Jexulus wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:07 pm
As a counterpoint to this, I think there’s a good reason why no other Optimus got a permanent power boost like this before or since. Count how many episodes where the events of the plot directly take him out of commission through one way or another. Spoiler: it’s almost all of them.
It's worse: The show centers around the Ark after this until the very end.
The show once was adventures in no man's lands and alternating between sieges of each sides respective bases as becoming a war seesawing back and forth. In season three, however, whatever goes on always goes back to the Maximals defending the Ark and over-committing away from it is dangerous. This is why Optimus usually stays back to guard it until it becomes clear the Predacons have committed themselves to something enough to make it safe for him to leave under-defended (and episode conflicts usually die when either the Preds try pulling back to counter-attack the Ark or the Maximals don't pursue when winning a battle out of fear of this possibility).
Him being overpowered is to make up for this. The Maximals can do more with Optimus this way despite being spread thinner and always on the defensive. Had the producers not done this, then they'd be at a disadvantage despite having equal forces since the Predacons are always able to outmaneuver the Maximals given their strategic advantage. The Maximals must always defend, even when they successfully counter-attack hobbled by their limited options.
The only Maximal freed from this is Depthcharge as he refuses to be tied to the base allowing him to attack when and where he wants to.
Fianna wrote: ↑Thu Oct 14, 2021 6:35 am
I only just now realize why the Maximal base had to be destroyed: 'cause after Optimus's latest upgrade, he's too big to fit through the door.
That misses the point that the Maximal base would have been destroyed at some point had it not been then. The Maximals would be stuck having to defend two bases, one their lifeblood for comms, repairs, etc, and the other a worthless cave lacking anything of value to help them (and everything to hinder them as it's the most important of the two to defend).
The episode with Starscream already showed the problems of one faction defending two bases with the small numbers each side has. The end would have been the Preds attacking both and switching between them straining the Maximals ability to defend (kinda like the episode where they lost their energon protection and were harassed 24/7) until one base was lost, and we know that has to be Axalon.
Had they not done that, the rational outcome would have been the show grinding to a halt as every episode is the same harassment plot until the stalemate is broken. How things go produces the inevitable outcome sooner rather than later allowing them the window of opportunity to salvage equipment to combine the bases into one.
