“I do have one question Megatron…Why are we called Decepticons?”
by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
Transformers Prime makes a triumphant return to television today with the premiere episode of it’s second season. Things aren’t going quite so well for the Autobots, as they must come to terms with the fact that Optimus Prime is no more. Having used the Matrix of Leadership to stop the evil Unicron from the destroying the planet, Prime isn’t quite the same. Gone is Optimus Prime, Leader of the Autobots…In his place stands Orion Pax: former clerk from Cybertron, and old friend of Megatron! Megatron realizes that Prime has lost his memories and decides to take full advantage of the situation.
Beware of Spoilers for Transformers Prime Season 2!
“Orion Pax” – Part 1, is a fantastic start to the season as it gives all of the characters a chance to shine. Jack really gets some great moments as we learn more about the mysterious key that he was given by Prime, and how it ties back to Cybertron itself. The relationship between Orion and Megatronus (Megatron’s old name) comes to the forefront as new details are revealed regarding the start of “The Great War” and how these two close friends became mortal enemies. This is the first time that we have ever seen this story played out in a format other than comics, and it is great to see the level of detail and thought that has gone into maintaining the legacy of these characters.
The premiere also features the return of Starscream, who had been absent for the last several episodes. While Megatron is trying desperately to keep Orion from learning the truth, Starscream (totally unaware of recent developments) reacts as any typical Decepticon would…AHHHHH OPTIMUS PRIME!!!!
Peter Cullen is at his best as Orion, portraying the young clerk with a different, yet familiar approach. Some of the best moments of the episode are Orion’s interactions with Megatron, which convey the conviction that led to him eventually becoming Prime in the first place. Another standout from the voice cast is Josh Keaton, who takes the teenage Jack to a new level of maturity. With Prime currently a Decepticon, Jack is quickly thrust into more of a leadership position, which was hinted at towards the end of the prior season.
On a side note, this series has done an extraordinary job with making the human characters entertaining, well developed, and downright enjoyable, which is a drastic difference when compared to past shows from the Transformers franchise. I believe that this partially due to the writing, but mostly to do with the talented voice cast.
With such a strong first episode, I cannot wait to see what else the creative team behind Transformers Prime has in store for Season 2.
Next Episode: Jack goes to Cybertron. DUN DUN DUN.
ComicsOnline gives Transformers Prime – “Orion Pax” – Part 1 – 5 out of 5 soon to be classic Transformers moments.
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