Autobot Spike, Changing Gears, City of Steel, Attack on the Autobots

Hi and welcome to the fifth episode of the TFJUEN

podcast, recorded February 6th, 2009. I am your

host, Michael Blanchard. I'll be starting season

two of the generation one transformers cartoon

First we actually have a listener question. I

have recently been I guess you could call it

promoted on Predacon Empire comm I have my own

forum thread and Multiple threads can go I have

my own sub forum over there at Predacon Empire

comm Steve slash Megatron who is my benevolent

host? And buddy has created a place for me to

talk anything and everything about the podcast

And Steve actually asked me a question in my

listener questions and comments thread the question

is What is your key character to the show that

you feel it could not do without? Now I replied

to Steve on the forums Asking him if he meant

by season or if he meant the entirety of the

generation one cartoon I will answer it both

ways. The overall character for the entirety

of the series, I really can't pick one. I can

pick multiples that I think that the series would

just not be as good as it was. Optimus Prime

and Megatron would be the first picks. Soundwave

and Blaster, even though they did not really

have too much of a battle between the two of

them in the G1 US release series but I always

did like Soundwave and Blaster because they were

tape decks and they had cool cassettes that transformed

and everything else and then my final picks would

be Rodimus Prime and Galvatron because you know

after the movie they were the two leaders of

the Autobots and Decepticons, and I liked Hot

Rod. I liked both incarnations of the Hot Rod

character, the Hot Rod who is kind of like the

kid and not really wanting to have any responsibility,

and then Rodimus Prime who is the leader and

has the Matrix and everything else. I know some

people may not like Rotomus and may only want

Optimus as the Autobot leader or some people

may not like Galvatron and only want Megatron

as the Decepticon leader, but I did like them

for the characters that they were. So if anyone

has any questions for me, as I always say, you

can email me at tfg1podcast at gmail .com. Or

you can go onto the forums at PredaconEmpire

.com. That's www .PredaconEmpire. Oh wait, shit.

That's www .PredaconEmpire .com. And just click

on the forums. On the left hand side there's

a link that says forums. Click it and join the

forums please. Whoops, sorry Mike if you're listening

I stole your speech about forums anyway Mike

Sims from Earth to net I've listened to the I'll

listen to Mike say that that that forum speech

about go to the website and there's a link at

the left hand side of the page that says forums

click it and join the forums please i've heard

him say that for like over three hundred podcasts

now anyway um... yeah so also if you'd like to

follow me on twitter you can do that my twitter

name is tfg1podcast uh... so let's get into some

episodes today starting off season two we have

Wait! There is no need for further conflict!

Megatron! I must say you've improved your appearance

since our last encounter, Spike! Easy for you

to say, Megacrum! The way I see it, I've become

a monster! Like you! Monster? I am no monster!

Great Decepticons are but sentient machines who've

discovered our destiny in this vast universe.

Will you join us Decepticons and be second only

to me? Together we will punish those who did

this to you. I don't know. It's getting harder.

Okay, hold on. Back up the bus. Back it up. Just

back it up. I forgot to answer the rest of the

question. As far as my season choices for characters,

Season 1 would have to be Optimus and Megatron.

Season 2, my favorite characters for the Autobots

were Blaster, for the Decepticons were Soundwave

and Astro Train. Astro Train has always been

my favorite Decepticon, triple changers rule.

So yeah, that hopefully answers Steve's question.

Now to begin the episode. So we start off today

with Autobot Spike. To synopsize this episode,

we start the second season at Autobot headquarters

where a daring new experiment is taking place.

Sparkplug has built his own Autobot called Autobot

X, but the robot goes berserk because it has

no brains. Teletran 1 alerts the Autobots to

Decepticon activity at an Air Force base. They

get there to stop the Decepticons But inadvertently,

during the battle, the energy source is destroyed

and the Decepticons retreat. While flying away,

Megatron transforms and has Soundwave blast Bumblebee,

injuring the Autobot and Spike as well. Spike

needs immediate medical attention if he is to

live. Spark Plug and Wheeljack hatch a plan to

transfer Spike's brain into Autobot X. giving

the doctors enough time to repair his body. As

the transfer commences, Spike's brain awakens

inside the giant robot, and he is angry that

they have done this to him. He starts destroying

the medical facilities and equipment around him.

After the outburst, Optimus Prime says that he

and some of the other Autobots are needed back

at the rocket base to repair the damage caused

by their battle with the Decepticons. Prime tells

Spike that every comfort will be provided for

him, and as the scene closes, we see Laserbeak

spying on the Autobots. At the Decepticon headquarters,

Megatron hatches a plan to turn Autobot Spike

against the other Autobots. at Autobot headquarters.

Bumblebee is still being repaired, but is being

impatient as well. Wheeljack asks Spike if he's

enjoying the movie that he had had Teletran 1

tuned into. Spike tells him yeah, but we see

that Spike wants to do bad things. And he can't

control himself. The movie that Teletran had

tuned into was Frankenstein. which this is basically

a Frankenstein episode. Watching the Frankenstein

movie reminds Spike of what he has become and

he goes off again and even though the other Autobots

attempt to help him, Spike escapes and goes somewhere

to think. Bumblebee chases after him, but Ratchet

still hasn't fixed Bumblebee's radio transmitter.

Bumblebee finds Spike but in his uneasy state

he attacks Bumblebee as the Decepticons arrive

in a battle between Autobot Spike and the Decepticons

begins. Megatron says there is no need for further

conflict however Spike is having inner conflict

and the Decepticons trick him into joining them

to destroy the Autobots. At the Air Force base

the rockets get launched and then Bumblebee arrives

and tells Optimus that Megatron is lying to Spike

and he believes the Decepticon leader. Prime

and the Autobots try reasoning with Spike but

it isn't working. A battle erupts with Spike

firing Megatron in his gun mode at the other

Autobots. Then the rest of the Decepticons join

the party. Wheeljack and Sparkplug arrive to

tell Spike that his real body is ready and he

can return to normal. Autobot Spike finally realizes

what he's doing. to the Autobots is wrong and

he uses Megatron to blast the Decepticons. The

Decepticons then retreat. Sparkplug tells Spike

that he saved his life. What had happened was

Soundwave or one of the Decepticons had fired

on Sparkplug and Autobot Spike jumped in the

way. At Autobot headquarters, Spike's mind gets

transferred back in back into his own body, and

Bumblebee remarks what it would be like if a

robot's mind ever got transferred into a human.

Now for my thoughts on this episode. I absolutely

cannot stand this episode. This episode is like

the BTAAS episode, Batman the Animated Series

episode, The Terrible Trail. It's just bad. This

has to be the stupidest idea Wheeljack has ever

had. Even though it saves Spike's life, I just

cannot watch this episode. It sucks. However,

at the end, it brings up a point that we will

see in seasons to come of the cartoon. One will

be remarks that it would be like, what would

it be like to have a robot's braid in a human's

body. I can't remember which episode it is, but,

uh... But I will bring this episode back up when

I find that one. And watch it. I know it's Rodimus,

Springer, Magnus, and R .C. that get their brains

transferred into human bodies. Because the clothing

that they find to wear all matches their robot

colors. There really isn't too much more else

to say about this episode. The episodes of the

cartoon that have an overall arc -y storyline,

I'm probably not going to have too much to say

about them. They're just basically filler episodes

and sometimes will bring up the issue that happened

in the last episode, but not often. Now that

makes it a whole new ball game! Megatron is mine!

Battlebots, go get him! This time I shall show

you no mercy! Right, this time the only... The

thing you're going to show me is... your papoose!

Your troops have deserted you, Megatron! Turn

off the solar needle! There's no time. The sun

will explode in less than a minute. Ratchet,

Wheeljack, on the double! To restore the sun's

equilibrium, you've got to... past the solar

needle's memory. Right. All we need to do is

disconnect that wire. You mean that wire. Ah,

you got a blowout in your binary circuit. It's

that one. Keep your fingers crossed. All that's

left is to destroy Megatron's solar needle forever.

Excuse me, please. I don't want to be pushy,

but aren't you forgetting something? Your special

circuit card, Gears. Here you are. Um, just a

minute. We took a vote and, uh, well, we decided

we'd like Gears the way he is now. Yeah, a real

photovoltaic pussycat. I see. Well, as long as

you all agree. Hey, if you guys don't give me

my circuit back, I'm gonna start kicking transistor.

All right, Gears, don't get your capacitors in

an uproar. There. So when do we roll out of here?

This jungle humidity is giving me a cramp in

my chronometer. Hey, now that's our gears. And

my pulleys are squeaking again. All right, let's

blast that solar needle and roll out. I suppose

you want me to do that. Be my guest. Next up

is changing gears to synopsize this episode.

We begin with a group of humans that have found

gold in them thar hills. Soundwave and some of

the Decepticons attack them. He releases laser

beacon ravage to prevent the humans from escaping.

At Autobot headquarters, Optimus Prime has the

Autobots assembled. What the hell? Ultraman Prime

has the Autobots assemble to stop the Decepticons

from attacking a mining camp, but Megatron has

a plan that they don't yet know about. As you

can tell from the episode title, this one is

all about the little Autobot gears. At the mining

site Starscream asks Megatron if he can dispose

of the humans, and the leader tells him that

they are of no use to him now. The Autobots arrive

and the battle starts. During the battle, Megatron

kidnaps Gears in a remote jungle. Megatron has

created a solar needle. The reason the Decepticons

kidnapped Gears was because he has a circuit

that will power the solar needle and allow Megatron

to harness the power of the sun. Optimus Prime

states that with Megatron tapping into the sun,

it has caused a great instability in the star.

The Autobots have tracked the Decepticon location

to the middle of Africa. The Autobots are on

their way to stop the Decepticons, and Starscream

asks Megatron why the Earth is becoming so unstable,

to which the leader replies all that matters

is that the Autobots are coming. Jazz and Slunstrigger

get on top of Optimus Prime on either side to

laser the Autobots a road through the thick jungle

brush. Bumblebee almost falls into a crevice,

but Wheeljack transforms and saves him. When

they get to their destination, the Autobots attempt

to fire upon the Decepticons, but an energy reflector

shield protects the evildoers. Excuse me. And

the solar needle. Oh, I guess that's what I get

for drinking soda before I start recording. The

Autobots need to get rid of the protective force

field around the solar needle. However, the only

way to do this is for someone to find the spot

right where the sun's energy... comes into the

device. Prime and Ironhide argue over the two

of them to do it when Cliffjumper transforms

and speeds off. Shattering the force field, the

Decepticons prepare for battle. During the battle,

it comes to a standoff between the two factions

when Optimus Prime asks Gears for a favor. Little

Autobot blasts the Solar Needle, betraying Megatron

and returning to the Autobot side. After the

Decepticons retreat, Prime says all that's left

to do is destroy the solar needle, but Gears

needs his personality chip back first. The Autobots

stop Prime saying that they like the nice Gears.

Gears then threatens them if he doesn't get his

personality chip back he's gonna start busting

transistors. Prime gives it to him and he returns

to the same old grumpy Autobot Gears. Gears blows

up the solo needle and then starts complaining

again. Prime and the other Autobots transform

and drive off without waiting for him. This brings

this episode to a close. Now for my thoughts.

Four times in this episode I have seen the Decepticon

logo on Megatron's chest be gray, not the purple

it's supposed to be. This episode was a singular

character episode focusing on Gears, and it was

kinda cool. Although, as I've stated before,

I like overall arc -y storylines that put the

Autobots in grave danger and show the truly evil

and out -of -this -world control that Ascepticons

want. Let them have it! Things are looking bad,

but they're starting to sound good! That's the

way to cool it, Ironhide. Now it's time to lend

myself a hand and an arm as well. Well, you're

not going alone, Prime. Let's do it! We're a

Prime and the other guys. There, look! They might

need help. Come on! The Autobots are out of cannon

range. But not out of my range! Come in Starscream,

Thundercracker, Skywarp! I want an airstrike!

Proceed immediately! The Autobots are getting

closer, Megatron. Surrender or perish! Devastator

wants vengeance! Devastator wants... Optimus

Prime! Now Bumblebee! Intruders! Intruders! They

are doomed! You'll never catch us, mega -clutz!

Mega -clutz! You dare insult me in my - The console

is now inoperative. I can no longer maintain

weapon control. No matter! Send Bersong and Laserbeak

to take care of the Earth pests! Devastator will

destroy Prime, and I shall be master of - I saw

this once when I linked my data bank to an Earth

television transmission. I think it was called

King Kong. And Devastator reminds me of that

big baboon. Don't let it get to your wheel, Jack.

Maybe Devastator saw the same picture. Soon,

Sport. Prime! We wrecked Soundwave's control

of your arm! That's the news I've been waiting

for. It will take more than your puny arm to

stop Devastator! Right. Which is why it's lucky

the hand at the end of that arm is holding a

gun. Run! I've got him! Haul me up! Nice catch,

Ironhide. Next up is City of Steel to synopsize

this episode. We begin with Laserbeak flying

over New York City. He then flies underground

to meet up with the Decepticons, who are excavating

the sewers of New York. The Constructicons are

doing demolition for Megatron, who has the idea

to take over NYC. All of a sudden, the Empire

State Building sinks below the surface. The Autobots

learn of the falling building and head for New

York City. Ah, New York. Oh boy. Yeah, I don't

want to get on a... Baseball tangent right now.

I'll just say one thing Red Sox rule and Yankees

drool However, laserbeak spots mirage hound and

the others on hydrofoils heading for the Autobots

Heading for the Autobots central. Oh, hang for

the Autobot Central Park rendezvous The birdbot

reports this back to Megatron and he tells scrapper

to dig optimus prime down to them The Decepticons

have prime and Megatron Shorts out the leaders

motor relays and puts him in suspended animation

after optimus prime sinks to the ground Megatron

flies out of the hole and tells the Autobots

that if they ever want to see their leader again

They will leave in New York City. Well me and

spike have a plan to get optimus prime back They

do not leave the city but instead head for the

sewers where they encounter a reptilian robot

and they then trap it shit and they then trap

it and head forward into the Decepticon underground

base. Megatron has ordered Hook to disassemble

Optimus Prime and dispose of the parts anyway

that the Constructicons want. Hound and the Autobots

after trapping the robot lizard are almost to

the Decepticon base, but Hound wonders why his

sensors said Optimus Prime was behind them. They

find Prime's head and Hound realizes why his

sensors were saying that the Autobot leader was

behind them. Because a piece of his body was.

They put Prime back together. Well, almost. The

only thing that's missing is his right arm, which

he can sense above ground somewhere. Megatron

realizes that Prime has been put together again,

but he tells Soundwave to use Prime's gun arm

to fire upon the Autobots until they are destroyed.

So a battle begins, but Bumblebee and Spike get

into the main Decepticon control room and destroy

the controls that are making Optimus' right arm

fire on the Autobots. Prime is whole once more

and the Decepticons plans are foiled. The episode

closes as Bumblebee drives towards the screen

with an I Heart New York bumper sticker on his

front bumper. I Heart New York, what a fucking

joke. Anyway, now for my thoughts on this episode.

You gotta love episodes with Devastator in them.

I always love watching the Concerticons merging

process. It is the last... As in the last episode,

I've noticed Megatron's Decepticon symbol on

his chest become gray. I don't know why this

is. I have no clue. I know it's an animation

flub. I know it's a coloring flub. I know, you

know, this is the first season of the cartoon

and stuff like that tends to happen. So yeah,

the sound flubs continue with voices being spoken,

but the wrong robot's mouth is moving. And that's

it for this episode, on to the next one. You

saved me. And Prime, the world needs the energy

my satellite will deliver. It must go into orbit.

Then our task is clear. We better get to that

launch pad before it's too late. T minus 30 seconds,

and nothing we can do will stop it. Follow me!

This is our one way to get to Cybertron and master

that galaxy! We've got to disable that rocket

so they can't use it to escape the Cybertron.

But how can we do that without hurting Optimus

Prime and Ratchet? As long as we're still in

the outer atmosphere, I just might be able to

swing it. Open up, Skyfire! I'm going outside!

Watch it! That first step's a doozy! At the speed

we're breezing, I'd better hang on! 50 Grums,

time to get down! A musical sonic boom, good

ol' jazz. Next up is Attack of the Autobots.

To synopsize this episode, we start this episode

out with the Decepticons attacking the Autobot

base. All of the Decepticons except Starscream

and Megatron are at the battle. Megatron uses

an invisibility spray on himself and Starscream

so they can sneak into the base without Teletran

1 alerting the Autobots. Once inside, the base,

Megatron and Starscream alter the Autobots recharging

chamber. They place a personality disruptor in

it to turn the Autobots evil. All of the Autobots

except Bumblebee and a few others have been recharged

and turn evil. Megatron's voice comes out of

the recharging chamber telling the Autobots to

attack. The evil controlled Autobots attack a

military base and Hound along with Ratchet go

after the plans for a solar satellite. But the

doctor that created this, Dr. Harding, gets away

from them, and Spike and Bumblebee get to the

Air Force base that Prime and the others are

attacking, and Spike explains to the guards that

those are Decepticon controlled Autobots. Bumblebee

tries reasoning with Optimus Prime, but it doesn't

work. Megatron and Soundwave break into the bunker

where the computers are that control the launch

of the solar satellite. They take control of

the main computer and nothing can stop the launch

now. At Autobot Headquarters, Sparkplug has created

an attitude adjuster. He and Jazz tested it out

on Blue Streak and it works. Hound and Ratchet

are chasing Dr. Harding through the city streets.

Jazz and Sparkplug get an attitude adjusters

on the evil Autobots just in time to save the

Doctor. They then see Skyfire who is under Decepticon

control and Hound asks Sparkplug if those things

are magnetic, which they are. Hound fires one

out of his particle beam gun and saves Skyfire.

Optimus Prime tosses the sa - oh. We go back

to the Air Force base where Optimus Prime is

still going off and Momo B is still trying to

reason with him. Finally he does and Optimus

comes to his senses. Prime tosses the satellite

into space while riding Skyfire and back to -

Autobot headquarters Ratchet spark plug and jazz

are all arguing on who saved the day in the episode

comes to a close Now for my thoughts on this

episode I think it was episode 2 of the podcast

where I mentioned that it might have been the

only time I've seen optimus split into his three

components I was wrong. It happens in this episode

as well. It's a very cool effect It was kind

of cool to see the Autobots go evil I love the

effects they used to make Megatron and Starscream

invisible. That was just, it just looked really,

really awesome. I found myself just watching

this episode for pure enjoyment, and not really

looking for flaws and flubs. There have been

a lot of situations and plans that the Decepticons

have tried to hatch that seem very familiar to

me. Probably because I watch Season 3 and 4 sets

more, which take place after the movie. I started

a topic thread on the TFWire forums, a Transformers

Weekend review, about a possible Shattered Glass

animated series based on the 2008 BotCon theme.

After I got my BotCon set last year, I had read

the comic and was very impressed. I think it

would be a great idea for a cartoon series. Up

next is... the missing electrocells. Good work,

Cliffjumper. Where? In the same area Mirage patrolled

yesterday. Impossible! I'd have picked up a reading

on them for sure! Maybe you did, but decided

to keep it quiet. That'll do, Cliffjumper. We

don't want bad feelings, just the electrocells.

Autobots, transform! Why do you delay, Megatron?

The power in these cells would be transferred

to the electron cubes by now, and the Autobots

destroyed if I were in charge. But I am in charge,

Starscream, and until I am sure that this failsafe

monitor device works, I will not risk the electron

cells exploding. Where is the courage your leadership

demands, Megatron? To discover if something works,

you must dare to test it. You fool! You'll destroy

us all! Destroy us all? Oh, brave Megatron! Perhaps

it's time the Decepticons looked elsewhere for

direction, then someone prepared to make command

decisions! The transfer worked perfectly! Perfectly,

you say? Look again! Pay the price for your insolence!

Try and remember which side you're on, Mirage.

Keep your mind on the Decepticons, Cliffjumper.

That's just what I'm doing! Just what I suspected.

Mirage is helping the Decepticons. Did you? Yes,

I took them. then brought them here so the Insecticons

would think the Decepticons had stolen them.

And then? They began to fight each other. The

Insecticons fled and the Decepticons chased them.

Now we can get the electrocells, Prime. Don't

trust him, Prime. My cyber -polygraph is screamin'

trap! Perhaps, but we've got to check it out.

Autobots, transform! Let's get the electrocells!

Follow me! To begin the final episode today is

trader to synopsize this episode To begin this

final episode we find some scientists have created

an electro cells to save and conserve energy

but Megatron of the Decepticons break in stealing

the electro cells and Destroying the laboratory

the Autobots track the electro cells to a desert

area, but Cliff jumper keeps accusing mirage

Of being a trader hence the title of the episode

trader In the fight, we end up seeing a Autobot

Decepticon battle and in the fight, Mirage rips

off a Decepticon logo and gets a plane into his

head to set up the Decepticons by cheating the

Insecticons and making them think it was the

Decepticons that betrayed them. I hope that makes

sense. I don't know if it will or not, I hope

it does. During the Decepticon and Decepticon

battle, Mirage, even though he is invisible,

gets hit and Bombshell puts him a Cerebro Shell.

controller into the Autobot, so Mirage is now

under Insecticon control. Cliffjumper still makes

the accusation that Mirage is a traitor and under

Bombshell's control, leads the Autobots into

a Decepticon trap. After the battle, the electrocells

are destroyed and Cliffjumper apologizes to Mirage.

They start laughing and joking around and the

episode closes. I really don't have a whole lot

of thoughts on this episode. This is one of those

episodes again where I found myself just watching

it. Through and not taking any notes. I swear.

I'm not slacking off, but it was just a great

episode Clifton really shows off his temper and

attitude in this episode Well, that's all for

this episode of the TFG1 podcast. Join me next

time when I'll be reviewing five more episodes

from Transformers Generation 1 Season 2. Those

being, The Immobilizer, The Autobot Run, Atlantis

Arise, Day of the Machines, and Enter the Nightbird.

Thank you for joining me on the TFG1 podcast.

There are four ways to get in touch with me or

leave feedback for the podcast. The first is

that you can visit the PredaconEmpire .com forums

and get on your Transformers discussion topics

there. The second is that you can follow me on

Twitter. That address is tfg1podcast at gmail

dot com. For now, I'm Michael Blanchard saying

in the immortal words of Optimist Prime, transform

and roll out. And thank you for listening. Until

next time. Hey guys, what's going on? This is

Mike the Birdman Dodd from This Week in Geek,

and I love friggin' Transformers, so I fully

endorse the TFG1 Podcast.