The Energon Pub

Rewatching the Darkness Rising episodes, it struck me that Optimus was slightly different in those episodes. Almost warm and fuzzy compared to what he is throughout most of the series. I can even stretch this out to the first few actual episodes. Such as the scraplet and science project episodes.

In DR: P II he even uses contractions twice. Which just doesn't happen later in the series (have heard Hasbro tampered with this). And he's much more personable and inspiring in the beginning. Several examples being when he was eulogizing Cliffjumper in DR P1, or when he promised to bring Raf a snowball in Scrapheap, or instructing Ratchet to help with the kids sciences projects.

I like him much more in the beginning and wish he'd been allowed to stay that way. It amazes me they would intentionally reformat his character into a more monotone bore. I still love OP though in the show for all his shortcomings in personality.

Anyone else concur he seemed far better in the beginning?

I like him being a bore, actually. Someone calm in sticky situations. I do notice a slight change in characteristic from the pilot to present, however.

There seem to be quite a few differences in the pilot vs the series. That's pretty typical of most shows though, including G1. The pilot is likely made as a test long before the first season is shot, at which point the characters/universe/major plot points etc. etc. have been more refined.

Hands down, his best personality moments were when he was mindwiped as Orion Pax.

When he smiled near the end of Nemesis Prime, that did more for his personality than anything else up to that point... That WAS a smile, wasn't it?

RedArrow wrote:When he smiled near the end of Nemesis Prime, that did more for his personality than anything else up to that point... That WAS a smile, wasn't it?

He did smile at the end of "Shadowzone" in season 1.

Everyone else must have different definitions of "boring" from me, 'cause I don't find TFP Optimus boring at all. OK, he's not my favorite character (or even my favorite Autobot), but I like what they've done with him.

ShockScream wrote:Everyone else must have different definitions of "boring" from me, 'cause I don't find TFP Optimus boring at all. OK, he's not my favorite character (or even my favorite Autobot), but I like what they've done with him.

He's a significant bore. But, again, that's what I like about him.

PrymeStriker wrote:

ShockScream wrote:Everyone else must have different definitions of "boring" from me, 'cause I don't find TFP Optimus boring at all. OK, he's not my favorite character (or even my favorite Autobot), but I like what they've done with him.

He's a significant bore. But, again, that's what I like about him.

Yep, same here. He's kind of a 'no nonsense' leader. Nothing wrong with that. He creates stability in his team to make sure that they get the job done. Everyone else is allowed to joke around and fly off the handle, but Prime is the rock that sees to it that horseplay, goofing off and emotions don't get out of hand.

It works pretty well since everyone else on the team has a tendency to be a little nuts from time to time.

Arcee: "Primes don't party."

Not only does he not chill and allow himself to relax, he also doesn't keep his team in line enough. Like when Arcee was speaking out of line at Smokescreen in that one episode, Prime clearly didn't like what she was saying and wanted her to stop, but her didn't stop her or defend Smokescreen's merits. He just stood there letting her yell at the kid and get out of line, rather than trying to bring order and calmness back to the heated situation.

Or when Ratchet spoke out of line in the season 2 finale, jumping to conclusions about Optimus destroying the Omega Lock, Optimus just stood by idly rather than defend his actions and give justifications for them, letting Ratchet make him look bad when Prime was clearly in the right since Ratchet was, again, jumping to conclusions and making rash accusations since he wasn't in the events that took place at the time.