Transformers Rewatch Original Season 3J

The Return of Optimus Prime- Parts 1-2

Written by Marv (Crisis on Infinite Earths, New Teen Titans) Wolfman!!! 

At least the story will be good.Who are these people testing a new metal near the sun? Did we need another season finale with annoying, freshly introduced humans? For completing the circle, they should have made them the jerk kids from end of Season Two. 

The scarred guy blames Optimus Prime for his scar in a very nicely animated in flashback battle between Prime and Megatron. Hey, I think this is the only time we see Megatron after the movie!!!

His scar is one little line. This is Doctor Doom level narcissism.
Optimus Prime has been found in pristine condition? No, he’s not. I saw him fly into that star. (And in 1986, I saw most of his head explode. I still have nightmares.)
The sun went NOVA!!!! Oh, it’s not our sun. They should have clarified that. 

Their metal survived AND they picked up some space spores. I’m sure it’s fine.
Oh good, another Mythabominacon and Technobot fight. Yawn. AND they merge mostly off screen. Well, the art is really nice in this one, they had to save money somewhere.
This other jerky scientist loves punching robots. He wasn’t even scarred. He just sucks. Robot Racism Rears once again.
So, it’s not even the Quintessons this time. These jerks decide to bring Optimus back to use the spores on the other Autobots. But they can’t, so they decide to melt him. That’s what happened when his ship flew into the sun. Don’t you people watch your own show?
Oh whew. They decided at the last minute to use dead Optimus as a lure, and not melt him. DUDE! Optimus Prime’s face is on fire. Put that out!

The woman is totally not on board with the robot racism here, good for her. Oh. But they’re going to completely remove the woman’s autonomy by forcing her to help with their anti-Transformer beliefs. *slow clap* great.
It’s odd we’ve never seen the Optimus Prime memorial statue before. 

Rodimus is whining again. Why must the writers hate him so?

The woman has not lost all of her autonomy. She tells the Autobots about the trap. Rodimus Prime, heir to centuries of being a moron, decides to run right into the trap. He’s bringing two combiners (Defensor and Superion) plus the Throttlebots (who?) and some others. A little late but it’s nice to get a roll call.

The Decepticon command group is Galvatron and Soundwave. The end of season, old timey days continue.
These jerks had like five spores, now there are rooms full. Then again, that’s what spores do.

Hey Rodimus, maybe bringing that many troops when you knew you were heading toward an infectious disease trap was a poor choice? 

Even better, it is a contact plague.

Here in the future the cops have 1980s cars and uniforms, but laser guns, which they had when the show was set in the 1980s present. I think the artists forgot it was in the future sometimes.
At least Rodimus rescued Optimus, but Wreck-Gar can’t fix him for “reasons.” Boy did he drop a truckload of Star Trek quotes, though.

How to fix Prime- “Bring me a Quintesson.” This is a bad plan.
This plague is like a really high stakes game of tag. 

Oh, good they turned off Metroplex before the sentient city could be infected. That was concerningly easy.
Plague victims glow bright red. That is handy. 

The plague makes those infected psychotically violent. Like weapons grade, crash the vehicle you’re in into a building violent. The death toll, which they are ignoring, must be insane.
Welp. Now everyone is infected, except a couple of them. 

Wait. How did the plague travel off planet when people just crash what they’re driving? It is the reason the Quintesson agrees to help so I guess we’ll just go with it.

Optimus Prime is back! He seems kinda ominous though.
Autobot lore? Really? This episode felt like entire scenes were missing.

Wow. No recap for part two. I guess they figured we were all on the edge of our seats since the day before. (We were.)
How does Optimus know Sky Lynx? From Four Million (and Twenty One) years ago maybe? 

Oh. The recap is now, for Optimus. That’s cheesy but logical…
And very long.
The Lynx part is talking. I’m still not sure if they share a consciousness.
The mission to get The Matrix back is going to be Kup, Wheelie, Blurr and the cassette Steel Jaw. We’re screwed. Oh, and Bumblebee. Maybe not.

Death is seriously temporary for Cybertronians. Sorry Ironhide and friends whose bodies we let explode with the “tomb world.”
Bumblebee was reformatted after repairs to Goldbug! The original Transformers / G.I. Joe cross over comic did it better.

Optimus Prime- “I have no plan.” Optimus is stupid without The Matrix. Great. Gee, we're so glad you’re back.
Oh. The woman has a plan. Because Spike is not here.
They’re going to use Chekov’s invulnerable metal.
Wait, SHE gets an exosuit? It should have been Carly. Justice for the Witwicky family! Why do we need new humans now? We barely cared about old ones.
Optimus Prime- “Transform- and roll out!!!!” Sixteen year old me- “Wooo-hoooo!” 

Also, Fifty-Four year old me - “Wooo-hoooo!”

Galvatron is the only Decepticon not infected. Yeah, he’s crazy … but talented.

Optimus’s first instinct is to team up with Galvatron. That “old friends” backstory explains so much.
Nice shading here. They really went out showing the money.
AAAH! Giant spider!!! Is this Char or Mordor? (Is this Char?) 

Galvatron betrayed them. No one is surprised. 

Goldbug is screaming his newly designed, shiny head off. He should’ve stayed Bumblebee.

Is that Blaster? He wasn’t on the list. I guess they gotta throw him in. I’m stunned Perceptor isn’t here.
AAAAH! Space metal leeches!!! This planet is terrible.
What? Wait, how did they get the plague? I see, Predaking and company snuck up on them. Must be hard to tippy toe when you’re glowing red and fifty feet tall.
Now only Optimus Prime, Galvatron and what’s her face stealing Spike’s exosuit are left. And- She spilled the plan to Galvatron. She sucks.

Sky Lynx saves the day. (Sorry they’re not the only ones.) Not a great return showing there, Prime.
Now she’s infected, and Cyclonus got Galvatron because he’s unstoppable.

It’s been quite a while. Will there be any of Earth left?
The voice actors had a cackling field day with this one.
Optimus Prime coated himself with the indestructible metal. Now everyone is red, but he is gray… Like when he died. That’s not creepy at all.
The big climax is Optimus versus Rodimus. Why do the writers hate my boy?
It’s a one on one battle between Autobot leaders… plus Sky Lynx. Never mind. He got infected. Well done everyone.

I don’t think an arc welder is the threat to Optimus Prime that Rodimus thinks it is.
Rodimus overcomes the plague with his own will power and hands over The Matrix, proving his worthiness.
I’m kidding.

Optimus batters Rodimus to the ground and Rips The Matrix out. Rodimus is continuing to look terrible. Jerky writiers.

How to solve it? Optimus decides to go Into The Matrix. Doesn’t he need a near death experience to do that? I guess being dead for a while has some perks. 

Did the other Primes notice his consciousness wasn’t in there anymore? 

Hey Alpha Trion! What’s shaking?
There’s a really old Quintesson face in there! I need me some LORE. Not getting any though, just a vague “If any of you morons had wisdom you could stop it, but you don’t so you’re screwed.” Thanks, Skullfacimus Prime or whoever you are, very helpful.

Optimus- “Y’know where there’s lots of wisdom- In the Matrix!!!!” Or what he really says, “Light our darkest hour!” 

Dude, you just took Rodimus’s movie moment from him. Unicron was the darkest hour.
Anyway…
“THE TOUCH” WOO HOO!!! Only an Eighties power ballad has the wisdom to save the universe from hate.

The woman got taken back to earth while everyone was infected? Ok, they’re hate filled but helpful.
Jerky scientists, “We almost killed everyone. Sorry.”
Is Galvatron sane now? He seems remarkably low key.

Prime did say, “We’re all a little wiser.”
Optimus also tells Rodimus they’ll have to start filling The Matrix with wisdom again. 

Wait… 

Rodimus? He turned back into Hot Rod last episode when The Matrix just tumbled out. 

Is it really like Dumbo’s magic feather? “The Rodumusness was in you all along.”

Perhaps they should have focused on building up Rodimus instead of brining Optimus back. The US franchise only had one more three parter… and the Japan exclusive show straight up killed Optimus Prime again.

Ultra Magnus lore? They really went out on that scene and stuck this on instead of going for a better ending? Wow.

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