by Whifflefire » Thu Dec 31, 2020 2:12 pm
- Motto: ""From Primus Every Help""
- Weapon: Gattling Gun
I'm surprised by the negativity about the show. I thought Earthrise was an improvement over Siege. The voice acting sounds better this time around, less noticeably slow (especially Jetfire), and more distinct. I may have just gotten used to the voices, but I can actually tell who's speaking when they're not on camera.
Given that the series juggles no less than three plotlines at any given point, I thought they did excellent at progressing all the plots in a cohesive, orderly manner. I feared that one subplot would dominate the others or otherwise distort the story, but the Ark crew, Elita's crew, and Megatron's stories are all told well, no filler scenes or unnecessary diversions. I think being so well balanced is an accomplishment over Siege, where some parts felt like they kind of dragged (like Magnus and Megatron's ages-long expository talk).
The characters were handled very well for the most part as well. Besides the big names, the B-listers are not forgotten, and new characters are given a chance to make their impressions. The Mercenaries have their time in the spotlight without displacing the true villains, and while their roles are limited, they are not meaningless. Scorponok is probably the only character with wasted potential, as his vendetta against the Quintessons seemed to be leading to his allying with the Cybertronians. Instead he is disposed of as an equal-opportunity threat for a brief team-up. It would have been neat to see Megatron convince him to join the Decepticons as a way to end the truce and put the Autobots back on the defensive. (On the subject of his size, he is basically toy-scale with the others. Not likely to have a base mode, but he does get to show off his robot mode! No headmaster though, although he was stated to be his own species so he may have some tricks if he shows up again).
I was pleasantly surprised by Sky Lynx's appearance, as I could not imagine how they could incorporate him. He was true to his original character while also being a unique take. His conceitedness here was a negative trait that resulted in him being punished by Alpha Trion. Through this punishment he was able to redeem himself and become the hero we know Sky Lynx to be. I noticing this trend with many of the WFC characters. They start out with different personalities than how we know them, only to gain their more familiar roles as the series goes on. Ratchet was not always a medic, Impactor was a villain, Bumblebee is becoming more open and friendly, Optimus is becoming more competent. I suppose this is fitting since the series is supposed to take place earlier in the timeline then normal. It's a good way to keep characters true to form while also being new spins.
While not everyone can be in the spotlight, the Ark crew all get a moment or two to contribute to the plot. Mirage gets an especially awesome use of his powers. Even Cog, the Huffer of Siege and almost entirely absent until the last episode, suddenly becomes a Cint Eastwood character (or Batman?) and nearly steals the show!
The appearance (and plot relevance) of Scrapface was also a welcome surprise. The Cybertron plot was compelling and tense, and managed this through dialogue and action without wasting any characters. Elita's crew is treated very well, and while I feel the team were cheated by the bizarre absence of Omega Supreme, I don't blame the writers for not overextending themselves. Omega's absence at least makes for a good trick by Elita over Shockwave.)
Overall, the series was a step up from Siege, and definitely one of the strongest pieces of Transformers storytelling since Prime. I may be reeling from the newness, but I was thoroughly entertained, and give it at least a B+ (Siege was like a low B-). If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend giving it a shot.
