SPOILERS!
Transformers Rescue Bots, Episodes 3: "Hotshots"
New episode of Rescue Bots. Yay! Couldn't find a decent picture for it though. Naaaay.
Blades and Dani takes center stage in this episode and you can hear my squeal halfway around the world. Blades is adorable. Cowardly, yet well meaning; awkward, yet friendly - he's a sweetie. Even his moments of ego here just comes off as a natural reaction. After feeling useless for a good while (especially for a guy like him), it only makes sense that he'll take in his new shovel claw and newfound glory with a bit of pride and OMG did I mention how adorable he is? At one point, he bows and @*&!!&!*@& THE CUTENESS I CANNOT TAKE IT! Friggin' HELL, Blades, I'd so buy your toy (intended for preschoolers be damned!) if it wasn't so demonically fugly.
Hilariously, Blades' current glory pisses Heatwave the most because he's a prideful jerkass. XD All the characters react well with each other; I adore the sense of continuity when Kade still debates with Heatwave. Boulder is the one who takes in Blades' new claw easily and the last bot to grow annoyed with. Except Chase, but he's awfully quiet about this whole thing, probably as a mean to keep professional. The human siblings interact just as well. Kade gets pissy when the spotlight is taken, Dani is stubborn, and the youngest has to keep relative peace when his dad won't. There's a bit of subplot with Cody when he feels as left out as Dani and Blades did, but I think this portion was a bit unnecessary. It's kind of slapped in there because they probably needed the target audience onscreen at all times. Otherwise, it's a good episode and a nice character study. Nothing as intense or amazing as "Under Pressure", but it gets the job done.
Rescue Bots continues to exceed my expectations. There's an amazing level of attention to its characters. There isn't a sense of awkward dialogues or an abundance of cheesy one-liners, nor are they trying too hard. The characters may be a series of tropes, but none of them are bland. They have chemistry with each other. It all just flows and feels so natural. In just three episodes, Rescue Bots is doing what Transformers Prime took an entire season to do (and whether that series will get out of its stupor is debatable). I'm already fond of these characters and I expect to love them more as the series further.
OUT OF FIVEAnd since I couldn't find a decent pic for this episode, here's an official clipart of police chief Charlie Burns.
HOLY SHIT THAT IS RIDICULOUSLY HOT! God, no wonder he and his unseen wife had four kids! I'd do him in a heartbeat!
BONUS OBSERVATIONS
BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE MY WORD FOR IT: Doc Greene must be on the same sedatives that Orion currently possesses if he isn't freaking out over his incredibly dangerous invention. Again, where are they and can I have some?
LONGEST INTRO EVER: It takes 2:37 minutes before the opening credits.
DRILL POWER: No, I did not think dirty thoughts when Dani was installing the claw on Blades.
VOLTRON MEGAZORD GUNDAM GO: The way the humans are still inside the Autobots in alt mode reminds me of the giant robot genre. I half expect them to combine. It's kind of neat. But seeing the robots' faces onscreen for the humans is just…weird.
THE ORACLE IS A SMALL BLONDE-HAIRED BOY: While Cody does get to go out with his family, my prediction that he's behind a computer to be their eye seems to be coming true.
"TAKE IT FROM SOMEONE WHOSE CONTROLS GET A SERIOUS WORK OUT WHEN YOU'RE MAD:" Seriously, I'm not thinking of anything dirtyWHATAREYOULOOKINGAT?
THE HEAT'S ON YOU: Blades expresses concern that Dani and Cody will bake from the fire as long as they're inside him. Last episode, Kade and Heatwave survived the lava heat. But Blades comparing them to "snickerdoodles" is just darling. It's almost absurd, but it's the kind of dialogue I like with none of the corniness.
BEST QUOTE: "If you yell, she's just going to yell back." XD, that is all.
WORST QUOTE: "A boulder as big as a house is coming right down on top of you." I'm not entirely sure why I think this line is bad. Probably because "big as a house" sounds too cliché or maybe because that analogy is unnecessary. It's a hefty sentence that could be solved by, "Big boulder coming your way!" For Pete's sake, kid, time is of the essence! I have no idea really; it just bothered me.
Transformers Prime, Episodes 28: "Orion Pax: Part 2"
I actually don't have much to say about this episode. Not that it's bad, but because it's suffers the same thing most middle episodes of a trilogy tends to suffer from: padding and general dullness. Indeed, it takes till the last seven minutes before the Autobots accomplish their goals to get Jack into Cybertron and the reminder of their time there produces absolutely nothing until the very end. Again, it's clear they're saving the best for the final episode. Unlike "One Shall Rise: Part 2" though, "Orion Pax: Part 2" is a lot more entertaining despite it. It has nothing to do with the episode as a whole as much as it is the little things that truly make it the superior middle-episode.
Again, action is taken to a minimum so it can focus on character development. Once again, I don't mind. Arcee mourns her dead planet. Optimus starts to question his role when Starscream lets slip that Megatron is more than who he seems. As much as I want the Orion Pax thing to go on longer, I'll admit his reluctance and resourcefulness is a nice, organic progression. Ratchet's temporarily leadership gets better, but he still scoffs with the best of them. "What does gym have to do with space bridges?!" Beautiful, Jeffery Combs, beautiful. Starscream is all over the damn place emotionally, but he's always best whenever he displays a number of personality traits. Not only does he continue to stand out, but he gets some nice manipulative moments while simultaneously down on his luck. Only Starscream could somehow make bad karma appealing. Or at least tolerable. And at one point, Fowler has to pretend to be a Vehicon to keep Breakdown from suspecting when he checks up on the Decepticon space bridge base. Breakdown's "I know it's tough, hang in there" line to his crew is a bit telling because yeah, Breakdown understands what's it like to not be appreciated and to work hard to be acknowledged. Man, I really hope they work on his potential story arc.
All of these are small moments, but they add a lot to the characters' personalities and growth. For once, I honestly did not sense stilted mannerisms, terrible dialogues /one-liners, and awkward, bland interactions between the casts. They flow much better here. Good golly, I think Transformers Prime finally got it. And even if it's too early to assume that, it's heading in the right direction.
and a Half OUT OF FIVEBONUS OBSERVATIONS
MY BEST FRIEND THE BOSS: Why does Orion call his buddy "Lord Megatron?" They're suppose to be best friends. All episodes prior involving their relationship (sans the one before this one) indicate that the two were equal chums. What is this "Lord" nonsense? Megatron is Orion's BFF, not his employer.
"I MADE A MISTAKE NOT TERMINATING STARSCREAM WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY; A MISTAKE I DO NOT INTEND TO MAKE AGAIN:" You promise?
OH, FOR PETE'S SAKE: Starscream wounded. STOP. MAKING. ME. PITY. YOU.
"DOCTOOOOR:" Hear that explosion? That was my lady parts that what done spontaneously combusted. The way he nodded his head during that time made it look like he winked, too.
Well kiddies, you know what that means!
THE WORD OF THE DAY IS "SILENCE": After the Autobots dismantle a group of Decepticons, one lone Vehicon tries to call for backup. Bulkhead smacks him dead and Ratchet responds by putting a finger to his lips. "Shhh." Hilarious. Amazing. Ratchet is KING.
HUMAN CONTACT CRUSHING TARGET AUDIENCE'S INDIFFERENCE: Why doesn't June hug her son when he's about to go into Cybertron? Or for that matter, at any point in the episode? Her only child is about to risk his very life on an extremely dangerous mission! For that matter, Dani and Cody only hold hands in "Hotshots" instead of hugging when they're surrounded by fire and close to death. Hell, at least they held hands! I'm not taking the excuse that both series is intended for little boys; hugging isn't something that'll automatically turn them away from either shows.
REEEEEEEEEEEEEAL SMOOTH: Fowler places an arm around June. Canonically, it's likely to just comfort her, but could it be foreshadowing a future romance between the two?
CLEVER GIRL: "Thank you, Starscream. … Who else would it be?"
BEST QUOTE: "You've always wanted to be an astronaut." It's all in the delivery. Markie Post conveys a woman who is trying to hold it all in. You can hear June's voice breaking and the line comes off as both heartwarming and heartbreaking.
WORST QUOTE: "You speak in many riddles, Starscream." This is an example of a line that tries to sound poignant, but comes off corny. Then again, Optimus Prime's general fortune cookie personality is corny, so maybe this is just in-character. And that's sad.
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STUPID FANCOMICSDiscovery (A Transformers Animated Fancomic): Read the entire thing here. More updated as the series progresses. Placed there for archival purpose.
Chess Piece (A Danny Phantom Fancomic):
An AU Danny Phantom comic. It's been canceled, but for those morbidly curious to read this convoluted train wreck, the link is here.
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