You know, I didn't even make that connection until you said it... it's like the cousin of a cousin... it is still family, but it isn't as immediately obvious.
Cartoon Spoilers...
This is supposed to be the same universe as WFC/FOC, and yet this Grimlock is supposed to be a Decepticon.
If it isn't explained in the cartoon as why he turned bad, or was working undercover, it is more proof that this wasn't meant to be part of the Aligned universe, but was shoe-horned into it just to help sell/promote it.
A bit like the WFC game, which for all intents and purposes was initially designed and proposed to be/look like a pre-Gen1 game... but some time after it was started, Hasbro created this new "Aligned Universe" to help sell the game as being part of the TFPrime cartoon (which came out five months after WFC), essentially retconning the game just for short-term marketing gain... but long term retconning pain (with books, comics and the FOC game all trying to explain the differences between WFC and TFPrime).![]()