Victory In a Nutshell…
The Predacons go BOOM!! Dinobot paraphrases Shakespeare! The Axalon flies...and crashes...again!

All The Gruesome Details

Warning! Warning! Major spoilers ahead! Proceed at your own risk!

Don't want to read everything that happened in the episode? Well, fine then! Be that way! You can just darn well click here and skip to the next part, you spoilsport.

Ohhhhh, Megatron's messing with energon again. This can't be good...

He's apparently attempting to refine the energon, but his experimentation has obviously gone through a lot of energon because the other Predacons present--Terrorsaur, Scorponok, and Waspinator--are looking rather impatient. And this latest experiment fails, too, for the energon crystal, which had been growing, suddenly shatters. Megatron orders Terrorsaur to bring him another crystal. But Terrorsaur's in a confrontational mood, refuses to bring him another crystal and refuses to serve Megatron anymore.

Period.

Uh-ohhhh...

Suddenly, we're in the Maximal base, with the Maximals gathered round a monitor, watching the goings-on over at Pred Central. "Whoa! Bad karma at the loser lair!" is Cheetor's reaction to the scene. As the Preds continue to bicker on the screen, even Dinobot is moved to note that the dissension seems serious. Terrorsaur, Scorponok, and Waspinator all pull their weapons on Megatron, prompting Cheetor to exult, "Cool! Now aren't you glad we got cable?" Apparently, the Maximals (or, I should say, Rattrap) have installed a spy camera in Pred Central, and it's paid off big time.

On the screen, meanwhile, the rebelling Preds are firing on Megatron, who warns them that they're going to hit the energon...and then the screen suddenly goes to static and, a moment or so afterwards, the shockwave from an explosion rocks the Maximal base...The assembled Maximals all look at each other for a moment, dumbfounded...

But they apparently have to see the damage for themselves before they'll believe it (Perhaps they're from Missouri...) so they head off to the Predacon base, which looks, in Cheetor's words, "like, totally slagged." (Like, gag me with a spoon!) Rhinox reports no life signs aboard. Dinobot, staring at the Pred base, asks if the readings can be confirmed, Rattrap responds with a snide remark...but Dinobot completely ignores him while Optimus Prime comes to the realization that the Maximals have won the Beast Wars. But somehow he doesn't sound too happy about it...

Next thing we know, we're in the Pred base and it's both abandoned and in disrepair after the explosion. Still no life forms, Rhinox reports, but the energon field dampers are still operational. Rattrap's already transformed and he's eager to "pillage and plunder." Optimus agrees but "only for space drive parts." The base is still dangerous, he proclaims. So Rattrap suggests that Dinobot go first. And Dinobot, who's acting very distracted, not only agrees with Rattrap(!) but he doesn't even argue the point. As he walks away, Rattrap laments the fact that he can't get a rise out of his favorite object of torment and wonders "What's with him?" To which Optimus replies, "Can't you figure it out, you dork?" (OK, so he leaves off the "dork" part...but it's implied! I'm tellin' ya, it's implied! )

The Maximals--Rattrap, Optimus, Rhinox, and Dinobot, at least; who knows where Cheetor is--reach the space drive (Which looks more like an airlock, but whatever...). Dinobot says this is what they seek, that there are no hostiles, and that, if they don't mind, he's outta there, and he stalks off. Rattrap wonders what they're going to do with Dinobot. In turn, Optimus wonders why they should do anything with him and Rattrap asserts that with the Preds gone and no one else to fight, he'll turn on the Maximals. (Seems a bit paranoid to me, but whatever...). Optimus doesn't even dignify the opinion with a comment. Ignoring Rattrap, they set to work pilfering what they need from the Predacons' space drive.

Meanwhile, Dinobot's prowling his old stomping grounds. When he comes to a halt for a moment, we see Tarantulas' legs creeping up on him along a wall behind him. Dinobot senses danger, whirls with weapons at the ready--and finds Cheetor (So there he is!) holding some of Tarantulas' dismembered legs, playing a little joke on Dinobot. Dinobot demands to know where Cheetor found the legs and then snatches them out of his hand, holds them aloft like Hamlet with Yorick's skull and says, "Alas, poor Tarantulas. I knew him, Cheetor...This is the leg that stalked so many victims. That it should come to this..." (YAY! It's Dinobot's first Hamlet-inspired speech! Gotta love it!) In reply, Cheetor jokingly taunts Dinobot with, "Awwww, do you need a hug?" The joke's nearly on him as Dinobot looks ready to tear Cheetor limb from limb, but Rattrap intervenes. The Maximals are ready to go, he says. (That was quick...) As Rattrap and Cheetor head off, Dinobot stays behind to gawk at what's left of Tarantulas and the Pred base in general.

The Maximals apparently head back to their base, but Dinobot doesn't join them. Instead, he sits outside, on a bluff overlooking the base during a lightning storm, no doubt contemplating his future (He's good at doing that, don'tchaknow... ).

Inside the base, repairs are proceeding apace on the Axalon's engines. Rattrap moans about not trusting Dinobot again, but Rhinox silences the argument by saying that they need to worry about what they're going to do with themselves first because he's almost done with the drive repairs. (That was fast...) Optimus says they've got to grab the stasis pods in orbit...and, almost as an afterthought, he figures out that they've gotta let Tigatron know that they're leaving. Cheetor, meanwhile, is looking forward to getting back to exploring space while Rattrap scoffs and says that with the shape the Axalon's in, the only place they're going is Cybertron. And he doesn't exactly sound disappointed about that prospect, as he "can just hear the dames cryin' for me." Meanwhile, Dinobot's stomped into the engine room and asserts that perhaps the dames are crying because they've found out Rattrap's coming back. Rattrap, rather than feeling insulted, instead notes with relish that Dinobot's back to his old self. With good reason, Dinobot asserts, because he won't be seeing Rattrap again...

Rattrap blows that off as another dig, but Optimus sees the deeper meaning and is disappointed that Dinobot's decided not to return to Cybertron with them, that he'd rather stay on the planet, where he has no equal, and rule rather than return to Cybertron where he will be regarded as nothing but a Predacon criminal. (And you know...I can see Dinobot's point. I think I'd stay, if I were him...) Optimus Primal's dismayed, though. He says that Dinobot's decision will eventually lead to Dinobot's destruction. And Dinobot agrees. But he also notes that eventually can be a long time. So with a salute to his Maximal commander and comrades, he's off. Cheetor calls after him, distressed, but Dinobot continues on, leaving the base and heading off into the...well, I was going to say sunset but it's really more like he's heading off into a thunderstorm.

Back from the commercial, we see a white rat who's found an acorn (Where the acorn came from is a mystery, because there's not a tree--much less an oak tree--in sight, but whatever...) Footsteps approach, the ground shakes, and the rat looks up in alarm as Dinobot approaches. The rat leaps away, smacks into the far side of a crevice in the ground, and slides down. Unaware of the rat's peril, Dinobot pauses to survey his domain, then steps over the crevice and continues on his way.

There's something about that crevice, though... The camera pans down, past a row of thingies with glowing red lights on them attached to the wall of the crevice, to see the rat struggling to climb back up to the surface. Something grabs the rat from below and...what's this? Tarantulas' signature chuckle? Oh, yeeesss...

Tarantulas, quite in one piece, is eating the rat. All we see is the rat's tail disappearing like a piece of spaghetti between Tarantulas' spider fangs. He drools on an also-in-one-piece Terrorsaur, who protests. Tarantulas argues back that he's feasting and shoves his spider butt back into Waspinator, who's also in one piece and who also protests, saying that Tarantulas is fat enough already. An argument between Tarantulas and Waspinator ensues. (During this argument, it should be noted, Waspinator refers to himself in the first person. "I'd like to see you try," is one of the taunts he throws at Ranty during their squabble.) The argument freaks out Terrorsaur, who apparently suffers from claustrophobia (I can sympathize.), and he insists that he has to get out now! (I know the feeling...) He jumps up and down and begins to laugh hysterically (shades of Daffy Duck), which promps Scorponok, who's hanging on a wall of the crevice where all of the Predacons have secreted themselves, to smack him upside the head, sending him flying. Scorponok asserts that if Terrorsaur hadn't tripped over the spy camera's cord, they wouldn't be in the crevice in the first place. Megatron agrees but notes that if Terrorsaur hadn't found the camera, then this lastest devious Predacon plot never would have been possible. Blackarachnia's concerned about being detected, since her signature damping device (The thingies with the glowing red lights on them, no doubt) is only experimental. Megs says that it only needs to work as long as it takes for the Maximals to repair their ship. Then they'll attack when the Maximals' collective guard is down and commandeer the newly-functional Axalon. They'll grab the stasis pods, turn their occupants into Predacons, and, presumably, return to Cybertron. Then he stomps over to poor Terrorsaur and bellows in his face, "SO NO ONE LEAVES!" Terrorsaur wisely replies, "Leaving? Who said anything about leaving?"...and then a rock hits him on the head. Megatron looks up to see Dinobot peering down at them. Oooops! Megs sics Terrorsaur (who at least gets to get out of the crevice!) and Waspinator on him while the non-flyers haul their hineys out of the the crevice to join in the fun.

Dinobot takes out Waspinator and Terrorsaur with a Falling Giant Boulder™ (Why am I not surprised?), while the other four Predacons transform as they emerge from the crevice. Dinobot, meanwhile, makes a beeline for the Axalon to warn the others that the Predacons are all alive.

Meanwhile, back at the Axalon, Tigatron's coming aboard. Though it skeeves Tigatron out to be inside an artificial structure, Rattrap welcomes him with glee. Tigatron's just in time, so Rhinox says, as he turns to fire up the engines while Rattrap regales Tigatron with tales of his favorite bar: "Man, when we get back to Cybertron, I am going to take you to this sweet little hole in the wall where I guarantee you that--" Rhinox interrupts with a startled yelp: "Dinobot!" "Nah, he ain't gonna be there," Rattrap demurs.

Ah, but perhaps he is, since the Maximals can see him running, so they think, to grab the next train to Cybertron. Unfortunately, so are the Predacons. And they shoot Dinobot in the back. He fights back, picking off a few Preds with his eye lasers...but not Megatron. Optimus Primal reacts by insisting on going out to help Dinobot. Rhinox protests, saying that the engines are engaged and he can't shut them off to give Optimus time for heroics. But Optimus orders them to lift off even if he and Dinobot aren't back. And his tone brooks no argument. Rhinox relents, reluctantly, while Optimus grabs a shield and heads for the lift. Halfway to the ground, Cheetor halts the lift and insists on joining Optimus. Optimus protests, but Cheetor points out that he'll need backup. Which is true. So Cheetor grabs a shield joins the Heroic Rescue Party. Tigatron makes a move to join them as well, but Rhinox stays him with some harsh words: "I said sit!" Tigatron sits reflexively and mans the external guns as ordered.

Outside, Dinobot, otherwise helpless, is still pelting Megatron, who's sheltering behind some rocks, with eye laser fire. But Megatron manages to nail him with a dino-head laser shot of his own and he's basically down for the count, a sitting duck. Optimus takes off for the rescue, ordering Cheetor to give him cover fire, which Cheetor is happy to provide. Optimus lands by Dinobot, who protests that Optimus' tactic is "strategically unsound." "Tell me about it back on Cybertron," Optimus retorts as he lifts Dinobot up and takes off again, still sheltering behind his shield. Terrorsaur's gotten behind him, though, and gets off a few clean shots with his shoulder cannons. Optimus and his cargo go down. This ticks off Cheetor who fires at Terrorsaur in rage, only to fall prey to a shot from Megatron. With Optimus, Dinobot, and Cheetor down, Megatron and Co head for the Axalon, but they all get picked off by the external guns.

Optimus stands up, but he's got energon surges and has to go to beast mode just as the Axalon begins to lift off. Cheetor manages to drag himself up onto the lift and comes to when he realizes that the ship's taking off but neither Optimus nor Dinobot is aboard yet. He yells for Optimus, who's carrying Dinobot to the ship in beast mode. Rhinox, watching on the screen inside the ship urges them on as the ship continues to lift off. Optimus manages to toss Dinobot up to Cheetor on the lift and then he leaps up himself and Cheetor catches him by the arm.

But Scorponok, ticked that the Maximals are getting away, fires a missile at them...and Optimus Primal falls (in slow motion.) "Nooooooo! Optimuuuuuus!" Cheetor yells in despair as Optimus takes a dive. Megatron, meanwhile, manages to leap and grab hold of the ship as it's flying by him, dangling precariously from the bottom of it.

Cheetor and Dinobot meanwhile, ride the lift up into the ship. Rattrap's waiting hopefully at the top, but the long faces on the other two Maximals are more than enough to tell the tale. "You should have left me behind," Dinobot asserts. Rattrap responds by saying that Optimus got left behind just to save Dinobot and implies that to say that he should have done otherwise only serves to "spoil the sacrifice." But Megatron, stomping into the scene, asserts that it is already spoiled. He fires on each of the Maximals in turn, taking out all of them...except for Rattrap, who's left to face down His Royal Purpleness all by himself. Megatron grabs him in his dino-head hand and gives him a good squeeze, as if he was a pack of Charmin toilet paper. This prevents him from uttering his activation code. (Like they need that to transform...) Rhinox, however, revives, and comes to Rattrap's rescue. Megs tosses Rattrap away to face Rhinox, but too late. Rhinox gives him a hard right cross. Megs can only manage to shoot off his tail weapon just before Rhinox shoves him head-first down the lift. He falls to the ground waaaaaay below, bellowing all the way.

Megatron's tail weapon has done its damage, though. It's lodged in a control panel...the one that controls the engines, apparently... The engines blow and the bird's going down fast, taking everyone aboard her with it. All seems hopeless ("We're all gonna diiiiiiiie!" Rattrap yells) until Optimus arrives out of nowhere to save the day (Just like Superman!). He uses his jets to provide a braking thrust for the falling Axalon, bringing her to a soft landing right where she started in the first place, none the worse for her adventures.

Well, except for the fact that the ship will never ever fly again, that is, as Rhinox dejectedly reports while the other Maximals react with dismay. Rattrap and Dinobot, meanwhile, are at it again, the insults flying fast and furious while Dinobot's recovering in the CR Chamber. Dinobot's an "overgrown stinky iguana," according to Rattrap, because it's his fault that Rattrap's not kicking back on Cybertron. "I've done the planet a favor!" Dinobot marvels. In response, Rattrap asks if Dinobot knows how velociraptors went extinct.

Optimus, listening in amusement, wryly notes that, "They're taking it well."

Cheetor, shaking his head, says affectionately, "Wouldn't want 'em any other way."

"Go scurry thorough a maze, mouse," Dinobot says dismissively, meanwhile, completely unaware of the others' teasing.

"Come and make me, lizardlips," is Rattrap's reply.

And as we pan outside, the insults continue...and so does the other Maximals' amused laughter.

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Nightwind's Unsolicited Opinions

How do I love this episode? Let me count the ways...

1. What could have been a very predictable show managed to avoid that trap. It's obvious that the Predacons can't be dead or else there would be no more series. But instead of trying to delude us into believing that they are dead, the episode is more about suspense: the suspense of wondering how the Predacons pulled off the stunt, the suspense of wondering when the other shoe would drop, so to speak. And the revelation of the Predacons' plot comes at a good time, as well, coming neither too early in the episode, where it would have spoiled the suspense, nor too late in the episode, where it would have made the ending seem too rushed.

2. The episode has a very nice balance of character and action. Of course there's a fight--wouldn't be Beast Wars without one. But in moments around the fighting, we learn a bit about a few of the characters. Of course we learn quite a bit about Dinobot, who I'll get to in a moment, but he's not the only one. To wit:

   Rhinox is a strong character in this episode. To this point in the series, he hadn't gotten much to do, other than be the strong, silent type with a Really Big Gun™. But this episode shows him to be a guy who takes command of a situation when he has to--but only when he has to. This is most apparent in the Rhinox/Tigatron bit in the episode and in the way that he orders the other Maximals around in Optimus' absence as the shipis preparing to lift off.

   Optimus Primal shows his self-sacrificing side--a trademark of guys with the word "Optimus" in their names--in this episode. He risks a chance of a ride home to go and rescue an incapacitated Dinobot. Not only does this say something about Optimus Primal, but it also speaks volumes about the relationship between Optimus and Dinobot. To Optimus, Dinobot is no longer "that exasperating Predacon who hangs around with us," but a true member of his crew, a true Maximal. This was sort of touched-upon in "The Probe," but those were just words. Here, it was action. Optimus was willing to do for Dinobot what he would no doubt do for any Maximal--but not for a Predacon. Optimus wasn't giving lip service to Dinobot's Maximal-ness; he proved how he regards Dinobot with a simple act of self-sacrifice, by a single action. And actions, as they say, speak louder than words.

3. And how's about that Dinobot, eh? This is the first episode where I find him truly interesting. I mean, I liked him before this episode, but I didn't get any sense of any true depth to him. He was very Klingon-esque: a warrior born and bred to fight and to rip others apart but who is, at the same time, governed by a strict code of honor. But before this episode, he was never a character of whom I would have expected deep thought. And yet, that's what he spends half of this episode doing, simply thinking. He spends his time contemplating his future, contemplating his proper place in the universe, and, I think, contemplating and trying to resolve some conflicting emotions regarding his former Predacon comrades--his reaction to Tarantulas' dismembered legs is telling, with the "...that it should come to this" line. This more introspective and emotional Dinobot first emerged, for a very brief time, in "The Probe," when he was faced with a similar situation than that which he faces here in this episode, but he reaches full flower here and only continues to develop from here on out to "Code of Hero."

   And, to top it all off, he paraphrases Shakespeare. Ahhhh, it's almost enough for me to develop a case of Dinobot lust...but not quite enough to overcome my rampant case of Tigatron lust... ;)

How do I not love this episode? Well, not in many ways, actually...

2. Speaking of over-the-top, the Predacons' entire plan seems a bit...risky to me, when I sit and think about it. Somehow, they did something to their quarters that made it look sufficiently trashed, so that the Maximals would believe that an explosion that vaporized the Preds had occurred. What they did undoubtedly left their own HQ more than just cosmetically damaged. Then they let the Maximals pilfer the parts they need from the Predacons' own space drive, banking on being able to commandeer the Axalon after repairs had been made, leaving the Maximals marooned on the planet while the Predacons go off to do who-knows-what. That's a big gamble. Granted, Megs seems to like gambling...but this is a plan that could too easily backfire, in my opinion, to the point that I doubt anyone in their right mind would do it. Megatron's many things, but insane is not one of them...

   This quibble doesn't bother me as much as it could, though. I suppose it's because there's enough wonderful stuff in the episode that I can overlook my uneasiness with the premise. I'm not usually that way (See my opinions about "The Agenda" :) ), but there's enough good stuff here to counterbalance my misgivings, to the point that they have no effect on my enjoyment of the story.

And that, fellow TransFans, is all I have to say. :)

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Great Moments

I love the "argument" between Tigatron and Rhinox, when Tigatron wants to go help Optimus and Cheetor rescue Dinobot. I love Tigatron's meek little "But--" protest. I love Rhinox's "I said, SIT!" command to Tigatron, who promptly plops down onto his butt, looking dejected. And I love Tigatron's "Yes, SIR!" at the end. It's just like Tigatron to want to join the heroes and it's just like Rhinox to not take any crap from anyone, gives us a hint that there's a harder edge to Rhinox just waiting to rear its head--as it does in the very next episode. So this little bit is both a cute moment and a telling moment for Rhinox. I love it when little character bits arise in an episode without it being the overriding subject of the episode.

I love it when Rattrap calls Dinobot an "overgrown stinky iguana." Why? Because I own many iguanas, and I know just how overgrown and stinky they can get, if left to their own devices. :) So the line brings a smile to my face, just because of that association.

And, finally, I love the little exchange between Optimus and Cheetor while Rattrap and Dinobot are exchanging insults:
Optimus:"(Ahem) They're taking it well."
Cheetor: "Wouldn't want 'em any other way."
Not quite sure why I like this little bit; perhaps it's the look on both Optimus' and Cheetor's faces, resigned on Optimus' part, affectionate on Cheetor's...

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Closed Captioning Weirdness
(Or, Sometimes What You Think They Say Is Not Really What They Say…)

1. After Dinobot's announcement that he will never see Rattrap again, Rattrap's interrupted response is, "Whoa-ho! Another big—" instead of "Whoa-ho! Another dig—"
2. In the crevice Waspinator complains, "There's not enough room!" instead of "Give Waspinator more room!"
   (Totally missed that one, didn't they?)
3. As the Axalon is taking off, Cheetor, lying on the lift, regains consciousness and yells, "We're pulling out!" instead of "The train's pulling out!"
   
   

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Totally Arbitrary Overall Rating, Just For the Heck of It

This episode is a favorite of mine, in my Top 5 for the entire series. And it's probably my second-favorite of the first season ("Law of the Jungle" being my favorite), although "The Low Road" gives it a run for its money if I'm in a silly mood. I love episodes that take a character in a new and unexpected direction, as this one does with Dinobot. Other smaller bits of character development are sprinkled in, as well, something that will always earn high marks from me. And, to top it all off, the plot construction is very nice here, too. It neatly avoids becoming what could have been a terribly predictable episode like "Double Jeopardy."

Still, no episode is perfect, so you will never find me giving anything a perfect 10. I will, however, give "Victory" a 9.5. :)