Robotic zombies? It might occur, and infrequently did in “Transformers: Prime.”
Since “Transformers” has been remade so many occasions over the previous 40 years, new cartoons will generally use a central gimmick to set themselves other than the group. “Beast Wars” had robots that reworked into animals as a substitute of autos. The 2003 anime sequence “Transformers: Armada” cashed in on the “Pokémon” craze and had the Autobots and Decepticons preventing over “Mini-Cons,” human-sized Transformers that would unlock nice powers within the bigger ones. The presently airing “Transformers: Earthspark” has launched a brand new batch of characters referred to as the “Terrans,” who’re Transformers created on Earth as a substitute of the steel planet Cybertron.
For the 2010-2013 cartoon “Transformers: Prime,” the gimmick was Darkish Energon. “Energon” is the Transformers’ main gas supply, and the literal lifeblood of their creator, Primus. Darkish Energon (which glows a sickly purple as a substitute of crystal blue) is the blood of Primus’ shadow self, Unicron. Since Unicron can not create life, solely pervert it, Darkish Energon can reanimate lifeless Transformers as savage monsters referred to as “Terrorcons” — once more, robotic zombies.
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“Transformers: Prime” kicked off with the 5 half mini-series “Darkness Rising,” during which Megatron tries to make use of Darkish Energon to create a Terrorcon military. To manage them, Megatron infuses himself with a shard of the substance, making him additional {powerful} but additionally (much more) erratic. This plot climaxes within the season 1 finale, “One Shall Rise,” the place the Autobot and Decepticons should ally to thwart Unicron from resurrecting himself.
Darkish Energon continues to pop all through the next two seasons of “Transformers: Prime.” In “Flying Thoughts,” it brings the Decepticons’ warship to life. In “Alpha/Omega,” Megatron forges a super-powerful sword (the “Darkish Star Saber”) from Darkish Energon. Then in “Thirst,” Starscream and Decepticon medic Knock Out unintentionally kick-start a Terrorcon plague.
The “Thirst” Terrorcons are nearer to vampires, even having nested mouths a la the Reaper vampires from “Blade II.” The fundamental set-up, although, lies with the 1985 zombie horror-comedy “The Return of the Residing Lifeless.”
Return of the Residing Lifeless made the apocalypse right into a comedy of errors
With “Transformers: Prime” leaning on zombies already, a straight homage episode was inevitable. Since “Darkness Rising” already performed the undead for horror, that homage selected as a substitute to pull from a well-known zombie comedy.
In “The Return of the Residing Lifeless,” the occasions of “Evening of the Residing Lifeless” really occurred, kind of. A military-designed chemical referred to as Trioxin spilled and created zombies, however the plague was contained. George Romero then took the concept of the lifeless rising to make a success film (altering the small print round to keep away from a lawsuit), whereas the Trioxin was unintentionally shipped to a medical provide warehouse. Someday, warehouse foreman Frank (James Karen) exhibits the Trioxin to new man Freddy (Thom Mathews), just for them to unleash it and begin a zombie plague.
Their makes an attempt to comprise the outbreak fail at each flip. Stabbing a zombie within the mind, which films inform us ought to make the undead simply lifeless? Does not work. (“You imply the film lied?!”) Throwing a zombie in a crematorium? It contaminates the acid rain storm exterior with Trioxin, making the outbreak unfold to a close-by graveyard.
A number of sources, together with the “Transformers” Wiki, have beforehand famous how “Thirst” homages “The Return of the Residing Lifeless.” The tell-tale signal is how the Terrorcons, too, cannot be killed with typical zombie-busting headshots. Knock Out, having apparently watched horror films at drive-in theaters, learns the identical lesson as Freddy: generally, the flicks lie. Like in “Return,” Starscream and Knock Out chorus from alerting the right authorities (on this case, Megatron) till the state of affairs is already properly out of hand. In spite of everything, if your boss was a thirty-foot tall shark-faced robotic with an enormous gun on his proper hand, would you need him to know you’d screwed up like this?
Thirst is Transformers: Prime at its greatest
Although an amusing romp, “Thirst” can not and shouldn’t be watched in isolation. It is one of many final “Transformers: Prime” episodes (episode 60 out of 65), and the final relatively-standalone one earlier than the ultimate story arc kicks off. Even a couple of run-on sentences of exposition (i.e. Knock Out getting new viewers up to the mark on Darkish Energon) cannot carry the total influence.
Many subplots converge in “Thirst,” too. For example, in season 1 episode “Stronger, Sooner” the Autobot medic Ratchet refined an artificial green-colored type of Energon that functioned like a steroid. (Ratchet, voiced by Jeffrey Combs of “Re-Animator,” taking part in round with a inexperienced liquid? Somebody on the “Transformers: Prime” writing group was a horror fan.)
Knock Out obtained his palms on the Artificial Energon on the finish of “Stronger, Sooner” and that lastly pays off right here; combining the “Synth-En” and Darkish Energon is what creates the outbreak. Nevertheless, “Thirst” additionally exhibits the results of long-running TV past simply an ever-higher barrier to entry. By this level, the writers knew Starscream and Knock Out had been the present’s MVPs, particularly when paired collectively, so “Thirst” takes full benefit of that. Steve Blum’s vary as Starscream was simple, turning him from scary to mad on a dime and decreasing or elevating his voice an octave alongside the way in which. Daran Norris’ clean and smarmy efficiency because the self-obsessed Knock Out is what made the Decepticon physician into the present’s hottest character too. (Knock Out? Extra like Breakout.)
The 2 Cons are each cowardly, egocentric and hilarious, so watching them (fail to) handle a catastrophe of their very own making turns “Thirst” into one of many must-see “Transformers” episodes.