The Gambler: Difference between revisions
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===Continuity errors=== | ===Continuity errors=== | ||
*In terms of airdates, this episode is ''definitely'' played out of order, as we've seen several of the characters that are still trying to escape from Aron's planet in "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]" on Earth prior to this one. | *In terms of airdates, this episode is ''definitely'' played out of order, as we've seen several of the characters that are still trying to escape from Aron's planet in "[[Child's Play (episode)|Child's Play]]" on Earth prior to this one. The series on Netflix corrects this. | ||
*Apparently the Decepticons on Earth make trips to far away planets to take their cut of energon from their business partners. If Megatron's been (mostly) on Earth for 4 million years, when did he set these deals up? | *Apparently the Decepticons on Earth make trips to far away planets to take their cut of energon from their business partners. If Megatron's been (mostly) on Earth for 4 million years, when did he set these deals up? | ||
*Both times Smokescreen shoots his smoke out, the Decepticons are shown coughing (even though, again, Transformers are robots and don't have real throats or lungs). | *Both times Smokescreen shoots his smoke out, the Decepticons are shown coughing (even though, again, Transformers are robots and don't have real throats or lungs). | ||
Revision as of 20:02, 18 November 2012
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| File:The Gambler title shot.JPG "On a warm summer's evenin', on a train bound for nowhere..." | |||||||||
| "The Gambler" | |||||||||
| Production code | 700-46 | ||||||||
| Production company | Sunbow Productions | ||||||||
| Airdate | November 11, 1985 | ||||||||
| Written by | Michael Charles Hill | ||||||||
| Animation studio | Toei | ||||||||
| Continuity | Generation 1 cartoon continuity | ||||||||
On the return journey from Aron's world, the Autobots are captured by a gambling-addicted alien and traded away, leaving Smokescreen and the Autobot bounty hunter Devcon to rescue them.
- Japanese title: ギャンブル惑星モナカス (Gamble Wakusei Monacus, "Monacus, the Planet of Gambling ")
- Italian title, dub 1: Il giocatore d'azzardo ("The gambler")
- Italian title, dub 2: Il giocatore ("The gambler")
Synopsis
The Autobots are returning to earth after their adventure on Brobdingnag, when their "toy rocket" space ship suddenly comes to a halt. They are captured by an alien captain named Bosch. Bosch deactivates them and intends to sell the Autobots as slaves in exchange for energon. However, Smokescreen's tube malfunctions and he remains functional, though temporarily immobilized.
Smokescreen learns that Bosch is a gambler. After demonstrating his ability to manipulate a slot machine, he takes Bosch's proposition to go to Monacus, a gambling asteroid, and win enough energon to repower Bosch's ship in exchange for the freedom of the rest of the Autobots.
Bosch and Smokescreen end up at the "Pit of Destruction" arena of Lord Gyconi, a local swindler, where they use the Autobots as collateral for a very high-interest loan of energon chips. At a casino, Smokescreen builds up quite a stack of winnings and lets it all ride on one last bet, but one of the casino workers breaks his link with a slot machine and he loses everything. Unable to buy back his friends, Smokescreen vows that Gyconi hasn't seen the last of him.
Meanwhile, Dirge and Ramjet arrive on the planet in Astrotrain and head towards the city. They are followed by a mysterious blue Autobot.
In a local tavern, Smokescreen meets the mysterious Autobot, who introduces himself as Devcon; he's a bounty hunter searching for Decepticons.
In Gyconi's lair, Ramjet and Dirge shake down the big green frogman for a share of his profits. He invites the two Decepticon planes to stay and watch the upcoming battle in his arena: the Autobots versus the Animaliens. Before the show, Gyconi fixes the fight by giving the Autobots unstable energon which will wear off and make them defenseless.
The fight begins as Optimus Prime, under Gyconi's control, takes on an ugly red lizard animalien. At first the Autobot leader holds his own, prompting a lot of patrons to bet on him, but then his power runs out and he's overcome. Inferno is forced into the arena for the next match, but before it starts, Smokescreen fills the place with smoke and forces everyone out. Ramjet and Dirge chase him down, but he's saved by Devcon.
Gyconi and the Decepticons load up Astrotrain with energon cubes in order to make a getaway, but Smokescreen, Devcon and Bosch confront them. During a fierce firefight, Smokescreen uses his smoke again to confuse the Decepticons. They take off aboard Astrotrain and Devcon chases after them, taking Slizardo with him as a partner.
The Autobots are returned to normal and Bosch offers to take them back to earth, but only after a quick stop at casino row.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Others |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Quotes
"Arrrgh! I can't even beat my own machine anymore, and I had it fixed so I could cheat!"
- —Bosch has a stroke of bad luck.
"The name is Smokescreen, and I never walk when I can drive."
- —Smokescreen
"Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight for the first time anywhere in the galaxies, you will witness the pugilistic spectacle of the millennium!"
- —Lord Gyconi talks up his gladiator show.
"Now, prepare to meet my friend, Mr. Ionic Displacer."
- —Astrotrain
Notes
Animation or technical glitches
- When the Autobots are captured and Smokescreen's tube breaks, he's miscoloured. He's back to blue and red as he gets paralyzed by the guard.
- The animation of the tubes opening to release the brainwashed Autobots is just the shot of them closing played backwards — unfortunately this means that Smokescreen appears to be in one of the tubes when he shouldn't be.
- As the Autobots are returned to their original size, shouldn't the container they were in shatter? There's no breaking sound effect.
- The lowering platform in Gyconi's room is left unanimated, making the Autobots seem to lower into a paving stone.
- As Smokescreen goes "all in" at the casino, one shot shows the energon chips as all-black (rather than glowing pink). The same thing happens as the patrons at the arena grab their chips, and as the Autobots load Astrotrain with energon cubes.
- After Smokescreen loses the chips, the next shot of him (in Gyconi's room) has him colored entirely in blue.
- When Slizardo and Bosch approach Astrotrain, Slizardo's animation cell does not change, resulting in him appearing much smaller than Bosch.
- When Bosch and Smokescreen are walking together, they are about the same height, however, when Smokescreen transforms, Bosch rides inside him. Then again, mass-shifting is nothing new here.
Continuity errors
- In terms of airdates, this episode is definitely played out of order, as we've seen several of the characters that are still trying to escape from Aron's planet in "Child's Play" on Earth prior to this one. The series on Netflix corrects this.
- Apparently the Decepticons on Earth make trips to far away planets to take their cut of energon from their business partners. If Megatron's been (mostly) on Earth for 4 million years, when did he set these deals up?
- Both times Smokescreen shoots his smoke out, the Decepticons are shown coughing (even though, again, Transformers are robots and don't have real throats or lungs).
- At any point after the "temporary" paralyzing effects of Bosch's gun wears off, Smokescreen is given ample opportunities to simply force Bosch to free his friends. He is clearly more interested in this gambling trip than saving his friends... good thing for him that Prime was comatose when it all happened!
Transformers references
- Slizardo would eventually return in the season 3 episode "Grimlock's New Brain" alongside the Skuxxoid.
- Devcon would later be featured in the Wreckers comic.
- Astrotrain refers to his ionic displacer rifle by that name.
Real-world references
- Sheol, the name of Lord Gyconi's part of town, is a Hebrew word that means "the grave", and is sometimes used as a synonym or euphemism for Hell.
- When an alien turns down Bosch's offer of the Autobots as collateral, saying he's "got robots up to [his] eyeballs", he advises Bosch to go see someone named Asimov. Isaac Asimov was a science-fiction writer known for his stories about robots (duh).
- Monacus is named for the real-world sovereign state of Monaco, famous for its casino.
Trivia
- This is one of the only two pre-movie episodes in which Megatron does not appear, the other being "The God Gambit". Both have Astrotrain and two Seekers in them.
- Before the Botcon comic, the overwhelming majority of the fandom spelled Devcon's name Defcon, which is closer to the pronunciation given in the episode and has a real world meaning. Many in the fandom were up in arms about the spelling; however, the comic spelling is based on the original script and is now considered the "correct" spelling.
Home video releases
- Laserdisc
1994 — Fight! Super Robot Lifeform Transformers — Convoy Set (Takara) — Japanese audio only.
1998 — The Transformers — Autobot Edition (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
- DVD
2001 — The Transformers — DVD Box 1 (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2003 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 2 (Rhino Entertainment)
2003 — The Original Transformers — Season 2 Part 2: Vol. 5 (Rhino Entertainment)
2004 — Transformers — Season 2 Part 2 (Metrodome)
2004 — Transformers — Collection 3: Series 2.2 (Madman Entertainment)
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)
