The 1980s was a strange decade in America, wasn't it? Politics and world issues aside, I'm looking at this from a pop cultural standpoint. Awful music was in abundance, and clothes were even worse. The '80s were all about spending: buying more useless crap than we needed, and basically reveling in excess. In short, it was the perfect time to be a kid!

Well, that's what I was at the time. My first real memories took place in that decade, from birthday parties at Chuck E. Cheese's (which is now a shell of its former self, I might add) to the year I received a Nintendo for Christmas (also now a shell of its former self). However, nothing compared to my fondest memory of the 80s: the Holy Day of Rest.

Saturday morning, of course!

"Calvin & Hobbes" is copyright Bill Watterson.

Overall, Seasons 3 and 4 took the show in a much different direction. The time frame was now 2006-2007, and a new leader was in charge. No longer were the Autobots stuck on Earth: having reclaimed their hope planet of Cybertron, they frequently left the planet for new and exotic locations. There were many changes to the feel of the series (it felt even more like classic sci-fi than before), but it still had the same qualities as before: cool characters and stuff blowing up.

Transformers: Season 3 (Part 2) and Season 4 is the long-winded new release from Rhino Home Video. It collects the last 17 episodes on three DVDs, as well as a few bonus features thrown in for good measure. These are presented in a similar manner to the other box sets from Rhino: cool packaging, good audio and video, and---most importantly---the shows themselves, exactly as we remember them. Below you'll find a list of the episodes found in this box set, and further down is the DVD review itself. Let's get started!

Disc One:

Ghost in the Machine: As Season 3 picks up where it left off, Starscream has taken over the body of Scourge. Returning to the head of Unicron (Cybertron's new moon), Starscream strikes a deal to get his old body back: perform three tasks. Of course, these won't be easy, but he's gotta try anyway, right?

Dweller in the Depths: The Quintessons are back in the mix, and quickly devise a plan to retake Cybertron. Initially, they trick the Decepticons, and unleash a devastating cyborg monster (named 'The Dweller') that is seemingly unstoppable. This was a very cool episode, and was written by Paul Dini (whose credits include Batman: The Animated Series and a ton of comics!).

Nightmare Planet: This episode focuses more on things from a human perspective, namely Daniel and his recurring nightmares. Haunted by a giant Galvatron, he lives in fear, despite reassurance that he's not in any physical danger. The Quintessons may or may not be responsible for these dreams, but soon the Autobots also fall victim to nightmares.

The Ultimate Weapon: The Protectobot known as First Aid is the main character here, as he sadly reflects on the violence and death that the war has brought on. After a threat is made by Galvatron (who speaks of an 'Ultimate Weapon' that will destroy the Autobots), First Aid is tricked by a Decepticon. Dejected, he leaves the war behind and goes his own way.

The Big Broadcast of 2006: The Quintessons have located a lost journal on the planet of Junk. After failing to infiltrate the planet, they use subliminal messages to get the Junkions to retrieve the journal for them. In turn, these mental disturbances turn the Junkions paranoid. Eventually, they end up broadcasting the messages through space, affecting many other planets.

The Quintesson Journal: This literal continuation of the story follows the retrieval of the missing Quintesson journal, as it changes hands many times between the warring races. Eventutally, the journal is opened, revealing the many secrets within…but who holds these secrets?

Only Human: This episode follows the characters of Victor Drath (a crime boss) and "Ol' Snake", who plans vengeance against the Autobots for thwarting a theft. These two criminals eventually succeed in trapping several of the Autobots as emotionless human forms. In turn, they must create a plan to rescue their own mechanical bodies.

Disc Two:

Call of the Primitives: Primacron, an ancient scientist, is bent on controlling the universe by draining all matter and starting from scratch. To do this, he creates a super-powered energy being called Tornadron. However, a mysterious force calls out to all of the Transformers with animal forms, who answer the call and attempt to stop Tornadron.

Grimlock's New Brain: Grimlock, who isn't the most intelligent of robots, falls victim to a power surge that gives him a much higher level of intelligence. This power surge, created by anti-electrons, is eventually traced to the head of Unicron, where the Autobots face off with the Decepticons. Luckily, Grimlock has a few tricks up his sleeve…

Money is Everything: Dirk Mannis is a wealthy businessman who makes money as a space trader. Unfortunately, he's wanted by the Quintessons, as he's in possession of a very powerful weapon. Money is the key player here, as his tough decision rests on both his finances and his loyalty to the Autobots.

The Face of Nijica: In the middle of a fight, several Autobots, Decepticons, and Quintessons become trapped in a time rift, leaving them on the strange planet of Zimojin. After coming into contact with Katsudan, an inhabitant of Zimojin, all three parties learn ancient secrets of the planet, with the Quintessons surprisingly showing fear regarding a particular event.

The Burden Hardest to Bear: Trouble is brewing, and Rodimus is burned out as leader of the Autobots. After spending some time alone, he is met by Decepticons and eventually loses the Matrix (reverting back to Hot Rod, his original form). Upon returing the Martix back to Galvatron, its true power overwhelms the leader, who wants it destroyed. However, the Autobots are in for the race of their lives if the Matrix is to be recovered…

The Return of Optimus Prime (Part 1): Jessica Morgan (a human scientist) is out investigating a star going nova, when she and her partner stumble across a ship which contains the body of Optimus Prime, the original leader of the Autobots. After being attacked by Terracons shortly after, she is injured and her father swears vengeance against all Transformers. He releases the 'Hate Plague' on the attackers, but it spreads to Autobots and Decepticons alike, which leaves victims in a state of madness.

The Return of Optimus Prime (Part 2): The Hate Plague has infected nearly all Transformers…in fact, only two remain unaffected by the virus. Together, they attempt to revive the body of Optimus Prime, who will hopefully lead them to a cure for the disease. However, the Matrix is still out of their grasp, and they need it to complete their mission.

Disc Three:

Rebirth (Part 1): The year is now 2007. Although peace is common for the Autobots now, they are soon victim to a massive strike by the Decepticons, who all but level Autobot City in search of a powerful energy source. Upon activating this energy source, a surge of energy sends a shuttle of 12 Autobots to the other end of the galaxy. On a strange new planet, the Autobots join forces with a few of the inhabitants, creating a powerful new breed known as The Headmasters.

Rebirth (Part 2): Optimus Prime learns of the location of the missing shuttle (and also that the future of Cybetron is at stake), but the Decepticons are also en route to the planet. Unfortunately, the Decepticons also create a new breed of Headmaster to combat the Autobots.

Rebirth (Part 3): The series comes to a close in this climactic episode, as Galvatron uses powerful rockets to move Cybertron closer to Earth. Two Headmasters clash on the planet across the galaxy, while the energy source (that caused the shuttle's disappearance) ignites the Sun, and causes it to go nova. A brave human plays a very important role in this concluding story of good vs. evil.

These episodes were arguably the best of the series, but weren't as widely remembered as previous seasons (after the popularity of the series began to fade). Hey, it's not the most perfect example of a sci-fi television series, but these stories are pretty darn interesting for what most people pass off as "a kid's show". Many of these episodes, in particular, reminded me of the original Star Trek series, and were even similar to Star Trek: The Next Generation (which would premiere shortly after this final run). Overall, this was quite an influential show that will thankfully be remembered for generations to come. Without any further delay, let's see how the DVD release stacks up:

These episodes have been digitally remastered by Rhino, and the 1.33:1 transfers look very clean. The colors are bright and clear, and the darker scenes even hold up well. The animation and art quality have really improved since the first season, and it shows. There are a bit of edge enhancement and pixellation at times, but it's very minor. In addition, there's also some dirt and scratches that show from time to time, but the source elements are probably to blame for this. All things considered, these episodes look great…Transformers fans will be pleasantly surprised with Rhino's efforts.

Sadly, though, that's all we get. Although Rhino has really gone the extra mile for extras in the past, it seems as if they've already played their best cards. To start, it would be nice to see a few art galleries, or even some early character designs. How about some old promo spots for the show or the action figures? The previously-mentioned audio commentaries would have also been nice, or even more interviews. Also, since this is the final release of the show on DVD, a retrospective of the entire series would have been excellent. Overall, this set left me a little disappointed in the extras department...but I guess the actual episodes are the real draw.

This is truly a classic cartoon, with a great DVD release to match. For animation fans, this one's a no-brainer…pick up Season Three (Part 2) and Season 4 immediately! This box set from Rhino is worth the money---despite the lack of bonus features---and is definitely Highly Recommended. Overall, they've done a stellar job with the series, and should be commended for their efforts. I'm glad a studio has really given some of the classic cartoons of the 80s the respect they deserve, and The Transformers deserved it more than any other. The 80s was a strange decade, no doubt…but this set will bring back some great memories for a lot of people. Pull up a chair, grab a bowl of sugar cereal, and relive the magic of Saturday morning all over again.