Jillian Sauls

As a longtime Transformers fan, this show is a seamless bridge between those of us who grew up loving the franchise and younger fans just discovering the robots in disguise. It's a fantastic blend of old and new that combines lighthearted fun with deeper, more emotional themes and a number of exciting mysteries at the heart of the story. To my surprise, I found the new characters immediately likable and well-written. My favorites are Twitch—her "stressed-out perfectionist/responsible oldest daughter" thing is too relatable—and Dot Malto, the human mom who managed to befriend former arch-villain Megatron and has her own ongoing subplot dealing with some of the series' darker themes. Elements from past Transformers series are incorporated in fresh, often hilarious ways, like when a story narrated by the human kids' dad is animated in the 1980s G1 cartoon style. There are plenty of deep cuts to keep the lore nerds happy as well, without turning the show into a "spot the reference" game. Overall, this series is a love letter to the Transformers franchise and a great entry point for new fans. It has a solid balance of humor and drama, a memorable visual style, and an obvious amount of love put into every detail. Looking forward to season 2!