Great episode! It made a two-hour drive feel like nothing.
I totally agree about the G1-ification of Animated designs. It's just pointless, and would often strip them of anything that makes them part of the Animated universe anyway. I do think that "G1-ification" is an appropriate term though, even used by the design team, because that's... basically just what it is, and everyone knows it. Might as well be honest about it. But that's just me.
Honestly, one of my biggest takeaways from SDCC was that they're going to try to find a "better balance" for the G1-ification. It felt to me like a nice way of saying that they hear the feedback, but accurate updates to those characters aren't being considered, and we shouldn't expect them.
ScottyP, your choice of Sky Gary and his bomb-dropping gimmick made me think of how perfect a deluxe Fulcrum would be in your wave.