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Mission Accomplished

2008-05-05T19:09:24Z

142.22.16.55: /* Miscellaneous trivia */

[[Image:Offlinescream.JPG|right|thumb|350px|I get knocked down, but I get up again.]]

{{episodenav|animated|19|season=2|prev=The Return of the Headmaster|next=Garbage In, Garbage Out}}

'''Convinced there are no Decepticons left on Earth, the Elite Guard prepares to take Optimus Prime and his crew back to Cybertron, unaware of the increasing Decepticon activity taking place under their very noses.'''

==Summary==
The Autobot [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] sends a message to the Earth-based Autobots, revealing he is under attack from Decepticons and has already lost one [[space bridge]]. He requests backup, but the transmission is cut off. Ultra Magnus explains this is but one of many reports of rising Decepticon activity. Jazz thinks it is due to the rumours of Megatron's survival, and Sentinel can't resist an opportunity to make a snide comment about the source of those rumours: Optimus Prime. Magnus therefore decides that all Earth-bound Autobots will make preparations to leave the planet. When Optimus protests due to the presence of Decepticons on Earth, Ultra Magnus brushes him off, whilst Sentinel butts in with another tirade about putting Prime up for an inquiry (or a [[wikipedia:court-martial|court-martial]], as Optimus perceives it). Ultra Magnus tries to make his position clear; that in the long run, everyone is better off believing Megatron is dead. Putting forward the idea of the Decepticon leader surviving and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] being destroyed would cause panic among the Autobots and strengthen the resolve of the Decepticons. An outraged Optimus is forced into compliance.

Back at the factory, Sari is heartbroken by the idea of her friends being forced to leave Earth. The situation is made worse when Sentinel shows up. With his usual grace and tact, he tells Sari to belt up and officially inducts Optimus's team into the war effort. In the middle of insulting the "repair grunts", he makes a gesture of sorts to Optimus: Do as Ultra Magnus says, admit he's been lying, and Sentinel will use his connections to get Optimus's military career back on track, as thanks for [[Return of the Headmaster|the recent Headmaster incident]]. When Optimus tells him what to do with his offer, Sentinel places him under formal arrest.

[[Image:Tooyoungtodie.JPG|left|thumb|Go to your happy place, Screamer.]]
On a garbage scow moving along the river, Starscream suddenly reactivates. Disorientated, he panics when he realises that not only can he not pick up any Decepticon energy signatures, he can't even pick up his own! After a moment of shock, he recovers and gets his bearings: he's alive and still on Earth. Furious at Megatron's attempt on his life, he transforms and blasts off into the sky.

At the Decepticon base, Blitzwing and Lugnut successfully test out Professor Sumdac's new Decepticon signal dampener. Mildly impressed, Megatron quickly moves on, demanding the creation of a subspace communicator so he can contact his forces in space to call off the aimless skirmishes until he can build his own space bridge. When Sumdac comments that Earth technology is too primitive, Megatron smugly informs him that they will simply steal the required tech from the Elite Guard's ship. Meanwhile, the Autobots are trying to figure out what to do with Sari, so they take her to the most together human they know, Captain Fanzone—although they do point out that most of the humans they know are criminally insane. While they handle that, Optimus is on the Elite Guard's ship, with Sentinel still trying to convince him to play ball. While they argue, Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the ship's shield and steal a tachyon transmitter. As they make their escape, they fail to notice Starscream tailing them back to base.

[[Image:Swordscream.JPG|Left|thumb|And so begins the greatest TF montage of all time.]]
As Lugnut presents his prize to Megatron, Starscream makes his presence known. What follows is a quick but decisive victory for Megatron, who simply slashes Starscream before blasting him point-blank. Lugnut checks to see if Starscream is still online, and finding no spark, helps Blitzwing toss his corpse into the river. After floating downstream, Starscream suddenly reactivates again. He realises he lacks a spark and discovers he is being kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark buried in his head, effectively making him immortal. Delighted, he declares the end of the Megatron's era. As Megatron sends his message out to the Decepticons, Starscream attacks...and is promptly killed again. After a couple more fruitless attempts, he starts to wonder if he needs a new strategy. His fragment allows him to locate a second shard, and a plan begins to formulate...

[[Image:Sentinel Prime shocked.jpg|thumb|left|Sentinel Prime: Totally owned. Again.]]
At the Elite Guard ship, Magnus presses Optimus Prime to cooperate, when Jazz reveals that he's discovered a sudden surge in AllSpark energy. Concluding that it's another shard, Magnus and Jazz go to retrieve it, while Sentinel is to remain and watch Optimus. As Sentinel moans, Optimus realizes that they had only found AllSpark shards before due to [[Sari Sumdac's key|Sari's key]]. Doing a thermal scan, he discovers Starscream. Optimus tries to warn Ultra Magnus, but Sentinel threatens to put him in [[stasis cuffs]] if he tries to leave. Optimus is able to take down Sentinel (who [[Starscream (G1)|squeals]] like a [[Carly|girl]]) and place him in the cuffs, then [[roll out|rolls out]].

Meanwhile, the Autobots are watching Sari "interview" Captain Fanzone, who is not very fond of children. Optimus contacts the Autobots and tells them to meet him en route to the train.

As Starscream gloats about his plan to draw out Megatron and kill him in a massive explosion, Ultra Magnus and Jazz arrive, as do Megatron and Blitzwing. Megatron realizes that it's a trap set by Starscream, while Magnus and Jazz have trouble extracting the shard. An energy surge throws the Elite Guard off the train. Further ahead along the tracks, Optimus orders Prowl to sever the passenger cars from main car, while Bumblebee takes Sari to use the key to remove the shard. They succeed, but the train still nearly crashes, only stopped because Ratchet uses his magnets from ahead while Bulkhead, anchored by Optimus Prime, grabs the rear of the train. High in the air, as Starscream fumes about the lost opportunity, Megatron appears, ready to beat him senseless.

[[Image:Jagged.JPG|right|thumb|Starscream refused to invoke his right to remain silent, so the Autobots decided to enforce it.]]
On the ground, Ultra Magnus reprimands Optimus Prime, while Sentinel Prime arrives and accuses him of assault. Though Optimus defends his position, both Elite Guardsmen point out that there is no evidence of Decepticons{{m-}}only for Starscream to crash into the ground mere meters away, causing Sentinel Prime to freak out at the sight of an actual Decepticon. Quickly coming back online, Starscream takes advantage of Magnus's momentary inattention to blast the Autobot leader into unconsciousness from point-blank range, taking the shard with him. The Autobots' attempts to take down Starscream fail, until Optimus comes up with a plan—although an intervention from Jazz is required to make Sentinel go along with it. Having Sentinel draw Starscream's attention, Optimus uses the stasis cuffs on the Decepticon, who is then taken to the Elite Guard ship—with his mouth riveted shut.

Ultra Magnus admits that Optimus Prime was right about there being Decepticons on Earth, and though Sentinel Prime brings up the assault and insubordination charges, Magnus still supports Optimus's actions. Magnus decides that Optimus Prime's crew will remain on Earth to locate the remaining AllSpark shards and capture the Decepticons, while the Elite Guard returns to Cybertron for Magnus to conduct the war effort. Sari is overjoyed that the Autobots are staying, but promises Captain Fanzone that they can still hang out.

Meanwhile, Megatron tells his minions to inform their double agent on Cybertron that the Decepticons have repledged their allegiance to Megatron and that their attacks will draw Autobot forces away from the Transformers' home world. Once the space bridge technology is fully developed, Megatron's group will return to Cybertron and conquer the planet from within...

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Marsha Griffin]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Irineo Maramba]] & [[Yoshio Chatani]]
*'''Original airdate:''' April 26, 2008

===Featured characters===


(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobot]]s
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticon]]s
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human]]s
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (3)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)
| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (12)
*[[Lugnut|Lugnut]] (13)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)
| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (6)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (14)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (16)

|}

==Quotes==
"I'm not gonna have to use the stasis cuffs on you, am I, Optimus?"
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''' being kinky.

"You dare strike ME, Megatron? After all my loyal stellar cycles of—wh-wu-wait, where is everybody?"
:{{m-}}On coming back from the dead, '''Starscream''''s speech-making tendencies outweigh his observational skills.

[[Image:Number one wink.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Thumbs up, soldier!]]
'''Fanzone''': Why me? 
'''Bumblebee''': You're tops on the list of all the humans we know personally. 
'''Bulkhead''': Although, it is kind of a short list. 
'''Prowl''': And it does include [[Prometheus Black]] and [[Nanosec]]. 
'''Bumblebee''': But still, you're number one! 
:{{m-}}The Autobots try to get Captain Fanzone to adopt Sari. They need to work on their sales pitch.

"Is that the best you could do, Starscream? And to think you actually believed you could take over as leader of the Decepticons. You couldn't lead a parade."
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' gives Starscream [[The Transformers: The Movie|a hint]].

"Fellow Decepticons, take heed. Your leader, Megatron, still lives! Though we remain dispersed throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, exiled from our true home, we are all still Decepticons, united by a common purpose. The time has come for us to put aside our differences and act as one under my undisputed leadership. Only then can we cast off the shackles of Autobot oppression. Working together, we can raise up our glorious empire once more and crush all who stand in our way!"
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' has a good speechwriter.

"When are you going to get it through your thick processor? There are no Decepticons on this planet! So keep your audio unit shut or I'll do it for you." ''[brandishes stasis cuffs]'' 
''[beat]'' "I'd like to see you try, you worthless crankshaft!" 
"THAT'S IT!" ''[ten seconds later]'' "You put me in stasis lock?!"
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''', owned by '''Optimus Prime''' yet again.

"ARGH! This day couldn't possibly get any worse!" 
''[Megatron and Blitzwing appear]'' 
"I stand corrected."
:{{m-}}'''Starscream''', enjoying his luck to the fullest.

"STARSCREAM!" 
"Sorry, you must have me confused with some other harrier jet."
:{{m-}}'''Megatron''' and '''Starscream'''. We don't think he bought it, Screamer.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?!" 
"Oh, that's right, you've never seen one up close. It's called...a Decepticon."
:{{m-}}Starscream freaks out '''Sentinel Prime''' as '''Optimus Prime''' finally gets the proof he needs.

"Yeesh, Optimus, think you could have drawn that one out any longer?" 
"You're welcome, Sentinel." 
:{{m-}}'''Sentinel Prime''' and '''Optimus Prime''', same old song and dance.

==Other notes==
*This episode was first broadcast in Canada on April 26, one week before its United States premiere, and during the American premiere of the episode "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]".

===Animation errors===
* While dropping into Megatron's mountain base for the first time, the "glow" effect on Starscream's jet exhaust is misaligned for several seconds until he 'catches up' to it.
* Just before Prime activates the thermal scan of the cloud bank supposedly concealing Starscream, Starscream is already plainly visible on the viewscreen. If Starscream wasn't meant to be concealed, then it's a continuity error, as Prime wouldn't need a thermal scan to detect him, just a magnified visual.
* Not ''really'' an animation error ''per se'', but when the Autobots stop the train, Sari is somehow not hurled forward off its roof by her own momentum, even though she is not restrained in any fashion. Unless...''she's a witch!''

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron and the other Decepticons don't seem to wonder why it is that Starscream keeps coming back, despite the fact that they note that his spark compartment is empty. (Unless Megatron did find the allspark fragment, and decided it'd be fun to keep him around as a target for violence)
* Megatron shatters Starscream's yellow cockpit the first and fourth times he "kills" him in the episode, leaving his empty spark chamber visible. When Starscream pulls a [[wikipedia:Jack_Harkness|Captain Jack]], it is still missing. After he sees his reflection in the water the first time, and simply when they cut to a different angle on the fourth time, it is suddenly present and intact once more. (It's possible that's because of the miraculous powers of the AllSpark shard; if it can keep Starscream online, it surely can regenerate any damage he has taken.)
* How did Sentinel get the stasis cuffs off?
* When Optimus Prime puts the newly acquired fragment of the AllSpark into its housing, there are four shards total, even though thus far, only two have been recovered by the Autobots on-screen (three if they ripped the one out of Starscream's brainpan, but seeing as he's still online, that's not likely).
* As Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the force shield to the Elite Guard's ship, they leave a gigantic hole, which no one notices. And later on, the hole has mysteriously disappeared.

===Transformers references===
*Much like [[Starscream (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]], [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] is now immortal, only this time they actually explain why and leave him with a body.
*Megatron believes Starscream "couldn't even lead a parade", just as his G1 namesake said in "[[Starscream's Brigade]]".

===Real-world references===
* [[Wikipedia:Mission Accomplished|The title. Nuff said.]]
* Starscream refers to his disguise as a [[Wikipedia:Harrier Jump Jet|Harrier Jet]]. Pity his model won't turn up for another hundred years or so.

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* Along with [[Transformer|machines]] and [[Survival of the Fittest|lawyers]], it seems [[Captain Fanzone]] doesn't like kids.

* It's not clear how Starscream ended up in the garbage scow. If the Autobots threw him there, wouldn't they have retrieved him (as proof of Decepticon activity) in "[[The Elite Guard]]"? If it was humans, why didn't they keep his body in order to study alien technology? Or, one of the Decepticons may have thrown him into the scow, as a gesture of contempt or to hide their presence on Earth...but we don't know for sure.

* In the first interior shot of the Decepticons' hideout, we see the markings on the top of their computer station resemble the upper half of the Decepticon sigil, complete with glowing eyes.

* In his speech, Megatron goes on about how the Decepticons are united by a common purpose and need to put aside their differences, yet Megatron himself is beating the slag out of a fellow Decepticon while making the speech. How ironic.

* Starscream is not just beaten up, but ''killed'' by Megatron five times in a ''single episode''. Must be a new record.

* The Elite Guard does not come off very well in this episode: Ultra Magnus and Jazz fail to notice a large hole the size of [[Lugnut|a B2 bomber]] when leaving their ship, a tachyon transmitter gets ripped off their ship without them even noticing, Sentinel Prime freaks out at the mere sight of a Decepticon, and Ultra Magnus gets defeated by Starscream after only one shot (though, to be fair, it ''was'' at point-blank range to the face), while Megatron shrugs them off and repeatedly defeats Starscream. If the Elite Guard are supposed to be the best and the brightest that Cybertron has to offer, then the Autobots are not going to fare very well in the upcoming war with the Decepticons.

* Starscream's fate is a bit unclear at the end. He's been captured by the Autobots, but is he taken back to [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] by the Elite Guard, or left under Optimus's watch on [[Earth]]?

* Megatron mentions having a double agent on Cybertron. Who could it be?

* With this episode, all five of the Autobots from [[Transformers (2007)|the live-action movie]] have appeared in ''Transformers: Animated''.

* When Sentinel is trying to bribe Optimus, he says he could get Optimus re-instated in the Elite Guard, so apparently Optimus used to be in the Elite Guard.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Transform and Roll Out

2008-05-05T18:59:11Z

142.22.16.55:

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_AutobotHeroes.jpg|thumb|right|350px|''Epic'']]

{{episodenav|animated|1, 2, and 3|season=1|prev=|next=Home Is Where the Spark Is}}

'''When a small crew of maintenance Autobots comes into possession of the powerful AllSpark, a battle with their long-forgotten enemies sends them crashing toward a strange, distant planet known as... ''Earth.'''''

:'''German Title:''' "Trasformieren und Abfahrt"

==Detailed synopsis==
===Part 1===

In deep, deep space, [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] watches some old history videos, prompting [[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] to complain about him watching that "junk" when the other members of the crew need assistance. Prime wonders if they were designed for more than repairing [[space bridge]]s. The two 'Bots transform into their vehicle modes and head out into the asteroid field.

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_TheAllsparkdiscovered.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Well... at least there's no [[mass-shifting]].]]

Outside, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]], dangling from a high rock by his wrecking ball (and becoming quite queasy in the process), is freed by [[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]], who also ends up taking a tumble. Bumblebee complains about the sheer amount of rocks blocking the space bridge node, and one is shattered unexpectedly by [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]]'s throwing star. Prime gives his troops a speech about teamwork (which Prowl moans at theatrically), but at that point the space bridge lights up, sending rocks and Autobots flying. Fancy footwork by Optimus saves each of his teammates from the debris, and a well-aimed grappling line shuts down the bridge. With his subordinates stunned at their leader's skills, Prime is forced to admit he trained at [[Autobot Academy|Cybertron's military academy]]. Bumblebee's query as to what the hell he's doing on a nowhere maintenance assignment is left unanswered as they notice something glowing in the rubble.

Prime clears away the debris to reveal a large, chest-like object. Ratchet is horrified and immediately demands they throw it back into the space bridge, but an alert from [[Teletran 1]] announces the arrival of a signature consistent with the long-lost [[Decepticon]]s. Ratchet then insists they take the object and just get out of there post-haste.

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_Decepticonship.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Yes, this ''is'' a scout ship. Way to go, [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Magnanimous]].]]

On board [[Autobot ship (Animated)|their ship]], Ratchet finally reveals what they've found: the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]], the source of all Transformer life that was lost centuries ago. Optimus, worried about the oncoming Decepticon signal, contacts the [[Cybertron Elite Guard]] for help. After taking a bit of snark from [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]], Optimus reveals what they found, which shuts Sentinel up fast. Sentinel then puts the crew through to [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]], who tells Optimus Prime to stay put while they send reinforcements... and not to worry about that Decepticon thing. Optimus, considering this to be a really stupid move, orders the crew to start booking it out of there.

[[Image:Ani_crew.JPG|left|thumb|200px|Scotty, engage!]]

This proves wise, as the signal is indeed a Decepticon ship—a [[Nemesis (Animated)|command ship]], in fact. The identification markings are ones that Optimus and Ratchet recognize, meaning its commander can only be one person: [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], leader of the Decepticons. On board the Decepticon ship, [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] doubts the AllSpark is aboard the Autobot ship and declares Megatron a fool. [[Lugnut]] denounces Starscream as a traitor, while [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] calls Lugnut an idiot for his blind loyalty and [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] just acts... well, crazy. The Decepticons continue to bicker at each other until Megatron enters, shutting up all of them. The Decepticons chase the Autobot ship, and Starscream volunteers to board them. Megatron quickly shoots that idea down. Just before he leaves, Starscream wishes his commander "luck" with a pat on the back... affixing a bomb to Megatron in the process.

Megatron makes his way to the Autobots' ship and begins to melt his way through its hull. Optimus uses external manipulator arms to grapple with Megatron, until the bomb detonates, sending the ship careening uncontrollably into a space bridge node, which explodes after they go through the gate. Starscream begins to make a speech declaring himself the new Decepticon leader, but the other three have abandoned ship, noting that the fireball from the space bridge explosion is only getting larger. Too late, Starscream realizes the trouble he's in...

An unknown distance away, the Autobot ship reappears above a [[Earth|small blue and green planet]]. Prime checks on his troops, but Megatron has gotten aboard, having survived the explosion, but at the cost of his right arm. Prime uses his grappling line to shut off the gravity, making it more difficult for Megatron to fight. All five Autobots face off against the Decepticon, but he's too strong (though Prowl does manage to cut off Megatron's damaged arm). Prime and Megatron both end up in the storage bay where the AllSpark is... and as the ship enters the atmosphere, Prime is able to blow the hatch and kick the screaming Megatron out of the ship.

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_Arkatmosphere.jpg|thumb|right|150px|[[Beast Wars, Part 1|Oddly familiar]].]]

On a small farm, a young boy hears a thud and runs to where something has landed in a not-too-distant field. He is shocked to find a robotic head staring lifelessly up at him.

Meanwhile, Prime orders his team into emergency stasis pods to prepare for a crash-landing. He manages to steer the ship away from the city below and gets to a stasis pod just before the ship plunges into [[Lake Erie]].

Fifty years later, Detroit is a city of robots. [[Isaac Sumdac]] is talking to a public school class taking a tour of his facilities, which gets interrupted by Isaac's daughter, [[Sari Sumdac]], and her robot dog, [[Sparkplug (Animated)|Sparkplug]]. As Sari is carted off to her lessons by a [[Tutorbot|robot tutor]], Isaac shows the school kids a nanotech lab, just in time to witness a roach infused with microbots grow out of control and start consuming everything in sight. Isaac tries to keep things calm, but the monster bursts out of the lab...

===Part 2===
[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_Firefighters_monster.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Yeah, watering it will surely stop the beast.]]

The monster continues to grow, absorbing just about everything it touches to increase its size and power. In the process, it destroys a lot of the factory. [[Captain Fanzone]], the S.W.A.T team, the fire department, ambulances, and robot drones arrive, but the creature absorbs several of the responding vehicles, too. Fanzone uses a bazooka-type weapon and destroys the beast, despite Sumdac's objection. This protest proves well-founded, as the remnants of the creature start flowing back together again, save for one piece that drops into the nearby lake and works its way down to the Autobots' ship, its nanites seeking the absorbable technology there. It infiltrates via a small breach in the outer hull, but thankfully, the ship's intruder alert systems are functional and awaken the Autobots before any damage is done. Examining the situation, they decide to have Teletran 1 give them Earth forms so they can blend in and help out. Everyone deploys except Ratchet, who remains behind to analyze the sample of invading material.

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_Autobots.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Avengers]], ASSEMBLE!]]

During the fight, Bulkhead and Bumblebee spot Sari trying to wrest her security key from Sparkplug's mouth. Mistaking which is owner and which is pet, they approach her, but Bulkhead's greeting only scares her away. She quickly gets nabbed by the monster, but Bumblebee saves her, earning her trust and friendship. Prowl attempts to take on the bug-slug by himself, against Prime's orders, and gets absorbed. Prime orders Ratchet to join them in battle to save Prowl, but the old veteran insists that finding a "cure" code to neutralize the nanites' programming makes more sense than coming out and getting trashed. A somewhat chastened Prime agrees, and Ratchet soon delivers the goods. However, the new program must be uploaded by direct contact{{m-}}meaning from inside the monster. This means the smallest, fastest one of them has to do it. Bumblebee reluctantly takes on the task. The beast has been using some of Prowl's absorbed intelligence and comm link tech, though, so it knows what they're planning and is now smart enough to fight back. Despite this, Bumblebee succeeds in delivering the code, and the bug dissolves into a dusty shower of deactivated nanites. Prowl is soon uncovered, but he's suffered grave wounds and must be taken back to the Autobots' ship for repairs. Sari pesters Bumblebee to be taken along, and her new friend reluctantly agrees, since there's no time to make her go away quietly.

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_Sari_followedmehome.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Bumblebee, having a pet is a big responsibility.]]

Once on board, Sari's refusal to stay still and quiet causes 'Bee some embarrassment. He quickly and discreetly ejects her into a ventilation port and joins the others. However, the port opens onto a shaft that takes Sari right to the chamber where the AllSpark is being kept. Curious, she touches it, and it reacts to her, sending its energies into her security card key and reconfiguring it into a key of another sort entirely. Prime finds her almost immediately thereafter, but with no time left to spare away from Prowl, he has to bring her back with him to the repair table. Ratchet's prognosis is bleak, but Sari's AllSpark-charged key abruptly reacts, glowing and tugging her toward Prowl. Bumblebee, seeming to grasp what's happening, helps her onto the table, and as she approaches, her key reshapes itself to fit into a slot on Prowl's chest. She inserts it, and with a burst of energy, the Autobot ninja is whole again. The Autobots then take Sari home and, after a brief misunderstanding, are made heroes and are even invited to a ceremony.

In outer space, Starscream sits aboard the damaged but functional Decepticon ship, babbling that he will find the AllSpark, even though he's been attempting it on his own for the last fifty solar cycles. The ship's computers then detect the traces of AllSpark-like energy in action, and Starscream learns where the Autobots are...

===Part 3===
[[Image:Sariprime.jpg|right|thumb|150px|INSERT WHAT WHERE?!]]

The Autobots are later seen trying to fit in. Bulkhead gets firsthand experience in traffic jams, some birds mistake Prowl for the statue of the [[wikipedia:Hazen S. Pingree|bald guy]] next to him, Bumblebee learns how organics fuel up, and Ratchet can't get a stasis nap without getting a dozen or so parking tickets. Optimus Prime remarks that the Autobots are programmed to respect life, which they always understood to stem from the AllSpark, but as organics are life, they must respect and protect them too. Optimus also expresses curiosity about how little organics are made. Sari's whispered explanation leaves him rather... shocked. The Autobots make a new home base out of a building Sari's dad got out of a merger, an abandoned auto factory that Bumblebee describes as a real fixer-upper{{m-}}a REAL fixer-upper. All of a sudden, they get alerted to a fire. The Autobots proceed to douse the blaze and save its victims, no problem, unaware they are being watched by Starscream.

The next day, during the inauguration ceremony for the Sumdac Fully Automated Rapid Transit System (F.A.R.T.S., for short), Starscream enters Earth's atmosphere and takes on a group of fighter jets. He destroys all but one, which he scans. As the civilians and Autobots watch the aerial display of the Crimson Angels, Isaac Sumdac notices there is an extra jet present that he didn't hire. That one jet then leaves the formation and streaks toward the ceremony platform, where it transforms into Starscream, who fires his null-ray cannons at the Autobots.

After a short fight, which the Autobots lose, Starscream knocks out Bumblebee and takes him, Isaac, the mayor, and Capt. Fanzone hostage in the F.A.R.T.S. train, flying it to the top of a very tall tower. He demands that the Autobots deliver the AllSpark if they want him to release the train car. The Autobots don't trust him, but don't want to risk human lives, so Sari offers a plan, but they ignore her. She continues to tell a sob story until the Autobots listen. The Autobots proceed with her plan, and Prowl and Sari fly up to the transit pod to rescue the hostages while the other Autobots keep Starscream busy. Once Starscream realizes what's happening, he takes a brief beating but recovers quickly. Starscream then throws the train{{m-}}thus keeping his end of the deal{{m-}}with Sari, Prowl, and Bumblebee on top of/in it. Between Bumblebee's agility and Prowl's thrusters, Sari is rescued and the train lands without much damage. The Autobots then challenge Starscream to a friendly game of Keep Away, during which Starscream almost gets the AllSpark, but Bulkhead gets it instead, because he said he got it. A furious Starscream unleashes a devastating, prolonged (as in nearly 12 seconds) null-ray blast on the Autobots, briefly knocking them all senseless.

[[Image:TFA_TFandRollout_Prime_SS_Allsparkactivates.jpg|thumb|left|150px|In the old days, [[Stan Bush|The Touch]] would have started playing now.]]

With the Autobots down, Starscream takes the AllSpark from Optimus and blows a couple of blocks of Detroit right off the map. Not ready to give up, Optimus climbs all the way up a building to get it back from Starscream, which Starscream doesn't see coming because he was too busy gloating. After a quick back-and-forth exchange of possessing it, both grab it at the same time. As they struggle, the AllSpark opens and emits a strange energy wave that blasts Starscream away.

The explosion has left Prime dangling precariously, and he takes a tremendous plummet to the pavement. He notes weakly that he now knows what it feels like to be a hero, then dies, but Sari uses her AllSpark key to revive him.<ref>[[The many deaths of Optimus Prime|This is something of an Optimus Prime record]]: Dead after only three episodes, revived a mere 75 seconds later. Way to go.</ref> The Autobots later go about fixing up Detroit, earning the enduring gratitude of the citizenry. Professor Sumdac is also grateful, for the Autobots saved him and Sari, but he fears what will happen if the Autobots—not to mention the rest of the world{{m-}}were to discover the source of his robotic empire.

Unseen by Sumdac, one of the [[Sensors#Optics|optics]] of his source of technology glows in a darkened room. Megatron still functions...

==Stats==

*'''Written by:''' [[Marty Isenberg]]
*'''Directed by:''' [[Matt Youngberg]], [[Yutaka Kagawa]], [[Minoru Yamaoka]], [[Makoto Fuchigami]]
*'''Original airdate:''' December 26, 2007

===Featured characters===
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)''
{|border=5 cellpadding=5 cellspacing=5 align=center style="border:#800000"

! style="background:#FFEEEE" | [[Autobots]]
! style="background:#EEEEFE" | [[Decepticons]]
! style="background:antiquewhite" | [[Human|Humans]]
|-
| style="background:#FFEEEE" valign="top" |
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (4)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (5)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (6)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (7)

| style="background:#EEEEFE" valign="top" |
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (12)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (8)
*[[Lugnut]] (9)
*[[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Blackarachnia]] (10)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (11)

| style="background:antiquewhite" valign="top" |
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (13)
*[[Daniel (Animated)|Daniel]] (14)
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (15)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (16)
|}

==Quotes==
"Do you ever get the feeling that you were programmed for more than just repairing space bridges?" 
"I got a diagnostic program that will delete that feeling like a bad line of code."
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' dreams are crushed into a fine powder by '''Ratchet'''.

'''Starscream''': Megatron is a fool who's been chasing a ghost for centuries...I seriously doubt we'll find this "AllSpark" on board such an ''insignificant'' vessel. 
'''Lugnut''': ''Bastard!'' Megatron is wise! Megatron is bold! Megatron will return the Decepticons to Cybertron and... 
'''Blackarachnia''': ... and wipe our homeland clean of the stench of Autobot tyranny, blah-dee blah blah blah! Did you memorize that speech, Lugnut? Or is it just hardwired into that thick, one-track processor of yours? 
''[An ice beam freezes Blackarachnia's forearm]'' 
'''Calm Blitzwing''': As usual, Blackarachnia, your demeanor is as unpleasant as that accursed organic mode of yours. 
'''Blackarachnia''': Blow it out your [[Anatomic euphemism#Actuator|actuator]], three-face. ''[Shatters the ice around forearm]'' 
''[Blitzwing switches to his angry face]'' 
'''Angry Blitzwing''': De name is Blitzving, insect! Remember it! 'Cause it's de last t'ing you're gonna hear before I— 
''[switches to crazy face]'' 
'''Crazy Blitzwing''': —express my feelings in song! De itzy bitzy spider... 
:—Decepticon camaraderie at its finest.

"What do you want now, Starscream?" 
''[Starscream attaches an explosive onto Megatron's back.]'' 
"Only to wish you luck, my liege." 
"I do not believe... in ''luck''". 
''[Megatron transforms and leaves.]'' 
"Neither... do I..." 
:—'''Megatron''' is arrogant, '''Starscream''' is treacherous. [[Megatron (G1)|Some]] [[Starscream (G1)|things]] [[Megatron (Armada)|never]] [[Starscream (Armada)|change]].

"'''Yes!''' ...right then. Solemn face, solemn face."
:—'''Starscream''' watches Megatron explode, then composes himself before going to tell the Decepticons he's their new leader.

'''Bulkhead''': Hi there, little creature. My name's Bulkhead. Did you lose your owner-bot? 
'''Sari''':... AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!! 
'''Bumblebee''': AAAAHHH! That thing must be armed with some sort of high-frequency sonic weapon! 
''[Sari runs off screaming]'' 
'''Bulkhead''': I think it's scared. Don't worry, little creature! I'm not gonna hurt you! 
''[Sari is grabbed by the robot-slug]'' 
'''Bumblebee''': But that thing might!
:—'''Bulkhead''' and '''Bumblebee''' forget about the Prime Directive.

"Hi, I'm Bumblebee!" 
"I'm Sari." 
"Oh, don't be, I like my name."
:—'''Bumblebee''' and '''Sari''' introduce themselves.

"Uh...am I going to be able to ''breathe'' down there?" 
"Oh, sure! What's 'breathe'?"
:—'''Sari''' takes a trip underwater with '''Bumblebee'''.

'''Optimus Prime''' ''[to Sari]'': How did you get aboard this ship? 
'''Bumblebee''': It followed me home... Can I keep it? 
'''Sari''': Hey, I'm not an "it", I'm a "she"! 
'''Optimus''' ''[to Bumblebee]'': So, I suppose you have an explanation? 
'''Bumblebee''': Actually, I'm narrowing it down to my top five. 
:—'''Optimus''' discovers '''Bumblebee'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s new friend.

"It's okay, they're friendly! Well, except for [[Ratchet (Animated)|the red and white one]], he's kinda grumpy! But other than that..."
:—'''Sari''' plays ambassador.

'''Optimus Prime''': But how is it you're able to make these new, smaller organics? 
'''Sari''': (Whispers) 
'''Optimus''': O_O 
:—'''Optimus''' learns that there are some things that you can't unhear.

"Ratchet, think fast!" 
"Oh crud." 
:{{m-}}'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Ratchet''', as the game of keep-away starts.

{{-}}

==Other notes==
===Animation and/or technical glitches===
* Megatron's vehicle mode was depicted flying upside-down, or backwards, or possibly both. To be fair, in space, there is no up and down.

* As Starscream tackles Optimus Prime through a building as the Autobot tries to escape with the AllSpark, Optimus' axe is missing from Starscream's left wing. It reappears moments later for Optimus to retrieve it.

===Continuity errors===
* The train Starscream blasts from the tower falls toward the ground very, very slowly.

*In at least one scene, Starscream's Earth-form wing is shown with a spike, in the same manner as his Cybertronian body.

*Sumdac is using Megatron's hand as a chair. However, he seems to be using the right hand, which was blown up by Starscream. (It ''could'' have fallen off the Autobots' ship, as it was still clinging to the hull when last seen, but that seems unlikely.)

===Transformers references===
*The title of the episode itself is a [[Roll out|reference to Transformers lore past]].
*Footage from the [[Generation 1 (cartoon)|G1 cartoon]] episodes "[[War Dawn]]" and "[[More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]" is used as history tapes detailing the events of the first Great War, millions of years prior. [[Canon|This]] has been confirmed as pure fanwank, and should not be taken as linking Animated to G1, continuity wise.

*The [[Autobot ship (Animated)|Autobot ship]] here bears a distinct resemblance to the [[Ark (G1)|Ark]], albeit with a colour scheme more reminiscent of [[Omega Supreme (G1)|Omega Supreme]].

*Sari's robotic dog [[Sparkplug (Animated)|Sparkplug]] is likely named after either [[Sparkplug Witwicky]] from G1, the Armada Mini-Con [[Sparkplug (Armada)|Sparkplug]], or both.
[[Image:Spikecarlydanielanimated.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Twenty years later, and they're still overdressed.]]
*Characters resembling [[Spike Witwicky|Spike]], [[Carly]], and [[Daniel Witwicky]] are seen at a hot dog stand, purchasing some sort of futuristic bunless wieners-on-a-stick.

*The ''Animated'' Autobots are [[Infiltration|not the first]] to use a starship parked at the bottom of one of the Great Lakes as their headquarters.

*When Optimus Prime dies, his body fades to grays, just as [[Optimus Prime (G1)|Generation 1 Optimus Prime]] did in ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]''. His spark chamber opens in much the same manner as well.

*The baby carriage carrying the [[Soviet_Union|baby with the russian hat]] bears some resemblance to [[Wheelie]].

*Teletran 1 (spelled with only one "a" in this universe) dispatches a small satellite very similar to the [[Sky Spy]] satellite used on occasion by the Autobots in the ''Generation 1'' cartoon. The glowing energy "boxes" with which it scans vehicles for the Autobots to transform into are lifted wholesale out of "[[More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1]]".

*[[Sari Sumdac's key]] bears a strong resemblance to the [[Key to Vector Sigma]].

*At one point, Bulkhead refers to Optimus as "Boss-bot", echoing an epithet used for ''[[Beast Wars (franchise)|Beast Wars]]'' [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] by the [[Fuzor]] [[Quickstrike (BW)|Quickstrike]].

===Miscellaneous trivia===
* In this episode, [[Tutor Bot]] tries to teach Sari about the [[Wikipedia:Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act|Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act]] (a major economic blunder of the 1930s).
* Bumblebee's voice is slightly different in this episode from how it sounds later.
* When Prowl gets birdpooped on, he is standing next to a statue of [[wikipedia:Hazen S. Pingree|Hazen S. Pingree]], four-term mayor of Detroit and one-time governor of Michigan. In real life, the statue is located in Detroit's Grand Circus Park.
* A refurbished Michigan Central Station makes an appearance as the site for the dedication of Detroit's rapid transit system. The real-life station (abandoned since the '80s) was featured in the [[Transformers (2007)|2007 live-action movie]].
* When mocking the Autobots, Starscream actually calls Megatron "the great Megatron" without any sarcasm. Apparently, he'll only give a sincere compliment to his leader when he's insulting something else.
* When Optimus comes back to life, he asks, "Is this the [[Well of All Sparks]]?" and Sari answers, "No, it's Detroit." This is an allusion to the movie ''Field of Dreams'' when Shoeless Joe Jackson (Ray Liotta) asks Ray Kinsella (Kevin Costner) "Is this heaven?" and Ray answers "No, it's Iowa."
* According to responses at a panel at BotCon 2008, the unfortunate acronym for Fully Automated Rapid Transit System was totally unintentional...which makes it that much funnier.
* It is interesting to note how Ratchet is able to use his front windshield as a screen.

== Footnote ==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Animated episodes]]<div id="wikia-credits"> From [http://transformers.wikia.com Teletraan I: The Transformers Wiki], a [http://www.wikia.com Wikia] wiki.</div>

Transform and Roll Out

2008-05-05T18:34:42Z

142.22.16.55: /* Quotes */