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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 17, 2018 2:16:59 GMT -5
I never gave Rescue Bots much of a chance, when it first aired. I saw a few scattered episodes, but never really sat down to watch it. Now with my 1 1/2 year-old son, I’ve decided that it’s the perfect show to introduce him to the Transformers. Now the whole preschool tone of the show, which kind of pushed me away from the show before, is exactly what I’m looking for. I like that it’s lacking the war backdrop, and major combat scenes of all other TF shows. This show is perfect for him.
I’m watching along with him too & really seeing this show for the first time. I’m not going to write up any huge summaries or anything: just a 1 or 2 sentence slug-line followed by my favorite moments & general thoughts on each ep. So with that, let’s kick this thing off.
EP1: “Family of Heroes” - A team of 4 Rescue Bots arrive on Earth and are given their new mission by Optimus Prime: blend in with the humans of Griffin Rock & learn the ways and customs of Earth.
Favorite Moment: The ending, when Chief Burns tells his family that the robots aren’t malfunctioning; they’re aliens. Priceless.
Thoughts: I like the setup. We have what appears to be the last remaining team of Rescue Bots, who seem to have missed out on the bulk of the war. As such, they don’t seem hardened or broken the way some members of Optimus’ team do in TFP. I also like that the Chief is a liaison for the Bots much like how Agent Fowler acts in TFP. And I like that the Rescue Bots are introduced to the people of Griffin Rock right away, so there’s a good cover story for having vehicles that turn into robots.
About Griffin Rock; this place seems like the Transformers take on Syfy Channel’s Eureka. It’s like a testing ground for advanced research & development. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn if half the town is made up of scientists. It also makes for the perfect setting in which to place Cybertronians out in the open.
I’m amused that Blades is afraid of heights just like Silverbolt was in G1.
Off to a good start. As far as 1st episodes go, this is solid & doesn’t bog itself down with trying to establish its universe too much.
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Post by machsabre on Jan 17, 2018 12:11:19 GMT -5
Okay, you're in for treat. Rescue Bots... As long as you accept that this is NOT a normal Transformers show, you'll be fine. It's strength is in the relationship between the characters (both robots and humans) and the quirky adventures they get into. It DOES line up with the TF: Prime and Robots in Disguise series, but don't try to dwell on it too hard. (In short, seasons 1-3 of Rescue Bots are before or during Seasons 1-2 of TF: Prime and Season 4 takes place during NuRiD.) By the end of the first season, it'll make sense why this is the longest running TF show.
Just giving you aheads up now, if you haven't gotten him yet, and you still can... Go buy yourself the NuRiD Blurr toy, because you're going to want him,
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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 17, 2018 12:53:09 GMT -5
No worries. I’m not a continuity hound, especially with a show geared this young. You won’t catch me ranting about how some characters look different here than they do in TFP or NuRID. And if this show’s strength is its characters & their relationships, then I’m down for that. I sometimes feel that TF shows tend to be too plot heavy at the expense of the characters. Always glad to see emphasis put back on the character dynamics instead. And Blurr, huh? I know he crosses over into RID, but I haven’t seen the final season of that show. Sounds like he becomes more than a token supporting character...
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Post by Deinonychus on Jan 17, 2018 13:57:22 GMT -5
I've caught the show a few times and it's pretty good. Not nearly good enough for me to watch consistently, but if several episodes come on after Ponies goes off I'll tend to leave it on the channel. Honestly, it's more entertaining that NuRiD
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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 17, 2018 16:46:43 GMT -5
If that’s the case, then I’m in luck. I like NuRID a lot too.
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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 19, 2018 7:54:31 GMT -5
I would’ve had an update in here yesterday except that my wife went into false labor with our 2nd kid. But seeing as our son will have to wait a little longer to meet his baby brother, we kept it rolling with Rescue Bots. Ep 2: “Under Pressure”- The Rescue Bots & the Burns family of heroes struggle to work together as a newly active volcano threatens the island. Favorite moments: So this is just me being immature, but I laughed out loud, when Dani was flying Blades & roughly yanking his stick around, while he was shouting, “Gently!! Gently!!” The innuendo was so thick on that one, that it was almost a blatant dirty joke. Thoughts: This was a good ep. We don’t often get to see the downside of having TFs for partners. Usually people in TF shows or movies love having cool alien robots for cars. But here, Cade & Dani are rightfully upset that they are now saddled with vehicles that they don’t have total control over (and they know they could drive their old vehicles better). I especially like that Graham’s big concern was that Boulder & the other Rescue Bots were so technologically advanced, that Earth must seem so primitive & stupid to them. All their reactions seemed very genuine. I also like the idea that there are several tunnels all leading back to the underground bunker at RB HQ. That’s pretty cool. And also cool that they don’t even know about some of the tunnels. Adds a bit of mystery to the place. See you next ep!
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Post by machsabre on Jan 19, 2018 10:59:57 GMT -5
According to Nicole Dubuc, when asked about that joke, she replied with: *cough*
The show's a lot more clever than people originally thought it'd be.
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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 19, 2018 12:14:28 GMT -5
Haha! That’s great! They knew what they were doing!
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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 24, 2018 19:08:57 GMT -5
Ep 3: “Hot Shots” - Feeling unappreciated, Dani & Blades bring some new gear into the field & start showing up the rest of the team.
Favorite moments: I like that Heatwave is kind of a dick. And when he takes it too far, he’s like, “you guys just never know when to quit (joking) do you?” He’s such a contrast to the perpetually wise Optimus Prime & I love that they get the freedom to portray an Autobot leader this way.
Also the scene near the end when Blades, Cody & Dani think they’re about to die in the fire. It was subtle but I’m a little surprised they had a moment like that so early into the show’s life. Reminded me of Prime & Arcee nearly freezing to death in “Scraplets” in TFP.
Thoughts: For your standard episode about one person on the team suddenly outshining everyone else and basking in the glory, there’s a lot of content packed into these short 22 minutes. Dani feels unappreciated by her family. Blades feels scorned by his team. Heatwave feels like he never gets any recognition. Cody feels like everyone treats him like an unimportant bystander. And the way these people respond makes it so that the answer to who’s right & who’s wrong isn’t cut & dry. Dani feels unappreciated but then takes it out on Blades & especially Cody. Blades wants nothing to do with the scoop claw until he gets some recognition & then he loves it. Heatwave thinks his glory is being stolen, but then turns right around & tries to literally steal the scoop claw from Blades. Even Boulder, who seems appreciative at first of Blades’ new accessory, comes to resent him. This episode shows that despite the team grudgingly coming together in the last ep, they still have a long way to go before being a fully functioning unit.
And lastly, did anyone else think that Doc’s Delorean was secretly a TF, when he said it felt like it was driving like it had a mind of its own? In any other show, that’d just be a throwaway like, but in a TF toon, I think it might be some foreshadowing.
Ok that’s a wrap! See you next ep!
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Post by Mako Crab on Jan 26, 2018 9:31:10 GMT -5
Ep 4: “Flobsters on Parade”- Feeling especially annoyed with Kade & the whole charade or pretending to be a mindless machine, Heatwave refuses to take part in a local parade. And then floating lobsters attack. Favorite moments: When Blades & co. have to stay in character & remain motionless as they’re covered in lobsters. The silent horror... When a smug Heatwave is watching the parade on tv & the announcer asks, “Aren’t there usually four Rescue Bots? Oh well, the crowd doesn’t seem to miss him!” Ohhhhh snap!! The look on Heatwave’s face was priceless! Thoughts: I remember seeing this one before, years ago when I first gave the show a look. I fell asleep before I got to the end. Literally. And when I woke up, I was like, “ok, well this TF show isn’t for me.” I wrote off the entire show based on half of one episode. Watching it again now- it’s actually a charming episode. The threat is minimal, which the characters in the show acknowledge, but it’s less about the flobsters than it is Heatwave’s bad attitude. And Kade is also sick of dealing with him, shown when he’s actually happy that Heatwave fakes an injury to get out of the parade. I don’t think anyone was fooled by his act. This is the 2nd Back to the Future reference in as many episodes, again using Doc as a stand-in for Doc Brown. This time he’s snared by a lobster balloon & ends up hanging off a rooftop just like Doc in BttF part 1. We also get to see a lot more of his daughter, Frankie, and she comes off as a good foil to Cody. And lastly, why a technology & lobster parade? How did that combination ever come about? I was going to say something about the lobsters going on the attack & flying around (not floating aimlessly) with intent. But then I remembered the Sharknado movies, which taught me that once any non-flying animal gains flight, it instantly becomes a vicious killing machine & has flying mastered. And just how many lobsters were in that one tank?! Dang! Overall a fun ep, & I can’t believe it put me to sleep before. See you next ep!
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