From kendrick@io.com Wed Nov 15 11:09:21 CST 1995
Article: 26121 of alt.toys.transformers
Path: news.io.com!io.com!not-for-mail
From: kendrick@io.com (Kendrick Kerwin Chua)
Newsgroups: alt.toys.transformers
Subject: TF Weekday 11/15 - Grimlock's New Brain
Date: 15 Nov 1995 11:08:07 -0600
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TF Weekday Nov 15 1995 - Grimlock's New Brain

The EI/AD: Anti-Electrons, which fritz Cybertronian circuitry, are this
episode's alien device... Not an evil invention, because they're fished
out of the innards of that wacky guy Unicron!

The plot: Grimlock botches up the installation of a new power generator
on Cybertron, but that's no big deal... The Skugzoid mercenary and the
salacious salamander from 'The Gambler' have dropped pink anti-electrons
into the power system, making Cosmos and Sky Lynx crash and causing all
sorts of other minor technical ailments in the Autobots. Perceptor
suggests turning off the generator, and four Autobots head down (rather
blindly after Grimlock busts up the tracking device) only to succumb to
the close-range effects of the anti-electrons. Grimlock rips up the
generator with his 'rear molars,' with the amazing side effect of
amplifying his intelligence. While the Decepticons watch their plans go
down the tubes, Galvatron makes plans to enter Unicron's head with the
Terrorcons to retrieve more anti-electrons at the advice of the
salamander. Grimlock begins to repair everything and out-think everybody,
which makes him invaluable to the Autobots but also alienates him from
his fellow Dinobots, who don't think he's any fun anymore. In the fight
in Unicron's head, Rodimus and Co. succumb to the anti-electrons yet
again, and Grimlock seems to abandon them... But out of the ruins of
Unicron's internals, he creates five new Autobots and infuses them with
life... Nose Cone, Strafe, Afterburner, Lightspeed, and Scattershot. They
take on the Terrorcons who merge into Abominus, frightening them away.
Grimlock informs them that they also have a combined form, Computron....
But when Computron is formed, he realizes he lacks the intelligence to
utilize his vast brain capacity. So Grimlock transfers his inflated
intelligence into Computron, returning to his previous state. The
anti-electrons are lost, Computron soundly whomps Abominus, and the
Decepticons run away. Rodimus welcomes the Technobots among them, and
Grimlock revels in his innocent stupidity yet again.

The characters: For a Grimlock episode, it doesn't feel like you get a
lot of Grimlock, nor do you really feel his alienation. But it's still
nice to see him get some focus once in a while, even if he doesn't
transform at all through the entire episode. Too bad the Technobots
aren't as well-rounded as they were in 'Money is Everything,' but that's
forgivable in an intro episode. Cute how the Skugzoid is always obsessing
about his kids and family while Galvatron has his gun in his face... Also
a reminder that bad guys all have mothers too. What is that Salamander
doing in this episode, anyway? Didn't he go follow Defcon on some
wild-ass adventure?

The plot holes: Besides there being no real plausible explanation for
Grimlock's amplified intelligence, I have a big problem with the fluid
alliegiance of the Terrorcons, unless there's an implicit
Decepticon/Quintesson alliance of which I'm not aware. Speaking of fluids,
we have the recurring problem of water on Cybertron... The long-shot of
Cybertron shows no large bodies of water. 'War Dawn' shows rivers and
canals and stuff, but hardly any bridges of the type Grimlock is crossing
when the Dinobots invite him to fish. Fish? Fish? There were fish on
Quintessa (granted, big sharp-toothed cannibalistic fish) but on Cybertron?
   Funny that I don't see the actual construction of the Technobots as a
plot hole at all. Creation Matrix or Vector Sigma notwithstanding, I can
really believe that a super-intelligent Grimlock could create five
personalities, albeit child-like and impulsive ones. It's a lot like the
Flowers for Algernon syndrome... The only really intelligent people are
the ones who once allowed themselves to be really stupid.

Moving pictures: Eh, disappointing even if it's a classic episode. The
Technobots morph more than they transform, and Grimlock doesn't transform
at all. Also, you see Rodimus transform into his Hot Rod mode.
Interesting that deep in the tunnels of Cybertron, you see Rodimus
transform exactly the way the toys does (with the kitchen and sleeping
quarters part of his Winnebago appearing out of nowhere, the way Optimus'
trailer used to). They didn't recycle any of their stock Unicron's head
footage, which was nice.

The cuts: A bit of Grimlock's confused ramblings at the beginning is cut
("Where that lever?") which actually helps the introduction run a bit
sooner. There's also something which feels like a messy cut but isn't...
You see Strafe shooting up Unicron's internal defenses long before he's
even built, unless Grimlock thought it was necessary for Strafe to
introduce himself hours AFTER he was built.

Toys they should reissue: I might be interested in new Technobots...
Their futuristic vehicle modes makes them feel very much like
Japanese-only toys, along the lines of the Trainbots or the Breastforce.
I would be VERY interested to see Technobots that actually look like the
Romita drawings. A Nose Cone without huge arms or a Lightspeed with a
realistic chest would be nice toys.

Quotables:
"Perhaps you lack the intellectual capability to understand it."

"Dinobots ALWAYS fish together!"

"Me Grimlock no can help you anymore!"

KKC, anybody for a James Bond/Transformers crossover? Nah...
--
Kendrick Kerwin Chua - "London? You put the Eiffel Tower back... in London?!"
kendrick@io.com - WTB: 1980s Transformers, US and Japanese, and GIJoe figures
Necronomcon FAQ home page at http://www.io.com/~kendrick/necronomicon or anon
FTP at io.com:/pub/usr/kendrick -Personal home at http://www.io.com/~kendrick