The Low Road

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AKA "The Low Brow"
"The Low Road"
Season	1
No. in season	22
Production company	Mainframe Entertainment
Airdate	February 10, 1997
Written by	Bob Forward
Directed by	J. Falconer
Animation studio	Mainframe Entertainment
Continuity	Beast Wars continuity
Watch this episode on YouTube

Rhinox is infected with a strange energon discharge virus, and if a cure isn't found, he'll destroy the Maximal base as he literally sneezes himself to death.

Synopsis

"Objection!"

The Maximals use their tools to garden, trimming the wild bean vines that have grown around the Maximal base and, as Dinobot explains, could be exploited by the Predacons. Rattrap and Dinobot get into a fight. Inside, Rhinox detects Predacons coming to attack, but can't activate the Sentinel shields because of the two arguing Maximals outside. Rhinox comes down the elevator with his guns ablaze and commands the two to get inside, but they are too busy arguing to obey. Trying to cover his teammates' withdrawal, Rhinox is hit by a strange weapon from Tarantulas. Dinobot blasts Tarantulas several times, and with the crucial shot fired, the Predacons retreat.

Inside, the Axalon's computer reports on the strange effect the device had on Rhinox, giving him a disease that causes the larger Maximal to "spontaneously discharge energy." Rhinox demonstrates this by hiccuping energy beams around the base, causing much collateral damage. It's decided a counter-virus must be found.

Hello? You're at gunpoint!

Rattrap and Dinobot attempt to trail the injured Tarantulas. The two get into an argument about who is to blame for Rhinox becoming sick, which quickly degenerates into name-calling. While listening to them over the comm channels, Cheetor asks Optimus if sending them out was really a good idea. He admits he isn't sure (considering how much trouble their disagreements have caused in the past), but dismisses the matter, as Rhinox's deteriorating health is more important. Eventually forgetting why they started the argument, the two follow Tarantulas's scent. Running after a glimpse of the Predacon, they fall though a hole and onto a long slide—with a heavy boulder close behind them. But after they land at the bottom of the slide, the boulder actually hits Tarantulas. Rattrap and Dinobot continue bickering as they search through the underground caverns for Tarantulas's lab.

Aboard the Axalon, Optimus reveals to Cheetor that he paired Dinobot and Rattrap together so they could either learn to work together or kill each other. Rhinox is meanwhile kept on a life support system which drains energy from the rest of the (now heavily damaged) Maximal base.

Back at the Predacon base, Megatron sends his own forces to reclaim Tarantulas so more of the virus can be developed to use on the rest of the Maximals. They head to his laboratory to see if they can locate the missing arachnid there. On Tarantulas's security sensors, Blackarachnia notices the two wandering Maximals making their way through the caverns towards the hideout.

"Hey, handsome. Come here often?"

Primal rallies his available soldiers for action against the Predacons to seize the antidote to Rhinox's ailment forcibly. Rhinox attempts to come along with the others, but Primal orders his friend to stay behind and consume some food to help stabilize his systems. Naturally, the first option on Rhinox's menu happens to be the wild beans conveniently surrounding the Axalon.

Megatron discovers what has been making his beast head go all green.

Back in Tarantulas's lair, Blackarachnia discovers where Tarantulas stored the counter-virus. When Scorponok detects the two Maximals getting closer, the Predacon goons open fire, wildly hoping to hit something, but instead just ruin any chance they have of ambushing their _targets. Dinobot tries to use Tarantulas as a hostage, but this tactic doesn't work on Megatron, who has no reservations about abusing his own soldiers. However, the distraction has bought Rattrap (who was supposed to be covering Dinobot) the time to sneak through some tubes to arrive behind the Predacons, leaving him close enough to disarm them quickly.

A nasal energon-expulsion from Rhinox provides a hole for the other Maximals to enter the chamber once they finish posing heroically. Megatron mentions that he alone has the counter-virus that could save Rhinox.

But then Rhinox shoots an incredible energon fart (visible from space) that blows the Predacons far away, giving the Maximals the chance to grab the counter-virus and live happily ever after. Rattrap and Dinobot still bicker like kids, though. As for the Predacons? They landed on a dead tree in very uncomfortable positions.

Featured Characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"No can do there Big Green, I got problems on my own."

—Rattrap tells Rhinox that he's unavailable at the moment.

"Excuse me. Are you implying that the current situation is somehow... my responsibility?!"
"Well, you did start it... gearhead!"
"I BEG to differ... cheese lips!"
"Pre-evolved birdbrain!"
"Eater of garbage!"

—Dinobot and Rattrap trade insults.

"Sheesh, and they call me the immature one."

—Cheetor's response to above argument.

"A bargaining chip should remain in play until the game is over, yesss."
"Why do you always talk to yourself?"
"Ah, I simply have a penchant for... intelligent conversation."

—Megatron ripostes rather well to Blackarachnia.

(Dinobot enters, holding Tarantulas)
"Do not fire, Megatron! I have a HOSTAGE!"
"Why, so you do..."
(Megatron shoots Tarantulas)

—Megatron has also watched Speed.

"This is certainly the most humiliating defeat of my entire career. Yess..."

—Megatron after Rhinox defeats the Predacons single... erm, handedly.

Notes

Script timeline

• First draft: 9th October 1996
• Finalised: 17th October 1996
• As Air: 7th February 1997

Animation and technical errors

• It seems the digital light emitter that normally gives Rattrap's eyes their glow has somehow became "detached" from his head, as when he giggles at Dinobot, there is a red glow illuminating his neck, chest and forehead, then it fades away as he moves back a bit.
• When Rhinox stands up from his console to aid Rattrap and Dinobot, he's holding his Chaingun upside down.
• When the three flying Predacons break formation, Waspinator's legs are clipping through his abdomen.
• Immediately after Dinobot grabs Rattrap by his head, his fingers slip off and Rattrap flies up seemingly by himself.
• Then as he's held by Dinobot, the hinges of Rattrap's elbows are twisted apart.
• When Tarantulas first speaks, his open mouth provides a clear window through his entire body, so that the mountain behind him is clearly visible.
• As Tarantulas' missile flies at the Maximals, Dinobot is missing his "bones" that normally decorate his torso and legs.
• When the Preds retreat, Inferno is not only missing his jet thrusters, his abdomen blades aren't spinning either, though their motion blur effect is in place.
• When Rhinox comically blows the CR chamber up, it's missing a number of textures (rivets and the black lines on the side) that reappear just before the contraption falls apart.
• The CR chamber's top simply disappears after it flies up, never coming back down.
• Rattrap's right hand clips into Dinobot's shoulder after Rhinox blows the table off.
• When Optimus is shielding his head from falling debris, his abdomen clips through the bottom of his chest vents.
• After Rattrap and Dinobot land on top of Tarantulas' cave entrance, the latter's shins keep detaching from his feet as he moves about.
• After the boulder hits Tarantulas, it cracks in a most unconvincing way — the cracks appear to be extremely shallow.
• In the first shot of the duo dragging Tarantulas through the tunnel, Dinobot isn't holding the Predacon in any way. Tarantulas' foot is just sticking to the outside of his hand. Also, Dinobot's head periodically keeps jerking around.
• When the Predacons are looking around the lab, the first bottle inspected by Blackarachnia turns much darker a moment after she puts it down, while the other turns brighter when she picks it up. Their bottoms also partially clip into the table after she places them down.
• As the Maximals leave their base, Cheetor's eyes are red instead of green.
• Waspinator and Terrorsaur are incomplete 3D models when they open fire at the lab's entrance. Various pieces of them are either missing or are invisible, while others just float in the air connected to nothing. Note for instance the absence of Terrorsaur's pterosaur head from his back and the bright grey ring around his shoulders, and Waspinator's insect antennae, most of his pelvis, the main green part of his shoulders and the insect legs from his arms.
• Dinobot's left kneecap clips through Tarantulas' arm when he picks him up before entering the lab. Tarantulas' left claw also clips through Rattrap's gun and hand.
• Terrorsaur is standing right beside Inferno, but from Rattrap's view through the vent, he's nowhere to be seen.
• Dinobot is also missing from view when Rattrap drops on the table, making it seem like the Preds are aiming their guns at nothing.
• Rattrap blows off Waspinator's right hand along with his gun, but it's back on his arm just a few seconds later.
• The extreme closeup on the counter-virus in Megatron's dino-head-hand reveals a see-through seam running down one of his teeth.
• Tigatron's front feet momentarily cross and clip through each other as he goes into beast form.
• Megatron's back kibble are clipping through the tree branch in the final shot.

Continuity notes

The same results can be obtained by eating at Taco Bell.

• In this episode Blackarachnia mentions that Tarantulas encrypted all the information on his computers, foreshadowing that he has something to hide.
• When the rhino-fart shakes the globe, the epicenter is clearly in Africa, providing more evidence for the show being set there. In fact, it appears to be in the middle of the Sahara, which would have been less arid in the prehistoric time of the Beast Wars than it is today. Quite possibly, this energon-fart is why it is so arid now, the fart having caused a slow destabilization of its climate. You be the judge!
• Somehow, even in the most humiliating defeat of Megatron's entire career, yes, Waspinator still manages to get the short end of the stick.

Continuity errors

• The details of exactly why Optimus decided it was a good idea to send Rattrap and Dinobot together on a life saving mission is beyond anyone. He later confesses, "They'll either learn to work together or destroy each other. Right now I don't really care which." He apparently doesn't hold Rhinox's life in very high regard.
• Rattrap's declaration that he and Dinobot have the Predacons under control is a bit exaggerated. He may have shot the guns from their hands, but that still leaves six Predacons with a variety of built-in weapons (Scorponok's missiles, Terrorsaur's shoulder cannons, Blackarachnia's spider-leg machine guns, etc.) against two Maximals. Either Rattrap has a lot of faith in his and Dinobot's fighting abilities, or he has an incredibly low view of Predacon skill...
• Megatron's decision to blast Tarantulas is pretty reckless and flat out moronic. Tarantulas is the one who created the virus and thus is probably the only one who knows how to make it. Megatron seems to be acting as if he holds all the cards but all he really has is the antidote. How exactly Megatron plans on infecting the Maximals with a virus using THE CURE FOR THE VIRUS isn't clear.
• When the Maximals break into Tarantulas' lab, Cheetor can be seen standing next to Tigatron holding his original "gut gun" as opposed to the alternative "rump gun" he is seen to use whenever he and Tigatron are armed and on-screen together.
• Tarantulas' lab is never seen as massively as portrayed in this episode before or since. Even the main chamber of it looks decidedly different than any other incarnation.
• How the heck did the Maximals manage to locate Tarantulas' lair? Optimus sent Rattrap and Dinobot precisely to find it, it took nearly the whole episode for them to do just that, it was impossible for the Maximals to contact either Rattrap or Dinobot... And then suddenly they all burst inside Tarantulas' lair, as if they had always known where it was. Odd.

Transformers references

• Rattrap's predilection for eating garbage was first mentioned in his original toy's bio.^[1]

Real-world references

• Befitting the rather silly premise of the episode, the animation takes numerous cues from classic Warner Bros. cartoons, such as Road Runner.
  • When Dinobot and Rattrap first encounter Tarantulas, he runs off in traditional Road Runner fashion, accompanied a slide whistle sound cue.
  • Shortly afterwards, Dinobot and Rattrap fall into Tarantulas lair- in classic cartoon fashion, they temporarily hang in the air for a few seconds before falling; Rattrap's gun stays suspended for even longer.
• Dinobot refers to a Silicon Valhalla as some kind of afterlife, dually referencing both ancient Norse mythology and Silicon Valley (and at a stretch Red Dwarf's Silicon Heaven).
• During one of their squabbles, Rattrap refers to Dinobot as a 'pre-evolved birdbrain', riffing on the then-recent scientific theory that birds evolved from Dromaeosaurid dinosaurs ("raptors") like Dinobot.
• When the Maximals burst into Tarantulas's lab, Airazor is kneeling at Optimus's feet, with one hand affectionately placed on his leg. Instead of, y'know, pointing a gun at the bad guys. The shot is a parody of the stereotypical heroic entrance/posturing scene, such as found on the theatrical poster for the original Star Wars film. Once Rattrap undermines the moment, as evidenced by the musical score, Airazor can be seen standing normally with the other Maximals. All part of the fun, folks.
• Rhinox dons a beer-hat style contraption from which to sip his treatment.

Safety first!

• Rattrap wears a hard hat while undertaking repairs on the Axalon.

Trivia

• In the beginning of the episode, Rattrap is using one of Optimus Primal's swords to cut down the vines.
• While turning around to deliver his energon fart, Rhinox's *ahem* anus is clearly visible. Now that's classy.
• The virus which infected Rhinox and which Megatron intended to use to infect the rest of the Maximals was never mentioned again. But can you blame him for washing his hands of the entire affair?
• Tarantulas seems to have one of Waspinator's arms in his lab.
• A dart-riddled picture of Megatron hangs in Tarantulas's lab.
• Apparently Megatron considers the immoral act of holding hostages a Maximal ploy.
• The title "The Low Road" may be a reference to all of the toilet humor in this episode.
• Episode writer Bob Forward summed up the reaction to the episode thusly: "[...] After 15 Years And A Couple Of Hundred Scripts, [I] Will Be Remembered Forever For A Rhinocerous [sic] Fart."^[2]
• Farts are funny. Hence, this episode is very funny if you like farts. And who doesn't?

Foreign localization

French

• Title: "Le Virus" ("The Virus")

• Title: "Le Virus" (Canada, "The Virus")

German

• Title: "Wer andern eine Grube gräbt..." ("Whoever Digs a Pit for Others...")
• Original airdate: 29 August 1998

• The title is taken from the old adage "Whoever digs a pit will fall into it."

Italian

• Title: "Il virus" ("The Virus")

• Rattrap's line: «So, I had a limburger sandwich for lunch. I'm a rat, gimme a break!» is changed to: «It's my breath: I ate garbage for lunch. I'm a mouse and I have my rights».

Japanese

• Title: "Stop the Kushami" (ストップ･ザ･くしゃみ, "Stop the Sneezing")
• Original airdate: 25 February 1998

• A very large portion of this episode was featured in the clip movie "Clash! Beast Warriors", a segment of the Beast Wars Special Super Lifeform Transformers.
• In a prime example of how flippantly the Japanese dub would break the Fourth Wall, when Megatron begins listing places to search for Tarantulas, he also tells the Predacons to "Keep watching this TV channel!" (replacing the English line, "I want that virus!")
• After Rhinox farts and the energy cloud is seen from orbit, all the Predacons can be heard screaming in terror and disgust. Likewise, in the closing scene of all the Predacons dangling from the tree in defeat, they join Megatron in his cries of embarrassment.

Portuguese

• Title: "O Caminho Subterrâneo" ("The Underground Way")

Spanish

• Title: "El Subterráneo" ("The Underground")

Mandarin

• Title: "Bìngdú yǔ Fǎn-bìngdú " (病毒与反病毒, "Virus and Anti-Virus")

Home video releases

VHS

1998 — Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers — Starscream's Invulnerability (Pioneer LDC) — Japanese audio only.
2001 — Beast Wars: Transformers — The Beginning: Vol. 4 (Universal)

Laserdisc

1998 — Beast Wars: Transformers — Predacon Edition (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio.

DVD

2000 — Beast Wars: Transformers — DVD Box (Pioneer LDC) — English and Japanese audio.
2003 — Beast Wars: Transformers — The Complete First Season (Rhinomation)
2011 — Beast Wars: Transformers — Season 1 (Shout! Factory)
2011 — Beast Wars: Transformers — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)
2005 — Beast Wars — Classic Episodes: Volume 4 — The Predacons Advance! (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio.
2005 — Beast Wars — The Complete First Season (Alliance Atlantis) — English and French audio.
2006 — Beast Wars: Transformers — Season 1 (Madman Entertainment)
2009 — The Transformers: Beast Wars — Complete Collection (Madman Entertainment)

References

1. ↑ Tech spec bio.
2. ↑ Post on alt.toys.transformers by Bob Forward

External links

Official uploads (Japanese)

• Beast Wars Again re-airings:
  • "Stop the Sneezing" on YouTube
  • "Stop the Sneezing (Part 2)" on YouTube