Sea Change
From Transformers Wiki
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 Taking inter-species relationships to the next level. | |||||||||||||
| "Sea Change" | |||||||||||||
| Production code | 700-48 | ||||||||||||
| Season | 2 | ||||||||||||
| No. in season | 33 | ||||||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||||||
| Airdate | November 20, 1985 | ||||||||||||
| Written by | Douglas Booth | ||||||||||||
| Animation studio | Toei | ||||||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||||||
 Watch this episode on YouTube
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Seaspray turns into a merman with robot feet and falls in love.
... wait, what?!
Contents |
Synopsis
Seaspray is pulling a water skiing Bumblebee around a lake, but Bumblebee wipes out while trying to jump a ramp. 'Bee decides to call it a day, as the first star comes out. Seaspray makes a wish on the star, but keeps it a secret, otherwise it won't come true.
Meanwhile, on another planet, the Tlalakans are all wishing for one thing... freedom from Deceptitran, who has enslaved them. He has developed a unique method of gathering energon by directly harvesting it from the Tlalakans themselves. However, the Tlalakans have finally had enough, and revolt. As his droids appear incapable of stopping them, Deceptitran sends out a distress signal.
Back on Earth, Seaspray is still wishing on stars, when he suddenly receives a signal. Heading back to the base, the two Autobots show it to Optimus Prime and Perceptor. Perceptor can't identify any specifics, but he is sure that it's a distress signal. Optimus sends the three in Cosmos, but the Autobot leader himself is too large to come. The Autobots depart, as Optimus wishes them luck. Before they reach the planet, Perceptor discovers that the distress signal is similar to ones intercepted during the Third Cybertron War. Seaspray suddenly realizes that they're responding to a distress signal intended for the Decepticons. Before they can abort, Deceptitran detects them, and orders the droids to open fire. As the Autobots emerge from the crash, the droids swoop in to finish the job, when the Tlalakans suddenly attack. Seaspray manages to save one, who calls herself Alana... and Seaspray appears a little shy.
Meanwhile, Astrotrain enters the planet's atmosphere and lands in the city. Megatron has come with Soundwave, Dirge, and Rumble to assist. After Deceptitran briefs Megatron on the situation, the Decepticons go Autobot hunting.
Meanwhile, the Autobots are being taken to the Well of Transformation, which the Tlalakans describe as the one secret that they have kept from Deceptitran. Unfortunately, a pair of droids have followed them in. Bumblebee downs one, while Seaspray throws another into the Well...where it dissolves. Alana explains that the Well dissolves the body, leaving only the lifeforce, which the Tlalakans use to change into whatever they want. Alana warns them not to get in, fearing that they will die just like the droid. After turning into a mermaid, Alana bids them farewell, blowing Seaspray a kiss. Bumblebee has to drag a babbling Seaspray out of the cave.
Heading to the river, the Autobots are discovered by Laserbeak, and the rest of the Decepticons swoop in. Seaspray transforms and takes the Autobots down the river—and right over the waterfall. Perceptor, Seaspray, and Cosmos are rescued by the Tlalakans, while Bumblebee is captured. The Autobots are taken to the Tlalakans underwater city, the only place that the Decepticons have not conquered. They meet Tlaloc, their king, who loans them some warriors to rescue Bumblebee and storm the city. However, Cosmos and Perceptor are too damaged. It's just Seaspray and his men. Er, mermen. After the mermen and Alana change back into humans, some of the mermen set bombs under the city, heralding the start of the attack. The Decepticons go to attack the Tlalakans, while Bumblebee activates a homing beam. He signals Seaspray, who rescues Bumblebee and damages Deceptitran. The Tlalakans withdraw, taking Bumblebee with them, while Seaspray and Alana go to the well. Unfortunately, Laserbeak follows Bumblebee underwater...
In the control room, Deceptitran is having a panic attack, causing Megatron to simply turn him off (why he doesn't do that with Starscream is beyond anyone's guess). Megatron receives a signal from Laserbeak, and promises to join their little friend in a short while...
In the forest, the Tlalakans are being chased by the droids, but manage to reach the Well of Transformation. Seaspray asks if Alana really believes he would die if he went in, but Alana points out that they're both machines. Feeling dejected, Seaspray resolves to go into the Well, as Alana cries out in horror. Believing him dead, Alana muses that she did love Seaspray...only for Seaspray to emerge as a blond muscle man, but with robot feet (and for some reason, still a gargling voice). The two jump into the Well and change into merpeople. They discover that the city is under attack by the Decepticons, but Seaspray doesn't have any weapons systems as a merman. Spotting them, Megatron orders Rumble to follow. Rumble begins firing, only for his body to also be affected by the Well. Alana begins to tell Rumble to think of a big tree, or become lost. Rumble survives...as a tree. Seaspray resumes his old robot mode, while Alana takes one of her own, as a measure for fighting Decepticons, but she likes her color (guess what it is). On the surface, Seaspray and Alana head to the above water city (with Alana transforming into a gondola) and attack Deceptitran's forces.
Underwater, the Decepticons are overwhelming the Autobots and Tlalakans, when Megatron receives a mayday from Deceptitran. Megatron is willing to leave Deceptitran to die, but the energon must be protected. Heading back for the city, the Decepticons spot Seaspray, and follow him into the energon warehouse. However, the droids fire on the Decepticons, as Alana has reprogrammed Decepitran to serve her. The explosion causes a massive tremor, destroys the city and causes Rumble, back in the caves, to fall into the Well of Transformation, allowing him to change back. Megatron orders Astrotrain to transform and take them off the planet.
As the Tlalakans celebrate, Alana has retaken her human form, but tells Seaspray that they won't let it ruin their relationship. As the two sail off into the sunset, Bumblebee notices the first star, and asks if anyone wants to make a wish. Perceptor asks why, and Bee says that it's merely a human superstition he heard...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Talalkans |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Quotes
"Hey, look! The first star of the evening. Whaddaya say we make a wish?"
"I know what my wish is... no more water skiing!"
- —Seaspray and Bumblebee
"Oh no...my paint job's... ruined."
- —borrowing a page from Broadside and Gears' playbook, Cosmos sweats the small stuff before collapsing
"She kissed me! She kissed me!"
"Ah, dream on, bubble-brain..."
- —Seaspray and Bumblebee on Seaspray's love life
"Maybe that is all I am, a bunch of transistors and bolts, but I don't believe it! My heart may look like an energon pump but that doesn't mean it can't feel."
- —Seaspray
"Transform, you sponge, and get us out of here!"
- —Megatron destroys Astrotrain's self-esteem with what appears to be a sea-related insult. Mercy.
Notes
Production information
- First draft script submitted: 28th May 1985
- Script revised by Doug Booth: 30th May 1985
- First draft storyboards completed: 8th June 1985
- Dialogue recording: 20th June 1985
Continuity notes
- More interplanetary dealings by Megatron! He's apparently built himself some kind of little empire off-screen, given the content of this episode and "The Gambler".
- Gadgets and powers:
- Seaspray picks up Deceptitran's distress call. He has to muck with some component inside his chest to do it.
- Cosmos is explicitly shown changing size when he transforms inside Autobot Headquarters; he converts to ship mode, then suddenly enlarges enough to accommodate his three passengers.
- Cosmos flies straight out of the volcano's cone, a rarely-used but apparently viable means of leaving Autobot Headquarters.
- Bumblebee's original bio notes that he's good at underwater operations, and of course Seaspray is made for such work. Still, the implication of both bios is that the other Autobots aren't real good underwater... but here, as with every other underwater episode, all of them are equally at home. In fact, Bumblebee is portrayed coughing and sputtering after going over the falls.
- As with the Sub-Atlanticans, the Tlalakans can talk underwater.
- Dirge mentions robo-rats.
- Rumble says destroying Seaspray and Alana will be a "piece of carborundum".
- Seaspray's faceplate can apparently change colour when smitten. Powerglide does not show the same reaction when put in the same situation in "The Girl Who Loved Powerglide".
- Rumble calls Astrotrain an astro-turkey. Although pretty clearly an insult in its original context, TakaraTomy's World of the Transformers online featurette declared it to be a Cybertronian creature.
- Exactly why Seaspray and Rumble are able to survive and even use the Well of Transformation isn't really explored within the episode. The concept of the Spark wasn't established at this point in the franchise, but is an excellent explanation as to why Deceptitran's drones are destroyed while full-fledged Transformers are not.
- Rumble is frigging stupid.
Real-world references
- The term "sea change" simply means a significant transformation, though, when Shakespeare coined it, he was talking about the substance of a body literally being changed by the sea (such as bone being replaced with coral).
- This episode marks the Autobots' third foray into Earth sports, as Bumblebee gives water skiing a try (see also "The Master Builders" and "Atlantis, Arise!") The Stunticons will later have a go at it in "Cosmic Rust".
- The vaguely Meso-American aesthetic of the natives and the word "Tlalakan" itself suggests that the planet is meant to evoke Tlalocan, the "heaven" in Aztec cosmology reserved for those who died by drowning or had an otherwise water-related death. That's, uh, actually pretty morbid!
- One of the Tlalakan natives is even named Tlaloc, after the Aztec god of rain and water who ruled Tlalocan. Hopefully, he didn't demand child sacrifices like the real one...
- Conversely, another of the natives is named Chac, which is very similar to Chaac, who was a Mayan god of rain.
- Star Wars sound effects:
- Lightsabers clashing and slashing equipment as the drones whip the workers.
- Diving X-wing Fighters as Cosmos first approaches the city, and again when Astrotrain makes the same approach.
- Millennium Falcon engine roar as Laserbeak takes off to pursue Seaspray.
- TIE Fighter roar as Laserbeak flies into Astrotrain.
Animation and technical errors
- As he's water skiing, Bumblebee is supposed to ski up to the ramp and then over it, but instead he's floating a few feet above the water before he even gets to it. Then a layering error has him flying past the ramp (in front of it, looking tiny) instead of going over it. Then part of his feet and skis disappear after he clears the ramp.
- Ventriloquist bots:
- "Because that is my programming!" - Deceptitran's mouth doesn't move as he laughs after delivering this line.
- Prime's mouthplate doesn't move as he restates Perceptor's analysis.
- Perceptor groans in pain twice after the crash... but the second time, it's the more visibly damaged Cosmos who's on-screen.
- Alana has already moved underwater when she says "I'll see you there".
- The shot of the Autobots going over the waterfall is repeated before and after the commercial break. The first time, the Autobots are crying out as they fall; the second time, they're silent.
- Seaspray orders Bumblebee to go with the Tlalakans, but one of the Tlalakans is shown mouthing his words.
- "Hey, what's going on?!" - tree-Rumble's mouth doesn't move as he speaks this line.
- Tree-Rumble's cough (as he falls in the water) is provided by Astrotrain's voice actor.
- Coloring errors:
- When the guards dump Chac, Alana's legs are colored green, as if she's wearing pants. (Heavens forefend!)
- While analyzing the distress signal, Perceptor's helmet is red.
- "We came as soon as we got your request for help" - two bits of Megatron's Decepticon symbol aren't colored in.
- Seaspray's back is yellow instead of white as Laserbeak flies overhead.
- One of Soundwave's hands is white as he captures Bumblebee.
- As the firing Decepticons advance on the undersea city, Rumble has Frenzy's color scheme.
- Megatron's fusion cannon is white instead of dark gray as he flies out of the city to attack the rebels.
- "They must not escape!" - Deceptitran's mouth is the same gray as his face, where it is darker gray in other scenes. The same error happens as he responds to Cosmos's arrival over the city.
- When Deceptitran radios Megatron to tell him the energon supplies are in jeopardy, Soundwave's cheekguards and eject button are blue instead of white; then his visor changes from red to white.
- Soundwave is colored as Perceptor, and Astrotrain as Cosmos, when the Decepticons leave to save the energon.
- When the droids first start firing on the Decepticons, the walls are shown glowing energon pink, but they haven't reached the energon stockpile yet.
- Around the time when Megatron calls a retreat, Soundwave's visor is white.
- "Destroy the Autobot!" - as the Decepticons run along, Soundwave's missing his eject button, has some black stripes on his chest, and has blue cheekguards again.
- Missing body parts:
- As we look over Perceptor's shoulder in Autobot Headquarters, his head is missing! His cannon's also missing some of its black coloration.
- When Seaspray and Bumblebee are seen carrying Cosmos, only Cosmos' upper half is there! Perceptor's missing his Autobot symbol as he walks behind the other Autobots.
- As Seaspray warns Mok, his left arm is missing.
- "It's those blasted rebels again" - Astrotrain's right wing is missing.
- When Rumble is ordered by Megatron to follow Seaspray and Alana, his rear-mounted weapon disappears as he moves forward; meanwhile, Megatron's gun barrel is missing.
- When Alana runs to assist Chac, the first cell is reversed, making her appear to be on the wrong side of the screen for an instant.
- Lots of misaligned glow effects in this episode:
- When Seaspray starts to receive the distress message, a glow effect is shown, but it's not illuminating any of his components.
- In the first shot of Cosmos beginning to enter the atmosphere, the heat flame effect is off to one side of him.
- When the droids open fire on Cosmos, the laser beams are misaligned so that they're not coming from the guns, but from a bit to the right of the guns.
- When they first attack the city to rescue Bumblebee, a couple of the rebel's shots aren't aligned with their guns.
- The glow of Bumblebee's homing beacon is not inside the lines of the buttons he's pushing in two successive shots. Neither are the glowing components on Seaspray's side as he receives the signal.
- In the nighttime establishing shot of Autobot Headquarters, the ship is tilted much more steeply than usual, almost vertical to the ground.
- In the first shot of the newly arrived Decepticons, Rumble's model is replaced by one Deceptitran's droid's. Also, Dirge and Soundwave are both missing their Decepticon symbols.
- As Deceptitran tells Megatron about the Autobots, he's floating above the floor instead of sitting on it.
- Soundwave's 'con symbol is missing again as he moves to capture Bumblebee.
- Flying Autobots:
- Perceptor and Bumblebee are showing "flying" along underwater without moving their limbs, despite not having any means of propulsion. Seaspray should be using his propellers, but he's not.
- Missing transformation noise:
- After randomly declaring that "we may be able to repair ourselves after all" for no apparent reason, Perceptor transforms to robot mode with no transformation sound.
- The Decepticons land and transform in sequence to pursue Seaspray into the energon warehouse, but only a single transformation sound effect plays. Dirge finishes his transformation in silence.
- When Alana tells Seaspray to take the tunnel to the surface, Seaspray stops - but his propellors are drawn as though they're still spinning, even though they're not moving.
- Seaspray's shot (which severs Deceptitran's arm) doesn't get the usual Autobot laser sound effect.
- Megatron tells Dirge and the droids to chase Seaspray and Alana, but only the droids go. One of the droids freezes in place behind Megatron as he lands.
- When Rumble moves forward to start the attack, the perspective of his body doesn't correspond to the perspective of his gun.
- Wrong laser sounds:
- Dirge gets a non-standard laser effect as he fires at Seaspray.
- Megatron's fusion cannon doesn't make its standard sound as he laughs during the attack.
- After Rumble's and Seaspray's transformative glow effects vanish, the backgrounds don't change back to normal with it.
- When Rumble is changed into a tree, he appears to be simply a tree with a mouth and eye holes, but during his close-up, his face is its regular, robotic self, apart from the fact his visor is now two separate eyes. The tree images in general look rather unfinished.
- The animators did a pretty good job of remembering that Deceptitran is missing an arm, but it briefly reappears as Alana and Seaspray approach for the second time.
Continuity errors
- In all of its other appearances, Cosmos's interior is shown to have light grey walls with a dark grey floor. For this episode only, his interior is the same burnt orange color as the interior of Autobot HQ.
- Moreover, he's got a carrying capacity far greater than what was shown in "Blaster Blues" and "Cosmic Rust" (though comparable to what's shown in "Quest for Survival".) He does turn away Optimus Prime as being too big to fit, implying that there is some kind of size limit on his interior.
- In "The Ultimate Doom" it was shown that Dr. Arkeville couldn't even fill 1 energon cube with his brain power, yet the energy from Chac instantly fills a cube. Deceptitran's equipment appears to do a full-body power drain from the Tlalakans, as opposed to just using "mind energy" as Starscream did.
- Although Tlaloc appears to be among the mer-Tlalakans leading the escaping prisoners away, he later expresses surprise that Alana and Mok are free.
- As usual, it's a bit weird that Perceptor transforms to microscope mode to look at a screen.
- Why is Dirge setting up a probe to extract information from Bumblebee? Megatron's got Soundwave right there, and he's done this multiple times before. Aside from being cassette-guy, it's kind of his main thing.
- After Alana and Seaspray rescue Bumblebee, Megatron orders "Dirge! Droids! Follow them!" However, Dirge, who is standing right next to him, doesn't move. And he's still depicted with Megatron in the very next scene, when Megatron is dealing with the hysterical Deceptitran.
- It's implied that the Tlalakans can only change form while in the Well of Transformation, yet Alana's transformation between robot and gondola modes uses the same effect as a Tlalakan changing, rather than a traditional Transformer transformation (as you would expect from her having imitated Cosmos's species) and she's nowhere near the Well. Likewise, she changes from a pink metal robot into a brown wooden boat.
- Also, how is Alana able to shoot lasers when transformed? It looks like they just come out of her body!
Trivia
- Nearly every discrepancy in the episode, big and small, is the result of the trimming that the first-draft script went through to get it down to a 22-minute episode:
- The "wish on a star" scene originally had Seaspray noticing a human couple together near the water, making clear to the viewer and to Bumblebee what his unfulfilled wish was. Bee gives him some ribbing about it a few times later on... but it's also why he mentions wishing on a star at the episode's conclusion.
- The subplot of Perceptor and Cosmos's damage is almost entirely cut. The script calls for Perceptor to be visibly damaged as he's carried out of Cosmos, a visual that didn't make it into the animation. Later the Tlalakans showed Perceptor an organically developed welding torch, prompting his otherwise random line about repairing themselves. The two were to be shown with detached limbs as they worked to get them fully functional again, then frantically reattaching them as the Decepticons attacked!
- A cut scene would have featured Astrotrain greedily devouring the stored energon, then drunkenly transforming to locomotive mode and smashing into a wall. He subsequently "sleeps it off" for the rest of the episode, with Dirge periodically checking in on him, explaining why he's absent for nearly all of the scenes on the alien planet. This also explains Megatron's strange insult to him during the retreat; originally Megs called him a "sot" -- a drunkard -- rather than a "sponge".
- Dirge also grumbles during one of these checkins that he "never should have left Cybertron".
- Dirge's memory probe originally uncovered a scene of little baby Bumblebee transforming for the first time, with his momma and daddy looking on proudly.
- The chemistry/tension between Seaspray and Alana is expanded and ratcheted up a bit; at one point, complaining that the Tlalakans see him as nothing but a bunch of nuts and bolts, Alana replies that she *likes* his nuts and bolts!
- Number of times someone says "Destroy the Autobots": 4
- "I'm, uh, sorry about what happened to your city," says Seaspray, in a hilariously avoidant use of the passive voice - "what happened" to it was that Seaspray blew it up!
Foreign localization
French
- Title: "Le Grand Amour" ("The Great Love")
- Original airdate: ?
- All the logo transitions were cut. It is unknown if it was that way for the original broadcast or if the episode was chopped for the DVD release.
- As usual, some dialog is changed to avoid pronouncing Laserbeak's name:
- Bumblebee's line "Oh no! Laserbeak!" becomes "Oh no! Decepticons!".
- Megatron's line "I read you, Laserbeak" becomes "Go ahead, I'm listening", making it confusing who he is talking to.
- And also as usual, some lines are absent from the dub:
- Seaspray's line "Hey Bumblebee, what do you think of water skiing so far?" is missing.
- Cosmos' explanation "Well actually, searching my memory banks, I found the sequencing is quite similar to transmissions intercepted during the third Cybertron war" is missing.
- Deceptitran does not say "How good it is to see Decepticons again!", he immediately starts on screen with "You must be exhausted after your long journey".
- The dialogue between Soundwave and Rumble as they inspect if the Autobots survived is missing.
- Perceptor's line "Cosmos! We may be able to repair ourselves after all" is missing.
Italian
- Title (dub 1): "Il pianeta Tritone" ("The Planet Tritone")
- Original airdate: ?
- While Tlalakan's name is never pronounced in the episode itself like in English, the title suggests that it's called Tritone, which is the Italian word for "merman", but also the Italian name of Triton, son of Poseidon. Interestingly, Triton is already the name of a real existing moon.
- After Seaspray recives the helping request, Bumblebee's line: «Hey, you're right!» is oddly changed to: «Hey, you guessed correctly!».
- In "third cybertronian war", "cybertronian" is translated as "cubetronica" which... means nothing in Italian. "Cybertronian" is generally rendered in Italian as "cybertroniano" in male form and "cybertroniana" in female form.
- Rumble is voiced by at least two different actors in this episode.
- Title (dub 2): "Cambio di marea" ("Change of Tide")
- Original airdate: ?
- The title is somehow a translation of the literal meaning of "sea change", not considering that it actually means "transformation". Hence, the title has no connection to the actual plot.
Japanese
Mandarin
- Title: "Bàngwǎn de Xīngxīng " (傍晚的星星, "Stars at Nightfall")
- Original airdate: ?
Brazilian Portuguese
- Title: "Mudança no Mar" ("Sea Change")
- Original airdate: ?
Russian
- Title: "Morje menyayetsya" (Море меняется, "The Sea Is Changing")
- Original airdate: ?
Toys inspired by this episode
- Seaspray (Legends Class, 2017)
- Accessories: Blaster/roof
- Titans Return and Legends Seaspray's inner forearms have Alana's name (though spelled "Alanna") engraved in Ancient Autobot in reference to this episode. Apparently he ran out and got the Autobot equivalent of a tattoo.
Home video releases
1995 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Megatron Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1999 — The Transformers — Decepticon Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 2 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2003 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 2 (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 6 (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Season 2 Part 2 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Collection 3: Series 2.2 (Madman Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Volume 11 (Déclic Images) — European French audio only.
2006 — Transformers — The Complete Generation One Collection (Metrodome)
2007 — The Transformers — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — Transformers — Volume 05: Stagione Due Parte Terza (Medianetwork Communication) — English and Italian audio.
2009 — Transformers — Season Two: Part Two (Metrodome)
2009 — The Transformers — Complete Collection: Decepticon Edition (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers — The Complete Series: 25th Anniversary "Matrix of Leadership" Collection (Shout! Factory)
2009 — The Transformers — Season Two, Volume Two: 25th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2011 — The Transformers — The Complete Original Series (Shout! Factory)
2014 — The Transformers — Season Two, Volume Two: 30th Anniversary Edition (Shout! Factory)
2014 — Transformers — The Classic Animated Series (Metrodome)
