up to Quillfire faster without failing to take in account the actual living human being inside. I mean, I guess Bee was fast enough to evade normal human vision, but uh, that dude could have seen a yellow car transforming into a robot, yo. Maaaaybe you should have just swerved to the side, Bee.

REAL BOTS CRY OIL: And we can confirm the Aligned Continuity Bots can cry. I love that they cry oil, it’s a very nice touch.



YIPPE-KA-YAY: Kid Bee gleefully tells Strongarm he loves cowboys to which she replies with a sincere, “I know.” It’s not only a good continuity nod, but an adorable scene in its own right.

BEST LINE:

RUSSELL: We’ll all have to babysit.
STRONGARM: Sit on a child? And this will help how?!

My friend made the humorous observation that Strongarm isn’t so much shocked at the idea of sitting on a kid, but how this solution will cure Bee.

RUNNER-UP:

STRONGARM: I’ll track down Quillfire alone. Come on, Grimlock.
GRIMLOCK: Um, Strongarm? How are you alone when you are with me?
STRONGARM: You have no idea how many times I’ve asked myself that same question.

She’s done with everything. Everything.

WORST LINE: ”Get ready to be oppressed right back into your statis pod, Con.”

I hear the pun, Strongarm, but I’m still cringing. Keep trying, girl! At least you’re not suffering for a catchphrase like your boss is. Bumblebee’s “You got served!” is also cringe worthy on how outdated that phrase is, but I’m willing to forgive since he’s essentially a child at the time.


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