STL's Journey into BWs

[GoktimusPrime]

Now you see why this is one of everyone's favourite single (i.e.: not a multi-parter) episode of Beast Wars and also why Dinobot is a very popular character amongst fans.

The next episode is "Transmutate" which is a completely stand-alone episode and continuity wise will provide a slight breather (although the story itself is VERY good - it competes with "Code of Hero" as a fan favourite stand alone BW ep - 'Code of Hero' tends to be more popular because it's part of the BW continual story arc whereas Transmutate is completely stand-alone).

After that is "The Agenda" Parts 1-3 which is... well... if you thought Code of Hero was good... eheheheheh... ;D Good luck watching any of that without wanting to immediately watch the following episode!

Mild Spoiler (it doesn't contain specific any information about the story or plot)
"Tripredacus Council now in session." <--highlight to read

[1orion2many]

Wow. Just watched Code of Hero... and wow... just wow

SNIFFLE SNIFFLE

[klystron]

and i thought i was the only one geeky enough to find that episode a tearjerker.
my wife still gives me heaps about it

[STL]

Code of Hero


Upon watching it again, it wasn't as epic for me as I originally thought it was. It was a good episode but it didn't get me anywhere near tears like the death of Optimus in TFTM.

Anyway, I'm going to begin with quibbles:
- How the slag does Tarantulas reappear? Megatron wanted to kill him at one point, no? And he was just in the previous episode when he got cleaned up by Rampage. I'm sure there's a fan answer somewhere but even so, it's jarring and a real WTF moment.
- Rampage's power levels. Last episode, he's shown trashing Primal, Blackarachnia and co. Now here he is easily dealt with by Dinobot.

I do find this episode good though. I like Dinobot's final words. Very poetic and very true.

It's also almost a relief to see him finally "dead" b/c I knew it would come eventually, it was just a matter of when. I thought he was going to die several episodes ago but that didn't happen and it was killing me if he died in season 2 or 3.

Transmutate


Okay, I understand the premise of the story. But what is there about this episode that everything thinks is so cool? I'm really at a loss here. It did nothing for me. And that had nothing to do with the high expectations I had going in, especially when Demonac and Paulbot kept telling me about how good it was at the meet.

[Paulbot]

I dont remember "kept telling you" as it's not one of my favourites, but it's a good episode and a very original and unique Transformer story. I've not seen it again though since the 90's so I can't really comment.

I know you had expectations that Transmutate was an important character because of the assemble-toy in the BW10 toys, so perhaps learning it was a deformed Transformer might have been disappointing?

[1orion2many]

and i thought i was the only one geeky enough to find that episode a tearjerker.
my wife still gives me heaps about it

Dinobot was my favourite TF and they murdered him. Give it a while and then watch it again STL, you may find that it is as good as you first thought it just may be to short a time between watching it the first and second time.

[STL]

I dont remember "kept telling you" as it's not one of my favourites,

Oops. My bad, someone was telling me. A case of mistaken identity. Everyone forgets Paulbot's posts.

I've not seen it again though since the 90's so I can't really comment.

I don't blame you.

I know you had expectations that Transmutate was an important character because of the assemble-toy in the BW10 toys, so perhaps learning it was a deformed Transformer might have been disappointing?

Not really, I like the concept but it was almost like a sob story. That was my problem with it. And Silverbolt gets quite annoying when he doesn't have Blackarachnia to bounce off of. Those tooting horns are mighty annoying.

Oh, and I also forgot. Remember a few episodes ago when Rampage emerged from his stasis pod and he was mighty powerful and whipping Silverbolt's butt left, right and centre? Here he is going toe to toe. I thought Rampage would've been able to easily dispatch him.

[kup]

Code of Hero:

I have watched this episode several times and it still blows me away at how good this and the strong theme it has, specially for a kid's cartoon.

Rampaged easily defeated:

Rampage basically had one of his bombs blown up inside of him, they are hugely powerful capable of blowing up a mountain top so imagine one blowing up inside him.

When it comes to Tarantulas, if you remember he was found in stasis lock by Silverbolt and Blackarachnia later in the episode. Damaged but not dead. All that he needed to do was either wait for someone to find him and put him in a CR chamber/Repair tank or allow his internal repairs (reason for stasis lock) to 'heal' him enough so that he can get himself to a Repair tank. He wasn't dead and much less damaged than we have seen other characters such as Waspinator in other episodes.

Transmutate:

This is not an action episode or designed as part of the main story arc. It is a stand alone episode with a very strong and somewhat controversial message. Specially when it was aired within the context of a kid's cartoon. That is why it gets so much acclaim, it had a very heavy theme about morality and ethics when it comes to what we call life.

Is it alright to essentially 'euthanise' a being who does not meet our standards of perfection? Both Primal and Megatron wanted to do exactly that, Primal in a more humane manner of course.

Silverbolt and Rampage saw more within this malformed being than either of their two leaders. They saw a being that deserved the right of life. Rampage identified with it as he felt that it was every bit a 'freak' as he was and found an understanding with Transmutate, someone he could relate to and a companion.

Silverbolt wanted to protect its right for life and attempted to demonstrate to others that despite its horrendous deformations and lack of apparent intelligence, it was a life nonetheless that needed to be given a chance to proof itself and protected.

At the end both their opposing viewpoints and fighting over Transmutate causes them to indirectly kill the being which they both had befriended and trying to protect, hence the tragedy.

I don't know of any kid's cartoon out there that end in such tragedy with neither side winning but both loosing with heavy consequences, in this case the life of Transmutate which they both befriended and sought to help in their own way. She died basically because each one of them unknowingly wanted to impose their own will upon the creature despite each of them trying to protect its right for life.

If you look at it within the context of the main story arc, it is meaningless but as an episode alone, it is a work of art when it comes to its storytelling and the many potent messages it has. It also serves as EXCELLENT character development for both Silverbolt and Rampage.

The Agenda is next. I am curious to see what you think of it.
________
SUZUKI GP100

[GoktimusPrime]

kup's summed it up well.

It was a good episode but it didn't get me anywhere near tears like the death of Optimus in TFTM.

Possibly because the death of Optimus Prime was the death of a "flawless hero" whereas Dinobot is a hero who is very much flawed. But it is the character flaws in Beast Wars which makes these characters so much more relatable and real. Optimus Prime is the Fallen Christ/messiah archetype (in the G1 cartoon anyway).

- How the slag does Tarantulas reappear? Megatron wanted to kill him at one point, no? And he was just in the previous episode when he got cleaned up by Rampage. I'm sure there's a fan answer somewhere but even so, it's jarring and a real WTF moment.

If you'd hurry up and finish watching Season 3, then you'd know!

- Rampage's power levels. Last episode, he's shown trashing Primal, Blackarachnia and co. Now here he is easily dealt with by Dinobot.

As kup said, he was defeated by his own munition which is very powerful - and still left Dinobot in poor condition.

Transmutate


Okay, I understand the premise of the story. But what is there about this episode that everything thinks is so cool? I'm really at a loss here. It did nothing for me. And that had nothing to do with the high expectations I had going in, especially when Demonac and Paulbot kept telling me about how good it was at the meet.

As kup said, the entire episode is a metaphor to the whole Right To Life and Euthanasia issues.

Transmutate is a Transformer who is born with incredible powers, but is physically deformed and extremely intellectually impaired ("retarded"). As Rhinox said, a combination which makes her (Transmutate is actually androgenous, but since she was voiced by a woman* I refer to her with feminine pronouns) a danger to herself and those around her.

So - with no real chance at having a quality life, does she deserve to live or is it more humane to essentially euthanise her by shutting her down permanently?

And we can see the Maximals at odds here - Primal and Rhinox believe that it would be more humane to shut her down, whereas Silverbolt strongly objects and argues that she has the same right to life as any other living being and that the Maximals don't have the right to decide for her (despite the fact that she is intellectually incapable of making this decision for herself).

The episode also delves deeper in Rampage's psyche - as this very sad and desperately lonely character. Rampage develops a strong kinship with Transmutate because like her, he was was also born different and consequently scorned, isolated and rejected by others. He sees Transmutate as being another being who shares the same sorrow and deep running emotional pain that he's felt constantly since he was created... possibly the only other being he's ever come across that can finally relate to.

Transmutate - innocent in her simplistic outlook on life, didn't understand conflict, but understood emotions and pain. When she saw her two friends - Silverbolt and Rampage - trying to inflict pain upon each other, she gave her life to save them.

Rhinox said that she was barely above the operating level of a drone; but is this true? Intellectually/cognitively maybe - but a mere drone would never have sacrificed itself to save others (unless it was programmed or commanded to do so). And this is a question that we're often asking about people with intellectual impairments, such as autism - and particularly a brand of autism known as Savant Syndrome, one of the most famous people diagnosed with Savant Syndrome is Kim Peeks (who was the inspiration for the movie Rain Man).


"If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that" - The Merchant Of Venice (William Shakespeare)

---------
*Susan Blu, who was of course the voice director for BW and the voice actor for Arcee in G1

[STL]

Possibly because the death of Optimus Prime was the death of a "flawless hero" whereas Dinobot is a hero who is very much flawed. But it is the character flaws in Beast Wars which makes these characters so much more relatable and real. Optimus Prime is the Fallen Christ/messiah archetype (in the G1 cartoon anyway).

Don't get me wrong, it's not about Optimus being legendary. There just wasn't the same level of threat and enormity of sacrifice. I conceptually understand the importance of preserving the human race which Dinobot did but visually the sacrifice of Optimus was so much more endearing and courageous.

The visuals didn't give the battle that epic feel. It was a bit jumpy and that's why I feel that the episode isn't as good. The animation didn't live up to what it needed to be.

I love flawed and conflicted characters. I think they remind us a lot about ourselves to a great extinct. I think that it's more tragic that a flawed character sacrifices themselves for something more noble than a character who is perfect b/c it takes the flawed character more introspection to get there.

If I make any sense... lol

If you'd hurry up and finish watching Season 3, then you'd know!

Argh... Season 2 is being watched in one session tonight!!! After that Season 3... feels so far away!

As kup said, the entire episode is a metaphor to the whole Right To Life and Euthanasia issues.

As noted previously, I still can't help but feel it's lame. It's about as subtle as a brick. Good premise but way too obvious.