RID2015 - Deep Trouble/The Champ - Reviews

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?
11. Adventures in Bumblebee-Sitting
12. Hunting Season
13. Out of Focus
14. Sideways
15. Even Robots Have Nightmares
16. Some Body, Any Body
17. One of Our Mini-Cons Is Missing


As always, SPOILERS!







”We need you at your best; you're our muscle, we need you at your best.”

Both “Deep Trouble” and “The Champ” seem to be a Grimlock smorgasbord. A routine exercise in the first causes poor Grimlock to sustain an injury. He tries to shrug it off, but the pain matters less than what Bee's words do: he's the muscle of the team and they rely on that aspect of him.

"Deep Trouble” is a lovely deconstruction of Grimlock's role: he has no problems punching, smashing, and beating up whatever is in his path, but that one little injury really dampens his skills. Grimlock's straightforward mindset means he has to live up to Bumblebee's expectations and suck it up. This bites him in the ass, of course, but it gives the ol' lugnut depth. As much as he embraces who he is and his role, maintaining that level of pressure during a moment of vulnerability is stressful. The scene between Bee and a severely hurt Grimlock is definitely one of the show's poignant scenes. I...I kinda ship Bee/Grimlock. This is all the more better when the rest of the team pitches in at the end, telling Grimlock he doesn't have to do the heavy lifting every time; every so often, he can rely on them to be the muscle.



The only other thing of interest in “Deep Trouble” are the mountains of Fixit clones? Manufacturers? Brothers? All of them look automated and programmed to attack on command. Why there are so many Fixits in one ship is one question, the other is what IS Fixit? Strongarm doesn't seem surprised to see the literally 50 Fixits, implying this might be a thing that is common in Cybertron. Perhaps Fixit is just a series of identical robots tasked with various guarding functions of certain prisoners. However Strongarm also refuses to tell the team what she witnessed, too. Then again, that scene is treated with a lighthearted air that it may not matter in the long run. But even though it may not be stunning for the robots, it certainly IS for the audience. This adds yet another mystery to Fixit’s character and it definitely explains his nightmare in “Even Robots Have Nightmares.” Now we know why Fixit fears obsolesce; if he's merely one in a long line of many, why does it matter if one Fixit is dysfunctional? He can be replaced by another. There's more to this than we're getting and I hope we'll get a better insight into this part of his character.

Otherwise “Deep Trouble” is another standard RID episode.
AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE STARS




TOILET HUMOR: Bee's latest rallying cry is accompanied by a distant toilet flush. Even inanimate objects know he stinks. Kudos to Will Friedle's exasperated reaction after. Lovely acting as always.

TWO TONS OF BEACH-Y FUN: I will forever be amused that of all the things I am willing to suspend my disbelief on about a show with transforming robots, seeing them swim underwater is something I can't wrap my head around. I mean, they weigh thousands of pounds and they can still somehow swim?

SPEEDY EYES: Sideswipe is the one who figures out the laser guns from the downed ship is aiming at a pattern. He mentions their training earlier, but I also like to believe his speediness means he was able to figure out an obstacle he'd be able to bypass easily.

DOOR LOCK: When the team enters the Decepticon ship, Grimlock actually places the broken door they slammed into back on the frames. Like the good person that he is. XD

THE KEY TO NIRVANA: Sideswipe and Drift's scene is a little piece of treasure on its own. What I really like is that in spite of Drift's possibly ineffiective meditation session, Sideswipe joins anyway even if it isn't his kind of a thing. I think it's a nice touch for the little punk. ;D

BEST LINE: ”You and I are gonna bring Octocpunch after we Octo-Punch HIM a little bit!”
The pun writes itself and it's glorious.







”"Grimlock's going for the gold, but can this handsome Dinobot actually handle that much weight? Yes, he can! The crowd goes wild!"

I can't go anywhere without thinking of Groundpounder as a big, mechanical Donkey Kong. I imagine the two of them would trash Mario's parties with boom boxes blazing.

“The Champ” is another Grimlock episode. As if to make up for that character deconstruction from the last episode, they revert Grimlock back to status quo when he tries to prove he’s all about the smashy-smashy. Well, it is Grimlock, so there is a certain simplicity to his personality, but the timing of the episode seems a bit of a step backwards after “Deep Trouble” established otherwise.

“The Champ” is a forgettable episode. It’s largely silly and has a heap of action for those who enjoy that sorta thing, but there’s not much in the way of a decent plot. I love the hardcore demolition derby girl though; good of the RID crew to put a woman in a sport otherwise seen as “masculine.” Clasher Casey certainly kicks a lot of ass.



The best thing about this episode is Fixit’s adorably hardcore appreciation for Cybertronian sports. He enthusiastically gushes over Groundpounder and Headlock until he finds out they really are cheaters, crushing his little spark. It’s a noticeable moment we fans can relate to: don't tell me you didn't feel a tinge of disappointment when someone you follow and admire turned out to be a cheat or an asshole or both. It also shows off yet another mysterious facet of him when he beats the living shit out of Headlock. Yeah, it's a robot his size, but Fixit hasn't demonstrated any physical combat skills in the vein of his bigger teammates, but here he is flipping Headlock over like he just don't care! For the longest time, we were lead to believe Fixit's small stature and geeky personality is a major contrast to his job as the Alchemor's guardian. After all, how does this small little orange bot keep an eye on a shipful of Decepticon prisoners? The more we see of Fixit, the better understanding I'm getting. He may be much more stronger than he initially seems. “The Trouble with Fixit” seems to delve into this, so we'll see.

Beyond Fixit’s role, “The Champ” is an uninteresting, mediocre episode that doesn’t set itself apart from the rest. Better luck next time.
AND A HALF OUT OF FIVE STARS




MESS WITH THE MECH AND YOU GET THE HORNS: This might be unintentional since it's a catchphrase that's been in used to the general public, but the whole “you get the horns” thing was something Cliffjumper once spouted in Transformers Prime. Ahh, memories. Remember when Starscream killed Cliffjumper and that show proceeded to play that joke over and over and over?

BEST LINE:

STRONGARM: *unsure* Denny?
BUMBLEBEE: He's the closest thing to a responsible adult.

Eccentricities aside, even if it didn't boil down to choosing between him and Grimlock, I think Denny's already proven he's an adult.

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Discovery (A Transformers Animated Fancomic): Read the entire thing here. Placed there for archival purpose. Recently cancelled.



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