{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 8
|prev=Scrapheap (episode)
|next=Convoy (episode)
|image=ConJob-getthispartystarted.jpg
|caption=Quick! They must [[A Prime Problem|have a race!]] Or [[Where Is Thy Sting?|play video games!]]
|title="Con Job"
|airdate=[[February 25]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''Bulkhead awaits the arrival of his friend Wheeljack—what could go wrong?'''

==Synopsis==
With their chores done, [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] is looking forward to "dune bashing" with [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], but he'd rather check out the monster truck rally in [[Jasper|town]]. Their plans are interrupted when [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] receives a signal from a starship headed for [[Earth]]. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] wonders if it might be a [[Decepticon]] trap, but Bulkhead identifies the incoming [[Autobot]] as his old friend and [[Wrecker]] pal, [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]]. [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] sends landing coordinates for Wheeljack's landing the next day, and Bulkhead is excited to see his old friend.

On the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]], [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] has monitored the conversation and it gives [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] the chance he needs. He orders [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] to prepare for a mission.

The kids are excited to be getting to meet a new Autobot. Ratchet has problems getting the [[ground bridge]] working, due to the damage sustained during the [[Scraplet]] infestation. Their instruments pick up Decepticon signals closing on [[Wheeljack's ship]]. Indeed, the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] manage to shoot down the ship, but Wheeljack emerges from the wreckage and starts smashing the tar out of them. Ratchet finally gets the ground bridge operational, and Bulkhead, Arcee and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] storm through to find Wheeljack finishing off the last of the 'cons. Bulkhead greets his old friend with a massive bear hug, and the four Autobots return to base. Wheeljack hits it off with Miko right away, and checks in with Optimus. Ratchet's not as enthusiastic as the others with Bulkhead's friend, as he senses impending destruction.

Starscream discusses their success in getting a spy into the Autobot base as he and Soundwave pay a visit to their prisoner — the real Wheeljack. Now he's inside the Autobot base, Makeshift will be able to activate the ground bridge and reveal the base's location so Starscream can send the troops in. Wheeljack mocks Starscream, who's prevented from killing the prisoner by Soundwave since Wheeljack may yet be of use.

The Autobots and kids celebrate Wheeljack's arrival, Miko by breaking out her electric guitar and Bulkhead and "Wheeljack" by engaging in some [[Cybertronian_sport#Lobbing| Lobbing]]. After some encouragement by Miko, [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] busts some dance moves by doing The Robot, and Bumblebee joins in. Makeshift takes some time to fish for info on the ground bridge from Ratchet, who says it's in the middle of defragging and can't be used for a few hours.

Starscream wonders why Makeshift is taking so long to get the ground bridge activated, since he won't be able to keep the Autobots fooled for long.

Bulkhead tells the kids about a battle he and Wheeljack took part in, and Makeshift barely covers for his lack of knowledge. Bulkhead observes that his old friend seems different, but Makeshift writes this off as jet lag, and asks Miko to show him around the base. However Bulkhead's suspicions have been raised, and Arcee's suggestions don't allay them.

On the Decepticon ship, Wheeljack manages to kill his guard and get free from his bonds.

[[Image:ConJob-Makeshifthostage.jpg|right|thumb|300px|They're not dolls, they're action figures!]]

Miko wanders the base with Makeshift, and the 'con manages to get the location of the Autobot base out of her. Miko promises to show him the way out, and they return to the control center, where Bulkhead asks his "friend" to tell the story of the [[Battle of Darkmount Pass]]. Makeshift tells the story, but manages to get one crucial detail wrong — Bulkhead wasn't part of the battle. Realizing that his cover's blown, Makeshift takes Miko hostage.

Starscream and Soundwave hang out on top of the Decepticon ship with a bunch of Vehicons, waiting for Makeshift to open the ground bridge. They're confronted by Wheeljack, who fights his way through a bunch of Vehicons and pounces on Starscream. As more 'cons rush towards Wheeljack, the ground bridge activates, courtesy of Makeshift. Makeshift's ready to enter the ground bridge at the Autobot end, when Wheeljack comes flying through it and lands on him. Ratchet shuts down the ground bridge before any Decepticons come through. The two Wheeljacks draw their swords and fight at length while the Autobots fail to keep track of who's who. Wheeljack, of course, triumphs.

Starscream is pleased when the ground bridge opens again and orders the Vehicons through, however it's only been reopened so Bulkhead can throw Makeshift through. The 'con lands on Starscream, who asks if Makeshift has obtained the location of the Autobot base. Makeshift's in the process of telling him when Starscream realizes that the grenade Makeshift is wearing has been primed and is about to explode, and he and Soundwave retreat, leaving Makeshift a number of Vehicons to be caught in the ensuing explosion.

The Autobots have another party, to Ratchet's pain. Bulkhead suggests they pick out a vehicle mode for Wheeljack, but Wheeljack says he's not staying now that his ship's fixed. The next morning, he offers to take Bulkhead with him, but Bulkhead's too attached to Earth and Miko to leave. Miko snaps a picture of the two Autobots with [[Miko's phone|her cell phone]] before Wheeljack leaves.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (1)
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (5)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (8)
* [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]] (9)

|c2=
* [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
* [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (11)
* [[Makeshift (Prime)|Makeshift]] (12)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (2)
* [[Jack Darby]] (6)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (7)

}}

==Quotes==
"Do you not see that you are vastly outnumbered?" 
"I see fellas who might vastly enjoy watching me pound some dents into you."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Wheeljack'''

"I'm still picking shrapnel out of my backside!"
 "I'm not surprised, given the size of your backside."
:—'''Bulkhead''' reminisces, '''Arcee''' zings.

"If anything happens to my favourite Wrecker, I'm coming after you!"
:—'''Wheeljack''' tells Miko to take good care of his best bud for him.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* When the camera angle moves to show Optimus saying that he knows Wheeljack by reputation only, the shadow of Miko's heel looks lightly separated from it, as if her leg were hovering over Bulkhead's armour plate.
* Apparently, huge, alien robots can leave their tracks in the snow (see Bumblebee and Bulkhead at the beginning of the [[Scrapheap (episode)|previous episode]]), but it looks like they cannot leave any in the sand.

===Continuity errors===
* When the alarm goes off, the monitor shows five bogies (Vehicons) approaching Wheeljack's ship. But in the next scene, when Wheeljack's ship is being attacked, there are six Vehicons.

===Continuity notes===
* The Autobots refer to their base as "[[Autobot Outpost Omega One]]."
* Ratchet mentions that the equipment's been kind of buggy since "[[Scrapheap (episode)|the infestation]]."

===Transformers references===
* Wheeljack and Bulkhead are former members of the [[Wrecker]]s. This is the team's first mention in a TV series. Although previous incarnations of both Wheeljack and Bulkhead have never been portrayed as (current or former) [[Wrecker]]s prior to this, the elite team has been noteworthy for it's regularly changing roster, so the notion of Wheeljack - who, in this episode, is the most badass he's ever been portrayed - as an ex-Wrecker is not outside the realm of credibility.

* Wheeljack had fought in [[Darkmount]] near the [[smelting pool|smelting pit]]s.

===Real-world references===
* Wheeljack's ship crashlands near a [[Egypt|trio of pyramids]].
* Raf and Bumblebee perform a dance called "The Robot", a street dance style popularized by the Jackson Five.
* Bumblebee can briefly be seen dancing like John Travolta in ''Saturday Night Fever''.

===Trivia===
* Just like with [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]], Wheeljack's robot mode clearly has Earth vehicle kibble, even though it's stated that he doesn't yet have a local [[alternate mode|altmode]].
*This is the third time [[Makeshift (Prime)|a character]] has been introduced only to be [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|killed]] [[Skyquake (Prime)|off]] before the episode's over. Wheeljack's the first Cybertronian (and currently the only Autobot) who is not part of the main cast to survive his own debut episode.
* During the fight with the Vehicons, Wheeljack jumps behind one, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|rips off its arm]] and then proceeds to [[Starscream (Movie)|beat another with it]].
* Starscream once again attempts to kill a prisoner (Wheeljack) the moment they insinuate he isn't in charge. Only this time, he is stopped by Soundwave.
* This is the first episode where Starscream uses one of the missiles attached to his forearms.
* Bulkhead mentions that Wheeljack has a public service record. Presumably, this is true for all Autobots in the military.
* While [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] was the first character shown with a hand-held gun, Wheeljack is the first one shown with a pair of hand-held melee weapons (in this case, two swords).
* Wheeljack beats up Starscream to the point where he [[humanization|coughs up Energon]]. ''Hard core!''
** When Makeshift, still disguised as Wheeljack, gets ready to fight the real Wheeljack, he puts his mask on, but if you look quickly before that, you can see that he's coughed up Energon as well.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]