So, we come to December. Last year I reviewed several examples of non-CG cartoons and this time let’s talk about something that I love, Transformers. I did the lockdown articles before and always coming back to them puts a smile on my face so let’s do a whole month of them.

But with G1 I’ve already done the start of the show and the movie, but not the start of season 3. And it’s a good thing to start with (outside of the opening mini-series and movie of course). Season 3 is far more serialised than those that came before and the opening of it shows that very clearly. For right after the movie we get what is essentially a second movie.

Set not long after the film, the story is quick to show the new state of the universe following the end of the Cybertronian war. The Decepticons have retreated to the burned out planet of Char (which would not look out of place in any post-apocalyptic setting). Meanwhile the Autobots, taking the role of galactic peace keepers, are beginning what is essentially Space Olympics. But suddenly it’s attacked and Kup, Ultra Magnus and their human ally Spike are captured, Rodimus naturally suspects the Decepticons but upon arriving on Char finds they are too weak to have done it. What’s more Cyclonus and the Sweeps head into Unicron’s head to find the fate of Galvatron so he may lead them again.

What unfolds is a story that not only gives one of the first iterations of the origins of the Transformers themselves, but also introduced a new villain, one that while different from the Decepticons, is possibly far more dangerous in more sinister ways. You can read up more on that aspect in my Lockdown article on the Quintessons.

The story takes place over 5 episodes though it only really starts to kick up in episode 2 onwards.

I have my issues with the story. Originally the role that Blitzwing fills in the plot, being the one to distrust the Quintessons, was to have been Shockwave a role that makes far more sense given the character BUT as is often the way in G1 because his toy was older and they wanted to push newer ones that role was given to Blitzwing… which sadly had his storyline which was to have continued in Starscream’s Ghost, cut and replaced with Octane, because once again, push the new guys..  There is also the EXTREMELY problematic nature of a country they invented and humans related to it that so offended Casey Kasem he left the show. And then it appears again in the episode that introduced Octane… and that was thus referenced in the change made to Starscream’s Ghost to explain why Octane was replacing a role that was clearly for Blitzwing… meaning we could have easily ignored those horrible, horrible moments had they stopped replacing roles.

The nation I’m not mentioning for reasons of taste aside, the opening for season 3 is really strong. The stakes rise over and over. New challenges rise as the mystery of the Quintessons is unveiled and how this changes the status quo… also Galvatron comes back and is now insane… we now get Transformers that turn into massive battle fortresses (so dwarf Godzilla in size), also the Magnificent Sky Lynx.

It’s rather surprising that the movie didn’t go into any deep lore of the Transformers (Unicron’s importance would be added in thanks to the comics later) while instead the moment the show comes back we suddenly get something far deeper than even those times in season 2 when they went back in time revealed ( to Cybertron’s past, not that time Star Scream ended up in Medieval England).

While it has its flaws, both in animation errors  and… look when it comes on just stick your fingers in your ears for a few minutes and wait till that bit’s over… It’s a vital watch for checking out season 3… you would kind of be lost going from the movie to season 3 without these 5 episodes.

Rating: 🎅🎅🎅🎅