Beast Machines Thrust, Blackarachnia, Longhorn and Obsidian finally reach Walmart shelves nationwide on this March 10, 2000 Radio Free Cybertron. John DeLuna’s ATT Buzz debunks a rumored third season of Beast Machines and confirms Hasbro is weighing a new Transformers movie without Bob Skir. Brian Kilby previews new segments, including a Transformers: The Movie parody serial and Ask RFC. He also reviews the Beast Machines episode A Wolf in the Fold and its apparent return of the Hate Plague.
News
Beast Machines Thrust, Blackarachnia, Longhorn and Obsidian Hit Walmart
A week after John DeLuna begged Hasbro for new toys, two deluxes and two basics are turning up at Walmarts across the country: Thrust, Blackarachnia, Longhorn and Obsidian. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
Beast Machines Season Three Rumor Debunked
A rumor that YTV had paid for a third season of Beast Machines is false; the show ends after season two. John notes that many toys will still be arriving around Halloween, about six months after the whole series has aired. He enjoys YTV airing season two early but says it throws off the toy release schedule. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
Hasbro Weighs a New Transformers Movie
A second rumor was confirmed: Hasbro is tossing around ideas for a new Transformers movie, and Bob Skir is not involved. John is not a fan of Skir’s work, but worries about a third writing team on the franchise in about two years. [Source: alt.toys.transformers]
ATT Buzz
A sincere ATT post asking whether there was a Megatron in Generation 1 gave many longtime fans a wake-up call about how long ago 1984 was. John bets most posters now picture a Beast Wars or Beast Machines character when they hear “Transformers,” and says that is not a bad thing.
News from Cybertron
Brian fills in for Turin. Windows 2000 users find a file that crashes the system and replaces it with Dinobot’s memories, using a clip from Zobovor. Beast Machines Blackarachnia is diagnosed with multiple personalities, and polls show most Transformers backing Al Gore for his robotic demeanor. Seaspray is also blamed for a fatal boat-race collision.
Brian’s Big List: Beast Machines Season 2 vs. Season 1
Brian’s top eight differences keep taking items back: character designs, G1 references that make sense and no blatant plot devices are all crossed off. His number one difference: season two has a plot.
Coming to RFC
Next week brings the first part of RFC’s Transformers: The Movie parody serial and a new Ask RFC segment for listener questions. A transcript of the Larry DiTillio interview is due within the week. Brian revives his rant segment, starting next week with people who rip you off, a topic from SilverboltMrVertigo. An RFC mailing list and an RFC site of the week are also coming.
Trivia
Joshua Watson got last week’s clip, from Starscream’s Brigade. Trivia goes on hiatus while a poll decides its future. Zobovor’s question asks what device Scourge and Starscream’s ghost used to steal Metroplex’s eyes; the answer is a photon charge.
Episode Review: Beast Machines, A Wolf in the Fold
In the newest episode from Canada, Megatron’s floating head tears at Cybertron and spreads green loops that enhance anger, strongly suggesting the G1 Hate Plague. It is a diversion to get Primal’s attention. Megatron wants universal harmony through a collective mind, which Brian calls very Borg-like. The Maximals bicker in a fun way, unlike season one’s angst, and overpower the plague at the end.
Brian loves the G1 reference and finds Primal much more like his old self. He thinks Megatron makes the better case in their ideological tug-of-war. The cons are the unexplained Hate Plague and how the Maximals shrug it off. He scores characterization 9 and plot 7, for an 8 overall. He calls it better than last week, short of Prometheus Unbound and light-years beyond season one.
Radio Free Cybertron is the world's first and oldest toy and action figure podcast — broadcasting from the heart of the Transformers fan community since October 1999. What started as a scrappy fan show has grown into an institution, with nearly 1,000 episodes and over 25 years of coverage. Every week, host Brian Kilby and the RFC crew dig into the latest Transformers news, toy reveals, collecting, and everything hitting shelves from Hasbro, Takara, and beyond. No fluff, no hype — just informed, passionate collectors who have been doing this longer than anyone else on the planet. The original. The longest running. Till all are one.