Beast Wars Episode Dissection: 'Equal Measures'
X-posted to beast_wars
So you’d think that after almost getting molested eaten by Tarantulas last episode Cheetor would have learned his lesson about acting impulsively. Hah.
The Maximals are getting set to set out survey posts to gather intelligence on the Predacons - well most of them are. Dinobot is working on a bomb and apparently has no qualms about using it against his former allies. Maybe it’s the whole professional soldier mentality or maybe it’s because he just hates Megatron that much, who knows?
Then Cheetor starts fiddling with the bomb and watching him toss it around made me wince nervously and hope that someone would be sensible and take the shiny toy away from the kiddy. When Optimus shows up to keep Dinobot from ripping Cheetor a new one (literally) he tells them that the mission is on hold because of the bad weather - which doesn’t go down well with either Cheetor or Dinobot. Cheetor sees it as Optimus doubting his capabilities even when the other calmly and reasonably denies that it has anything to do with Cheetor. The kid doesn’t listen and goes off in a huff (again). Seriously, sometimes I just want to spank that self-centered little twerp.
Dinobot’s frustration at the mission being scrubbed comes from a more practical source and he thinks that Optimus is wasting an opportunity. This is hardly the first time he questions Optimus and it won’t be the last, after all he wasn’t afraid to call Megatron out, so why should he have much respect for an untrained and peace-inclined Maximal commander?
The two argue over philosophies on how to wage war with Dinobot trying to not so subtly intimidate Optimus into his way of thinking. Being taller than any of the Maximals Dinobot does that looming thing rather well, don’t you think? Finally Optimus lays down the law with ‘no means no’ and Dinobot gives up on trying to persuade him. But he stubbornly refuses to give up the game yet as he seeks out Cheetor and manipulates the cat into going out into the storm to set up the survey posts on the sly.
It’s interesting that the supposedly honorable warrior is perfectly willing to use the relatively innocent Cheetor in such an underhanded way. Certainly later in the show he’s quick to scorn other characters that act that way. I’m willing to bet that the way he acted in this episode was more of a leftover survival mechanism from when he was with the Predacons than anything else. And given how much time he spent around Megatron - a skilled manipulator - it’s not surprising that he picked up a thing or two.
Cheetor, meanwhile, lays out the survey posts in the storm and accidently puts one in an energon vein. Oh. Shit. When he tries to pull it out he gets hit by lightening which reacts with the survey posts and the energon and teleports him right into the Predacon base. It’s a neat plot device though it’s never explained how it actually happened. Maybe no science is better than bad science?
Terrorsaur, Scorponok, and Waspinator aren’t happy to see him and in the ensuing battle Terrorsaur gets teleported to the Maximal base. The other two Preds chase Cheetor around the base and prove the theory that bad guys can’t shoot worth hell. Also Scorponok, the Predacons’ new second in command, seems to have issues with people following his orders, poor guy (false sympathy is false).
Meanwhile Terrorsaur runs into Dinobot in the Maximal base and the latter is curious enough about the teleport-thingy to not blast him on the spot. Terrorsaur tries to turn this to his advantage by suggesting he ally with Dinobot and they use the transporter against both Megatron and Optimus Primal. Apparently he was too busy scheming to notice Dinobot rolling his eyes and smirking when he ‘agrees’. I sort of see Terrorsaur as a stupider, less educated Starscream rip-off, and just like Starscream his plans never work. As soon as Dinobot gets the information from him on how to use the transporter he turns on Terrorsaur and ejects him from the Axalon, complete with flushing sound effects. :D
Watching the way he manipulated both Cheetor and Terrrosaur I get a good impression of how Dinobot not only survived in the cutthroat Predacon world, but how he managed to become Megatron’s second in command. Whether he likes it or not he knows how to deceive and back-stab like the best of them.
An oblivious Optimus shows up and Dinobot tells him about the transporter and that Cheetor must have been killed by the Predacons when he was teleported to their base. He uses this to ‘convince’ Optimus to transport a time bomb into the Predacon base. At the Predacon base Cheetor manages to get his hands on some maps that show a large, volatile energon line running underneath both bases. Megatron finally shows up, apparently being able to sleep through his minions shooting up his base.
Just then Dinobot’s bomb gets teleported into the command center. Realizing that if one ship blows up the explosion will ignite the energon under the other Cheetor offers to disarm the bomb and in the interests of staying alive Megatron grudgingly agrees. Cheetor gets the bomb safely out of the base and crispy-fries Terrorsaur in the process. For some reason Terrorsaur’s “Aw, slag!” made me giggle hysterically.
Before Megatron can shoot him Cheetor manages to teleport back to the Maximal base and the blast from Megatron’s canon manages to break the link between the two bases. So much for the plot device of the week, I guess.
Cheetor doesn’t rat out Dinobot for some reason, maybe not even realizing how the other used him. And apparently even Optimus is getting fed up with Cheetor’s shenanigans, though Cheetor blows it off. Cat-skin rugs anyone?
Quote(s) of the Episode:
Terrorsaur (when Cheetor is teleported to the Predacon ship): Welcome…to the dark side.
Terrorsaur: Hey! What are you doing?! We're partners!
Dinobot: In case you had not realized, Needle-Nose...I am not a team player.
Previous episode discussions:
1. Beast Wars (Part 1)
2. Beast Wars (Part 2)
3. The Web