Insurgent wrote:Rodimus Prime wrote:Sabrblade wrote:Now, three episodes that stand out to me from season 1 that A) are not on this list and B) are ones that I didn't really think that much about as a kid but now do think very highly of are "Call of the Wild", "Dark Voyage", and "Law of the Jungle".
"Dark Voyage" was the 1 I couldn't recall. It's where Primal and Rhinox are blind and have to get back to the Axalon. And whichever episode was Inferno's 1st appearance, just because he's my favorite Predacon.
It's Rhinox, Cheetor, Rattrap and Dinobot who are blinded. But that is a good one. Shows Rhinox's level head and calm under pressure.
Not only that, but it was a character building experience for the whole group. Dinobot, Cheetor, and Rattrap all took their sight for granted and were panicking the whole time, with Rhinox trying his darnedest to keep them all in line and under control in guiding them back to the base. Never had this group felt so vulnerable before, finding themselves utterly terrified by their blindness, not to mention the looming danger of their battle injuries threatening to infect their whole systems if they didn't make it back to the base in time.
There was a constant atmosphere of fear felt throughout that whole episode, especially in that swamp scene. One wouldn't imagine that something as low level a threat to these advanced alien robot lifeforms as a mere snake would be so deadly to them in their then-current condition, yet that episode presented that boa constrictor as a legit danger that nearly killed Cheetor.
Plus, this episode solidified that, when given the proper circumstances, Waspinator of all Preds could be a competent and dangerous threat to the Maximals, as evidenced by the mighty and powerful Dinobot submitting to his awaiting doom by Waspinator at the river. And though the Maximals were triumphant in their besting Waspinator and Terrorsaur, they nearly paid the price for their defending themselves with their lives. If not for the timely arrival of Optimus (which itself was first implied to be another enemy attack), the four blind Maximals would have surely perished.
Also, the music in this episode was phenomenal. The aforementioned swamp scene was made all the more frightening an experience to watch with Robert Buckley's already impressive score making use of some of its best works to capitalize on the overall horror feel of the scene, emphasizing the rising levels of dramatic tension built up by both the snake's approaching and coiling Cheetor and the utter terror felt by the usually fearless and prideful Dinobot and the usually too-stubborn-to-admit-humiliation Rattrap.
And in the end, the trials and tribulations the four underwent in that episode was learning experience for all of them. Rhinox came to further appreciate the other senses he and other often took for granted such as hearing, touching, smelling, as well as appreciating the greater functions and faculties of his beast mode, such as its reinforced mass and its great strength, which helped to protect him in the trek back to the base and stop the snake from killing Cheetor and Rattrap. Cheetor, Rattrap, and Dinobot likewise all learned much from this experience. They learned to appreciate their other senses, to respect Rhinox even more for his leadership and guidance on their little nightmarish adventure, and to count on each other even more than ever. They all seemed to grow a lot closer as a result.
I may have been entertained by this episode as a kid, but now as an adult, I really recognize how substantial it was to the growth and development of its characters, which is one of the many aspects that truly lies at the heart of the series.
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