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Patch
The emotion-driven part of my brain basically went EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE in glee the whole time. And in LOL at the Screamerfaily clips. So I'd recommend you imagine all of this chewing on details overlaid with me going EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE, except that would be really annoying, I imagine. So don't. ;-)
Rationally, though, I had a few mixed reactions under all the EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEing. To wit:
Points for Megatron: I really, really liked Megatron in it. I'm sometimes iffy on this version of him, sadly, because I feel that sometimes the writers have him do the most evil thing they can think of regardless of logic. Because he's a bad guy, see? Badness! But it doesn't actually make much sense, and makes him seem stupid even compared to his own guys. In this episode, I thought his comments and thoughts and ponderings and snark and ragefaced graaaaagh all generally made sense. He was threatening, but he had reason to be. He didn't just beat the hell out of SS and call it a day without doing anything interesting, and while he did use the patch he didn't do it after great histrionics about how much he hated Starscream. He just acted like a smart villain doing smart things -- reading the mind of someone notorious for treachery is a damn good idea and an exciting plot point, even for something as not-plotful as a clip show.
I also really liked his "You're either worthy or you're dead" line (sorry, don't remember it exactly.) I thought they didn't do anything with it and left it hanging but awesome (more on that in a minute), but I really loved it because it was snappy and, to my mind, showed what he really cares about as a character. While he rages a lot, he also still tolerates a lot of dissension, backstabbing, and crap -- and in my mind, he does so because as he sees things, those who are particularly worthy are not necessarily going to be particularly loyal. As I see it, he sees loyalty as a luxury and something valuable when he gets it, but whether you're worth having around is a separate question. Starscream's disloyalty, as I see it, definitely can be a threat in certain circumstances (like when Megatron was in his coma), but often isn't. So while it's not necessarily wise, this thinking makes sense to me. And the line was delivered really well, too.
Points for Starscream: He didn't woobify all over the place! I can't stand him as a woobie, at all, and I'm always relieved when he goes back to his devious, clever self. I don't mind him acting woobie when it's obviously a put-on/trick/tactic, but sometimes the writers go too far and I just miss devious, competent SS. I felt that in this episode, they showed him the way I like -- generally competent, very devious, and making use of the woobie faces and such as tools to get him what he wanted. While I know some people read him as more woobie than badass and think he's messed up from abuse from Megatron, I felt that when he said he wanted to be a Decepticon again, he meant it -- and I liked that. Well, for one thing, because it's what I wanted too (see above EEEing), but for another, because if he does mean it, it's complex and interesting. What does home mean to him? What does Megatron mean to him? If he means it, then that's more than just "I see no other alternative and learned helplessness sends me crawling back." I don't know if others see this the same way, and I don't think it's wrong if people don't. But I think Starscream liked things about his previous life and wanted them back.
He also wasn't woobie in that he approved of some of his remembered actions, praised himself, etc. He didn't just cower and plead and act like someone placating someone else. He tried to remind Megatron of the things he's good at -- and the things he thought Megatron approved of about him. He tried to spin the memories and despaired a few times when he couldn't, but he didn't just whine. So I saw the Starscream I liked this episode, and I think they've been getting away lately from the version of him I don't.
Points for the Writers: ....I did not know a clip show could be legitimately awesome in its own right. How the fuck did you pull that off?
No Points for Megatron: As much as I squeed over Megatron's decision, it bothered me that he seemed to change his mind. I'd really liked the "you're worthy or you die" bit I mentioned above, so I was waiting for some devious plan to actually impress Megatron. (My vote would be the Key-stealing, but it may have been too soon to put in the clip show...) One flaw I see in this Megatron is how consistently unimpressed he always is. While I do think leader baddies should be much more prone to be stern than to praise, I've always felt that this Megatron is such a fault-finder that I don't see why the 'Cons don't revolt. Part of being a successful dictator is some kind of propaganda machine, some attempt (at the very least) at keeping the others invested in you out of esteem and not just fear. He should have a lot of Nietszchean pathos of distance, yes, very much, yes, yes -- but he should also give praise just often enough to want his minions to crave more of it. And the writers never do this, apparently wanting his never being happy with anyone to be a major character trait, and it pisses me right the fuck off.
So I wanted very badly for him to take Starscream back because he found something that did impress him. I wanted him to say so. I wanted Starscream to bask in the praise for a long moment before remembering he hates this guy. Instead, we got Megatron agreeing to take him back for a completely different reason, which felt a lot weaker. I think the point was supposed to be that seeing Knock Out had also betrayed him (and us seeing what he couldn't see, too, Knock Out's intention to strand him in Starscream's mind) showed him that he would always be surrounded by treacherous mechs and reminded him that for better or for worse he'd already chosen to tolerate it (see above), so turning a useful resource like Starscream away for it without scouring his ranks for others who were less upfront about feeling exactly the same would be stupid.
Which makes some sense, I suppose, given that Megatron really is consistently established in most continuities to tolerate insubordination to a bizarre degree. (Anyone else remember "You defied me, Dreadwing. You'll make a fine first officer"?) And I suppose his decision does, in an indirect way, include an admission that Starscream is in fact worthy in his estimation -- he is devious and useful, and he's better off harnessing that than running the risk of letting it escape to work against him. But that's much less cool, and much less directly on-point, than if he'd also explicitly found something to be impressed by, and said some compromise like "Well, you did do [clip of thing he finds a demonstration of worthiness], and you're no more selfish and untrustworthy than everyone else, so..."
Or a snappier way to say that, anyway. It sounds wrong like that. But something to that effect.
No Points for Starscream: I didn't like how much "Starscream acting stupid" they showed. This isn't a critique of how he acted in the show, so much as it is that again, I like him at his most competent and sly much more than I like him as the punching bag. I don't mind it when it's Megatron's discipline, because although that's fucked up and creepy it makes sense. But when it's just the universe beating up on Starscream, it lowers his badass quotient and I don't like that.
No Points for the Writers: You made Starscream finally coming home a clip show? Really? You'd do that to something that important? Fuck you. *slices them in half with the Dark Star Saber* FUCK YOU. *takes all the points away*
Rationally, though, I had a few mixed reactions under all the EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEing. To wit:
Points for Megatron: I really, really liked Megatron in it. I'm sometimes iffy on this version of him, sadly, because I feel that sometimes the writers have him do the most evil thing they can think of regardless of logic. Because he's a bad guy, see? Badness! But it doesn't actually make much sense, and makes him seem stupid even compared to his own guys. In this episode, I thought his comments and thoughts and ponderings and snark and ragefaced graaaaagh all generally made sense. He was threatening, but he had reason to be. He didn't just beat the hell out of SS and call it a day without doing anything interesting, and while he did use the patch he didn't do it after great histrionics about how much he hated Starscream. He just acted like a smart villain doing smart things -- reading the mind of someone notorious for treachery is a damn good idea and an exciting plot point, even for something as not-plotful as a clip show.
I also really liked his "You're either worthy or you're dead" line (sorry, don't remember it exactly.) I thought they didn't do anything with it and left it hanging but awesome (more on that in a minute), but I really loved it because it was snappy and, to my mind, showed what he really cares about as a character. While he rages a lot, he also still tolerates a lot of dissension, backstabbing, and crap -- and in my mind, he does so because as he sees things, those who are particularly worthy are not necessarily going to be particularly loyal. As I see it, he sees loyalty as a luxury and something valuable when he gets it, but whether you're worth having around is a separate question. Starscream's disloyalty, as I see it, definitely can be a threat in certain circumstances (like when Megatron was in his coma), but often isn't. So while it's not necessarily wise, this thinking makes sense to me. And the line was delivered really well, too.
Points for Starscream: He didn't woobify all over the place! I can't stand him as a woobie, at all, and I'm always relieved when he goes back to his devious, clever self. I don't mind him acting woobie when it's obviously a put-on/trick/tactic, but sometimes the writers go too far and I just miss devious, competent SS. I felt that in this episode, they showed him the way I like -- generally competent, very devious, and making use of the woobie faces and such as tools to get him what he wanted. While I know some people read him as more woobie than badass and think he's messed up from abuse from Megatron, I felt that when he said he wanted to be a Decepticon again, he meant it -- and I liked that. Well, for one thing, because it's what I wanted too (see above EEEing), but for another, because if he does mean it, it's complex and interesting. What does home mean to him? What does Megatron mean to him? If he means it, then that's more than just "I see no other alternative and learned helplessness sends me crawling back." I don't know if others see this the same way, and I don't think it's wrong if people don't. But I think Starscream liked things about his previous life and wanted them back.
He also wasn't woobie in that he approved of some of his remembered actions, praised himself, etc. He didn't just cower and plead and act like someone placating someone else. He tried to remind Megatron of the things he's good at -- and the things he thought Megatron approved of about him. He tried to spin the memories and despaired a few times when he couldn't, but he didn't just whine. So I saw the Starscream I liked this episode, and I think they've been getting away lately from the version of him I don't.
Points for the Writers: ....I did not know a clip show could be legitimately awesome in its own right. How the fuck did you pull that off?
No Points for Megatron: As much as I squeed over Megatron's decision, it bothered me that he seemed to change his mind. I'd really liked the "you're worthy or you die" bit I mentioned above, so I was waiting for some devious plan to actually impress Megatron. (My vote would be the Key-stealing, but it may have been too soon to put in the clip show...) One flaw I see in this Megatron is how consistently unimpressed he always is. While I do think leader baddies should be much more prone to be stern than to praise, I've always felt that this Megatron is such a fault-finder that I don't see why the 'Cons don't revolt. Part of being a successful dictator is some kind of propaganda machine, some attempt (at the very least) at keeping the others invested in you out of esteem and not just fear. He should have a lot of Nietszchean pathos of distance, yes, very much, yes, yes -- but he should also give praise just often enough to want his minions to crave more of it. And the writers never do this, apparently wanting his never being happy with anyone to be a major character trait, and it pisses me right the fuck off.
So I wanted very badly for him to take Starscream back because he found something that did impress him. I wanted him to say so. I wanted Starscream to bask in the praise for a long moment before remembering he hates this guy. Instead, we got Megatron agreeing to take him back for a completely different reason, which felt a lot weaker. I think the point was supposed to be that seeing Knock Out had also betrayed him (and us seeing what he couldn't see, too, Knock Out's intention to strand him in Starscream's mind) showed him that he would always be surrounded by treacherous mechs and reminded him that for better or for worse he'd already chosen to tolerate it (see above), so turning a useful resource like Starscream away for it without scouring his ranks for others who were less upfront about feeling exactly the same would be stupid.
Which makes some sense, I suppose, given that Megatron really is consistently established in most continuities to tolerate insubordination to a bizarre degree. (Anyone else remember "You defied me, Dreadwing. You'll make a fine first officer"?) And I suppose his decision does, in an indirect way, include an admission that Starscream is in fact worthy in his estimation -- he is devious and useful, and he's better off harnessing that than running the risk of letting it escape to work against him. But that's much less cool, and much less directly on-point, than if he'd also explicitly found something to be impressed by, and said some compromise like "Well, you did do [clip of thing he finds a demonstration of worthiness], and you're no more selfish and untrustworthy than everyone else, so..."
Or a snappier way to say that, anyway. It sounds wrong like that. But something to that effect.
No Points for Starscream: I didn't like how much "Starscream acting stupid" they showed. This isn't a critique of how he acted in the show, so much as it is that again, I like him at his most competent and sly much more than I like him as the punching bag. I don't mind it when it's Megatron's discipline, because although that's fucked up and creepy it makes sense. But when it's just the universe beating up on Starscream, it lowers his badass quotient and I don't like that.
No Points for the Writers: You made Starscream finally coming home a clip show? Really? You'd do that to something that important? Fuck you. *slices them in half with the Dark Star Saber* FUCK YOU. *takes all the points away*