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Season Two, Episode 2: Coming of the Fuzors, Part 1
Reviewed by Blackjack

Episode Review

Much better. This is how you introduce characters, by making them integral to the story. After the hullabaloo last episode, this issue gets back into form. Dinobot's dialogue is superbly scripted in this episode, and he even quotes Hamlet again! And references to Predator and old Western films... You don't get that in All Hail Megatron, do you? Dinobot is characterized superbly in this episode, contemplating about destiny and such. Meanwhile, Megatron is back to form. He's no longer a bumbling idiot, but rather retains the more sinister plotter we saw at later episodes in Season One. And he still manages to be a ham. Inferno, Waspinator and Rattrap all get nice scenes to themselves, especially Rattrap's dealing with leadership. Waspinator's little bout of alliance, while a little out of character, does lead into one of the more hilarious scenes ever.

The new guys introduced are Quickstrike and Silverbolt. Quickstrike, is just another trigger-happy trooper, but his accent and awesome alternate mode endears me. He's more interesting than his earlier counterpart, Scorponok, anyway. Silverbolt is like an overblown hero, like someone out of a storybook, with a simple black-and-white outlook, a stark contrast to, say, Rattrap. The Spiders' treacherous planning is handled much better than Starscream or Terrorsaur, and it doesn't interfere yet with the main story. Rhinox is obviously trying to revive Primal, that much is certain, which is a shame since it seems like next episode would be a big Primal toy advertisement. It's a much better start to a two-parter than 'The Trigger' and much more interesting. While toy advertising is still rampant with the Transmetals and Fuzors, it's not made such a big deal like last episode. Dialogue is simply fantastic. And the cowboy homage at the end, with the thing going into sepia... superb.

Notes

It's the debuts of Quickstrike and Silverbolt. Quickstrike is a scorpion with a cobra head for his tail, while Silverbolt is like a Gryphon with wolf parts (and a wolf face) instead of lion parts. Quickstrike's character is based on a cowboy while Silverbolt is a somewhat akin to a chivalrous knight.

The way Dinobot covers himself in mud to avoid being seen by infrared sensors is a homage to Predator.

A third stasis pod can be seen near the Fuzors' two pods. Its occupant's corpse could be seen before Quickstrike and Silverbolt arrive. This is presumably the same protoform whose hand appears in the end of the last episode. Presumably it died because it didn't have a chance to scan an alternate mode.

Silverbolt's line as he makes up his name "I think my name is...Silverbolt. Yes! Pure, strong, and...and fast." is a reference to the first line of G1 cartoon's Silverbolt after being created by Vector Sigma.

Dinobot quotes Hamlet again, "To be or not to be." Afterwards, his line is a misquote from Ebenezer Scrooge from a Christmas Carol.

As he prepares to leave the Maximal base, Cheetor's Maximal insignia lights up and fills the screen, acting as a scene-wiping transition in the style of the G1 cartoon.

Dinobot carries ammo strips around his body in the style of G2 characters.

The final scene of the episode is a reference to old Spaghetti Western films, right down to the music, the tumbleweed, the slow-motion, the sepia tone at the end and Quickstrike.

Goofs

After Megatron shoots Silverbolt, the smoke in his shoulder gun barrels (well, T-Rex hands) stay in the same place even when he is moving.

When Rattrap explains the situation to Dinobot, his thumb is golden, but the rest of his hand is the correct silver.

Why didn't Rhinox tell Rattrap what exactly he is planning to do?