Victory (Beast Wars episode)

A rebellion (and explosion) at the Predacon base seemingly leads to a Maximal victory.

Summary
Through a secret spy cam installed in the Predacon base, the Maximals watch as the Predacons attempt to use a device to increase the size and power of energon crystals. But when the experiment fails and Megatron demands another crystal specimen for a retest, his troops refuse; apparently, the continuous testing has wasted most of their energon supplies, and this latest failure has convinced the other Predacons to turn on their leader. A firefight soon breaks out, which ends up detonating the remaining energon in a huge explosion that seems to destroy the Predacon base. As the video feed goes dead, the Maximals are shocked; they have just won the Beast Wars.

Heading to the Pred base to investigate, the Maximals find it in ruins, with little more than charred debris and a few scant Pred parts to confirm the group's demise. Rattrap, sensitive guy that he is, is rather pleased at the development, while Dinobot is more somber, enough to completely ignore Rattrap's attempts to pick an argument with him; despite defecting, he still feels some kinship with the Predacons, and laments their destruction. However, Dinobot's loss is the other Maximals' gain, as they decide to ransack the Predacon base for its star drive components in order to repair the Axalon for the trip home.

As the repairs are completed, Dinobot comes clean with Optimus about his mood as of late; he's convinced that he'll be executed as a Predacon criminal if he returns to Cybertron, and would rather try and tame the wild world they've found themselves on. Optimus, being an Optimus, tries to convince him that they'll stand up for him, but his mind is set, and is eventually let go to wander the wilderness. Just as the Maximals are ready to take off, though, the wandering Dinobot stumbles upon the very alive and functional Predacon crew hiding in a crevasse; they had found the spy camera before the incident, and used it to trick the Maximals into thinking them dead, planning on stealing the repaired Axalon and leaving the Maximals stranded. Dinobot makes a mad dash back to the Maximal ship to warn them of the Preds' duplicity, but gives himself away to the Preds, who give chase in an attempt to stop him.

Fortunately, Dinobot is able to get within the Maximals' visual range before he's gunned down, and Optimus and Cheetor head down to help him; the launch cannot be aborted, though, so he insists they take off without him or Dinobot if they're not able to get back on in time. Cheetor's able to get Dinobot to safety in the ensuing firefight, but Optimus is tagged by an errant missile from Scorponok, sending him plummeting. Soon afterwards, Megatron himself manages to get on board, and briefly takes out most of the other Maximals, before being subdued and ejected from the ship by Rhinox. The scuffle, though, has the unforeseen consequence of jamming Megs' tail weapon into the control console, cutting the Axalon's engines and sending it on a one-way trip back to terra firma.

All seems lost, when Optimus - now fully recovered - comes in to save the day, pulling a Superman and exhausting his jetpack to slow the ship's descent enough to ease it back in its original place. Although no one is critically injured, the collateral damage has been done; the Axalon will never fly again. And just to ensure that everything is back to normal, the episode ends with Rattrap and Dinobot verbally tearing into each other, to the other Maximals' amusement.

Quotes
"Cool. Now, aren't you glad we got cable?"
 * Cheetor upon seeing the fake uprising.

"Alas, poor Tarantulas. I knew him, Cheetor. This is the leg that stalked so many victims. That it should come to this..." "Aww, do you need a hug?"
 * Dinobot and Cheetor, sharing a moment.

"Give Waspinator more room! Tarantulas fat enough already!" "If Waspinator does not stop cuddling me like a stuffed toy when he sleeps, I'll eat him as well!!"
 * Tarantulas, shedding light on Waspinator and his soft side.

Stats
Writers: Wendy Reardon Original air date: November 1, 1996

Major characters (in order of appearance): Optimus, Dinobot, Megatron Minor characters (in order of appearance): Characters

Technical/Animation glitches

 * When Dinobot is shot by Megatron's forces, he falls. After the cutaway to Primal, it pans out to show Dinobot "floating" on the ground for a few seconds.

Continuity errors

 * Error

Transformers references

 * Dinobot's aversion to being rescued was explained in the previous episode.

Real-world references

 * Dinobot paraphrases Hamlet for the first (and not the last) time upon finding several of Tarantulas's legs.
 * The exchange between Dinobot, Rhinox & Rattrap as Optimus saves the Axalon ("Look! Down in the sky! Is it a bird"? "Maybe a plane?" "No, it's Optimus!") riffs on a cliche line from Superman, as does the John Williams-esque music that plays immediately afterward.
 * When Optimus Prime falls from the Axalon after Scorponok shoots him down, it is eerily familar to the famous death scene in the movie King Kong.