Starscream's Redemption(s): Crack and Portent

© July 2013 Heralde8

Hi everybody, and welcome back to Starscream’s Redemption(s), where we analyze the villainous Transformer’s life choices and potential for redemption. After a long wait, I’ve finally gotten to the entry I’m sure many of you have been waiting for -  it’s time to analyze Armada Starscream (Yay!).

5. “Crack” – Transformers: Armada,  Episode 37, by Isao Shizuya (2003)
“Portent” – Transformers: Armada, Episode 47, by Shōji Tonoike (2003)

Summary: The Starscream Family has a new baby brother, little Armada Screamer. Will he be the first in his family to achieve redemption?

’80s song suggestions (Once again, song excerpts in italics):
“The Hurting” (Tears for Fears)
“Memories Fade” (Tears for Fears)
“St. Elmo’s Fire (Man in Motion)” (John Parr)
“That’s What Friends Are For” (Dione Warwick)
“Advice for the Young At Heart” (Tears for Tears)
“The Voice” (The Moody Blues)

Now first off, I have to be completely honest. My first impression of Armada Starscream was a bit, um, mixed. Don’t get me wrong, it is not my intention at all to bash him in this entry. It’s just that…well…how can I put this? Armada Starscream is the Kobayashi Maru of Starscreams.

For anyone who just went “WHAT?!” let me go into Trekkie mode for a second. The Kobayashi Maru was a plot device featured in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Specifically, it was an exam Starfleet cadets would take in order to learn how to deal with losing. In fact it was known as the “No-win Scenario.” But plucky little James Kirk decided losing wasn’t for him and secretly altered the test so it was possible for him to win. He became the first and only cadet to beat the No-win Scenario, and received much adulation for it. However, he later came to regret his youthful arrogance and admitted his victory was a dishonest one. He had, in effect, cheated and as a result never truly learned the lesson of the test.

By now you’re probably wondering, “What does this have to do with Armada Starscream?” How in the world did he cheat? Well, he didn’t. But the writers kinda did. They wanted a Starscream who could be redeemed from evil to good. But this seemed an impossible, no-win scenario in its own right. So instead of dealing with the character as he was, they gave us a somewhat watered down version of Starscream who wasn’t particularly evil to begin with. Just as Kirk reprogrammed the test so he could win, the writers rewrote Starscream so he could be redeemed. As a result, Kirk missed the lesson of the exam and the writers missed the real challenge of a Starscream redemption story.

However, while it’s not quite what I may have initially wanted, it’s still a sweet, touching redemption story that deserves analysis. Which probably makes you wonder why I’m not planning on reviewing the now legendary “Cramp” episode in which Armada Star’s redemption actually takes place. Well first off, being the Armada novice, I doubt I could add anything you guys don’t already know. So I figure concentrating on two “runner up” episodes would be an interesting change. Plus, and most importantly, I would argue it is these two episodes that are most crucial in paving the way for Starscream’s ultimate redemption.

Crack

I won’t get into a huge back story; you guys already know the details. Armada Starscream is a young solider who was claimed for the Decepticon forces in spark hood. He has never known a life beyond the ambitions of power and conquest instilled in him. Yet despite his sinister programming, Starscream has his own mind about some things, such as a fondness for the innocent mini con robots the Cons use in battle.

Screamer’s life is not an easy one. His leader Megatron seems to take delight in making him his personal whipping bot for all the Decepticons’ failures. Starscream’s demonstrations of loyalty are met with taunts, humiliations (“Could a person be so mean as to laugh and laugh?”) and finally betrayal when Megatron forces him out of Club Con. Having no place else to go and now unfairly marked a traitor, Starscream reluctantly seeks refuge with the heroic Autobots. It seems a good fit, as the Autobots and their human friends share Starscream’s affection for the mini cons. However, a lifetime of programming is not easily forgotten and Starscream becomes obsessed with taking petty revenge on Megatron, at the expense of all else. In the episode “Crack,” we see the fighter jet in a struggle between his programming and a “strange feeling” that will challenge everything he knows.

As the episode opens, we see the Autobots working together to fix their starship. Despite the occasional grumblings, everyone’s diligently going about their duty. Well, everyone except Starscream who sees no value in foolish team building exercises. They’re soldiers, after all, they should be hunting down and destroying the enemy. The Autobots attempt to explain they are not fighters by their own choice, rather the Decepticons are the aggressors who forced them into conflict. The Autobots’ main priority is protecting the mini cons from becoming pawns in Megatron’s war. Mention of the mini cons instantly puts Starscream on the defensive as he insists, “[they] mean nothing to me!”

Of course we the audience know better, but the Autobots don’t and simply dismiss Starscream as a hopeless cause. Particularly Hot Shot (I guess he’s a cross between Hot Rod and Bumblebee?), who decides Decepticons must just be “wired differently.”

A recurring theme in Transformers: Armada is the idea of programming and how much “wiring” determines personality and life choices. When we traditionally think of robots, we picture machines with no free will of their own, performing tasks based on the directions of an outside force. The Transformers have been victim of external influence on occasion. We saw characters like the G1 Constructicons or Rhinox from Beast Wars turn gleefully evil at the figurative push of a button. And in Armada we learn Starscream started life as an innocent sparkling who was almost immediately “merged into the army of Megatron.” While G1 Screamer presumably made the choice to turn evil, Armada Screamer’s choices were made for him. As we look at him today he is a Decepticon warrior who values strength and brute force and views his concern for the mini cons as an embarrassing weakness (“All along you’ve been told you’re wrong…when you felt it right“).

All this talk of programming and merging may seem a foreign, even uncomfortable concept to us, but in a way it’s not that different from the way we humans are raised. We are all born into a certain nationality, religion or set of values that someone else decided for us. We are loyal to these things, at least in our youth, partly because they are the only values we know (“Growing up you don’t see the writing on the wall“). As George Bernard Shaw once said, “Patriotism is a conviction that a particular country is the best in the world because you were born in it.” Also, we are loyal to our values because of the faith we place in the elders entrusted to care for us.

However, despite our programming, we do have free will and choices of our own. And like humans, Transformers also have the miraculous ability to think and possess, as Spike Witwicky put it, “real feelings.” To write either of us off as mere programmed pawns would be a grave error. More on that later.

Anyway, Starscream quickly stalks away from the annoying, goody goody Autobots…only to be cornered by annoying, goody goody Anime children (Ahhhh!). That’s right, it seems the Autobots’ human friends are quite taken with the mysterious ex-Decepticon (particularly Alexis of course ) and decided to throw him a surprise party to make him feel more welcome. They even made their own present, a chamois for Starscream to polish the mini cons with (Clearly channeling the better half of Starscream who does feel concern for others).

This is probably my favorite part of the episode, as we watch Starscream clumsily learning to say thank you and accept a present for the very first time. I admit, I’ve always been amused by sappy cartoon kids attempting to instruct a befuddled villain in the ways of goodness (“Won’t you take me back to school? I need to learn the golden rule“). I guess it’s a way for young audiences to feel empowered, watching adults needing lessons in good behavior for once! Plus children are often used to represent the innocence and clarity villains/grown ups have lost over time.

Unfortunately, it seems Starscream’s programming is not quite ready to embrace such clarity, as it continues to egg him on about defeating Megatron, even if it means abandoning his new friends. It doesn’t help that Thrust shows up promising to help him achieve his goal. And it really doesn’t help that the Autobots realize some mini cons are missing and instantly blame Starscream. Hot Shot attempts to keep things fair and gives him a chance to explain himself, but Starscream has little hope he and the Autobots will ever see optic to optic. Like Hot Shot at the start of the episode, Starscream chalks it up to the accident of programming (“I was programmed to be a Decepticon and I don’t apologize for that“).

Still, I don’t know about you, but I think all this talk of programming is a bit of a cop out. As I noted earlier, the Transformers have more than demonstrated their ability to grow beyond blind obedience. Starscream clearly didn’t need to be reprogrammed to learn to care for the mini cons. I think we are seeing a similar situation to the one discussed in our last entry (“Redemption Center”). Starscream is (understandably) afraid of breaking away from the only life he’s ever known. Afraid that he wouldn’t be able to live up to the Autobots’ standards. Not to mention afraid of letting the mini cons down. It’s just easier to hide behind programming rather than risk disappointment all around.

Plus let’s not forget, he has been horribly betrayed by his “father figure” Megatron. We can’t expect him to instantly embrace Optimus Prime as a trusted new mentor. Megatron’s cruel treatment has taught him leaders will let you down. But more importantly, and tragically, it has taught him to believe he is weak and unworthy of a second chance.

We’ve all encountered difficult people in our lives who inexplicably take a disliking to us and seem to delight in belittling us day after day. Bullies who attack our dignity and sense of self worth. At times like this, little Screamer must be wondering what he’s done to deserve the ire of his leader (“Could you see my pain? Could you please explain the hurting?“). What we often don’t realize is such bullies aren’t attacking us for our weaknesses…but rather for our strengths. They feel threatened or resentful in some way, but they lack the confidence to beat us on our own terms. Instead, they attack from within, trying to convince us we are the problem so we will begin doubting ourselves.

Overtime this can lead to bitterness and a desire to make the bully hurt the way we did. Starscream, at least at this point, is unable to move past that bitterness (“Engulfed by you, what can I do when history’s my cage?“). He chooses to take Thrust up on his offer and abandons the Autobots and the children. This is made clear by the not so subtle symbolism of the polishing chamois swaying away, lost in the wind.

However, we aren’t left without a glimmer of hope. Thanks to the human children, he now has a better understanding of that “strange feeling” he has for them and the mini cons, namely compassion and friendship (“Well you came and opened me and now there’s so much more I see“). He silently promises he won’t forget the lessons he’s learned and we know his “programming” will never be the same.

Portent

Fast forward a few episodes and Starscream has a rather large problem. He may have thrown away the symbol of his new-found compassion, but the compassion itself isn’t going away quietly. As per his earlier promise, he hasn’t forgotten his recent friendship with the Earth children (“Love is a promise, love is a souvenir. Once given, never forgotten“). And that’s kind of an issue when you’re trying to get back in good with your leader who is intent on destroying Earth! If he doesn’t follow orders, Megatron will become suspicious and Starscream will loose his chance for vengeance (not to mention his life!). But if he does follow orders he will never see his new friends again. On the other side of the issue, the children (and the Autobots) will never be able to accept Starscream as a friend unless he’s willing to fully embrace the side of good.

This type of conundrum is typical of Starscream in any continuity. He avoids difficult choices by trying to have things both ways. For awhile it makes him feel clever and above things, always one step ahead of everyone. But usually in the end he winds up with nothing, no allies, no advantages and no future (“And how many times will it be this way?“). When you fail to make choices, the choices will be made for you.

And indeed, circumstances soon begin to force Starscream’s, um, servo (“You’re already falling, it’s calling you back to face the music“). His plan to take revenge on Megatron is falling apart as Thrust reveals himself to be a patsy for Unicron. Starscream wisely refuses to join with the Death Star rip off, but Thrust retaliates by threatening the Earth children. Including Alexis, the only one who still considers Starscream a friend. Seeing Alexis again apparently brings back that old sense of clarity and Starscream does not hesitate to defend his new friends.

Which catches us up to our next crucial episode, “Portent.”

Now to his credit, in this episode Starscream does manage to perform additional acts of bravery for the sake of the children. There are several occasions when he could have looked out for his own safety or need for vengeance but instead chose to stay and protect Alexis. However, that’s not what I want to focus on. The moment that really struck me was the final scene in this episode.

Both Alexis and Hot Shot implore Starscream to join with the Autobots full time, rightfully pointing out “we could really use your help right now.” Starscream explains that he can’t, but not because he doesn’t want to…

“I don’t want to risk betraying you a second time. It wouldn’t be fair.”

That moment took my breath away because to me it’s truly the moment when Starscream grows up. In that instant, the young warrior gains insight into his faults and how they affect others. He knows despite his brave deeds today, he can’t be relied upon to make a real commitment. At least not right now (“And how it makes me weep, cause someone sent my soul to sleep“). And until he is mature enough to finally make a choice, it would be cruel to continue playing with his friends’ emotions.

People don’t change overnight. As Alexis observes, the scars of life run deep. Whether you call it programming, breeding, environment or circumstances, it is difficult to redesign what the world has molded us to be since childhood (“Soon we will be older, when we gonna make it work?“). But as another Hasbro property once put it, “Knowing is half the battle.” By making the effort to learn from past mistakes before they happen, Starscream has taken the first step towards genuine reprogramming of his life away from the Decepticons (“You broke the boy in me but you won’t break the man!“).

It is this revelation that later makes it possible for Starscream to make the ultimate choice, and sacrifice, for the sake of his friends (“When I think of you and all the love that’s due I’ll make a promise, I’ll make a stand“). For the minicons of course (I must say it’s very sweet to see Optimus comforting Swindle) and then for his human friends. Following Starscream’s tragic passing, a grief-stricken Alexis demands to know why, why did he give up his life?! If Starscream was able to comfort her at that moment, I believe he would explain he was finally able to make a choice. And he chose that old “strange feeling” which proved even stronger than his programming. He chose his heart.

And finally…Yes!…We have the first Starscream to achieve true redemption!

After my initial hesitation, I’m glad I got this opportunity to get to know Armada Starscream better. It was fun getting to watch all the episodes and also asking advice from many of you guys on how to proceed in this entry (thanks again!). And though he’d never admit it, I think G1 Screamer would be secretly proud of his younger continuity brother for taking the character to new levels of maturity and self realization.

Thanks again for reading, guys, and I’ve decided this probably won’t be my last entry, so look out for more of Starscream’s Redemption(s)!

Part I - Fire in the Sky:
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Part II - Stargazing:
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Part III (A) - Redemption Center
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Part III (B) - Redemption Center
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