Post by fonebone on Mar 23, 2023 2:21:05 GMT -8
Transformers: EarthSpark "Hashtag: Oops"
The sensibility was a little too kiddie for my tastes.
Couple of notes:
I like that Bumblebee used to be the VW bug, and has a legit reason why he isn't anymore. Also interesting that Bots seem to have the ability to change their alt modes in this continuity.
Whatever you think of the humans of GHOST, I think it's beyond cool they are able to hold their own during a Decepticon prison break. Humans on every other show are so freaking helpless. It's refreshing they are a physical combat threat here when they go up against the Transformers.
But it was a liitle too silly for me. **1/2.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Outtakes"
The stuff at the barn is the lamest part of the show, so it's frustrating that seems to be the main focus of the series.
Just to prove my point, the only really interesting scene was with Megatron. The way he bemusedly said nobody ever asked him about how he chose his Alt-Mode before made me a little bit sad. It suggests that the rest of the Autobots kind of take him for granted.
The show gets points for sticking to the moral that Jawbreaker didn't feel ready to choose an alt-mode yet. A lesser show would have had him change his mind at the last minute to narratively satisfy the impatient toddlers in the audience, at the expense of the character. I think this show's sensibility IS a bit too toy-focused (which considering the franchise is saying something). I like they didn't take the easy way out with that. ***.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Missed Connection"
I thought it was nice. I especially liked that Nightshade basically told the Autobots Tarantulus was simply trying to protect him and that he deserved another chance. Of which Tarantulus is determined to make good use of. I love the show's nuanced take on Decepticons. It's not just Megatron that's interesting now. Exploring what good and evil actually is is a goldmine for storytelling pathos.
Really digging the show. ****.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Security Protocols"
Well-earned drama and pathos. It's this episode that tells me above all others GHOST is a huge problem that the Autobots need to immediately divest themselves from. The world has ended because Megatron was right about them all along.
Damn, that was pretty painful for Bee and his Decepticon friend (forgot the name already). ***1/2.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Bear Necessities"
That didn't work, if only for the reason that the bear was badly animated. No CGI animation in 2023 should ever look that clunky.
The tag was sort of interesting, but unrelated to everything else, so I don't know how much credit the episode deserves for it. **.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Warzone"
Megatron is the best character on the show, and you wish every episode was focused on him. The fact that they aren't is a selling point of the show. The show doling out the best part of itself in bits and pieces means we'll never get sick of him. He won't suffer the overexposure of Kenneth from 30 Rock. He's Creed from The Office. Or maybe the Transformers' version of Bill Murray if you like.
It's interesting Megatron's reform is down to one person: Dottie. I would very much like to see more flashbacks showing her teaching him caring and humanity at some point.
I want to see MUCH more of Megatron. And I also realize it's better for the long term health of the series if I don't. ****.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Home, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2"
I didn't like it. I felt it was too earnest and sappy. Having a Transformers show that wears its heart on its sleeve about love and family is not easy to get used to, and the episode did itself no favors here.
Grimlock was a nice surprise, although perhaps he should not have been.
Shocking absence of Optimus Prime for this last batch of episodes. He can be seen a couple of times in the flashbacks in the last episode, and is simply a nonentity otherwise. I think that is a mistake.
So if GHOST IS working with Mandroid and always was, then that means the Maltas and the Autobots need to cut ties immediately. I think GHOST only has the juice it does because of their alliance with the Autobots. If and when Optimus realizes Megatron was right about them all along is when the tide turns in the Transformers favor.
I liked that Stevie changed his tune at the end, but I found his bigotry a bit hard to swallow to begin with. He's a little kid. He should find giant robots awesome. Particularly giant robots that are considered practically superheroes by the Earth at large.
But it's interesting to show actual human prejudice for the first time. And while I think Mandroid is wrong about the reasons for it, as well as how widespread it actually is, he's right that this crap would exist with or without him, and will still be there after he's gone. Maybe the allegories about not giving up on family are clunky. That one feels all right to me.
Since it wasn't actually devised to be a season finale of ANY sort, Paramount+ stopping the episode drop here feels majorly unsatisfying too. Didn't dig it. **.
The sensibility was a little too kiddie for my tastes.
Couple of notes:
I like that Bumblebee used to be the VW bug, and has a legit reason why he isn't anymore. Also interesting that Bots seem to have the ability to change their alt modes in this continuity.
Whatever you think of the humans of GHOST, I think it's beyond cool they are able to hold their own during a Decepticon prison break. Humans on every other show are so freaking helpless. It's refreshing they are a physical combat threat here when they go up against the Transformers.
But it was a liitle too silly for me. **1/2.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Outtakes"
The stuff at the barn is the lamest part of the show, so it's frustrating that seems to be the main focus of the series.
Just to prove my point, the only really interesting scene was with Megatron. The way he bemusedly said nobody ever asked him about how he chose his Alt-Mode before made me a little bit sad. It suggests that the rest of the Autobots kind of take him for granted.
The show gets points for sticking to the moral that Jawbreaker didn't feel ready to choose an alt-mode yet. A lesser show would have had him change his mind at the last minute to narratively satisfy the impatient toddlers in the audience, at the expense of the character. I think this show's sensibility IS a bit too toy-focused (which considering the franchise is saying something). I like they didn't take the easy way out with that. ***.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Missed Connection"
I thought it was nice. I especially liked that Nightshade basically told the Autobots Tarantulus was simply trying to protect him and that he deserved another chance. Of which Tarantulus is determined to make good use of. I love the show's nuanced take on Decepticons. It's not just Megatron that's interesting now. Exploring what good and evil actually is is a goldmine for storytelling pathos.
Really digging the show. ****.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Security Protocols"
Well-earned drama and pathos. It's this episode that tells me above all others GHOST is a huge problem that the Autobots need to immediately divest themselves from. The world has ended because Megatron was right about them all along.
Damn, that was pretty painful for Bee and his Decepticon friend (forgot the name already). ***1/2.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Bear Necessities"
That didn't work, if only for the reason that the bear was badly animated. No CGI animation in 2023 should ever look that clunky.
The tag was sort of interesting, but unrelated to everything else, so I don't know how much credit the episode deserves for it. **.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Warzone"
Megatron is the best character on the show, and you wish every episode was focused on him. The fact that they aren't is a selling point of the show. The show doling out the best part of itself in bits and pieces means we'll never get sick of him. He won't suffer the overexposure of Kenneth from 30 Rock. He's Creed from The Office. Or maybe the Transformers' version of Bill Murray if you like.
It's interesting Megatron's reform is down to one person: Dottie. I would very much like to see more flashbacks showing her teaching him caring and humanity at some point.
I want to see MUCH more of Megatron. And I also realize it's better for the long term health of the series if I don't. ****.
Transformers: EarthSpark "Home, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2"
I didn't like it. I felt it was too earnest and sappy. Having a Transformers show that wears its heart on its sleeve about love and family is not easy to get used to, and the episode did itself no favors here.
Grimlock was a nice surprise, although perhaps he should not have been.
Shocking absence of Optimus Prime for this last batch of episodes. He can be seen a couple of times in the flashbacks in the last episode, and is simply a nonentity otherwise. I think that is a mistake.
So if GHOST IS working with Mandroid and always was, then that means the Maltas and the Autobots need to cut ties immediately. I think GHOST only has the juice it does because of their alliance with the Autobots. If and when Optimus realizes Megatron was right about them all along is when the tide turns in the Transformers favor.
I liked that Stevie changed his tune at the end, but I found his bigotry a bit hard to swallow to begin with. He's a little kid. He should find giant robots awesome. Particularly giant robots that are considered practically superheroes by the Earth at large.
But it's interesting to show actual human prejudice for the first time. And while I think Mandroid is wrong about the reasons for it, as well as how widespread it actually is, he's right that this crap would exist with or without him, and will still be there after he's gone. Maybe the allegories about not giving up on family are clunky. That one feels all right to me.
Since it wasn't actually devised to be a season finale of ANY sort, Paramount+ stopping the episode drop here feels majorly unsatisfying too. Didn't dig it. **.