Transformers Armada "Prehistory" Talkback (Spoilers)

[William C. Maune]

[indent]We must capture all the Minicons! This is the official talkback thread for the "Transformers Armada" episode 'Prehistory' premiering on Toonami November 22nd at 5.5 PM (4.5 Central). Any comments on this episode? This is the 12th episode in the series. If you miss today's airing, the episode will show again on Toonami Super Saturday at 1.5 PM and later that evening at 10.5 PM as part of the "We'll use all the Toonami bumpers and promos, but not actually call it Toonami" block.

Please keep all Transformers Armada related posting in this thread and PLEASE keep discussion INTELLIGENT and FLAMELESS. If this topic gets dragged down into a flame war, it will be closed, as well as a lot of other Transformers Armada threads. Thank you.

[Obi]

An army of seekers! Ha!

Good episode. Some continuity, a bunch of Cybertron history, and Megatron sounds like he's got a plan underway to get Star Saber. Some corny dialogue (especially in the end) and a few scattered off-model scenes, but overall very good.

Did Optimus call Jetfire "Thrust"? Or do we have a twist coming in the future?

****/*****

[Zapages]

Average episode, 4 stars...

[Anyone00]

Decent ep., yes decent, I'm amazed.

Did anyone besides me find it funny that the one Star Saber Minicon instead of making the standard Minicon beeping sounds makes a star-saberesk(sp?) swishing sounds.

[Batmex]

Finnally some decent plot, but:

Megatron's aim is terrible! he had Prime in target and MISSED!

Those Minicons sure are strong, I was amazed that the sleeping thing did not melt in lava.

[lupin the 3rd]

AND HE SAID STARSCREAM HAD bad targeting

[Digu Volz]

Just another standard episode, though I wonder, if the Minicons can find one another, couldn't the Decepticons, being about deception and all, raid teh Autobots HQ or vice versa ? It was even implied in the 'movie' episode that at least the Autobts knew where their enemies were.

[Sandro]

Mediocre episode: 4 stars.

[JetMaster5]

Okay. Now I know how the writers screwed things up. This episode would've been better if it wasn't for some ruined plots and stuff.

On the first episode, they talked about the history of Transformers Armada by having Rad "guessing" about it.

On today's episode, they talked about the history of Transformers Armada by having Optimus actually talking about it.

Now, I would've had oooh's and ahhh's but the whole history stuff was ruined because of the first episode. The writers should've refrained from having Rad "guessing" about the history (during that time) and actually show all of the backstory on today's episode. That would've made this episode's impact much better, and the first episode's characterization better (since Rad wouldn't be conviently guessing and getting them all right).

[Charred Knight]

The history should have been in the first episode.

Overall a decent episode, but why did the decepticons give up the minicons?

Well that would make a good fanfic.

Optimus: So do we have a deal, you give up the minicons, and I destroy the picture.
Megatron: Im just petting a sheep at a petting zoo
Optimus: we both know thats not petting, if you do not give up the minicons I release this picture all over cybertron
Megatron: Fine, for the good of Cybertron I agree.

[BlackCat]

I missed the last couple of episodes, but it looks like I didn't miss much. I was surprised to actually see some plot in the episode, which was great to me. I agree about the history telling, but at least it made it sound better to actually hear Optimus tell of the past. The battle was a lot better than some of the previous ones, and the mini-cons actually do something themselves!

Not too bad. 4/5 stars.

[gtracer72]

The beginning of the episode was dull. It was just a repeat of what we all ready know. Finally, Starscream used his mini-con. Now, all he as to do is take down Megatron and become supreme ruler. . This Star Sabre sounds cool. I wonder who will get to use it. The episode itself was ok. The battle was better today. Why didn't the Decepticons "transport" out after Ceyclonis got the mini-con? All the other times they would retreat right away. Why the delay today?

I'll give this episode 4 stars.

[raykremer]

Holy cow. This is almost what an episode of Armada sould be like.

The clip-show-ish beginning was boring, and did contain some problems. In the first episode, we were told that the Autobots and Decepticons reached a ceasefire and mutally agreed to send the Minicons away so that they would not destroy each other. Now we are told that the Autobots sent them away at the Minicon's own request, and the Decepticons tried to stop them. The second version is actually more believable, except that in that case any Minicons already held by the Decepticons would not have been on that ship. Also, we are told that the Autobot/Decepticon war was ongoing even before the Minicons first appeared, then we are told that the Minicons are the cause of the war. If the former is to be believed, then the Minicons aren't the cause of the hostility, they merely became the focus of it once they arrived.

Okay, all that soon got out of the way. They all went to some unexplained abondoned theme park island. Considering the title, I half expected dinosaur clones to be there.

Four, count them, four transformers used their Minicon to PowerLink. That's more than 50% of the transformers who currently possess a Minicon! Amazing! For once they are doing battle in a sensical manner.

Most importantly though, they actually came out and examined the moral ambiguities surrounding the Minicons that have been obvious to us, the viewers, since before the first episode even aired:
If they just want to be left alone, why use them to fight? Because the Decepticons won't leave them alone, so we have to defeat them, and the Decepticons are using Minicons so we have to as well just to keep up. Do the Minicons want to fight? Not particularly, but they will because they understand the situation and want to help free their compatriots that the Decepticons are holding.

It still hasn't been explained straight out why the Minicons held by the Decepticons help them, if they are brainwashed or what, but that may come later.

Megs gave us a classic Beast Wars Megatron "Yes" at the end there. Wheeeeee!

Hey, if the Air Minicon that Megs has activated, will the two held by the Autobots activate too?

[Nik Jam]

They should make up their minds about what they want the kids to look like. They seem to get worse every 5 minutes.

Anyway, nice episode.

[Charred Knight]

Originally posted by raykremer
Also, we are told that the Autobot/Decepticon war was ongoing even before the Minicons first appeared, then we are told that the Minicons are the cause of the war. If the former is to be believed, then the Minicons aren't the cause of the hostility, they merely became the focus of it once they arrived.

Actually, they both said that the decepticons and Autobots started the war before the minicons appeared.

It follows the classic great war as seen in "War Dawn" from G1.

The decepticons led by Megatron amassed a large army and tried to take over the world, the autobots led by Optimus Prime tried to stop them and divide Cybertron in half.

The difference between G1 and Armada is the fact that in Armada a third division occured called the Minicons who increased the destruction of the war. The decepticons figured out they can combine the minicons to destroy the autobots, so the good minicons teamed up with Autobots and that increased the destructiveness of the war. The minicons figured out that Cybertron would be destroyed unless they departed, so they had a ship built to find a new home for the minicons.

The decepticons either gave their minicons in a plan to get all the minicons when the ship took off, or the autobots stole them and the decepticons tried to take them back.

The Decepticon attack caused the minicons to crash into the moon causing the Minicons to land on the Earth in hibernation.

The thing I like is the fact that it gives hope that Hasbro will release a ton more autobots and decepticon.

[Morac]

I'm still confused why ever episode begins with Rad saying the Minicons crashed "thousands of years ago", when in this episode it become apparent that its actually "millions of years".

I agree that the story given in this episode conflicts with what we've already been told, but I can accept that Rad infered wrong from what little the Autobots told him and that Optimus's version is the correct one.

Still this episode was above average for an Armada episode so I gave it 4 stars.

Hopefully now that all 3 of the sword minicons have been found things will pick up. Possibly with the Decepticons raiding the Autobots base since Megatron's minicon piece (how did he activate it anyway?) should be able to lead him to the other 2 minicons.

[etj4eagle]

That was a pretty good episode, definetly one of the best so far of the series. Finally we are getting some plot to the series (even if it was mostly retelling of the past here). I agree that the episode's impact would have been better if they had not spoiled the history of the conflict with Rad's guessing in the pilot movie. Unfortunately that seems to be a general problem in US shows, in that execs don't believe that an audience will like starting off right in the middle of the action and only over time learn the back story (eg Crusade and TNT and their inistance that a new opening episode be created for the series: "Warzone" instead of "Racing the Night").

The episode also seems to provide some suggestion as to why we don't see the transformers always powerlinked with their minicons. Notice how Starscream powerlinked but then a few scenes later when he attacks, he is back to using his regular attacks. It would seem that the power link might only be a temporary power boost, that the Minicon needs time to "recharge its reservers" after it powerboosts a transformer. If this is true, it makes perfect sense why they seem to refrain from using their Minicons, as yes it would give you a benefit now, but would it be better to keep that trump card in your sleeve for later use.

I hope that they focus on the backstory of those minicons some more in future episodes. They do need to explain a bit more on how the decepticons are able to get the minicons to work for them, since I would expect them to try to make a run for it whenever they can. Maybe that is how they were able to leave Cybertron, they still had free will then and were able to escape the decepiticons. And at that time, seeing all the fighting going along did not want to really join up with the autobots either. Hence they decided to just flee the planet. However, since then the Decepticons would have been working on some kind of control device so that once they found the Minicons again, they wouldn't have to worry about loosing them.

The episode also did somewhat explain why the Sabor Sword Minicons were previously active. They must have been part of the ship's skeliton crew.

Well here's to hoping that maybe the series is finally beginning to pickup.

[Conekiller]

ok lemme get this straight....

star sabre minicon #1: caught by the Autobots before the carnival episode

SS#2 caught by Decepticons in "Ruin"

so that must mean the Autobots catch the minicon in "Prehistory" right? if not, then my understanding of the "continuity" is as flawed as that of the writers them selves.

I'll be able to watch this one on tape tomorrow. now, I actually look forward to it, sounds interesting

[Obi]

1.Autobots find Jestorm in "Soldier".
2.Decepticons claim Sonar in "Ruin".
3.Autobots get Runway in "Prehistory".

[Conekiller]

yes, I now saw the ep and was just mislead by what I read earlier.

2 weeks in a row with good eps! this better keep up or I'm gonna be sorely dissappointed.


who was this Thrust? is there a toy of him?