#tfp theory

[transformer-analysis]

Transformer Prime Details I’ve Noticed

The Autobot’s computer keyboard keys are short, small and squarely.

maybe cause it’s built with Ratchet’s square fingers in mind:

The Decepticon’s keyboard keys is long and sleekly:

Probably cause it’s built with Soundwave’s long and sharp fingers in mind:

pat on the back for the designers who considered this

(Orion Pax trying to type on the Decepticon’s keyboard with his giant wide square fingers)

[crystaltrainwrecks]

Ultra Magnus and Wheeljack: What the hell is their history together???

So I’m going to start out by saying that, while I am a VERY strong shipper of these two, that’s not really the lens I’m looking at this through. It’s just that there are so many little details tossed in about their pasts that I just GOTTA ramble about it. Because the more I think about it, the more interesting it gets. But ANYWAYS HERE WE GO LADS—

1) “Feel free to choose the path of least resistance, as you did before.”

This is what Ultra Magnus says to Wheeljack in Season 3 episode 5 during a dispute regarding Wheeljack’s reckless behavior. Why I find this interesting is that this not only means that he remembers when Wheeljack left the Wreckers after he took command, but that he ALSO holds some bitterness on the subject. Of course the emotion and intent behind this line could be interpreted a multitude of ways, but I do find it oddly fascinating that it clearly shows that Magnus is actually still at least somewhat upset by that event even all this time later. There is ALSO the fact that Wheeljack actually pauses after that line—almost as if he’s at a loss for words—before storming out of the base. To me, this could almost be read as guilt on Wheeljack’s part, as if he regrets having left the Wreckers behind 👀

2) Ultra Magnus was Alone

When we are first introduced to his character, he is on his own under the claim that he is been searching for other Autobots. But here’s the thing—his last known post was with THE WRECKERS! Something I have a very hard time believing he would have simply abandoned, especially after his comment towards Wheeljack. Meaning something really REALLY bad must have happened for Ultra Magnus to leave his post.

3) “Roadbuster, Pyro, Impactor, Rotorstorm, Seaspray, all dust.”

This line is said by Wheeljack to Bulkhead in Season 2 Episode 6. Combine this with the fact that he was clearly surprised to stumble across Bulkhead back in season one, AND the fact that he seemingly ALSO stumbled across Seaspray by accident before trying to plan a meet up with him, and it becomes very clear very quickly that something bad must have happened to the Wrecker’s at some point. Whatever the event was, it caused the deaths of multiple comrades, while scattering the rest from each other entirely.

4) “Guys like Optimus. They talk a good game. But when you’re in the scrap, they don’t wanna get their hands dirty.”

AND

“It’s like I told ya. When the scrap hits the fan blades, the generals are the first to bail.”

Once again, these lines are said by Wheeljack to Bulkhead, Season 2 Episode 6. This shows that Wheeljack believes generals, commanders, and any higher ups to be unreliable if not just straight up cowards. With the fact that he mentioned this TWICE, I don’t think it’s too far fetched to say that some experience in his past is why he has come to believe this. Afterall, these comments seem to be less aimed at Optimus specifically, and more so at ALL generals/commanders.

So What the Hell Does All This Mean?

My best guess? I think Wheeljack left not long before the Wrecker’s were attacked by the Decepticons, leading to the deaths and/or scatterings all of his former comrades. Wheeljack’s guilt is due the fact he wasn’t there, and this could also be why Magnus may still hold anger for Wheeljack not having been present that day. I ALSO think that there’s a very high chance that Wheeljack blames Ultra Magnus for what happened, especially seeing as Magnus has been flying around on his own ever since then. Do I think Magnus abandoned the Wreckers during their time of need? No. HOWEVER, I could totally see Wheeljack thinking that about his former commander. Especially seeing as he never liked Magnus in the first place.

See stuff like this is why I so so so SO badly wish we could’ve gotten more episodes and character development between these two. I WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THEM DAMN IT😭

Anywaysssss there’s my transformers prime ramble, I hope you all have a lovely day :D

[novafire-is-thinking]

Speculative Analysis: Why TFP Soundwave is so Terrifying to His Fellow Cybertronians

Time for an essay on why I think TFP Soundwave might have chosen his current cryptid form—electrical tentacles and all. There’s a TL;DR at the end, so feel free to scroll down first and then decide if you want to read the full thing.

This will involve cross-continuity speculation, centered around TFP / Aligned but with some IDW / MTMTE lore thrown in. This could also loosely apply to Bayverse Soundwave, but I won’t be focusing on him. I’m confident you all can infer the potential implications for that version of his character by the time you reach the end.

Okay, so I’ve seen several fellow TFP fans speculate about why Soundwave went from beefy gladiator to bonafide cryptid. Some say it could have been due to the loss of his horde of “minicons” (the term used in ‘Exodus’ by Alex Irvine). Others think it was just Soundwave’s way of adapting to the direction of the war by taking on a form that would give him the best strategic advantage in his position as Megatron’s communications officer. I agree with the latter, but I think there could be more to it than that.

As we see in the flashback for Ratchet’s story and the TFP Titan comics, Soundwave had his current frame type, armor, and alt mode back on Cybertron:

[Sarcastic Soundwave: Superior]

In the real world, Soundwave’s design is based on the MQ-9 Reaper military drone—an earth-based aircraft, but I’m not going to address that small discrepancy since it’s not relevant to this analysis. Skinny, cryptid drone Soundwave existing prior to his arrival on earth supports my theory anyway.

“Can’t we throw a tarp over him? He’s creepin’ me out.”

-Bulkhead in Minus One

On the surface, Bulkhead’s comment and Smokescreen’s subsequent response seem like an interaction between a couple of Autobots who are unnerved because they’re familiar with Soundwave’s reputation—Bulkhead more so than Smokescreen since the latter had probably not seen Soundwave up close in action before coming to earth. However, I think some of Bulkhead’s fear might have been due to an entirely different reason: Sparkeaters.

While reading MTMTE #3, my eyes were met with this lovely sight /s :

[Hey, wasn’t the energon eater in Rescue Bots called “Sparky” too? I guess it’s a cross-continuity tradition to call life-sucking parasites “Sparky” at least once.]

Terrifying? Yes. But I stared in horrified awe at this abomination and thought, “Wait. One. Fragging. Minute. I’m having a galaxy brain moment.”

Mind. Blown. Their overall sharp, jagged appearance, their thin, but formidable frames, their prehensile cables extending from somewhere inside (fuel lines for the sparkeater; multipurpose tentacles for Soundwave). I was—and still am—fascinated by the uncanny resemblance.

[Now who’s Sparky?]

It’s true that sparkeaters aren’t confirmed to be canon in the Aligned continuity, but their existence isn’t denied either. We got something similar with the zombie Terrorcons, but those were a new phenomenon produced either by Megatron’s blind ambition and stupidity or Knockout and Starscream’s lack of forethought and scientific restraint. For the sake of where I’m taking this, let’s assume that sparkeaters, as defined by IDW, do exist in the Aligned universe. What would this mean for Soundwave’s disturbing choice of frame/body type? Why choose a visual motif so strongly associated with death and disease?

One word: Mimicry

Mythologically, historically, and medically, sparkeaters are inseparable from death and disease. Their very existence instills fear in most Cybertronians. What better way for Soundwave to strike terror into the sparks of his enemies (and potential enemies) than to take on a physical form that resembles the sparkeater—something that has been known to kill normal Cybertronians using a deeply disturbing, painful, and even sacrilegious method? Even though the initial shock of seeing a “sparkeater” show up during or around a fight would have dissipated once the Autobots realized it was mostly cosmetic, an impression would have been left. Coupled with his spy capabilities and gladiator-style prowess in combat, a message would have been sent: Be afraid. Be VERY afraid.

And there you have it, folks! Another reason to love Soundwave’s design.

Bonus:

I could see Soundwave being called a few things by allies and enemies alike: “The Decepticon Sparkeater,” “Soundwave the Sparkeater,” or just “The Sparkeater.”

An interaction between two Autobot scouts:

Scout 1, over comms: “You there, kid? Who is it? Who did Megatron send this time?”

Scout 2: “It’s The Sparkeater! He’s here!”

1: “You mean Soundwave!? Do you have a visual?”

2: “How many ‘Cons do we see walkin’ around looking like sparkeaters??? Of course it’s Soundwave! And yeah, I’ve got a visual.”

1: “Aw, hell. Things just got a whole lot more complicated.”

TL;DR: Soundwave may have put more thought into his appearance than is obvious. He may have opted to look like a sparkeater as a way of sending a highly effective warning.

[cataqu33rz]

Made a huge realization at work, I'm on lunch break rn so forgive the messy formatting and improper language, I just want to get the theory out of my head--(Id like to revise/clean it up it later)

This feels VERY vaugly implied at best in canon, but wasn't the direction they were going for BUTbut the Wreckers are a queer allegory

Wheeljack and Bulkhead are elder queers who protested during the AIDS crisis. Ultra Magnus represents the age of purifying queer culture and trying to appease the masses into accepting queerness. Miko is the current generation, going back to protesting and taking action against people who want to suppress us.

[imdonewiththisblogsblog]

Okay so listen up Tfp people I have a theory that might be true. You know how ratchet told the kids the story of Orion and megaton? He said that as megaton left the gladiatorial pits for the political one, ( I love how he made that joke ) and he chose to shorten his name? And after the whole council’s thing and the start the war happened. Orion went to the center of their planet to reverse the ill effects and was given the matrix. Then why did op after giving up the matrix and losing his memory call Megatron his original name? Wouldn’t he be called Megatron? And we’re only hearing the story from Rachet’s side, a outsider who wasn’t there at the meeting and probably only heard the story from a higher up. And you know how corrupt they were and desperate to keep their power. So I think that op got the matrix very early on and against his will. Besides who would the public believe? A former slave* or the council? ( * A slave who was said to be blood thirsty? )

[opaljade]

Finding Nemo: Part 1 of the “Funny Graves” Series

Last spring I was *a bit* obsessed with the ‘funny graves’ shown in TFP and discovered several interesting links and parallels. Unfortunately, I have a son with a serious illness and I wasn’t able to write it all up until now. Anyway, things are going a bit smoother now, so I’m going to start posting a series of metas I wrote last May relating to Nemo and the dates on the ‘funny graves’. 

~~~***~~~

Part 1-Finding Nemo

I discovered that there are two classic pieces of literature that have used the name 'Nemo' in a similar context that was shown in TFP.

1) The first one is Charles Dickens's Bleak House. In this story, just like in TFP,  there is a mysterious tombstone engraved with the name Nemo. I won’t bother to summarize the entire story here, but I’ll just give you a quick character description for "Nemo" that was provided on line.

Nemo (Latin for "nobody") is the alias of Captain James Hawdon, a former officer in the British Army who died of an opium overdose. He was Lady Dedlock's secret lover, and the father of Esther Summerson.

My take on Bleak House: So, yes, I realize that the only similarity is basically the Nemo tombstone, right? I suppose I could extrapolate a bunch of meaning to the following  descriptions; "former British Officer" and "opium overdose" and "secret love" and then draw parallels with John and Sherlock. It would be so easy to fabricate a theory just based on this. It’s tempting,  but I don’t think it’s useful at this point because there are many more little facts--or clues--related to Nemo below. I just wanted to show that the "idea" of Nemo was not an original concept and had been used before. 

2) The second book that features a character named 'Nemo' is Two Thousand  Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. In Two Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (henceforth known as TTLUtS) Nemo is also an alias for "Nobody". In this particular story, Nemo is called Captain Nemo because he is, in fact, the captain of a submarine ship he built himself. Here Nemo is described as a genius with a thirst for vengeance. Again, I won’t retell the story, but just provide a character sketch for Nemo that I combined from different articles I read online.

Captain Nemo was a man way ahead of his time in both technology and philosophy. He was a pirate and scientific genius who roamed the depths of the sea in his submarine. Nemo tried to project a stern, controlled confidence, but he was driven by a thirst for vengeance. "Nemo" is Latin for "no one", and also (as νέμω) Greek for "I give what is due." My analysis: There are even more similarities between this classic tale and TFP. Here Nemo is described as pirate, genius and philosopher. All character descriptions that have been used in Sherlock. Also, there is a reference to a secret submarine just like in TPoSH.

Again, I could easily interpret more meaning and parallels but I just want to stick to the facts for now because there's more.  

3) The third classic novel involving a Nemo is called Mysterious Island. Also written by Jules Verne, it is a sequel to Two Thousand Leagues under the Sea.

The main thesis of this story is the survival of five castaways on a desert island in the south pacific. This particular story takes place after Nemo’s death (as a result of his submarine ship sinking in TTLUtS) so he doesn’t seemingly play a big role in this classic... But, of course, the island turns out to be Captain Nemo's secret hideout. (Oh my, Nemo's not really dead! He’s on a mysterious island in the middle of the ocean!) There, Captain Nemo anonymously manipulates the castaways on the island but his identity is  not revealed until the end. 

**Bit of a tangent here: I once surmised that Sherrinford was located in the Pacific--just like Verne’s Mysterious Island-- because IOU is an airport code for an island in the South Pacific with a prison-like mental institution.  Link is right here if you’re interested in reading more.

4) Okay, this is where it gets really interesting. Mysterious Island has many adaptations. One of these is a 1995 TV series also called Mysterious Island.

In this adaptation, Captain Nemo is even more insane than in the novel. As quoted online: 

Able to monitor the island through steampunk-style closed-circuit television and other advanced devices, he treats the castaways as human laboratory specimens, influencing their environment to test their behaviour under stressful conditions. As the series progresses, his tests become more extreme as their continued co-operation threatens his preferred thesis that all humans are, at base, selfish and untrustworthy.

My take on Mysterious Island and its sequel: The parallels with TFP are increasing. It’s not difficult to note that Nemo has many overlapping characteristics with Eurus Holmes also. 

-They are both geniuses using humans as their own lab rats on a mysterious Island.

-They are both driven by revenge for something that happened in their past and they are both presumed dead at the start of the story. 

Plus, Sherrinford totally uses a weird closed-circuit TV technology. Eurus definitely treats the people there as lab rats to conduct her experiments on ‘human nature’. 

Conclusion: So, what if there are parallels between TFP and classic literature? Perhaps, the writers simply like to borrow plot elements from a diversity of sources? After all, we’ve seen many examples of different movies/ stories that have the same story lines and/or imagery used in S4. Does it mean anything? 

For my part,  I believe that the entirety of TFP is in Sherlock's subconscious, therefore, I can only conclude that in this case young Sherlock read these classic stories as a young boy, and that the depth of his subconscious has cleverly inserted elements of the classics tales to help him recover the missing parts of his past. 

i want to emphasize my take home message; I don’t think the writers are borrowing from the classics to write the show. I believe that it is Sherlock who is borrowing from the classics to scaffold a story that will help him remember his past.  (I’ve talked about this in two different metas. They are basically my take on what’s going on in the show, and why there’s so much repeated dialogue in S4.)

In conclusion, I think the Nemo parallels serve as a stepping stone to figure out the underlying plot of the show. I believe they might be helpful in answering the following two questions: 1) Who is Eurus in Sherlock’s subconscious? and 2) What are possible explanations for the bizarre inscriptions on Nemo’s tombstone? 

I think these two questions warrant their own meta. :D 

Part 2-Who is Nemo Holmes?

Thought maybe you folks might be interested in this? :D

@gosherlocked  @sarahthecoat @ebaeschnbliah @inevitably-johnlocked @devoursjohnlock @monikakrasnorada @isitandwonder @mrskolesouniverse

[ermojas]

Everyone stops after three

Three Holmes siblings, oddly introduced by Sherlock with "So there were three of us…" and confirmed by John as “Three Holmes kids.” Repetitive. Three seconds to move after the patience grenade is triggered "Maintain distance of three feet" Three terrorist attacks predicted by Eurus Three cannibals at Sherrinford Three test subjects: Sherlock, John, and Mycroft Three Garridebs, one of whom shot someone from 300 meters Three minutes to talk to Molly before the flat explodes

I don’t know what can be pulled from the wreckage of all this, but there it is.

[secretworldofabowtie]

so I was listening to ‘The Number of the Beast’ from Iron Maiden, Hudders’ usual background noise for cleaning when a few lines from the lyrics caught my attention.

“What did I see? Can I believe that what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy. Just what I saw in my old dreams Were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me? 'Cause in my dreams it's always there The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair The night was black, was no use holding back 'Cause I just had to see, was someone watching me In the mist dark figures move and twist Was all this for real, or just some kind of hell?”

i am going to set Mofftiss on fire