Beast Wars

[Swindle1984]

The Talespin thread in Fantasy got me all nostalgic, but instead of shows I watched as a kid, I got to thinking of shows I enjoyed as a teenager. All my friends were into DBZ (gag), but I was the rebel and watched Beast Wars instead.

This show rocked. I borrowed the complete DVD set for all three seasons and watched them again a while back, and I can appreciate the humor on a whole new level now. I really love how the show had two levels of humor, the obvious stuff for the kiddies and then humor for the adults.

Some of my favorites:

"This guy's got bearings of chrome steel."

"I know this little hole in the wall where the serving droids walk around without their torso plates. Huh? Huh?"

"You emasculatin' bimbot!"

And the moonshine still in Tarantulas' lab was a good, subtle one.

What really got me into the show though, besides transforming robots (reruns of the original Transformers had gone off the air by this point), was all the inside jokes and references to the fans. All of the passwords, code names for locations (subsector such-and-such), etc. were all screen names used by fans of the show in the online discussion. They did other nods to the fans too.

Really, Beast Wars was a show that had good characters, good humor, decent scripts for what was basically a "kid's show", and when it went off the air it did so on a mostly-satisfying conclusion (though I am a little irritated that Tigerhawk was only introduced to sell the toy and got knocked off in his second episode).

So who else loved this show?

[Napoleon the Clown]

Code of Hero is, IMO, the best episode of the series. Transmutate was also good, as it fleshed out Rampage beyond a simple homicidal madman.


Though it impresses me how much they could get away with. Rampage and Tarantulas both were rather open and blunt about their cannibalistic tendencies. I can't really see some of that getting past the censors these days. Or some of Rattrap's quips, for that matter.


In case it isn't obvious, I'm a fan of the show. Favorite line being:
(Staring up at the Nemesis as it charges its Fusion Cannon)
Rattrap: We're all gonna die.
Rhinox: Yep.

[Drooling Iguana]

Though it impresses me how much they could get away with. Rampage and Tarantulas both were rather open and blunt about their cannibalistic tendencies.

You can get a lot more past the censors when your characters are robots.

[Solauren]

"Dark Venom of My Heart".

Man, Silverbolt could be a pretty smooth talker (for a dog).

I liked the character development with Cheetor. You literally watch him go from 'kid', to 'pre-teen' to 'teenager' (and in Beast Machines to adult).

My only complaint is they killed off Terrasaur and Scorpinok in the Season 2 opening, then had Tigertron and Air Razor go on a global walk about/date. Transmetal Terrasaur + Scorponok would have been cool as all hell.

[Drooling Iguana]

I never really likes Scorponok and Terrorsaur that much. Terrorsaur was just a knock-off of Starscream and Scorponock didn't have much of a personality at all. It would've been nice if they had a better death than just falling into the lava, but seeing as how the original plan was to kill off Waspinator instead I think we got the better deal.

[Solauren]

Oh, no doubt.

I just wanted to see a super-sonic Terrorsaur and a Scorpion tank, that's all.

[Swindle1984]

There was no transmetal Scorponok design, my transmetal Terrorsaur is kind of lame (especially the vehicle mode), and we got to see him go supersonic in the episode with the floating mountain that supercharged him.

I am amazed that Tarantulas' season one attempt to drain Cheetor of his fluids ("It's the act I enjoy, more than any nutritional value") got past the censors, but Dark Glass didn't. I know the script for that one is floating around somewhere and that it's been accepted into continuity as if it had happened (to explain why Dinobot's clone suddenly gets his memories and personality when Rampage dies), but I've never been able to find it online.

I actually went to BotCon 2001 and got to ask Scott McNiel what Waspinator does in his spare time.

"Oooooh! Wazzzpinatore like to go bowling!"

And Gary Chalk is so near-sighted that he can't tell the gender of the person he's speaking to if he can't hear their voice clearly.

Really, Beast Wars was a great, well thought-out show, and the lengths the writers, voice actors, and animators went to in order to tell the fans that they were appreciated is something you don't see in most series, animated or otherwise.

[LadyTevar]

I am amazed that Tarantulas' season one attempt to drain Cheetor of his fluids ("It's the act I enjoy, more than any nutritional value") got past the censors, but Dark Glass didn't. I know the script for that one is floating around somewhere and that it's been accepted into continuity as if it had happened (to explain why Dinobot's clone suddenly gets his memories and personality when Rampage dies), but I've never been able to find it online.

What? I've never heard of Dark Glass.... tell me more?

[Commander 598]

I played through Dawn of War's campaign almost solely so I could listen to Lord Bale. For those that aren't getting how this relates: Spoiler

Lord Bale and Dinobot have the exact same voice.

...and in Beast Machines...

Do not speak of this.

[Bounty]

I am amazed that Tarantulas' season one attempt to drain Cheetor of his fluids ("It's the act I enjoy, more than any nutritional value") got past the censors, but Dark Glass didn't. I know the script for that one is floating around somewhere and that it's been accepted into continuity as if it had happened (to explain why Dinobot's clone suddenly gets his memories and personality when Rampage dies), but I've never been able to find it online.

What? I've never heard of Dark Glass.... tell me more?

It's an episode that was cut, officially because the script wasn't considered good enough, unofficially because it was "too disturbing", though that's probably just fanhype.

In the episode, Rattrap goes on a suicide mission to upload the copy of Dinobot's memories, which he made at the start of Code of Hero, into Dinobot II's brain. It was supposed to explain why bits and pieces of Dinobot's personality resurface during the finale.

The script's been distributed at cons and there used to be an unofficial comic version.

By the way, is the Transformers user group stil active?

[Solauren]

...and in Beast Machines...

Do not speak of this.

oh, come on, Beast Machines wasn't that bad. Sure, it wasn't that great, but it was better then alot of other things on TV. I mean, it had transforming ninja style animal-robots (and a Werewolf/Dragon) fighting transforming genocidal military vehicles.

What's not to like? Besides the 'campy' feel.

[JME2]

...and in Beast Machines...

Do not speak of this.

oh, come on, Beast Machines wasn't that bad. Sure, it wasn't that great, but it was better then alot of other things on TV. I mean, it had transforming ninja style animal-robots (and a Werewolf/Dragon) fighting transforming genocidal military vehicles.

What's not to like? Besides the 'campy' feel.

Maybe so. But it's still a piece of s*** as far as I'm concerned.

[Sidewinder]

An intelligent villain who actually knows what the fuck he's doing (Megatron), a hero who isn't so "goody goody" he constantly walks into a trap whenever the villain promises to stop threatening innocent lives or something, and an antihero who isn't an emo teen (Dinobot). What's not to like?

Oh, yeah: 'Beast Machines', or rather, 'Brutal Mutilation of Characters You Like, With the Writer Using These Characters to Preach Environmentalist Ideas That Border Ecoterrorist Propaganda'.

[Bounty]

Beast Machines was an intriguing idea for another show shoehorned into the TF universe, and interesting ideas for characters from another show shoehorned into the BW cast. If it didn't have the BW baggage, and somewhat tighter writing, it could have been pretty good. On its own it's not that bad, if you can look past the eco-wanking and the poor visuals, but as a sequel it's horribly forced and too drastic a shift of tone.

Personally... Beast wars ended with Waspinator ruling over the primitive humans, and everything else is an alternate universe. That's my story and I'll stick with it.

[ANGELUS]

Oh, yeah: 'Beast Machines', or rather, 'Brutal Mutilation of Characters You Like, With the Writer Using These Characters to Preach Environmentalist Ideas That Border Ecoterrorist Propaganda'.

I really hated what they did to Rattrap on Beast Machines. On BW he was a small funny guy, but was also really tough and a good leader. A character I really liked. Then here comes the BM version where he's a total useless coward that has to be saved even from the weakest enemies. Even the new design was completely awful! I don't know who's responsible for that, but here's what I have to say to them:

[Tribble]

I liked the 1st two seasons of Beasties (the Canadian name, I know, its sounds pretty stupid.) Of With the exception of Optimus dying and being resurrectied into a mecha ape flying a surfboard..... say what you will, but I think his first form was the best.

The third season was a little too rushed for me.... I think they had enough ideas to run with to have stretched it into a fourth season before concluding finishing, but it wasn't too bad.

As for Beast Machines? Well... its the Enterprise of the series, let's face it. Except without Brannon Braga. They should have hired him though, I'm sure they could have used his many creative ideas on how transformers should be evolving

[Tribble]

And yah, that was my 1st post and I'm already bashing Braga. I blame Chuck, his work is simply too inspirational to ignore

[Enigma]

Loved Beast Wars. But what I hated was the drips and drabs of information relating to the Autobot\Decepticon War leading up to it's end the aftermath. Like forcing the Decepticons to either be scrapped or be reformatted? What led to the change of faction names from Autobot\Decepticon to Maximal\Predacon? It bugged me a lot. What I do know that Waspinator was a Decepticon and he was reformatted as a Predacon.

Beast Machines I hated for it's attempt at spirituality and the divine goodness of technorganics. I found the series finale to be a great letdown and I hope that whole series isn't part of the TF continuity.

[TC Pilot]

Anyway, I really liked Scorpinok, and always hated that they killed him off, but Inferno was above-and-beyond my favorite. Dinobot was great too, especially in Code of a Hero and how he ponders really important questions like fate and freewill with the whole "Seeing into the future" thing with the golden disks.

Oh yes, and one of the best villains ever made: "Why, Dinobot! What a delightful surprise! Let's see, where are we now? I have the golden disk, the power to change the future, and the only remaining obstacle in my path to unimaginable glory... is yourself."

Alongside ReBoot, Beast Wars is an example of how to do a great animated show.

[Tribble]

Ahhh Reboot.... a series that deserves its own thread, I think lol. I hear they're working on finishing it.

[JME2]

"Why, Dinobot! What a delightful surprise! Let's see, where are we now? I have the golden disk, the power to change the future, and the only remaining obstacle in my path to unimaginable glory... is yourself."

Yeah, that was a great line. Hell, Megs had too many good lines in that series; I can't think of an all time favorite.

[Bladed_Crescent]

Hell, Megs had too many good lines in that series; I can't think of an all time favorite.

Megatron's snark was awesome.

"Inferno. You and Waspinator erect a new jamming station in Grid Alpha-Seven."

"As you wish, my queen."

"Oh, I do wish he'd stop calling me that."

~

"Why do you talk to yourself like that?"

"I have a penchant for intelligent conversation."

~

"Freedom is the right of all sapient beings!"

"Then they better stay out of my way!"

[Drooling Iguana]

oh, come on, Beast Machines wasn't that bad. Sure, it wasn't that great, but it was better then alot of other things on TV.

And better than anything to carry the "Transformers" name since then.

[Bounty]

Dunno, Animated has its moments.

[JME2]

Hell, Megs had too many good lines in that series; I can't think of an all time favorite.

Megatron's snark was awesome.

snip"

Heh, and don't forget this classic one:

"Excellent, yeeeesssssss....."