Should you watch this, Wiki this, or wait for the next episode’s recap? Watch this if you have time.
Sideswipe’s speed is cut short when the Autobots confront the latest crazy Decepticon – a robot Dr Frankenstein named Vertebreak! Vertebreak steals Sideswipe’s body and attacks the Autobots with it, knowing he has the advantage because they don’t want to hurt their team mate. Will the Autobots be able to rescue their fastest member?
“Some Body, Any Body” is the sixteenth episode of the first season of Transformers: Robots in Disguise. It’s the sequel series to Transformers: Prime, and revolves around Bumblebee and his group of cadets on Earth, with a subplot involving Optimus Prime pursuing a mystical mission in the afterlife. This episode sees the Autobots battling Vertebreak.
“Some Body, Any Body” continues the trend of body snatching plots that started in “True Colours.” This time however, Vertebreak strikes as a Headmaster-ish type of villain, but presented as a mad doctor. The question remains though – how did Vertebreak manage to put his own head on Sideswipe all by himself, when it took two Autobots to reverse that surgery? Questions, questions.
Highlights
Vertebreak looks pretty cool
A serpent Decepticon? These are few and far between, and though we didn’t quite get to see Vertebreak transform, it’s plausible that his robot mode is actually his serpent mode, with another vehicle mode serving as his alternate mode. Nevertheless, the Dr Frankenstein concept, coupled with Vertebreak’s physical appearance, make this antagonist a visually memorable one.
Sideswipe’s full prowess is revealed
In Sideswipe’s body, Vertebreak thrashes them all. True, the Autobots are holding back significantly since they’re trying their best not to hurt Sideswipe, but surely they won’t get defeated as badly as they are in this episode unless Sideswipe is actually really quite powerful. Whatever the case is, the implication is that with enough skill and training, Sideswipe’s speed is amazingly lethal.
Rivalry between Sideswipe and Strongarm
Their relationship has moved on to friendly jibes at each other, rather than the original flavour of curt remarks and sarcastic comments. This shows that people and friendships do evolve, signifying a show that goes and isn’t afraid of changing up the status quo.
Letdowns
Autobots feel depowered
The flipside of a powerful Sideswipe is revealed here – in the form of terribly weak Autobots. Why exactly can’t they defeat Sideswipe? It shouldn’t take more than two of them to take him down, since they’re all equally powerful anyway. The difficult they have in defeating Sideswipe just doesn’t make much sense, and makes our heroes far less admirable and likeable to the audiences, unless the Autobots are really that significantly less powerful.
Another body theft episode?
Yeah! Didn’t we just do a body theft episode this season? Why are we recycling such plots, but with Sideswipe instead? The episode even calls this out by having someone suggest that they attach Sideswipe’s head to Nightstrike’s body. Perhaps the next person to get mind controlled like this is Strongarm, given the hints we got from last episode’s nightmares.
“Some Body, Any Body” isn’t really that important since it doesn’t push the series arc forward. It makes use of a plot that’s already been used in the same season, and while it’s entertaining, it’s just not that interesting.
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