RETRO TV REVIEW: Transformers (1984) S3E29-E30: “The Return of Optimus Prime”

Although it’s a show that I rarely talk about now, there was a time when the original Transformers animated series was my favorite show. I was fairly young at the time, but I watched the G1 series faithfully from the beginning until its cancellation. I was also struck by Transformers: The Movie, which took a bold new direction by setting it in the far-flung future (or though it seemed in the mid-80’s) of 2006. One reason that movie struck that chord is that it took risks with its cast, especially in the decision to kill Optimus Prime, who was up to that point the show’s main character. So when “The Return of Optimus Prime” debuted at the end of Season 3, I was excited to see Optimus again.

Looking back on it now, I recognize that I was seeing that series through the filter of nostalgia, and especially these two episodes. But it’s worth revisiting to see how much nostalgia played a factor and how well the show holds up now in retrospect. This includes the business perspective, as it’s possible that the “Return of Optimus Prime” two-parter was designed to drum up interest in the show again after the death of one of its most popular characters.

To be fair, it’s hard to find more talented hands to entrust this with than Marv Wolfman, who co-wrote the episodes with Cherie Wilkerson. At the time, Wolfman was still breaking new ground with his run on New Teen Titans at DC Comics, which redefined what a team of sidekicks could be. Wilkerson had a fair background with other shows during this time frame, writing episodes for such shows as Jem, DuckTales, and Batman: The Animated Series. With talented writers like these, I was astonished to see so many plot holes and script-related issues in these two episodes.

To be fair, there are quite a few things the story does right, and it’s worth discussing those first. For one, the writing shows a deep respect for the character of Optimus Prime. That is perhaps the most important thing a story like this can do, because it illustrates the importance of Prime to the Autobots and why he is such a great hero. Prime carries himself with wisdom, compassion, courage, and self-sacrifice, and there is no question at any point this is the same Prime who died in Transformers: The Movie. His character is so compelling at every turn that it nearly manages to overcome the many flaws in the script. He’s also given interesting things to do, such as managing an uneasy alliance with his old enemy Galvatron (formerly Megatron) while trying to save the galaxy from an alien spore plague. Prime and Galvatron are so good together that they carry much of Part 2 on their backs. It’s honestly worth watching the episodes for those two alone. Some of the battles between Prime and the infected Autobots are good as well, especially his struggle against his successor Rodimus.

I’ll also give the show credit for working on a thematic level, even if the execution of those ideas fumbles. Wolfman and Wilkerson introduce a commentary on hate, treating the spore plague as a metaphor for the spread of blind, unreasoning hatred. The idea that wisdom is the best antidote for hatred is also a fair idea, and with better execution, the story might have worked much better. The idea of a spore-driven disease is also one that’s ahead of its time, predating the cordyceps plague idea from The Last of Us by several decades. There is a heart to this story that does function, but the way the story unfolds sadly doesn’t make sense to a more mature audience.

In the first place, the inciting event that leads to the outbreak doesn’t work. A human named Jessica Morgan saves Prime’s body with the help of a fellow scientist, who is presented as blinded by prejudice against the Autobots. Jessica’s scientist father is similarly blinded, having been scarred in a battle between Optimus and Megatron as a younger man. This is clearly meant to tie into Wolfman and Wilkerson’s themes about hatred, presumably tapping into the idea of robots as a metaphor for racism. Again, this is not inherently a bad thing, except that the human scientists are written as mustache-twirlingly evil in Part 1 with no thought to the dangers of the spores. Their argument for destroying the Autobots is also nonsensical, especially in the 2006 era of Transformers. This is especially ridiculous when Jessica is given an exoskeleton for her legs by the Autobots, allowing her to walk; it makes no sense that trained scientists would turn their nose up at this even out of blind hatred. There are arguments to be made against the Autobots—for instance, that the Autobots brought their war with the Decepticons to Earth, leading to mass destruction and harm to ordinary humans. But we never truly understand the scientists’ point of view in a nuanced way, and when they are cured of the plague, they conveniently turn over a new leaf without really showing why.

The spore plague also doesn’t operate by any consistent rules that make sense. The only established rule about how it spreads is that it spreads by physical contact. And generally, it mostly follows this one rule, except for the notable case of Jessica Morgan, who was wearing a full-body exo-suit and should not have been infected. But aside from that, the plague infects whoever the writers need to be taken out of the picture, robots or humans. Why does the spore plague affect sentient robots? It’s never explained. How is the plague so wide-reaching that it even affects the Quintessons halfway across the galaxy? It’s never explained. And then the plague retreats just as conveniently, as Optimus uses the Matrix of Leadership to spread its concentrated wisdom across the galaxy to cure it. This is again regrettable because some of these points could perhaps be explainable with the right approach. Still, the plague comes across as too much of a plot device, and its cure comes across as a Deus Ex Machina (literally a god in the machine, in this case). The plague exists to be a metaphor for divisive, unreasoning hatred, and it works only to produce the outcome the story needs it to.

There are other small fumbles as well. An infected Rodimus acts surprised by Optimus Prime’s return, which he shouldn’t, considering his last act before he was infected was to order Sky Lynx to resurrect Optimus. There are questionable scenes where organic monsters like giant spiders are trying to eat the Autobots, who are made of solid metal. There are even moments where Optimus is miscolored, presumably a miscue based on the white Optimus design from later in the episode. In fairness, some of these are nitpicks that don’t present significant problems on their own, but they unfortunately add to the weight of the story problems in these episodes.

All that said, the animation and the voice work are generally stellar aside from the coloring miscues. Peter Cullen embodies Optimus better than any other actor to date, instilling the character with dignity and gentleness while sounding strong and authoritative. Even when Optimus is working alongside his worst enemy, Cullen maintains that tone throughout the episode following his return. Likewise, Frank Welker is excellent as Galvatron, maintaining that air of menace whenever he appears. When Welker speaks, it’s easy to sense the wheels turning in Galvatron’s head as he plots against the Autobots. Joy Grdnic portrays the character of Jessica Morgan, and she does a good job of projecting strength in her voice as she deals with some difficult choices. Dick Gautier is quite solid as Rodimus, as both the young leader aspiring to live up to Prime’s legacy, and as the infected Rodimus consumed by hate. The show always brought together some good talent to bring Transformers to life, and they deliver in this two-parter as well.

Sad to say, “The Return of Optimus Prime” is that unfortunate example of a childhood show that doesn’t quite survive the lens of adulthood. The story is extremely well-intentioned and there are some excellent ideas and good moments here, including strong artwork and some good performances by the voice cast. This is also a fun story if you don’t look too closely at the seams, and that’s probably why these episodes stuck with me for so many years. Anything involving Optimus and Galvatron in these episodes is hugely entertaining, and that forgives a fair amount in my eyes. At the same time, the best way to enjoy “Return of Optimus Prime” is as a “turn your brain off” story where you don’t think about the plot too much. On that basis, I can understand why I enjoyed this two-parter the first time I saw it, and it can be enjoyable if you look at it that way. If you want coherent logic from this story, there’s not much to be found. If, however, you can appreciate who this show is written for or if you’re looking for some mindless fun, “Return of Optimus Prime” offers some decent entertainment value even with its glaring story problems.

Score: 3/5

Writers: Cherie Wilkerson and Marv Wolfman

Cast: Peter Cullen, Frank Welker, Joy Grdnic, Dick Gautier, Aron Kincaid, Tony Pope, Jack Angel

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).