Should you watch this, Wiki this, or wait for the next episode’s recap? Watch this.
Strongarm’s first solo recon mission is cut short when an overprotective Bumblebee tags along, but it quickly goes south with the discovery of Decepticon Springload. Meanwhile, Denny and Fixit go head to head when it comes to repairs and maintenance back at base. But with a Decepticon Hunter at stake, can Denny and Fixit put aside their differences to repair it?
“Rumble in the Jungle” is the ninth 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 facing Springload.
“Rumble in the Jungle” may technically be a filler episode of sorts (with the small subplot of the Decepticon Hunter), but it features much better storytelling and a less frivolous plot. It’s an example of what Robots in Disguise can be when it’s not attempting to dumb down the stories to the point of being on the same level as Rescue Bots. Not that Rescue Bots is a bad show, but there’s no point making two shows to cater to the same audience, is there? In any case, it’s a good episode to watch simply because of the deepening relationship between Bumblebee & Strongarm (platonic thus far).
Highlights
The Decepticon Hunter is fixed
And here I thought they’d forgotten about the Decepticon Hunter. This weapon of immense power is finally restored, and ends up being a plot device to salvage the relationship between Denny and Fixit. The best part is the foreshadowing that all the Autobots will have Decepticon Hunters, thus upgrading their power levels and preparing them for the eventual battle against a massive Decepticon army.
Bumblebee & Strongarm’s interactions
Although their feud starts off fairly shallow in the beginning, it develops into an interesting exploration of both their characters. Mainly, how they deal with their pride and how they swallow it. It’s great to see both parties acknowledging their own faults, and the Bumblebee-Strongarm relationship is one of the better ones of the series. Probably because it mirrored old Optimus Prime-Bumblebee relationships.
Springload is a eccentric, if unique, antagonist
Yes, Thunderhoof was also eccentric, but Springload is strange in a different way. He’s a crazy archaeologist, and it’s an archetype we’ve yet to see for the Decepticons. This makes him a refreshing change from the usual bad guys, since his motivations and goals are totally different. Unfortunately, his methods to achieve them are the same as every other Decepticon, which leads to the eventual conflict.
Letdowns
Denny and Fixit
I’ve repeatedly stated how I don’t like Denny, nor do I particularly enjoy any storyline with him. He’s abominably stereotypical, and his character is flatter than paper. Yes, he’s fighting with Fixit, but how a human’s technological expertise can even come close to a Transformer’s technological expertise is beyond me. Their fight is illogical, and frankly only Fixit should be able to do any sort of repairs. But logic bends to the needs of the plot, forcing Denny to be unbelievably smarter than he currently is.
Sideswipe & Grimlock on the sidelines
They didn’t get any action in this episode, beyond being comic relief and hanging around the sidelines. Bad enough we have so much focus on Denny, when you learn that it comes at the expense of Sideswipe & Grimlock’s airtime, you wonder if we should just put Denny on a bus and write him out of the show.
“Rumble in the Jungle” is where Transformers: Robots in Disguise starts its upswing in quality for its episodes (well, I certainly hope it doesn’t go back to the filler episode quality earlier this season), and if you’re a fan of Bumblebee or Strongarm, you’re going to be mighty pleased with what they’ve done here.
Extremely telling review, that shows Marcus Goh is a neckbeard nerd hack that knows nothing about children’s media.