Beast Machines

Episode 4: Mercenary Pursuits

SPOILERS AHEAD

SYNOPSIS:

The 2nd episode with just the Vehicon Generals (not their hordes).
Jetstorm tries to fly one past Megatron but he punishes them all for not
completing their task of capturing the Maximals.
Megatron sends them off with promise of reward if they suceed.
Thrust and Jetstorm fight it out as Tankorr continues to hunt for the
Maximals.  Jetstorm doesn't regard Tankorr as competition.
Primal learns that he lost Rhinox and Silverbolt.  He senses a "familiar
spark" and divides the team to find it.
Cheetor and RatTrap stumble across a heavily fortified building to find
the anti-virus.
They assume that this is probably where Megatron developed
the virus.  The virus is a "Transformation inhibitor" of some sorts.
Cheetor goes to tell Primal as RatTrap gets ideas of using the 
"Transformation enhancer" on himself.
Joined by Cheetor, Primal and BlackArachnia get close to the spark only
to discover Tankorr!  The Maximals evade to a rooftop to avoid a conflict
only to be distracted by an elated RatTrap.
RatTrap can now transform!  All are astonished at his wheels-instead-of-legs
form!  Pretty freakish indeed!

Well, Tankorr is able to lock on and he attacks as RatTrap has trouble
maintaining either form.  The counter-virus is not without side-effects.
Tankorr gets a headache trying to lock onto RatTraps wacky signature.

The other Generals are alerted and stop brawling long enough to pursue
the Maximal signals.  The Maximals decide to fight.  Cheetor gets swatted
away, Tankorr manages to put his arm shield between him and BA's stab attack.
Tankorr captures them by shooting what seems to be a giant street lamp, the
dome covers the Maximals.  The other Generals show up.  Not wanting to share
their reward, Thrust and Jetstorm attack Tankorr.

The Maximals escape the dome as Tankorr fires on some highly explosive
container and all, except Tankorr, are rendered unconscious.

Tankorr, eager for his reward, brings the Maximals to Megatron where
Megatron has to gloat first.  Tankorr demands his reward -- freedom.
The other Maximals understand it as meaning Tankorr's spark will be
removed from the body.

RatTrap keeps on shifting between forms and eventually breaks his energy
cuffs, the others nod over to the control panel which RatTrap disables.

Primal regains Megatron's attention and Tankorr pursues the Maximals.

The Maximals are hit and loose their concentration, causing them to revert
back to beast mode.  Primal gets in contact with Tankorr's spark and
confuses Tankorr into attacking Megatron.  Megatron strikes Tankorr with
lightning which only enrages Tankorr.  Megatron uses some kind of power
tentacle on Tankorr but RatTrap gnaws it off -- curing his uncontrollable
transformation.

Tankorr blows a hole in the chamber doors and they all escape.  Megatron
is enraged again and assumes his Dragon form.  Tankorr joins the Maximals.
Megatron deletes Tankorr's recent memory files so Tankorr forgets all
of Primal's communication with Tankorr.  In essense, Tankorr returns to
being evil.  Primal tries to re-establish the spark connection but Megatron
has a CPU lock-out in the form of a "busy signal" and "answering machine"!

Black Arachnia ensnares Tankorr in webbing and pulls him over where
his charging cannon blows him up through several levels of Cybertron.
The recovered Thrust and Jetstorm resent Tankorr as Tankorr comes bursting
out of the ground landing on them!


DESIGN NOTES:

I really like the speed blur used for Thrust transforming and the
Generals charging Tankorr.  The "running at you fast" scenes with Cheetor
and Black Arachnia were a bit awkward.  Although one can notice how
BA's hair moves much easier with a bright background.

I think this is the first time Cheetor transforms in mid-air.

A "freeze-and-change-camera-angle" scene where Tankorr blocks BA's attack.
Pretty cool!


IMPRESSIONS:

This episode mainly established more character depth to the Vehicon Generals.
We see their motivation and tempers.


ANSWERS:

The virus has been confirmed as something that restricts transformation.
Again, and they may be correct, the Maximals assume Megatron came up
with the virus and the counter-agent.

We finally see RatTrap transform... and contort, and go nuts.
Poor guy must have a complex by now.

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