Hold on to your sparks Netflix and Rooster Teeth is taking on “Transformers” lore and legend.
War for Cybertron Seige is part one of a Trilogy. This six-episode entry takes place on Cybertron on what seems is the final day of the Autobot Decepticon war. Right from the start, it pulls fans into an entry we really haven’t seen fleshed out on TV or the big screen. The closest we came in the movies was the opening sequence in Bumblebee, which by all accounts, was worth the price of admission. It was even worth having to see John Cena acting. That aside the producers worked hard to lay the groundwork for the civil war as we know it.
The writing team worked diligently to provide us through dialogue about how the war came to be. We find out primarily through both Prime and Megatron that they were brothers at arms under their mentor and friend Alpha Trion. Amidst trying to usher in a new age to their world Megatron betrays Alpha Trion and murders him thus taking control of the faction of the Decepticons. Prime and his Autobots have been figuring him ever since but they seem more like renegades with numbers and firepower clearly no longer on their side the Autobots seem to be facing an inevitable end. Much of the basis for the war has never been touched on but Megatron clearly distinguishes it as a class struggle claiming he and his Decepticons have risen out of the pits to claim what is rightfully theirs. Prime is steadfast in the notion that Megatron cannot be allowed to be victorious as he has lost his way.
There is a lot at work here by the producers illustrating the distinction between the two leaders and their ideologies. And it becomes evident more from their interactions with others as opposed to their statements. Prime is second-guessed by his military commander Ultra Magnus who, having a history with Prime and Megatron before the war, is losing his faith in the struggle. He begins to believe that winning for the sake of it isn’t worth the extinction of one race or the other. Prime is questioned again by another of his commanders Alita One who on more than one occasion is asked by Prime not to lose faith in him. Megatron for his part is seen during these episodes crossing lines that will eventually lead to his fully becoming the villain we know. Allowing Shockwave to interrogate Ultra Magnus using cruel methods and eventually killing Magnus become the steps taken towards his dark path. But make no mistake, both he and Prime each believe what they are doing is justified. This war is justified.
The ensemble is filled with fan favorites. G1 and G2 are very well represented while some were slightly tweaked. Bumblebee is just an Energon tracker looking to stay out of the working a living scrounging and selling Energon. Jetfire is the commander of the Decepticon seekers, who eventually switches sides as he sees the loss of honor in following Megatron. Ratchet is a doctor with no inclination to choose a side. He helps whomever he can regardless of the faction. All these characters go through a journey to not just wear the Autobot emblem but they each come to embrace what that stands for cementing their commitment to stopping Megatron. This storytelling gave us real emotional frameworks for these characters the depth of which we never really saw. Fans were given a treat being seeing the classic characters like Shockwave, Starscream, Skywarp, Hound, Mirage, Arcee just to name a few. It’s a who’s who of your toy bin.
Everything changes when the Autobot finds a space bridge (a classic Transformers device that can transport you across the galaxy). Another classic element was brought in with the Allspark, which gives life to Cybertron and the Transformers. Prime decides to take the Allspark off of Cybertron when it is learned Megatron is willing to commit genocide by using it to reformat Cybertron. This becomes a pivotal moment in Prime’s development. Before this, he is questioned for not budging on this war. The war starts to be seen as a struggle between Prime and Megatron, and for a time it seemed that was the case. But when Prime decides to move ahead with this plan he effectively takes himself out of the equation and makes it about the survival of his people. A bold move and one that would not be met without Megatron’s resistance.
Seige is a fantastic first act in this trilogy. It is emotionally evoking and filled with strong action. The animation is spot-on, like a perfect blend of CGI and cell shading the producers present the show in a unique image. The transformers themselves harken back to original designs. I found myself admiring the Cybertronian transform modes of the Decepticons while not so much for the Autobots. It would seem they would retain quite a bit of their original designs which I found distracting. I expected to see more of the Cybertronian designs since they hadn’t landed on Earth yet and adopted those forms, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker for me. Still, pushing that aside it was visually very satisfying.
The storytelling maintained a good pace. With only 6 episodes to juggle so many characters, they focused on the right ones developing characters that were driving the story. It all led up to well crafted final episode with the appearance of my personal favorite Omega Supreme (insert fanboy scream here).
When I look back at the show I think about Megatron and Prime. The development of their characters as leaders, heroes, and villains, as well as the choices that lead them there. Prime only succeeded because he learned to let go. Interestingly enough, the harder he held on to the war the faster it was slipping through his grasp. When he rose above the conflict he also let go of the conflict within himself. So it was right here we see, the hero born.
The first epic run of this trilogy is safe to say anticipation is high for the remainder of this series. The second installment will be called Earthrise which will focus on the war on Earth. The third will be called Kingdom and will feature (wait for it…) the Maximals and Predacons! And that’s just prime with me.
“till all are one”
Catch the trailer here.
Written by Victor Mercado
