"Decepticon Air" commentary.

[seiberwing]

And we're back to the wtf territory, albeit not as bad as Five Servos of Doom. Great episode, mind, but still very wtf.



Sentinel Prime. What the fucking fuck. I really wish Optimus would stop risking his life for this asshole just because Sentinel gives him a little salute and congratulations or job offer. Abusive relationship ahoy. He even sent the SOS in code only Optimus would understand to make sure nobody else knew he was in trouble--if Optimus had a touch more political awareness he'd break it to the council and get him denounced as incompetent or something rather than letting him take over.

I mean, I loved the Decepticons in this episode. Blitzwing was logical and a bit more sedate this time, which I approved of. The clones were at least not useless and got their lines in. Lugnut wasn't the brightest of bolts but he made up for it with effort and the whole bug-on-windshield thing at the end was awesome in part because I know the next scene would have involved a bomber-caliber squee on his part. Swindle completely stole the episode by generally being a magnificent greedy bastard and also by having Optimus crawl out of his chest. Jazz and the twins played their parts pretty well, albeit a bit submissively. Sari...you know, I'm not even touching that. Maybe it'll get reasonably explained, maybe she's going more Sueward, I don't know, and I'm trying my damnedest not to care.

But Sentinel seriously crossed the line here. Every single thing he did was throwing his weight around, asserting authority completely unreasonably when it would have been better just to let Optimus have his head and actually do something useful with himself. He was willing to have Blitzwing kill him rather than surrender, not because of principle but because it would mean he was wrong. He's taking over the Autobots when there's theoretically a chance Ultra Magnus will pull through. It's obvious that the power's gone to his head, but I'm starting to wonder if it's making him a little mentally unstable.

Last two seasons he was a jerk who got his karmic comeuppance within the episode if not the hour. Last we saw, him, he was an irritating dick but was generally shown up. Now he's making a move for Magnus and absolutely nobody is willing to step up and stop someone who is outclassed by a 16-year-old technoorganic in the leadership department from running Cybertron into the ground. This was the first episode so far that we haven't had a death or mangled body, and I was desperately hoping it would be Sentinel Prime who went. He'll get his eventually, this is a kid's show, but for my own satisfaction I hope it's soon.

And maybe it's just my Decepticon favoritism (especially Blitzwing), but watching them get paraded around in the cuffs at the end really made me wince. I dunno, I'm sure Megatron will come let them out eventually.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I'm pretty scared for Cybertron now. Optimus and Company better get their asses in gear.

When Sentinal was saying he wasn't going to let the rest of Cybertron know he'd let the Decepticons escape, I was thinking they were going to homage to the movie and the Elite Guard flagship would land on Cybertron full of Decepticons. That guy's got to go.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

If I didn't like Jazz and the twins so much, I wouldn't have minded.

Optimus and company are just kinda dicking around on Earth. It's valid dicking around, considering Megatron and (until recently) the other Decepticon major players are at large, but I'm thinking they don't even know what Sentinel Prime is really doing.

[spotlight-noa.livejournal.com]

You only like characters that are squeaky clean morally? O.o

Then why does anyone like Starscream?

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

And maybe it's just my Decepticon favoritism (especially Blitzwing)

Ahem.

[midoriri.livejournal.com]

Well, if any of the previous episodes are any indication, I think this season is going to be full of WTFness...
(Is it just me, or are a lot of TV shows doing that lately?)

And argh, I gotta start getting up early so I don't miss this stuff! DX

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

This is the season of the wtfness. Every time you think you know how things are going to go, Lockdown becomes a ninja or Sentinel Prime tries to take over the Autobots.

[onetruesikorsky.livejournal.com]

I just enjoy the show for what it is, because I don't think the people making the show are really stepping out of line with any of the characters. Sentinel is what he is, and that's not going to really change, except for some evolving traits.

Autobots are flawed. Decepticons take advantage of said flaws.

The end.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

because I don't think the people making the show are really stepping out of line with any of the characters.

I dunno, Prowl backtracking on the mods felt a bit weird. Broken Aesop, that.

Sentinel's got good character evolution, albeit evolution I didn't really see coming, I just don't like him as a person.

[onetruesikorsky.livejournal.com]

Prowl is a very centered mech, and very introverted. He may have finally realized that "It was the ninjabot not the weapon" but he probably also realized he needed an advantage over Lockdown because Lockdown had ninja training too.

He's also learned from Yoketron that he was using those mods and abusing their power, like he did in Fistful of Energon. Now, after Five Servos of Doom, he's using them for the greater good instead of his own thirst. You can tell when he's talking to Jazz that he's found himself. He's not about to go crazy with those mods again. He learned his lesson.

JMHO

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is mixed messages on how the mods actually work, psychologically speaking. Is there some actual 'high' involved in using them, or was it just Prowl hadn't matured far enough to use them responsibly?

[onetruesikorsky.livejournal.com]

I think he had forgotten about Yoketron's words of wisdom until Lockdown showed up with his sensei's helmet. Prowl found his wild side when using those mods, but once he realized what he was doing he came to his senses. His remembrance of Yoketron just grounded him even more. He seemed perfectly in control in Human Error, after all.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

Mmm, that's my other problem. Mind-over-matter was a oneshot technique in Bridge Too Close, but they've been way overusing it.

I liked Prowl's wild side. Wish they'd gone into that more.

[onetruesikorsky.livejournal.com]

I just enjoyed Jazz saying, "Woah, bro. P over M." XD

Though I must say if I mastered that technique, I'd use it to get out of a tight spot too.

If Lockdown had had more airtime I'm sure we would have seen more of Prowl's wild side. But those two are my OTP, so my opinion is mildly biased. >3

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

That just sounds wrong. Especially in Jazz' voice. The technique is fine for use in a pinch or getting out of cuffs, but it's kinda turning into the Sari's Key of all-purpose plot devices. He'll be opening pickle jars with it next.

I think those two are everyone's OTP.

[onetruesikorsky.livejournal.com]

*shrug* I like pickles.

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

So does Sumdac. Prowl laments this.

[kookaburra1701.livejournal.com]

Oh, Swindle! I loved him too. He's so deliciously sleazy. Is it just me or did his colors change to be more toy-accurate?

I got the squirms from the parading of the captured 'cons as well. Icky icky. But at least Lugnut is back with his BFF Megatron now!

And I agree- SP is going off the deep end here, and it's disappointing that nobody is stepping up to stop him. Of course, if OP had put him in his place in the beginning, the story would have been over so...

Now I'm wondering where Femscream is. They're running out of episodes to tie up the loose ends in!

[seiberwing.livejournal.com]

I don't think Optimus could have done much to stop him, I'm just annoyed that he didn't tell him to shut up and stop being a jerk.

Femmescream's probably off having lesbian cuddles with BA or something.