Metamorphosis

Detailed Synopsis

 * This episode begins with a brief recap of the tail- end of the previous, and first, episode of the series, "First Encounter." The recap is narrated by Rad and accompanied by a visual recap of Megatron and Optimus Prime grappling after their respective arrivals on Earth. Rad states that "from out of no where two giant mechanical beings appeared in the desert, bitter enemies from an ancient time. Now their feud has begun again and Earth is the new battle ground. How do I know all this? I was there! My name's Rad and little did I, or my two friends Carlos and Alexis, know but we were about to play a major roll in this battle's outcome." After the recap we see a brief interlude of Optimus Prime in vehicle and then robot mode.


 * The episode itself begins with Billy and Fred whining over the fact that they are trapped in the caves following the events of "First Encounter." The audience is then transported to the surface where Optimus, in countinuing his fight with Megatron from the previous episode, is seen throwing Megatron into the mountainside. Megatron proclaims that he wants the minicons. Alexis takes note of the term minicon, looking in the direction of Highwire.


 * Almost immediatly after this another warp conduit opens directly in front of the kids. The conduit reveals Starscream in his Cybertronian form.(Of note is the fact that the audience is shown a sequence featuring a close- up and, therefore, detailed look at Starscream's face as his "optic lids," for want of a better term, are retracted.- He opens his eyes). The next Decepticon to appear is Demolisher. Carlos and Rad look on in horror as Demolisher extends his hand to grasp one or both of them. Before Demolisher can do so, however, two conveniently timed and located warp conduits open directly behind the kids. This time the conduits, glowing in their Autobot red light, reveal first Red Alert and then Hot Shot.


 * Following a brief staring contest between the rivals, the kids, led by Alexis, and the minicon Highwire attempt to flee from the area. Starscream, squinting his optic lids, tracks them. Here we are shown Starscream utilizing either a UV filtration technique or night vision during the day. Starscream identifies Highwire and attempts to seize him. In the nick of time Hot Shot intercedes, saving Highwire. Alexis takes note of the Autobot symbol on Hot Shot's ShOuLdEr. Red Alert, likewise, hits Demolisher with the old one- two, causing Demolisher to stagger backwards and allowing the kids to run. Nearby, Megatron comments that Demolisher is a weakling as Optimus tackles him. Megatron, along with Starscream and Demolisher, then proceeds to warp out of the battle stating "I'll be back."


 * Optimus, Hot Shot, and Red Alert begin to put their age old and battle tested minds to the task of determining where the Decepticons warped to. It is immediatly determined that the Decepticons have warped, short range, to a nearby base and that said base must be located on Earth's moon. The motion carries and the episode goes on.


 * The Autobot's age old and battle tested minds are proven correct as, in the next scene, we see Megatron, Starscream, and Demolisher arriving at their base (the partial wreckage of the minicon ship) on the moon. The arrival of the trio awakens the slumbering Cyclonus who asks if their battle was a success. None answer except Megatron who commands Cyclonus to be silent. Megatron then asks Starscream if he had located the minicon ship during his scan of the planet. Starscream suggests that the ship might have been destroyed and that Cyclonus might have better luck locating it. Cyclonus asks Megatron to allow him to do so. Megatron agrees to allow Cyclonus to perform the search and adds the usual I will destroy you if you don't succeed motivational speech.


 * Back on Earth the Kids and Highwire have taken refuge in the caves. Rad believes that they should be safe there. Alexis says not to count on it as she believes that the robots will come looking for them. Rad doesn't see why until Alexis explains that the robots are obviously looking for the little robot (Highwire). Alexis asks Highwire if that is the case. Highwire responds in the characterisitic minicon beeps which confuses Alexis. Rad, professing his feelings vicariously through Highwire, explains that he believes that the little robot likes Alexis. Rad then asks if Alexis can understand what the robot is saying. Alexis admits "I haven't got a clue." Highwire begins speaking in minicon beeps and takes off running. The kids follow him. The group passes through a doorway then stops. The doors begin to close behind them. Alexis fears that they will be trapped. Rad states that if they can't get out then the robots can't get in. Alexis contorts and grows angry at this stating that they still can't get out.


 * The doorway is revealed to be an airlock, or some similar construct, as a second set of doors opens opposite of the first set. This reveals a shining and very mechanically active interior section of the ship. Rad exclaims that this is what the robot must have been trying to tell them about all along. Rad, very accurately, asserts that the robot had come here long ago in this ship to escape the larger robots. His visual imagining of this is unnaturally accurate as we are shown the sequence from the beginning of "First Encounter" which shows the escape of the minicon ship from Cybertron. Rad further states that maybe, just maybe, "the larger robots use the smaller robots to increase their power, or something." Could be anything really..... Though Rad says "that's the only reason I can think of."


 * Rad begins to further demonstrate his seemingly latent and precise knowledge of the Transformer race by activating a nearby computer. The computer dispalys an image of Megatron. Rad thenreads the computer, and says that this is Megatron. Rad presses another control and an image of Optimus Prime appears. Rad explains who this is and that he is an Autobot. Rad explains that the Autobot's goal is peace in the universe for everyone. Alexis notices the Autobot symbol on Optimus and recalls seeing this symbol on Hot Shot's ShOuLdEr earlier.


 * Highwire begins to "go haywire," according to Rad. Two more minicon panels then appear in a compartment nearby. Carlos and Alexis touch them and they open to reveal Sureshock and Grindor. Back on the moon Megatron has found a minicon panel and activates it with a power surge projected from his horns. The panel reveals Megatron's "old Mincon," Leader- 1. Megatron hints that he has some things in store for him. Back on Earth the Carlos and Alexis present vehicles for Grindor and Sureshock to scan, a scooter and a skateboard respectively.


 * On the moon Megatron is berating Cyclonus for failing to locate a Minicon that had been right under the Decepticon's noses. For "inspiration" Megatron has Leader- 1 shoot up his throan room. Demolisher then bursts in and declares that two more Minicons have been detected on Earth. Cyclonus, having somehow proven his Minicon tracking skills, is chosen to lead the recovery team (though he doesn't). Megatron then reveals his "modifications" to thier alternate modes on a computer screen.


 * On Earth Optimus Prime stands on a cliff surveying a local highway for Decepticon activity. Optimus scans a passing semi "to be safe." The scene ends with Optimus driving away in his new earth mode. Elsweher Carlos, Rad, and Alexis are joyriding on their new alien counterparts. After traversing over various terrain, including a lake or river, the group is ambushed by the Decpeticons. Megatron, Starscream, Cylclonus, and Demolisher, now in their "modified" (Earth) alternate modes surround the them. Shortly, however, the Decepticon ambush is ambushed by the Autobots. Optimus Prime shines in the next couple of minutes. Optimus T- Bones Megatron and drives him into a sheer wall. Optimus then offers the kids and the Minicons a lift. As the group boards Optimus's cab Demolisher appears looming over the scene. Demolisher does not shine in the next couple of minutes. First Optimus rams Demolisher. Next he shoots him, point- blank, in the face with a salvo from his trailers mini missile pod. Finally, as Demolisher falls over, Optimus proceeds to literally run him over leaving characteristic "I just got ran over" tire tread marks on Demolisher's face. Then as Demolisher attempts to pursue Optimus in his tank form Hot Shot T-bones him. Demolisher whimpers out a "help me." Starscream and Cylonus run to Megatron pleading for his help. The Decepticons give chase to the Autobots.


 * Despite the Autobots having a massive lead on the Decepticons they decide to stop and face them down. Optimus, for the first time in the series, transform into his "super mode." Hot Shot and Red Alert arrive and transform. The Autobots form a defensive line between the kids and Minicons and the Decepticons. Optimus declares to Highwire that he need not worry. He and the other minicons were going to be alright. Optimus didn't seem too concerned for the children's safety at this point. The episode ends with the Decepticon's transforming and the respective factions facing off for another fight.


 * And the battle continues....

Animation and/ or Technical Glitches

 * When Megatron agrees to allow Cylonus to search for the minicons early on in the episode, if you watch Cylclonus's hand as he salutes Megatron, the hand changes color from black, to the toy accurate gold/yellow, and back to black again. The same error occurs during the final scenes towards the end of the episode when the Decepticons are chasing the kids and their Minicons. When Cyclonus is in vehicle mode his hands are visible and they change color from black to gold/yellow and back to black. When he transforms they are gold again and stay that way.


 * How is it that the Decepticons cannot locate a section of the minicon ship that they are standing right on top of in their initial battle at the outset of the episode and yet within minutes of their arrival on Earth they have already located the other half of the ship, on the moon no less, and have already set up base their? Hmmmmm?


 * I know that humans often display superhuman powers in the Transformers mythos but seriously how could Rad instantly know how to read Cybertronian, work Cybertronian computers, and guess, down to the smallest detail how, when, and why the Minicons and the Autobots and Decepticons had come to be on Earth?


 * When Optimus scans the passing semi truck, initially, the highway pavement cannot be seen making it appear as though the semi were traversing raw barren desert for no apparent reason. This happens again after he is finished scanning it as well.


 * The same scene shows Optimus scanning the semi from two different sides. First the semi is headed to the East then to the West. ??

Transformers References

 * Optimus Prime's Cybertronian robot form very closely resembels the classic G1 appearence of Optimus Prime complete with smokestacks, Autobrands on both shoulders, and dual window chest plate.

Miscellaneous Trivia

 * The Minicons Highwire, Sureshock, and Grindor can, apparently, traverse solid bodies of water on their wheels....cool


 * During the opening battle of the episode we see that Cybertronian optical lids, at least in this continuity, actually function in a similar manner and with a similar purpose as human eye lids.


 * The moon gets awfully close to the earth on several occasions during the course of this episode


 * Carlos is ignorant


 * Rad is omnipotent


 * Alexis is mean


 * No one really blames Optimus for only registering concern for the Minicons