TF Prime episodes

[Almighty Unicron]

I wonder if I'm not so bothered by the scavenger hunts in each season of Prime because I've worked in videogames, where collecting a set amount of MacGuffins is de regeur for a lot of mediocre-written games.

[Sparky Prime]

I'd say it's different for video games. At least you're somewhat participating in the scavenger hunt because you can control the characters. For a tv show though, you're just watching it unfold and that gets old, especially when the show just keep repeating that plot over and over again.

[JediTricks]

Project Predacon
I would have just assumed the Forge of Solus Prime upgraded Optimus' vehicle form along with his robot mode, but apparently not, as the episode begins with Fowler providing a new military experimental fighting truck for him to scan. And Smokescreen goes out and get himself a new paint job, not wanting to be left of of having a new look like Optimus and Bumblebee. Seems to me they might as well have shown Ultra Magnus scanning a vehicle form as well if they were going to waste so much time in the episode on this.

This was the "hey kids, buy these new toys" episode. They even showed Magnus' alt-mode, although scanning Optimus' old alt mode would have been a little weird.

Didja catch that Optimus' new vehicle mode was provided by America's MASK division? Oh Transformers, your wink and nod would have made a lot more sense if that vehicle looked like a vehicle, ha ha.

This episode sets up yet another scavenger hunt plot line. After the Decepticons recover part of a Predacon fossil (Optimus gets the other part alerting them to the Decepticons plans), we find out during the War for Cybertron, Shockwave cloned a whole army of Predacons and sent them to Earth to protect energon stocks hidden on the planet. Even though that's what Skyquake's job was. Over time, they all died and became fossils, but Shockwave says he can clone the clones fossils to make new Predacons, but they wont be very difficult to find them because he had them micro-chipped before sending them to Earth. So the Decepticons go after two signals, and the Autobots split into teams to stop them. And the first team fails to stop them from getting a fragment.

Yeah, that's what happened. It was nonsense and kinda dumb and proved that this series never has anything to say except "look for thing, fight over thing, look for thing".

I think what's worst about this is that the show is nearing its conclusion and they just did the "and now we're Beast Hunters" complete with a new title sequence, yet it's the same boring generic story as ever, "the stakes have never been lower!"

[Sparky Prime]

I think what's worst about this is that the show is nearing its conclusion and they just did the "and now we're Beast Hunters" complete with a new title sequence, yet it's the same boring generic story as ever, "the stakes have never been lower!"

I find it odd Megatron would even approve the cloning of more Predacons at this point. I mean, he has not been impressed by the results Predaking has had, seeing as he failed the two times they've used him thus far. Not to mention the Predacons seem to have vulnerabilities the current Cybertronians do not. Predaking seemed to freeze solid pretty quickly. It's like saying "Well this project is a complete failure, let's move ahead with it anyway."

[JediTricks]

I think what's worst about this is that the show is nearing its conclusion and they just did the "and now we're Beast Hunters" complete with a new title sequence, yet it's the same boring generic story as ever, "the stakes have never been lower!"

I find it odd Megatron would even approve the cloning of more Predacons at this point. I mean, he has not been impressed by the results Predaking has had, seeing as he failed the two times they've used him thus far. Not to mention the Predacons seem to have vulnerabilities the current Cybertronians do not. Predaking seemed to freeze solid pretty quickly. It's like saying "Well this project is a complete failure, let's move ahead with it anyway."

That is an excellent point! It seems so obvious when you say it, but I missed it entirely, and I'll bet so did the writers.

[Tigermegatron]

I think what's worst about this is that the show is nearing its conclusion and they just did the "and now we're Beast Hunters" complete with a new title sequence, yet it's the same boring generic story as ever, "the stakes have never been lower!"

I find it odd Megatron would even approve the cloning of more Predacons at this point. I mean, he has not been impressed by the results Predaking has had, seeing as he failed the two times they've used him thus far. Not to mention the Predacons seem to have vulnerabilities the current Cybertronians do not. Predaking seemed to freeze solid pretty quickly. It's like saying "Well this project is a complete failure, let's move ahead with it anyway."

That is an excellent point! It seems so obvious when you say it, but I missed it entirely, and I'll bet so did the writers.

TFP/BH Megatron uses his drones as troop builders for the sole purpose of beefing up the battle field. since most of megatron's drones are stupid,they exist to fight & get easily killed. with the drones megatron doesn't expect much from them,so if they fail or succeed it doesn't upset him. Megatron cloning the Predacons to use in battle as troop builders is in line with what megatron uses the drones vehicons & drones insecticons for. To megatron the drones/clones mean nothing,as long as they beef up his army on the battle field,then this makes megatron satisfied.

Often times in the TFP/BH Cartoon series megatron uses his drones/clones as shields to protect his other higher ranking decepticons.
When Megatron is after a rare item & the autobots are trying to prevent him from getting it. Megatron uses his drones/Clones as troop builders to slow the autobots down on the battle field------> Their is no doubt Megatron plans to use the Predacons clones for these purposes.

[Almighty Unicron]

The thing is, presumably the Vehicons came with Megatron from Cybertron, and these vehicons are regular decepticon transformers, made on Cybertron via the same methods other transformers in this continuity are "born", but ultimately, Megatron doesn't have to spend his limited resources on creating them. That's not the case with the cloned Predicons, who need to be created in vats using energon and physical materials that are in short supply. With Predaking having less success than a squadron of vehicons (whose only cost in upkeep must be some energon rations), it makes no sense for Megs to keep sending him out.

[Sparky Prime]

Chain of Command
Predaking is still frozen solid after we last saw him a couple episodes ago. Apparently the Decepticons never bothered to go looking for him, even though Megatron calls him an asset in this episode and is currently scouring the planet to make more like him. But the Predacon is able to thaw itself out using it's internal flame generator, which begs to question why he let himself freeze in the first place. And Megatron is impressed with the Predacon's resilience, even though Optimus and Arcee spent a lot longer when they were in the Arctic without freezing like that...

Wheeljack brings Miko with them on the mission... Seriously? We still haven't gotten past this? How many times do she had to get herself into mortal danger before she learns her limits. But oh hey, turns out she can use the Apex Armor. Not sure how since the armor even in it's deactivated state is bigger than she is, but it allows her to survive Predaking and then beats up Starscream and two Vehicons by herself. Although Predaking still leaves with the fossil. And Wheeljack decides to go solo. Again.

Also worth noting, apparently Predaking recognized the fossil he found. When he looked at it there was a vision of another Predacon... So the Predacons have a genetic memory or something?

[Almighty Unicron]

Did he have a vision of another predacon? I wasn't paying attention, and stupidly deleted it off my DVR by now. Did this vision resemble any of the other toys on the market right now?

I'm honestly surprised how long it's taking for Predaking to transform and any other predacons to show up, considering how short this season is: the cynic in me thinks that they don't have Predaking's model made and are stalling.

[Sparky Prime]

Did he have a vision of another predacon? I wasn't paying attention, and stupidly deleted it off my DVR by now. Did this vision resemble any of the other toys on the market right now?

It's right after Wheeljack's bomb explodes and Predaking finds the fossil in the rubble of the cave. The camera suddenly zooms in on it and we see a vision of another dragon surrounded by flames. The design I'd say looked somewhat like Skystalker.

I'm honestly surprised how long it's taking for Predaking to transform and any other predacons to show up, considering how short this season is: the cynic in me thinks that they don't have Predaking's model made and are stalling.

Yeah, I was expecting to see Predaking's robot mode by now and a little more development with the plot as well. We're pretty much half way through this season already with only 7 episodes left.