Hot Take: Honestly, after watching RID 2015, I honestly don't thinks it's as bad as people make it out to be. Most of the issues came from Bumblebee, so imma just talk about that.
Like, obviously, there's shit that bugs me (Bee's redesign seems like recolored Smokescreen, the fact that Miko, Raf, and Jack were just completely forgotten about, the s1 Decepticon designs are unappealing as shit, WE SAW KNOCKOUT'S CAR BUT NOT KNOCKOUT) but like, with the way people spoke about it before I watched it, I thought it would be fucking God awful.
Even the Smokescreen thing. When I was making myself watch the first episodes again (after I watched the first 2 a couple months earlier in July than stopped), I kept thinking, "he looks so much like Smokescreen", and I do think he was originally supposed to be Smokescreen, but, ignoring the redesign, I can actually still see it as being TFP Bumblebee. People say "he doesn't act like Bumblebee!" but I think it's bcuz of the new voice. I actually see a lot of similarities between him and TFP Bumblebee
Both shows have them get upset and throw, excuse my way of saying this, tantrums, when he can't do something (Bee in TFP being mad and pissy when he couldn't Transform, getting insulted and almost flipping Smokescreen off when he mentioned his voicebox, and the in RID, he gets frustrated with Sideswipe and Strongarm constantly for not listening to him and at some points, he'll just give up and storm off angrily, which he DOES DO in TFP)
He did show insecurity about his place on the team in TFP. That's not a new thing. It's mostly shown in the episode where he lost his T-Cog, and he was upset bcuz he felt useless without it. Him feeling like he has to be the perfect leader in RID 2015 didn't come out of nowhere. Especially since, now, he's in a LEADERSHIP ROLE, so the pressure is higher
He's more mature in RID 2015, but he keeps a lot of his childish traits and affinity for human culture. I already made a whole post going over it, so I'm not gonna list it here
He still has a lot of the same body language he had in TFP
Both versions have his as bloodthirsty. Seriously. I don't know what OP was feeding this kid to make him like that.
Also, while Smokescreen so obviously would've become a Prime if OP died right there, Smokey asks Bee if he'd ever considered being a Prime, and then at the end of the series, Smokey says smthn about him not being fit to be a Prime (I dunno, I don't remember the quote. Smthn along those lines), and it leaves room to think that it could be someone else. If the series is about becoming a leader, it could so easily be about either of them.
People keep telling me Bumblebee in RID 2015 is OOC, and I really just don't see it. I think the reason people feel like this is because of the redesign and the voice. Yes, the redesign still bugs me (even if I made posts calling him hot. Just bcuz he's hot doesn't mean the design isn't less creative than TFP Bumblebee's design! WE COULD'VE MADE HIM MORE EXPRESSIVE *WHILE* KEEPING HIS BUG-LIKE TRAITS!! JUST LOOK AT HIM IN TFRB FOR INSPO!!!)
I've seen people upset that he talks back to OP in RID and say that its OOC, but, after watching the episode, I understand. In TFP, he was just a simple scout. He was the youngest on his team, so pretty much no matter what he did, the other bots would still see him as "the young one." Everyone around him was older and knew more than him so, why not listen to them? Kid was born in war, and they're the veterans. They obviously know better.
But, in RID 2015, he saw Cybertron when there wasn't a war. He's lived without Optimus and Ratchet for a while now, so he makes his own decisions more. And then, he ends up with his own team, who are more immature than anyone in his team was (not counting the humans *cough* Miko *Cough*). He's battling Decepticons every day while juggling taking care of two teenagers, a mini con, and a Dinobot (yes, I said taking care of. He treats them like they're his kids). He grew up.
After listening to his talk with Strongarm, I don't see him arguing with Optimus as jealousy. To me, it sounds more like a kid trying to show the man who guided him and trained him that he isn't that young little scout who needs guidance anymore, and he doesn't need to have OP leading him like he used to, because he knows what he's doing (Minute 5:58). Ig it's also his rebellious phase since he never had one in Prime, lol.
Anyways, that's all I watched up to so far. Who knows, maybe my opinions will change in the next episodes 🤷♀️
