I feel that in tfp, there is a huge disconnect between what the Autobots are telling us is going on & what’s actually going on.

there are quite a few examples of that. one the really bothers me is the one from the episode “convoy” in season 1.

once the Autobots discover the attackers are human, Optimus says: “…apply minimal force, disarmament only!”

I’m ok with that, the Autobot remind us again & again that they are protecting ALL humans, and aren’t taking a side in a fight between them. their only objective is to protect humans by making sure the weapon doesn’t explode or fall into hands that will use it to harm people.

except, only less than 5 minutes later (about 3 minutes to be precise) Arcee jumps on a car, causing the guy who was on it to fall down, the car causes another car to flip and EXPLODE. no way was anyone in that car able to come out alive. 

that wasn’t self-defense, they had no real way of harming her.

that’s right. The first humans killed on screen by Cybertronians are killed by the Autobots, not the Decepticons. I find it actually amazing that I have yet to see a post pointing that out.