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Cartoon Viewing Club: Zob's Thoughts on "Victory"

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Zobovor

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Feb 15, 2018, 7:27:29 PM2/15/18
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The Beast Wars pilot was one of the most exciting things that happened in the 1990's.  It was the first new Transformers TV series in America after a hiatus of many years, and it was in exciting, modern-era computer animation!  I taped the two-part pilot episode and watched it frequently, and I found myself desperately craving new episodes.  Then a lot of stuff happened—I got married, moved across the country, and got a job.  I didn't have Internet access for a bit and I was only vaguely aware that Beast Wars was supposed to come back on the air.  So, "Victory" was the first new episode I managed to catch.  Even though I missed a number of episodes, it's amazing how well the episode is structured for newcomers—I was able to jump right into the story with no problems.

"Victory" first aired on November 1, 1997, and was the 12th episode of the series.  It was written by Wendy Reardon, a Warner Brothers production assistant who also submitted scripts to Nickelodeon's CatDog and the Savage Dragon cartoon series.

As our episode begins, Megatron is ostensibly working on an energon refinement process as the other Predacons look on anxiously.  When the energon crystal is shattered in the attempt, though, Terrorsaur expresses some strong objections to the whole experiment.  "I refuse to serve such an incompetent leader any longer!" he balks, citing how many energon crystals Megatron has wasted up to this point.  We see that the Maximals are observing this entire exchange from their base, having installed a spy camera within the Predacon base at some point previously.  ("Aren't you glad we got cable?" Cheetor quips, a joke that seems horribly dated now.)  When Terrorsaur, Scorponok, and Waspinator all pull their weapons on Megatron, the Predacon leader ducks behind the energon crystal an instant before the weaponsfire hits the energon.  There is an explosion, and the Maximal viewscreen is nothing but static.  The Maximals even feel the shockwave from the Predacon base explosion, prompting them to investigate.

Now, it's not too much of a spoiler for this 20-year-old episode to reveal that this is all a ruse.  The Predacons discovered the Maximal spy camera and decided to set up a little role play for Optimus Primal's benefit.  This isn't revealed until a bit later, though, and the end result is that watching the episode for a second time, knowing what you know in advance from the previous viewing, is nothing like watching it the first time around.  I love when television and film can accomplish this.  It's clear the Maximals have been completely fooled by the Predacons' play-acting, too.

From outside the perimeter of the Darksyde, the Maximals (in beast mode, of course) have come to reconnoiter.  The Predacon ship is intact but appears to be totally devoid of life.  Rhinox confirms this, using a goofy-looking gadget that is rather preposterously strapped to his rhinoceros hoof.  Almost any of the other Maximals actually have manual dexterity in beast mode (Primal, Rattrap, even Dinobot), so to have Rhinox operate this gizmo is ridiculous.  "We may have to accept a rather unexpected development," Primal realizes.  "It looks like the Maximals... have won the Beast Wars."  

Inside, Primal authorizes the search for space drive parts to repair the Axalon, but warns that the Predacon ship is still dangerous territory.  Rattrap enjoys some good-natured ribbing of Dinobot, but the former Predacon warrior is uncharacteristically somber.  Rattrap stops to question why Dinobot isn't responding to his playful banter in the usual manner.  "Can't you figure it out?" Primal responds grimly.  Rattrap offers further concerns about Dinobot's continued presence with the Maximal group.  He points out, quite correctly, that Dinobot only defected to the Maximals because he perceived them to be on the winning side, not because the Maximal ideals aligned with his own.  "He's a soldier; with the enemy gone, who's he gonna fight?" is the query Rattrap poses.  Primal is unresponsive for now, suggesting he's either busy considering this prospect, or that he had already arrived at a conclusion some time ago.

While Dinobot is further exploring the deserted ship, we see a creepy set of familiar spider legs creeping up on the wall just behind him.  He turns around in shock, but it's only Cheetor being a goofball.  Apparently he found the legs of Tarantulas (either spare parts, or ostensibly what remained of him after the explosion).  Dinobot launches into a Hamlet-esque monologue, but I'm not really sure it works.  He really would need to be holding a skull, or a robot helmet, or something cranial in shape to properly mirror the "alas, poor Yorick" speech.  Holding up a set of floppy spider legs just doesn't quite have the same impact.  I guess the writers couldn't include any pieces of the Predacons that were actually vital to their operation (like the actual head of Tarantulas), but what would have stopped them from, say, finding Megatron's T. rex head?  It's just his gauntlet in robot mode, and we've seen in some episodes that he "really" has two normal robot hands (even if the actual Kenner toy didn't have hands of any kind at all).  

This scene does downplay the rather morose fact that these are robots who are playing with the corpse parts of other robots whom they believe to be dead.  That's just creepy.

Back at the Axalon, the Maximals are installing the salvaged space drive parts while Dinobot is outside, watching the lightning and sulking.  Everyone seems to have their own opinions on what their next order of business should be.  Rattrap is still worried about Dinobot's intentions.  Cheetor is excited to get back to galactic exploration.  Primal is concerned about recovering the stasis pods and the rest of the Maximal crew (including the recently-created Tigatron) and then heading back to Cybertron.  (I imagine recovering Protoform X is of particular importance to him.)   The entire background of the Axalon is black, with only the space drive visible, thus eliminating the need for the animators to create a CGI model for the Axalon interior (there was a model for the ship's bridge and a couple of corridors and I think that's it).  It actually looks cool, though, so they get a free pass.  They used this same trick in Star Wars: A New Hope in the X-Wing Fighter hangar so they only had to build two physical X-Wings but imply that there are many more in existence.

Dinobot returns in better spirits, making pointed cracks at Rattrap once more (a surefire sign he's gotten over his funk).  He says that returning to Cybertron simply isn't an option, since he would be regarded as a Predacon criminal and likely treated as such.  (The Maximal Elders would likely try and convict him for the theft of the golden disk, as the only surviving Predacon associated with the theft.)  So, he has elected to remain behind on this unknown, prehistoric planet to live out his days as master of the wilderness.  (Primal is, at this stage, entirely unaware that this is prehistoric Earth.  None of the Maximals has any idea of the repercussions of Dinobot potentially interfering with the development of Earth in its infancy, nor are they yet aware of the presence of the Ark and the ancient Autobots on that world.)

Well, Primal respects Dinobot's decision, though he's not thrilled about it.  "It will, eventually, lead to your destruction," he warns his friend.  Nonetheless, Dinobot walks off into the building storm, which is where act one of our episode ends.

After some commercials for Ninja Turtles: the Next Mutation and Tomb Raider for PlayStation, we're back.  A cute little white rat (a shameless recycling of Rattrap's CGI model) is scavenging for food when Dinobot comes stomping by and scares the poor thing into a pit.  Dinobot walks right on by, totally oblivious to the roden'ts fate... as it slides into the ravine and is gobbled up by a waiting Tarantulas.  Turns out that he and the other Predacons are hiding and waiting, using an experimental energy signature masking device invented by Blackarachnia to conceal their presence from scanners.  The Predacons have been cooped up for at least one night now (Tarantulas complains about Waspionator getting too snuggly when they were trying to sleep) and the infighting in is full force.  (The script calls for Tarantulas and Waspinator to continue arguing, with the actors ad libbing the fight, and at one point Waspinator says, "I'd like to see you try!"  It's incredibly rare for Waspinator not to refer to himself in the third person.)  Terrorsaur, in particular, is going stir crazy and starts cackling like an insane person until Scorponok belts him one.  (Mainframe liked to recycle sound assets on this show, and Terrorsaur's laughter was actually borrowed from an earlier episode where he's doing a legitimate evil laugh, not just freaking out.)  

Scorponok blames Terrorsaur for discovering the spy camera by inadvertantly tripping over the cord, but Megatron assures everyone they are only going to hide until the Maximal ship is repaired, after which they will attack.  Given what we know about Megatron, and prehistoric Earth, this plan makes absolutely zero sense.  If the Maximals genuinely believe the Predacons have been destroyed, then it behooves Megatron and his group to wait until the Axalon has departed so that Megatron can proceed to the ancient Ark and destroy Optimus Prime and the Autobots unabated.  He does mention that they can use the Axalon to collect the stasis pods, but couldn't they do the same thing with the Ark or one of its auxiliary craft?  Megatron does mention some time later that he was unsure whether or not he wanted to begin tampering with history, so maybe this episode is during a stage in his career when he's still hesitant to start screwing around with the timeline.

All the noise has drawn Dinobot's attention, however, and the Predacons become aware that he's watching them.  They launch a short-lived aerial strafe attack, which is cut short when Dinobot knocks a large rock down upon Terrorsaur and Waspinator.  Megatron and the remaining three arachnids transform and Dinobot is forced to run for his life.  Back at the Axalon, Tigatron has rejoined the group, having previously served as the self-appointed guardian of the frozen tundra elsewhere on the planet.  "It feels strange to be inside an artificial structure," he notes, a reminder of the fact that he was a damaged protoform who is more at home a a tiger than as a robot.  (Just about all the protoforms on this show were touched in the head in some fashion or other, weren't they?  Except for Airazor, I guess, who is drop dead boring.)

The Axalon prepares to take off as the engines are primed and the startup sequence is initiated.  Rattrap is promising Tigatron a trip to a "sweet little hole in the wall" on Cybertron that he knows when the Maximals spot Dinobot heading for the Axalon with the Predacons in hot pursuit.  He's blasted in the back and falls to the ground as we hit our second commercial break.

With CGI in its infancy, there were some physics problems that were unavoidable.  Dinobot's model wasn't meant for extreme contortions, so when he arches his back and looks behind him, the rib armor parts surrounding his upper torso all phase into his body, and each other, because there's nowhere for them to go.  Despite Rhinox's protests that the launch cycle can't be interrupted, Primal is determined to go back outside and try to rescue Dinobot.  He orders Rhinox to proceed with the launch no matter what happens.  With that, he lowers his face shield and goes to work.  (I remember the fandom was quite delighted when the show revealed that Optimus Primal had a battle mask that he occasionally used, which made him look more like the faceless mask of the Kenner toy.  It also helped him to more closely resemble Optimus Prime.)

The ever-brazen Cheetor is determined to help out, so he jumps onto the elevator in mid-descent to join Primal. Tigatron wants to go as well, but he's overridden by Rhinox.  Outside, Cheetor provides cover while Primal launches into the air to try to secure Dinobot, with Predacon firepower lancing the air all around him.  He manages to recover Dinobot, but Terrorsaur shoots him down.  Megatron makes a play for the Axalon, but Tigatron mans the cannons and knocks them all down.

With the ship lifting off, Cheetor crawls halfway onto the elevator.  Primal is carrying Dinobot's unconscious form and manages with a mighty throw to toss Dinobot to the elevator as well.  Scorponok fires a well-placed claw missile.  (I remember the first time Scorponok's missiles were emblazoned with Maximal symbols and the story editors tried to play it off as being deliberate; i.e., as if to say, "this missile has your name all over it, Maximals."  Well, not surprisingly, the mistake was still fixed, and in this episode Scorponok's missiles have Predacon symbols on them.)  Primal is knocked out of Cheetor's grip and the episode plays up the pathos of the moment.  There is zero music and no sound effects during this moment, which is a really effective way of conveying the disastrous turn of events.  

Megatron makes a run for the ship as it's taking off and manages to grab one of those weird weather vane things poking off of the bottom, almost like a reverse Cloud City moment.  The Maximals barely have a moment to reflect on the loss of Optimus when Megatron arrives on the bridge and starts opening fire, knocking out Maximals left and right.  Only Rattrap remains.  He attempts to squeak out his activation code to switch to robot mode, but Megatron grabs him before he can finish and threatens to squeeze him to death in his T. rex gauntlet.  Rhinox awakens and, seeing that his best friend is in jeopardy, rushes towards Megatron.  He delivers a sucker punch that sends Megatron reeling, and finished the job by throwing him onto the elevator and dumping him back onto the planet.  

However, in the process, the pointed tip of Megatron's T. rex tail pincher has pierced the Axalon controls, and alarms begin to sound.  The Maximals are in freefall as the Axalon engines cut out and the entire ship falls back to the ground.  A few silly gags pop up in rapid succession, as if to nullify the seriousness of the moment.  For one, Rhinox and Dinobot fall right up against the viewer's television screen, even making a sound effect like a rubber squeegee against glass to hammer home the joke.  (How would metallic robots make such a sound against a glass pane?  Who knows?  Moving on.)

It turns out that the reason for the sudden stop is that Optimus has not only recovered, but he's in robot mode and somehow managing to carry the entire ship like he's Superman or something.  Primal struggled just to throw Dinobot a few feet into the air and onto the ship's elevator platform, and now suddenly he can lift an entire spaceship.  Sure enough, the music that starts playing is an upbeat heroic number filled with brassy horns, reminiscient of the Superman theme as written by John Williams, but different enough to avoid copyright problems.  Tigatron and Cheetor just gape at each other in disbelief.  ("Hmm, it feels strange to be inside a convenient plot device!" Tigatron doesn't say.  But he may as well have.)  Primal manages to set the Axalon down in precisely the same position it was in before, right between the exact same pair of rocky outcroppings.  Let's hear it for restoring the status quo!

"She won't fly again," Rhinox promises of the Axalon.  Meanwhile, Dinobot and Rattrap are up to their old antics, insulting each other in rapid-fire succession.  There's another odd sound asset appropriation when Rattrap suddenly screams for no real reason, and Primal and the Maximals laugh in response.  This wasn't part of the script (which simply calls for the argument to fade out) and I guess this was the sound editors' best way of making that happen.

Honestly, the episode is fantastic until it does a complete nosedive into Goofyville.  The tone of Beast Wars as a show, on the whole, was alarmingly inconsistent and the writers just never figured out whether it was a war drama or a screwball comedy.  It's certainly possible to mix both, but there was no sign of these goofy gags until about 20 minutes into the episode.  Beast Wars was a great show, but they sabotaged themselves so much by this bizarre mix of irreverent and serious.  The opposite of pathos is bathos, and it destroys genuine storytelling and turns the show into self-parody.  Optimus catching the ship is the climax of the episode, but the bathos renders the scene as largely anti-climactic.


Zob (ready for a return to G1 next month)

Zobovor

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Feb 22, 2018, 10:29:23 PM2/22/18
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Wow. Not even Gustavo came out to play this time. That's it, no more Beast Wars episodes for a while!


Zob (sigh)

Jonny Sorensen

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Apr 9, 2018, 9:59:23 PM4/9/18
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Reading you comments here about pathos/bathos I'd love to see your take on this (or any random episode) of the Japanese dub for Beast Wars.
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