The Redux (Johnsonverse)
The Redux is the 99th episode of The Transformers, the fourth episode of Season 4, and the first produced by JTV instead of Sunbow. It aired on September 12, 1987, and was
Plot
The episode begins where it left off: with Galvatron and Zarack aboard Scorponok. Several weeks have passed since Cybertron was restored. Galvatron questions Zarak's plan and underlings. Zarak assures Megatron of its success, since Autobot City and Teletraan 1 will be offline for maintenance so an SOS signal can't be sent to Earth, if the Decepticons don't screw it up. Galvatron says they won't, and orders Soundwave and Swindle into position.
Meanwhile, Optimus Prime is aboard Sky Lynx, visiting the former site of the Autobot Mausoleum. Scanning the area, he sees the bodies of the Autobots slain during the Battle of Autobot City. With help from Cosmos, they manage to bring Prowl, Ratchet, Ironhide, Windcharger, Wheeljack, Huffer, Trailbreaker, Red Alert, Mirage, Tracks, and Smokescreen aboard. When Optimus questions where Brawn was, Sky Lynx states that Brawn survived the ordeal with a shoulder wound. Fortunately for them, the Quintessons gave them the technology necessary to bring them back to life.
Landing on Earth, Sky Lynx is shocked to see the Ark and Mount St. Hillary in pristine condition after Trypticon was through with it. Optimus concludes that Vector Sigma must have done it. Several hours later, all of the dead Autobots are brought back to life. Ironhide, in particular, is enthusiastic to get back out in the field, but this causes him to move around too much for Ratchet. Optimus Prime, meanwhile, tells him he'll have to wait, since he has some kinks that Wheeljack needs to work out. Grumbling, Ironhide asks why Wheeljack still gets to do his job, which doesn't involve getting shot at by Decepticons. Optimus agrees with him, and then states that all of the Ark crew members could use a stay in the recharge chambers. Ironhide is still insistent that they need him, eliciting a brag from Sunstreaker. Slag thinks they were better off without the dead Autobots, while Sludge confesses he never noticed anyone was missing.
Wheeljack states that Teletraan 1 and all systems except the lights will be offline for 4,200 astro seconds, which Optimus concludes will be the perfect opportunity for the Decepticons to attack. After Hound notes how quiet the Decepticons have been, Optimus orders a perimeter be set up so the Decepticons don't catch them off-guard. This is the perfect opportunity for Soundwave to send Rumble in with an ion bomb, which he successfully does.
Meanwhile, at Metroplex, Blaster can't get through to the Ark, and then informs Wreck-Gar and Sky Lynx of the comm. blackout. Metroplex begins to shut down for maintenance, as Swindle gets in just in time. He manages to find Metroplex's comm. relay, and also gets something for himself. Galvatron orders him to get out and ignore his "petty needs".
Back at the Ark, Teletraan 1 detects the ion bomb, which detonates as the Autobots attempt to evacuate. Red Alert and Inferno leap into action. Everyone is OK, but Teletraan 1 "has had it". As Ratchet begins repairs, Scorponok approaches Cybertron. Blurr detects the Decepticon fleet, and with communications to Earth offline, there is no way to contact Optimus Prime.
Astrotrain is ordered to distract their defenses, and is shot down by Hot Spot on Devcon's command. The Decepticons manage to get behind their defenses and begin the attack. The Combaticons and Predacons begin tearing apart everything in sight, while the Headmasters attack the Throttlebots. A pair of security drones come to help, but one is shot by a Predacon and tells the other one to get help. The battle becomes an intense firefight spearheaded by the Combaticons. Perceptor wonders where Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus are, as several more drones are destroyed by the Stunticons.
A Sweep is waiting for a straggler to run right into his arms, but his run over by Hot Rod and shot dead by Firebolt. Hot Rot departs to fight Galvatron, as Kup and Perceptor are attacked by the Terrorcons.
Iacon is now in flames. Galvatron and Soundwave marvel at their handiwork as Shockwave arrives. Galvatron orders the space bridge shut down to avoid reinforcements with Earth. Ratchet completes repairs on Teletraan 1 with the resources on hand, and the Dinobots are sent via space bridge to Cybertron to collect the necessary parts to complete repairs.
As Hot Rod confronts Galvatron, Slag and Sludge complain about taking the space bridge, but Grimlock silences them. The group arrive in Shockwave's lab, and a fight breaks out that keeps the Dinobots occupied. Hot Rod loses his fight with Galvatron, but is rescued by Ultra Magnus. Galvatron chases off Ultra Magnus, but Magnus decks him and forces him to fire, hitting Blast Off and causing him to collide with Vortex. Kup, Blurr, and Arcee arrive to recover the injured Hot Rod.
As the Dinobots fight off hordes of Sentinels, Hot Rod awakens in repair bay. He's eager to get back out there, but Ultra Magnus stops him, telling him he's no longer Rodimus Prime and that Galvatron is out of his league. But Hot Rod, harboring a sense of duty, runs off. Back on Earth, Wheeljack wonders where the Dinobots are. Ironhide thinks they've wandered off again, but Optimus suspects something very wrong; a Decepticon attack with no follow-up does not register with his logic circuits, and fears a ploy to cut the Earth-based Autobots off from Cybertron. All of the Ark crew board Omega Supreme for an excursion to Cybertron.
Arriving at Cybertron, they find Iacon in flames, and the Autobots split up into teams to engage. Ironhide can't wait to fight, but Optimus tells him to leave the heavy fighting to the rest of them. The Autobots burst through a wall and engage Shockwave, Ramjet, and Astrotrain, easily overwhelming them and sending Astrotrain running. Omega sets off in pursuit and manages to throw him into space. As this is happening, Sideswipe activates the space bridge to allow the rest of the Earth-based Autobots to join them.
Blitzwing chases Sunstreaker, but runs into a wall, while Optimus and Jazz split up. Galvatron is confused as to where all the other Autobots came from, but then sees it as more targets for him to kill. Optimus finds the Dinobots under some rubble as the Decepticon Headmasters are assaulted by Prowl and Sideswipe. Galvatron orders the Nebulons to stand their ground, but they retreat on Zarak's orders. Galvatron is enraged, but brushes it off. As the Autobots close on their position, Galvatron orders Devastator, Menasor, Bruticus, Predaking, and Abominus to tear apart Cybertron.
Optimus orders the shutdown mechanism devised by Starscream be used to shut down Bruticus, while Ultra Magnus, Warpath, and a few others provide a distraction. Optimus successfully shuts down Bruticus, as Superion battles Devastator and Menasor. Optimus takes out the two Decepticon combiners, and Galvatron concludes that he may have lost Cybertron, but he can still kill Optimus Prime again. Optimus orders Hot Rod to hold the line as he departs for Vector Sigma. Galvatron shifts his plans and orders the Decepticons to follow Optimus Prime.
Optimus takes on the Centurion Droids, easily getting past them this time. Arriving at Vector Sigma, Optimus consults with Alpha Trion about their crisis: the Decepticons now have the ability to strike both Earth and Cybertron concurrently. Alpha Trion reveals that the essence of the Matrix of Leadership is now eternally bound to his spark, meaning he no longer needs the Matrix to lead.
Optimus begs for answers, but is met by Scourge and Cyclonus, who down him. Hot Rod arrives and finds Optimus struggling with the two Decepticons, whom he overcomes. Optimus states that Hot Rod must take back the Matrix, but Galvatron won't allow it. Galvatron strangles Optimus, but Hot Rod unleashes the power of the Matrix and once again becomes Rodimus Prime. Galvatron makes one last ditch attack, but is punched face-first into a wall and orders a full Decepticon retreat.
Optimus knows that the Decepticons continue to grow more treacherous, but returns to Earth with the knowledge that Cybertron is in good hands with Rodimus Prime, now that a two-front attack can't paralyze the Autobots.
Voice Cast
Autobots
- Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime, Ironhide
- Don Messick as Ratchet
- Chris Latta as Wheeljack
- Gregg Berger as Grimlock
- Corey Burton as Sunstreaker
- Neil Ross as Slag, Springer
- Frank Welker as Sludge
- Phil LaMarr as Jazz
- Jack Angel as Omega Supreme
- Ken Sansom as Hound
- Judd Nelson as Hot Rod/Rodimus Prime
- Robert Stack as Ultra Magnus
- John Moschitta as Blurr
- Lionel Stander as Kup
- Susan Blu as Arcee
- Eric Idle as Wreck-Gar
- Aron Kincaid as Sky Lynx
- Michael McConnohie as Cosmos
- Buster Jones as Blaster
- John Stephenson as Devcon, Alpha Trion
- Dan Gilvezan as Hot Spot
- Michael Chain as Red Alert
- Walker Edmiston as Inferno
- Danny Mann as Freeway
- Paul Eiding as Perceptor
Decepticons
- Leonard Nimoy as Galvatron
- Frank Welker as Soundwave, Sweep, animal sound effects
- Jack Angel as Cyclonus, Astrotrain. Ramjet, Bruticus
- Corey Burton as Shockwave
- Johnny Haymer as Swindle
- Stan Jones as Scourge, Zarak, Weirdwolf
- Stephen Keener as Mindwipe
- Jered Barclay as Sinnertwin
Other
- Frank Welker as Security Drone
- Casey Kasem as Teletraan-1
- Corey Burton as Vector Sigma
Among the characters who appear but do not speak are:
Autobots
- Windcharger
- Sideswipe
- Gears
- Brawn
- Bumblebee
- Goldbug
- Huffer
- Cliffjumper
- Powerglide
- Warpath
- Beachcomber
- Rewind
- Mirage
- Tracks
- Smokescreen
- Trailbreaker
- Red Alert
- Hoist
- Metroplex
- Chase
- Wideload
- Rollbar
- Searchlight
- Air Raid
- Fireflight
- Skydive
- Silverbolt
- Superion
- Chromedome/Stylor
- Hardhead/Duros
- Brainstorm/Arcana
- Highbrow/Gort
- Pointblank/Peacemaker
- Sureshot/Spoilsport
- Crosshairs/Pinpointer
- Ricochet/Nebulon
- Hydrant/Particle
- Haywire
- Firebolt
- Recoil
- Defensor
- Swoop
Decepticons
- Blitzwing
- Rumble
- Onslaught
- Brawl
- Vortex
- Blast Off
- Bruticus
- Headstrong
- Tantrum
- Divebomb
- Razorclaw
- Rampage
- Cyclonus' Armada
- Scorponok
- Menasor
- Devastator
- Predaking
- Abominus
Notes
Animation or Technical Errors
By and by, this episode was the first to see a brand-new animation style. Toei received a larger budget from JTV/WBC, allowing them to use the same style used for the movie. This resulted in some very, very beautiful artwork, and few errors.
- During the scene in which the dead Autobots are recovered, Ratchet's head crest is missing.
- Devcon's colors seem washed out.
- As Optimus approaches Vector Sigma's chamber, his backpack is white. This was likely a side-effect of Toei ghosting a segment from "The Rebirth, Part 2", and an oversight caused them to miss AKOM's error.
Not Necessarily Errors
- Bumblebee is seen on Earth, while Goldbug is on Cybertron. It was later explained that Goldbug's personality core was copied and place into a new body, allowing both Bumblebee and Goldbug to exist simultaneously.
Continuity Errors
- During the repair bay scene, Blurr and Springer keep switching places.
- Arcee is present on Cybertron, but she and Daniel should be on Nebulos. In fact, there is NOTHING to indicate the Arcee is a Headmaster in this episode (which is REALLY weird since a Headmaster Arcee toy was released shortly after the episode aired, only it was a unique mold and not a retool of Chromedome as was originally planned). Other Headmasters who should be on Nebulos fighting the Hive's machines are also present. This may have been because they were present in "Four Warriros Come Out of the Sky", from which this episode took several plot points from. It is highly likely (and later confirmed by Ask Vector Prime) that the Hive's machines had been destroyed in the timegap between "The Rebirth, Part 3" and "The Redux".
- If it's any compensation, though, Fortress Maximus is nowhere to be seen, and neither are Cerebros or Spike.
- The Ask Vector Prime feature on Facebook later revealed Fortress Maximus and Cerebros were both undergoing repairs, and Spike was taking a vacation to Switzerland with his family.
- Galvatron orders Shockwave to shut down the space bridge, yet the Dinobots have no trouble using it.
- In some shots, Cybertron is back to being grey and lifeless.
- Devcon's presence of Cybertron is too convenient. If he's a bounty hunter, shouldn't he be searching for criminals with Slizardo?
- Ask Vector Prime later stated Devcon joined the Autobots full-time around 1996, and Slizardo opened a bar at the Zurich Spaceport on Earth.
- When Swindle exits Metroplex and transforms, he is suddenly in a human city. The shot came from the second season episode episode "B.O.T.", which begs the question of why Toei used stock footage, as the shot clashed with the episode's art style, let alone stock footage from that loathesome episode.
- As has happened several times in the past, Blitzwing is seen among Decepticon ranks despite being kicked out in "Five Faces of Darkness, Part 5".
Continuity Notes
- This episode takes place several months after "The Rebirth, Part 3".
- The Autobot casualties of the movie are resurrected, coinciding with the return of their toys to shelves by popular demand as "Classic Transformers".
- This episode puts to rest the argument about Brawn's death, revealing he did indeed survive his shoulder wound and actually played dead, and was attached to a spec-ops group with the rest of the 1984-85 Autobots who survived the film. In addition, it is revealed that Mirage, Trailbreaker, Tracks, Red Alert, and Smokescreen also perished at Autobot City.
- The events of "Dark Awakening" are referenced.
- Hot Rod once again becomes Rodimus Prime in a sequence similar to the sequence in the movie. "The Touch" even plays once more.
- Cyclonus' Armada, briefly shown in the movie, finally reappears.
- Stepper and Artfire make their US debuts, with Stepper renamed Ricochet, and Artfire was renamed Hydrant, and Targetmaster partner Nightstick renamed Particle.
Trivia
- A new end credit sequence is introduced, and foreshadows future events, such as Starscream's return, Blitzwing's rebellion, and Slipstream's introduction. It also had the second season end credit music. The opening theme remained unchanged.
- This episode confirms that Shockwave survived the movie, and continued hiding in his lab up until this episode. IDW's 20th anniversary comic based on the movie handwaves the storyboards in which Shockwave is killed by revealing it wasn't actually Shockwave, but a Decepticon of the exact same body-type.
- Optimus Prime and Jazz's eyecatches are used for the first time since "B.O.T."
- Leonard Nimoy, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack, Lionel Stander, and Eric Idle return to their respective roles and remain in them for the rest of the series.
- Elita One is revealed to still be alive through dialogue between Optimus Prime and Alpha Trion, with Elita now residing at the base on Athenia.
- This episode marks the first time Phil LaMarr voices Jazz, following the death of Scatman Crothers. He would reprise the role in Transformers: Animated and Transformers: The Great War.