Episode Review:

Beast Wars Part 1

Season 1

Episode Written by: Bob Forward

Reviewed by Lord Skyfire

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          From the beginning this episode has been full of action.  The Predacon ship, the Darkside and the Maximal exploration cruiser, the Axalon, slip through a transwarp conduit.  Both ships are locked in battle and don't even realize where they've traveled.  Eventually the Darkside, lead by Megatron, shoots down the Axalon and it begins to plunge down to the unknown orbit of which they battle above.  On its descent the Axalon decides to let the Predacons have it as a last attempt of stopping Megatron, which they were ordered to do.  They fire all cannons and send the Darkside spiraling along with themselves to the planet.  Optimus Primal orders all stasis pods to be launched in a standard orbit to protect his sleeping crew from the inevitable crash.

          After the crash both the Predacons and Maximals detect high levels of energon throughout the planet.  They then take on beast forms of the strongest wildlife the planet has to offer to protect their robotic forms from energon radiation. Dinobot strolls out of the Darkside, furious at Megatron's failure to bring them to Earth.  He decides to challenge his leader for leadership.  Megatron laughs calmly at Dinobot and uses Scorpinok to underhandedly defeat the angered warrior. 

When the Maximals emerge they head out of the ship to explore the world they've touched down on.  Rattrap, the resident cynic, complains and gives Optimus a hard time about getting them lost and trapped on this world.  Meanwhile Cheetor, the youngest of the bunch, runs out with his fellow cheetahs.  When he greets them, though, they run in fear of the talking cheetah.  Cheetor tries to catch up to them, but when he does he finds something he didn't expect.  Waspinator!  They both transform and fire the first shots in the Beast Wars!

          When Optimus and the others hear the distant battle being waged they head out to aid their crewmember.  When they find Cheetor, though, they also find Megatron and the other Predacons.  A battle begins between the factions.  Cheetor is hit and is in need of assistance, so Optimus orders Rattrap to help him.  Rattrap refuses to put his life at risk so Optimus Primal goes out in the crossfire, with little cover fire, and rescues Cheetor, but with getting damaged along the way.  They retreat as the Predacons begin to feel the effects of the energon building up within their circuitry.

          On their way home Optimus tells Rattrap that he'd never give an order he isn't willing to do himself, but that he was able to give him better cover fire.  Rattrap replied with, "Yeah well, better you den me."  When they arrive at a narrow bridge, which leads to their ship, they find Dinobot in beast mode blocking their way.  Dinobot declares that he has left the Predacons to join the Maximals as their leader.  He challenges Optimus to a fight to the death and the winner shall be named leader of the Maximals. Optimus reluctantly accepts and they both transform.