‘THE TRIGGER’
Please feel free to comment on my review.
I didn’t see this two-part story on GMTV as a kid in 1998, 1999 nor 2000. I saw ‘The Trigger’ in ‘The Beginning’ Volume 3 VHS release. It was a nice surprise to find a Season 1 ‘Beast Wars’ story I hadn’t seen on TV before, especially after seeing later ‘Beast Wars’ episodes.
‘The Trigger’ is a two-part story focusing on Tigatron as a character. It also continues the storyline involving the alien race called the Vok, which began in ‘Chain of Command’. Had I seen this story following ‘The Spark’, I’d be more aware of what went on in ‘Other Voices’.
In ‘Part 1’, Tigatron is patrolling the snowy northern mountains before he gets attacked by Terrorsaur and Waspinator. He’s presumed dead after falling into a cloud. But it turns out the cloud has a mysterious flying island. He intends to protect it, considering it peaceful.
Whilst I appreciate Tigatron’s intentions to protect the island, considering it peaceful might be misleading, especially when there are booby traps located anywhere on the island. Energy weapons being fired cause also a tower on the island to shoot the shooter.
When Terrorsaur and Waspinator return to the Predacons’ base to report to Megatron, having been damaged by the island’s power, Blackarachnia and Scorponok are sent to investigate the island. Megatron is also intent to claim the island for the Predacon cause.
After reporting to Optimus Primal and the Maximals about what happened to Terrorsaur and Waspinator, Airazor is sent to find out what Blackarachnia and Scorponok are up to when they investigate the island. She follows them in, only to be shot at by Scorponok. 😮
Airazor is saved by Tigatron, and this is where I believe we start seeing a close friendship formed between the two. Tigatron has also intercepted one of Scorponok’s spying cyber bees which was used to record the island when he and Blackarachnia were investigating.
Tigatron sends the cyber bee to the Maximals’ base with a recorded message to warn them about the mysterious flying island. This recorded message is used as the recap for ‘Part 2’ rather than having a recap containing clips of ‘Part 1’, which I found very intriguing.
In ‘Part 2’, Blackarachnia and Scorponok make their way to the tower at the central of the flying island to take control of it. This is where we see Blackarachnia at her most cunning and devious, especially when she’s planning to take control of the flying island for herself.
Meanwhile, Optimus takes Rattrap along for the ride to meet up with Tigatron and Airazor on the flying island. They’re soon attacked by Terrorsaur and Waspinator who are now fully repaired. Thankfully, Optimus and Rattrap managed to outwit the Predacon flyers. 🙂
Optimus shoots down Waspinator whilst Rattrap manages to acquire a ride from Terrorsaur when he’s in beast mode. They make their way to the island, only for Terrorsaur to end up knock off Rattrap by having him crash into a tree. 😐 Thankfully, Rattrap survived. 😀
Tigatron meanwhile has Airazor ride on his back when she’s unable to fly as a falcon in beast mode. They do get caught in a booby trap when rock walls encircle them. Tigatron shoots their way out of the trap and avoid getting shot at when the tower fires upon them.
Optimus and Rattrap meet up with Tigatron and Airazor and the four discuss what to do in order to save the island and stop the Predacons from gaining control of it. Rattrap does raise some valid points about the island being a ‘puzzle’ instead of a ‘paradise’ whilst on it.
Blackarachnia tricks Terrorsaur and Waspinator before she blows a hole in the tower’s exterior so that she can get inside. She also gets to trick Scorponok when he falls through the floor from a booby trap, especially when he was ordered to observe Blackarachnia. 😐
Soon, the island and its weapons fall into Blackarachnia’s hands, as she uses it for her own evil. She also gets a makeover when her robot form changes from gold to silver. 😀 Tigatron makes a huge sacrifice to destroy the island and stop Blackarachnia in her plans.
Once the island is destroyed, a signal is sent into space. Tigatron deduces a message was contained in the signal to say everyone that was on the island failed in live in peace on it. Rattrap is concerned about who received the message, which will be resolved later in the series.
‘The Trigger’ rating – 9/10
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