Code Of Hero

The Transformers, as a T.V. series and toy line, debuted in the United States in 1984. After four seasons (three, really) and a theatrical film, the toy and cartoon lines came to an end. After an failed attempt at rebooting the franchise in the earlier 1990s titled Transformers: Generation 2, Hasbro (the toy production company) decided to venture into an entirely different area: Animals. Transformers that turned from Robots no longer resembled Cars, Jets and Weaponry in their alternate modes. Now, they had an organic outer shell that enabled them to convert into regular beasts: Cheetor was a Cheetah; Rattrap was a Rat; Rhinox was a Rhino; etc. With the moderate success of this toy line, a television series composed entirely of Computer Generated Imagery (highly unique at the time), produced with computer company Mainframe Entertainment, was launched. At first it was a show unto itself but very quickly concepts and questions (as early mention as the pilot episodes with a stunning cameo in Episode 3 - The Web) arose regarding the earlier cartoon's mythology. Fans young and old gravitated towards this show and as characters from the 1980s began to appear and references aplenty Easter Egged their way across the screen, Beast Wars: Transformers was a certified hit! After a twenty-six episode Season 1, only 13 Episodes were offered up for the 1997-1998 season. Who knew that show runners Bob Forward and Larry DiTillio would take those thirteen episodes and fashion, as a whole, probably the single greatest "season" a cartoon show has ever seen. While events culminated in the final three episodes ("The Agenda" trilogy), the heights reached in this single twenty-two minute cartoon are unmatched even today. The Maximal's (the good guys) are in constant conflict with The Predacons (the bad guys) and their mysterious goals. In this episode we learn a startling secret and it's up to lone Maximal Dinobot (transforms into a Velociraptor) to take down the bad guys. Quoting Shakespeare is a bit hokey but when a score of such quality (by Mainframe composer Robert Buckley) can erupt in my mind over ten years later at any given moment and in the process leave me in tears, you know you've experienced something special. Dinobot dies the ultimate warriors' death and is mourned by the survivors of his team. The reason this is so essential is because it speaks to us on three different levels. Dinobot saves pre-historic bi-peds (namely, us) that will inevitably take over the world in the far future; Dinobot's story comes remarkably in full circle as he earns his place in the Maximal pantheon and is completely redeemed (he began the series as a Predacon traitor); and while the subject of death has been brushed on by the series before (re: Season 01: Episode 23 - Law Of The Jungle) it is particularly impressive to find these events occurring in a "childrens' cartoon". All of this culminates properly while not remaining on its own. It continues the serial nature of the story, moving the inevitable events forward. Transformers doesn't end here, nor does it start here. But I can assure you of one thing: It is at its highest here.