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Con Job

2011-04-13T15:28:59Z

67.230.197.70:

{{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 he's been made, Makeshift takes Miko as a 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 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."
:—'''Wheeljack''' says he can easily beat '''Starscream's''' army

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

===Foreign dubbing===

===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.
* 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.

==Home video releases==

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Deus ex Machina

2011-04-13T15:24:02Z

67.230.197.70:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 10
|prev=Convoy (episode)
|next=Speed Metal
|image=DeusExMachina-Screamer grins.jpg
|caption="With this map, I shall find all of the [[Cyber Planet Key|Cyber Planet K]]— wait. Wrong franchise."
|title="Deus ex Machina"
|airdate=[[March 11]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Nicole Dubuc]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''When Bulkhead makes a discovery in Greece, the race is on to recover an Energon Harvester.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] is failing to enjoy some detention when Bulkhead hauls up outside the school, blaring loud music. She takes advantage of an inattentive teacher to sneak out and join her Autobot buddy, who's obliged to act as her getaway car when a teacher approaches. They head for [[Autobot Outpost Omega-1|base]] while Bulkhead tries to explain to Miko that she'll never get into college if she flunks out. Ratchet reports he's found an [[energon (fuel)|energon]] pulse in [[Greece]].

Meanwhile, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] has finally arrived on the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', which took some time as he had to drive (something [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] disdains). Knock Out assumes he's been brought to provide [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] with a laboratory assist, when Starscream takes him to the [[Decepticon leader]]'s sick bed.

Bulkhead and Miko arrive at an excavation site in Greece, but to her disappointment, he's intending her to research her history report. Bulkhead says the humans have hit an energon vein, but then he spots something Cybertronian in an ancient fresco among the ruins.

[[Image:TFPrime_KnockOutDrill.JPG|left|thumb|300px|Ha HA! Phallic symbolism.]]

Starscream explains Megatron's condition to Knock Out. While Starscream was content to let nature take its course with Megatron, the crew of the ''Nemesis'' took a vote and decided to bring in a specialist. Knock Out says things would be easier with his assistant, but [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] is on the trail of some energon.

Bulkhead identifies the object in the fresco as an [[Energon Harvester]], but as Miko snaps a picture, they're interrupted by the arrival of Breakdown. Wondering if Bulkhead's new pet plays fetch, Breakdown throws a pillar at Miko. Bulkhead intercepts the pillar and is tackled by Breakdown, who slams him into the fresco, shattering it. The Decepticon races off, but Miko shows Bulkhead the image she snapped of the fresco.

Back at base, [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] confirms that the depicted device is an Energon Harvester. The Autobots are relieved that the fresco was broken, as they think it means the Decepticons won't be able to find the Harvester, but [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] points out that there are photos of the thing online, as the actual Harvester is held in a museum. The Autobots try to contact [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] for help, but he's away on a training retreat. Optimus says they'll have to obtain the Harvester themselves, and Miko volunteers the kids to help.

[[Image:DeusExMachina-fourcons.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Would you say this episode has a...''plethora'' of named Decepticons?]]

[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] has found the same photo using Breakdown's description of the Harvester, and Starscream says Megatron's revival will have to wait.

The Autobots move into position around the museum before the kids move in via [[GroundBridge]] on a motorized scissor lift. Miko deals with a security camera by taking a picture of the Harvester and balancing her phone on top of the camera. While they move towards the statue holding the Harvester, Optimus has an encounter outside with Knock Out and Breakdown, the latter of whom fires a missile at the museum. Optimus manages to catch the missile, but Knock Out shocks him with an energon staff. Breakdown barrels towards the museum entrance, with [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] and [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] failing to stop him. Bulkhead joins the fight as well, but the disturbance sets off the museum's alarms, alerting the security guard. The kids finally manage to get the Harvester onto their lift platform and head for the exit. Miko, scouting ahead on foot, is caught by the security guard, who whisks her away. Raf and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] run toward a half-open loading ramp door, expecting Arcee, but instead it's Soundwave, who grabs the Harvester and departs. Knock Out and Breakdown spot him leaving and make their getaway as well. Meanwhile, Miko attempts to spin a yarn to the security guard about how she got locked in the museum while researching her history report.

Believing that Starscream will attempt to use the Harvester to gather energon as quickly as possible, Optimus, Bumblebee and Arcee go out attempting to intercept them. [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] works on a replica Harvester to return to the museum in place of the stolen one, while Bulkhead realizes that the Decepticons might be intending to go after the energon seam in Greece.

Indeed, Starscream, Knock Out and Breakdown are at the excavation site. When the other two Decepticons attempt to correct him on who's to thank for the Harvester, Starscream demonstrates the device's effectiveness on a hapless [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]], and the pair are suddenly a lot more submissive. While Starscream starts tapping the energon seam, Bulkhead attempts to sneak up behind the Decepticons but clumsily lets them know he's there. He manages to deal with Knock Out and Breakdown until Starscream turns the Harvester on him. Struggling to stay upright, Bulkhead reaches Starscream, smashes the 'Con in the face, and breaks the Harvester. He throws the device into the sky, where it explodes. The Decepticons are about to move in and finish the weakened Bulkhead when the rest of the Autobots arrive and chase them off.

Miko is starting to run out of Greek history to bore the museum security guard with, when Fowler turns up to collect her. The guard is surprised when Fowler points out the replica Harvester in place on the statue. Outside, Miko is reunited with Bulkhead and tells him all about how she's going to write her report on how the Autobots interacted with ancient Greece.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (4)
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (11)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (13)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (14)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (7)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (8)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (10)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (15)
*A [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] (17)

|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (1)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (2)
*[[Miko's teacher]] (3)
*[[Jack Darby]] (5)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (12)
*[[Museum security guard]] (16)
*[[William Fowler]] (18)

}}

==Quotes==
"Miko, listen. If you fail high school, you can't go to—uh...uni...kesa...colls...w-wait, what's that word again?" 
"Uh, 'college'?"
:—'''Bulkhead''' tries to give '''Miko''' a lecture on academia.

"Look Miko, before I became a warrior I was a laborer—construction. I can build stuff, I can break stuff, and that's it." 
"I love breaking stuff! I wanna be just like you, Bulk." 
"Aaargh...why would you wanna be like me, when you can be a medic like Ratchet?"
:—'''Bulkhead''' fails to convince '''Miko''' regarding the benefits of education.

"It's about time, Knock Out. I do not enjoy being kept waiting!" 
"Ah, it was a long drive, Starscream. I'm still picking bugs out of my grille." 
"Yes, right, you're one of ''those''." 
"Come again?" 
"Never understood why any self-respecting Decepticon would choose 'automobile' as his vehicle mode when he could have [[flight]]!" 
"I like the way I look in steel-belted radials."
:—'''Starscream''' and '''Knock Out''' discuss an infraction of [[Autobot Cars|the]] [[Decepticon Planes|norm]].

"We have a history." 
"''(chuckles)'' And you have a [[Miko Nakadai|pet]]. Does it play catch?"
:—'''Bulkhead''' and '''Breakdown'''

"You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an ''intensive training retreat'' and unavailable until Tuesday." 
"I hate talking to machines."
:—'''Agent Fowler''''s answering machine and '''Ratchet''' pull off their own version of a [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] gag.

"[wolf whistles] Sweet rims, 24 gauge... You're ''reeeeeeal'' heavy-duty! Just like my [[Breakdown (Prime)|friend]] here!"
:—[[Side Burn (RID)|Side Burn]]'s got red cars, '''Knock Out''''s got [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|red trucks]].

"We're already trespassers and thieves. Why not add forgery to the list?"
:—'''Jack''' sarcastically comments on the crimes.

"Wait! What are you doing?!" 
"What I do best: ''(grabs Energon Harvester)'' Breaking things!" ''(punches Starscream)''
:—'''Starscream''' is no match for '''Bulkhead''''s sheer awesomeness.

"He's a glutton for punishment." 
''(Autobots arrive)'' 
"Fight?" 
"Mmm, drive."
:—'''Knockout''' and '''Breakdown''' are prevented from killing Bulkhead.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*When Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee find Bulkhead lying on the ground, Arcee and Bumblebee's optics are dim, while Optimus's and Bulkhead's are not.
*Miko's teacher is reading a copy of ''[[The Jasper Daily]]''. It is once again printed with the "Sports" page on the left instead of the right.The security guard at the museum is reading the same issue, despite the museum being located in a big city that is obviously not [[Jasper]]. It's also the same issue of the publication (with the same reverse page order) that Raf was using to make his papier-mâché volcano in "[[Masters & Students]], despite being a daily.
* The two pages in Miko's open textbook are mirror images of each other.
* It looks like so far animators have not decided yet if Bumblebee's optic sensors should have a central part or not, for they are shown changing their shape through the episode (has also happened [[Convoy (episode)|at least once]] previously).

===Continuity errors===
*The police have the worst response time imaginable. The guard presumably called them right after the Harvester was stolen, yet they never show up. Even accounting for the fact that Fowler would have called them off eventually, it should have only taken them minutes to get there.

===Transformers references===
*The term "Energon Harvester" is similar to the "[[star harvester|star [or solar] harvester]]" from the [[live-action film series]], and the "harvesting" is indeed comparable: energy is pulled into both devices over a distance. But the Energon Harvester is ''much'' smaller and weaker, and true to its name, it is limited to extracting energon.

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
[[Image:DeusexMachina-godfresco.jpg|thumb|250px|"Nothing is true, everything is permitted."]]

*A ''[[Wikipedia:Deus ex machina|deus ex machina]]'', meaning "god from the machine", is a plot device in which a major conflict is instantly resolved by the uncanny, often unexpected appearance of a character, object, or other form of deliverance. Miko explains this to the museum security guard just before Fowler suddenly walks in and saves her from her predicament. While this is obviously intended to be a ''deus ex machina'' itself, there ''had'' been plenty of foreshadowing, with Optimus even declaring earlier that Fowler was Miko's best hope.
*The god depicted on the fresco is presumably [[Wikipedia:Poseidon|Poseidon]], because he bears his symbolic trident. The soldiers appear to be [[wikipedia:Sparta|Spartan]]s, as their shields bear the [[Wikipedia:Lambda|Lambda]]—which is odd, as their patron god was [[Wikipedia:Ares|Ares]].
*An ancient golden orb that is actually alien technology rather than a magical device of gods? Someone at [[Hasbro Studios]] must've played ''[[Wikipedia:Assassin's Creed|Assassin's Creed]]''—which casts the Spartan shield symbol and Poseidon's staff in a whole new light...

===Trivia===
*The Vehicons "took a vote" to bring in a specialist to help Megatron... against the wishes of their own commander. Starscream has a slippy grip on power.
*Starscream's contempt for Knock Out choosing a non-flight alternate mode is strange, as most of the Vehicons are cars. Did they ''not'' get to choose?
*Some fans have interpreted Starscream's "you're one of ''those"'' line, Knock Out's wolf-whistling appraisal of Optimus's truck mode, the vanity about his appearance, and [[Daran Norris]]'s somewhat campy performance to be clues that Knock Out is [[Transformer romance|gay]]. Moreover, the term "knockout" is commonly used to describe an attractive ''woman,'' and the character's vanity suggests that that correlation is intentional. Make of all this what you will; very little [[Humanization#Sexuality|robotic sexuality]] of any kind has been evident in ''Prime'' so far, outside of a lightly-implied connection between [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] and Arcee.
*There is a painting of [[Big Rocks National Park]] in the security guard's office, as well as a calendar set to March, which handily matches the month this episode first aired. Although on that calendar, March started on a Sunday instead of a Tuesday.
*Knock Out is clobbered accidentally by his partner Breakdown ''twice''. They need to work on their coordination.
*Knock Out is the first (and so far only) ''Prime'' Decepticon to debut after the pilot miniseries and survive the experience. Breakdown might be considered to share that distinction, but technically he debuted ''before'' the cartoon, as he appeared in the [[War for Cybertron games|''War for Cybertron'' video games]] and the [[Transformers: Prime (comic)|''Prime'' comic]] first.
*When Miko takes a picture and puts the cellphone display in front of the security camera, the picture comes out flawless on the guard´s screen. In real life, it would look blurry.
*Soundwave must have some very...[[Female Transformer|feminine]] legs if Jack mistook him for Arcee from the knees down.
*Knowledge of Megatron's condition appears to have been confined to the crew of the ''Nemesis''.
*Initial descriptions of this episode, as well as the one on HubWorld.com's episode-viewing page,<ref name="hubworld">[http://www.hubworld.com/transformers/shows/prime/videos/tfp-deus-ex-machina "Deus ex Machina" viewable on HubWorld.com]</ref> say that "Miko and Bulkhead head to Greece on a field trip to bring back an Energon Harvester." Miko and Bulkhead do indeed go on what Bulkhead calls a "field trip" to Greece, but the Harvester is in an American museum at that point. By the time Bulkhead actually ''does'' go back to Greece to get the stolen Harvester, Miko is stuck in said museum.
*Twice in promotional blurbs for the episode, it was mentioned [[Lugnut (WFC)|Lugnut]] would be in the episode,<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=31247 Comic Book Resources sneak-peek article]</ref><ref>[http://www.allspark.com/content/view/8582/20/ AllSpark.com episode blurb]</ref> an error repeated on HubWorld.com's episode-viewing page.<ref name="hubworld" /> Given how Breakdown acts as a rival for Bulkhead in the finished episode—and the matter of [[Lugnut (Animated)|''Animated'' Lugnut]] having been played up as a rival for [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] in the original ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Animated]]'' [[Cartoon Network]] promotional material—it's possible that Breakdown was meant to be Lugnut at some point in this episode's production.

==Home video releases==

==References==
<references/>

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Speed Metal

2011-04-13T15:07:10Z

67.230.197.70:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 11
|prev=Deus ex Machina
|next=Predatory
|image=SpeedMetal-startyourengines.jpg
|caption=Temptation, thy name is woman!
|title="Speed Metal"
|airdate=[[April 9]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Dean Stefan]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Knock Out and Jack are both drawn into the world of street racing.'''

==Synopsis==
Cruising along a road at night, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] listens to a news report about illegal street racing. Switching it off, he pulls up alongside three other cars waiting to race. The [[Fast Willy|driver of one]] decides to put a long scratch in Knock Out's paintwork, rousing the [[Decepticon]]'s ire. After the race starts, Knock Out runs the other driver off the mountain road, informing the stunned human, "You scratch my paint, I scratch yours," before racing off.

[[Image:SpeedMetal-whispering.jpg|left|thumb|250px|There are so many captions for this, all of them dirty.]]

Outside the high school, [[Jack Darby|Jack]] encounters school bully [[Vince]], who mocks [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s vehicle mode. Jack and Arcee leave, but while stopped at a traffic light, Jack's called out to by [[Sierra]], who's keen on a ride. Before Jack can answer, Vince pulls up and challenges him to a race. Jack's still thinking about it when the light changes and Arcee takes off, reminding Jack of the rules about abusing their power. Vince catches up with them at the next light and insults Arcee's motorcycle mode, goading her to suspend the rules, just this once. The pair let Vince know they're ready for the race, and Sierra and [[Sierra's friend|her friend]] turn out at an old dirt road to spectate. Arcee's driving abilities far outstrip Vince's, and they win easily, but Arcee turns down Jack's suggestion that they should offer Sierra a lift.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] is buffing the comatose [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] wanders in to check on the patient and wonders aloud where Knock Out's got to. The 'Con himself walks in a few moments later, complaining about the scratch some "skinjob" put in his finish. Starscream is most disapproving that Knock Out's been street racing again, though what ''really'' annoys him is Knock Out's failure—and glib refusal—to refer to Starscream as "Lord".

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Arcee reminds Jack not to tell anyone about the race, but it turns out [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] already know, having heard about it at school. Jack swears them to secrecy.

At school, Sierra tells Jack she was impressed with the outcome of the race, but Vince challenges Jack to race again, this time at the circuit. Jack's compelled to agree, but Arcee flatly refuses to race.

Knock Out is out cruising a road somewhere near [[Jasper]], when a speeding street racer car gets his attention, and he heads toward the town.

Jack asks Raf if he can borrow [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] so he can go street racing. Raf isn't so sure (much to Bumblebee's dismay), but Miko and Jack talk him into it. Jack and Bumblebee haul up at the race track, as does Knock Out. As the race begins and Bumblebee and Vince jostle for lead position, Knock Out recognizes Bumblebee and begins chasing the Autobot while firing. Jack finds he has problems overcoming the communications barrier with 'Bee.

Back at base, Miko and Raf are playing a [[Generic racing game|video game]] when Arcee asks them if they've seen Jack. They attempt to cover for their friend, but Arcee immediately works out what's up, and a short time later, Bumblebee's distress call comes though.

Bumblebee dumps some oil to slow Knock Out down, then ducks under a bridge. At first, it seems they've lost the Decepticon, but Vince hauls in to confront Jack and demand he finish the race. Jack tries to warn Vince of the danger, but Vince's headlights have attracted Knock Out, who grabs the boy, renders him unconscious, drives off. Knock Out contacts Breakdown to announce he's captured Bumblebee's human "friend". Arcee and Bulkhead join Bumblebee, but before Arcee can start a lecture, Jack tells her about Vince, and they head off to mount a rescue.

[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] walks into the base and wonders where everyone else is. Raf and Miko give him the least convincing replies ever.

[[Image:PrimeScreamer'sFingerOfDoom.JPG|right|thumb|250px|"Not the gumdrop buttons!"]]

The three Autobots track Knock Out to a warehouse area, and Bulkhead and Bumblebee stroll in while Arcee scales a nearby water tower. Bulkhead and Bumblebee are ambushed by Breakdown. Just as Knock Out is wondering where Arcee is, she jumps on top of him. Knock Out decides to bail, but at least has the courtesy to radio Breakdown and let him know. Unfortunately, the call distracts Breakdown long enough for Bulkhead to deck him with a street lamp. Knock Out streaks down a road with Arcee in pursuit, but is suddenly sideswiped by Optimus, who knocks him onto the embankment. With the 'Con unable to flee, Optimus rips his door off and retrieves the unconscious Vince. Knock Out is outraged at the damage done to him, but retreats when the rest of the Autobots arrive. Vince finally recovers in Bumblebee on the way back to his car, and Jack spins a story to cover the whole thing.

Starscream is ''very'' upset with Knock Out's antics. Knock Out assures Starscream that he's learned his lesson and paid the price. Unfortunately for Knock Out, he once again addresses Starscream as "Commander" instead of "Lord", so Starscream gives him some more scratches as punishment.

At school again, Sierra asks Jack for a ride, but he turns her down. Arcee, however, is feeling more accommodating—just this once—and soon Jack and Sierra are zooming through town.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (13)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (14)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (15)

|c2=
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (1)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (8)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon drones]] (16)

|c3=
*[[Fast Willy]] (2)
*[[Jack Darby]] (3)
*[[Vince]] (5)
*[[Sierra]] (6)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (7)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (11)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Uh, Jack? A lady's vital stats are her own business."
:—'''Arcee''' doesn't want Jack bragging about the different aspects of her body.

"Winning isn't enough, Jack. You want to make him ''cry''."
:—'''Arcee''' explains her method of getting even.

"No worries, ''herr commandant''." 
"It is 'Lord' to you." 
"Only if Megatron takes a nosedive." 
"''Hhhnnn.'' The day our master emerges from stasis, I will graciously relinquish the title. But I believe that outcome is unlikely. Something to do with the quality of medical care around here. So continue ''buffing''. We do want Megatron looking his best for the memorial." 
(''Starscream leaves the room.'') 
"Buff ''this''." 
:—'''Knock Out''' and '''Starscream''' don't exactly see eye-to-eye.

'''Arcee''': Have you guys seen Jack? 
'''Miko''': ...not since we last saw him. 
'''Arcee''': They're out racing, aren't they? 
'''Raf''': Just this once. 
'''Arcee''': Did you know about this? 
'''Bulkhead''': NO. Maybe. A little.
:—No one on [[Team Prime]] can lie.

"'Bee, do not engage. Your first priority is to keep Jack safe. [''murmurs''] Until I get my hands on him."
:—'''Arcee''' is a scary guardian.

[[Image:SpeedMetal-OptimusEyebrow.jpg|thumb|250px|Highly [[Leonard Nimoy|illogical]].]]

'''Raf''': We should just tell Optimus the truth. 
'''Miko''': Absolutely not! We made a deal. Just act completely normal. 
'''Optimus''': Raf, Miko, do either of you know where the others have gone? 
'''Miko''': Why, no, sir. We do not know. 
'''Raf''': ''(stiffly)'' Miko is correct. We do not know. 
'''Miko''': Why would we know? 
'''Optimus''': Hmm.
:—Seriously, it's a minor miracle the kids haven't blown their cover with their parents yet.

"Do you know how hard that is to replace?!"
:—'''Knock Out''' loses a door to Optimus Prime.

"Knock Out! Was I not clear? You have defied my orders yet again!" 
"My mistake, Commander Starscream. But, I've learned my lesson... and paid the price. 
"It. Is. '''LORD'''! And you have paid when I say you have paid! ''[extends a sharpened finger]'' Do not worry, your punishment shall be merely... cosmetic." 
"No, not the finish! Anything but the finish! GAAAAHHHH!!!" 
:—<s>Commander</s> '''LORD Starscream''' reminds '''Knock Out''' where he stands.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*Sierra and her friend hold their books back-to-front. This is not [[The Jasper Daily|uncommon]].
*Sierra's right eye blinks when she says "Go Jack!". Perhaps the poor girl just has a really bad case of astigmatism.
*When Jack and Arcee stop at the second traffic light, Arcee's front wheel is shown not moving at all, as if it were sliding on the asphalt instead of spinning.
*When Arcee and Jack drive along the street (while debating Jack's decision to accept Vince's second challenge), all the traffic lights are shown as if they were upside down; red lights are in the place of green lights and vice versa.

===Continuity errors===
*Vince challenges Jack to a race on a "dirt road", but the road they race on is sealed and marked.
*How could Knock Out mistake Vince for "Bubblebee's human friend" ? Didn't he see Jack in his mirror ?

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
*Knock Out calls Fast Willy a "skinjob," a derogatory slang term used to refer to the human-like [[Wikipedia:Cylon (reimagining)|Cylons]] in the 2004 re-imagining of ''[[Wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'', itself an homage to ''[[Wikipedia:Blade Runner|Blade Runner]]''.
*Vince refers to Jack as "Ponch", a motorcycle-based reference to Erik Estrada's cycle-riding cop character from ''[[Wikipedia:CHiPs|CHiPs]]''.
*Knock Out calls Starscream "Herr Commandant", a reference to ''[[Wikipedia:Hogan's Heroes|Hogan's Heroes]]''.
* "Drucker's Ranch" is presumably a reference to [[Steve Drucker]], longtime [[Hasbro]] creative person.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode to premiere on a Saturday.
* This is the first episode not to include [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]].
* Several of the other street racing cars in this episode are simply recolored variations of Bumblebee and [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]'s alternate modes (sans horns in the case of the latter). Hello, easy [[redeco]]es!
* Bulkhead once again decides to forgo saving someone out of simple dislike. What a jerk!
* Sierra's friend continues to remain nameless, despite having appeared in more episodes then Sierra herself at this point. This girl really needs to introduce herself!

==Home video releases==

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Speed Metal

2011-04-12T14:59:43Z

67.230.197.70:

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 11
|prev=Deus ex Machina
|next=Predatory
|image=SpeedMetal-startyourengines.jpg
|caption=Temptation, thy name is woman!
|title="Speed Metal"
|airdate=[[April 9]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Dean Stefan]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Knock Out and Jack are both drawn into the world of street racing.'''

==Synopsis==
Cruising along a road at night, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] listens to a news report about illegal street racing. Switching it off, he pulls up alongside three other cars waiting to race. The [[Fast Willy|driver of one]] decides to put a long scratch in Knock Out's paintwork, rousing the [[Decepticon]]'s ire. After the race starts, Knock Out runs the other driver off the mountain road, informing the stunned human, "You scratch my paint, I scratch yours," before racing off.

[[Image:SpeedMetal-whispering.jpg|left|thumb|250px|There are so many captions for this, all of them dirty.]]

Outside the high school, [[Jack Darby|Jack]] encounters school bully [[Vince]], who mocks [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s vehicle mode. Jack and Arcee leave, but while stopped at a traffic light, Jack's called out to by [[Sierra]], who's keen on a ride. Before Jack can answer, Vince pulls up and challenges him to a race. Jack's still thinking about it when the light changes and Arcee takes off, reminding Jack of the rules about abusing their power. Vince catches up with them at the next light and insults Arcee's motorcycle mode, goading her to suspend the rules, just this once. The pair let Vince know they're ready for the race, and Sierra and [[Sierra's friend|her friend]] turn out at an old dirt road to spectate. Arcee's driving abilities far outstrip Vince's, and they win easily, but Arcee turns down Jack's suggestion that they should offer Sierra a lift.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] is buffing the comatose [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] wanders in to check on the patient and wonders aloud where Knock Out's got to. The 'Con himself walks in a few moments later, complaining about the scratch some "skinjob" put in his finish. Starscream is most disapproving that Knock Out's been street racing again, though what ''really'' annoys him is Knock Out's failure—and glib refusal—to refer to Starscream as "Lord".

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Arcee reminds Jack not to tell anyone about the race, but it turns out [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] already know, having heard about it at school. Jack swears them to secrecy.

At school, Sierra tells Jack she was impressed with the outcome of the race, but Vince challenges Jack to race again, this time at the circuit. Jack's compelled to agree, but Arcee flatly refuses to race.

Knock Out is out cruising a road somewhere near [[Jasper]], when a speeding street racer car gets his attention, and he heads toward the town.

Jack asks Raf if he can borrow [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] so he can go street racing. Raf isn't so sure (much to Bumblebee's dismay), but Miko and Jack talk him into it. Jack and Bumblebee haul up at the race track, as does Knock Out. As the race begins and Bumblebee and Vince jostle for lead position, Knock Out recognizes Bumblebee and begins chasing the Autobot while firing. Jack finds he has problems overcoming the communications barrier with 'Bee.

Back at base, Miko and Raf are playing a [[Generic racing game|video game]] when Arcee asks them if they've seen Jack. They attempt to cover for their friend, but Arcee immediately works out what's up, and a short time later, Bumblebee's distress call comes though.

Bumblebee dumps some oil to slow Knock Out down, then ducks under a bridge. At first, it seems they've lost the Decepticon, but Vince hauls in to confront Jack and demand he finish the race. Jack tries to warn Vince of the danger, but Vince's headlights have attracted Knock Out, who grabs the boy, renders him unconscious, drives off. Knock Out contacts Breakdown to announce he's captured "Bumblebee's" human friend. Arcee and Bulkhead join Bumblebee, but before Arcee can start a lecture, Jack tells her about Vince, and they head off to mount a rescue.

[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] walks into the base and wonders where everyone else is. Raf and Miko give him the least convincing replies ever.

[[Image:PrimeScreamer'sFingerOfDoom.JPG|right|thumb|250px|"Not the gumdrop buttons!"]]

The three Autobots track Knock Out to a warehouse area, and Bulkhead and Bumblebee stroll in while Arcee scales a nearby water tower. Bulkhead and Bumblebee are ambushed by Breakdown. Just as Knock Out is wondering where Arcee is, she jumps on top of him. Knock Out decides to bail, but at least has the courtesy to radio Breakdown and let him know. Unfortunately, the call distracts Breakdown long enough for Bulkhead to deck him with a street lamp. Knock Out streaks down a road with Arcee in pursuit, but is suddenly sideswiped by Optimus, who knocks him onto the embankment. With the 'Con unable to flee, Optimus rips his door off and retrieves the unconscious Vince. Knock Out is outraged at the damage done to him, but retreats when the rest of the Autobots arrive. Vince finally recovers in Bumblebee on the way back to his car, and Jack spins a story to cover the whole thing.

Starscream is ''very'' upset with Knock Out's antics. Knock Out assures Starscream that he's learned his lesson and paid the price. Unfortunately for Knock Out, he once again addresses Starscream as "Commander" instead of "Lord", so Starscream gives him some more scratches as punishment.

At school again, Sierra asks Jack for a ride, but he turns her down. Arcee, however, is feeling more accommodating—just this once—and soon Jack and Sierra are zooming through town.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (13)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (14)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (15)

|c2=
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (1)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (8)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (9)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Decepticon drones]] (16)

|c3=
*[[Fast Willy]] (2)
*[[Jack Darby]] (3)
*[[Vince]] (5)
*[[Sierra]] (6)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (7)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (11)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (12)
}}

==Quotes==
"Uh, Jack? A lady's vital stats are her own business."
:—'''Arcee''' doesn't want Jack bragging about the different aspects of her body.

"Winning isn't enough, Jack. You want to make him ''cry''."
:—'''Arcee''' explains her method of getting even.

"No worries, ''herr commandant''." 
"It is 'Lord' to you." 
"Only if Megatron takes a nosedive." 
"''Hhhnnn.'' The day our master emerges from stasis, I will graciously relinquish the title. But I believe that outcome is unlikely. Something to do with the quality of medical care around here. So continue ''buffing''. We do want Megatron looking his best for the memorial." 
(''Starscream leaves the room.'') 
"Buff ''this''." 
:—'''Knock Out''' and '''Starscream''' don't exactly see eye-to-eye.

'''Arcee''': Have you guys seen Jack? 
'''Miko''': ...not since we last saw him. 
'''Arcee''': They're out racing, aren't they? 
'''Raf''': Just this once. 
'''Arcee''': Did you know about this? 
'''Bulkhead''': NO. Maybe. A little.
:—No one on [[Team Prime]] can lie.

[[Image:SpeedMetal-OptimusEyebrow.jpg|thumb|250px|Highly [[Leonard Nimoy|illogical]].]]

'''Raf''': We should just tell Optimus the truth. 
'''Miko''': Absolutely not! We made a deal. Just act completely normal. 
'''Optimus''': Raf, Miko, do either of you know where the others have gone? 
'''Miko''': Why, no, sir. We do not know. 
'''Raf''': ''(stiffly)'' Miko is correct. We do not know. 
'''Miko''': Why would we know? 
'''Optimus''': Hmm.
:—Seriously, it's a minor miracle the kids haven't blown their cover with their parents yet.

"Do you know how hard that is to replace?!"
:—'''Knock Out''' loses a door to Optimus Prime.

"Knock Out! Was I not clear? You have defied my orders yet again!" 
"My mistake, Commander Starscream. But, I've learned my lesson... and paid the price. 
"It. Is. '''LORD'''! And you have paid when I say you have paid! ''[extends a sharpened finger]'' Do not worry, your punishment shall be merely... cosmetic." 
"No, not the finish! Anything but the finish! GAAAAHHHH!!!" 
:—<s>Commander</s> '''LORD Starscream''' reminds '''Knock Out''' where he stands.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*Sierra's right eye blinks when she says "Go Jack!". Perhaps the poor girl just has a really bad case of astigmatism.
*When Jack and Arcee stop at the second traffic light, Arcee's front wheel is shown not moving at all, as if it were sliding on the asphalt instead of spinning.
*When Arcee and Jack drive along the street (while debating Jack's decision to accept Vince's second challenge), all the traffic lights are shown as if they were upside down; red lights are in the place of green lights and vice versa.

===Continuity errors===
*Vince challenges Jack to a race on a "dirt road", but the road they race on is sealed and marked.
*How could Knock Out mistake Vince for "Bubblebee's human friend" ? Didn't he see Jack in his mirror ?

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
*Knock Out calls Fast Willy a "skinjob," a derogatory slang term used to refer to the human-like [[Wikipedia:Cylon (reimagining)|Cylons]] in the 2004 re-imagining of ''[[Wikipedia:Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'', itself an homage to ''[[Wikipedia:Blade Runner|Blade Runner]]''.
*Vince refers to Jack as "Ponch", a motorcycle-based reference to Erik Estrada's cycle-riding cop character from ''[[Wikipedia:CHiPs|CHiPs]]''.
* "Drucker's Ranch" is presumably a reference to [[Steve Drucker]], longtime [[Hasbro]] creative person.

===Trivia===
* This is the first episode to premiere on a Saturday.
* This is the first episode not to include [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]].
* Several of the other street racing cars in this episode are simply recolored variations of Bumblebee and [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]]'s alternate modes (sans horns in the case of the latter). Hello, easy [[redeco]]es!
* Bulkhead once again decides to forgo saving someone out of simple dislike. What a jerk!
* Sierra's friend continues to remain nameless, despite having appeared in more episodes then Sierra herself at this point. This girl really needs to introduce herself!

==Home video releases==

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Darkness Rising, Part 5

2011-01-24T15:59:50Z

67.230.197.70:

{{picsneeded}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]''
|ep=5
|prev=Darkness Rising, Part 4
|next=
|image=DarknessRising5-BulkheadMiko.jpg
|caption=Spoilers: the good guys win.
|title="Darkness Rising, Part 5"
|airdate=[[December 3]], [[2010]]
|written by=[[Joseph Kuhr]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Digitalscape]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''The Autobots race to stop Megatron from raising an undead army on Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] imagines in dread what will happen if [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] uses the [[Dark Energon]] to raise an army of [[zombie]]s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and brings them to conquer [[Earth]].

[[Jack Darby|Jack]] arrives at [[KO Burger]] and encounters [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]], who muses that her recent loss of a friend makes it hard for her to say goodbye to him. The Autobots have pinpointed Megatron's [[space bridge]] in Earth orbit and must use the [[ground bridge]] to reach it, despite the risks this poses. Arcee and Jack arrive back in time for Arcee to join the mission, and Optimus leads the team (minus [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]) through the bridge. They land on the space bridge terminal and look up to see the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]] moving into position. Megatron observes their presence, but [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] says that [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] is locking on to Cybertron's coordinates.

Optimus notes that the ship is damaged, and the Decepticons will be unable to use it to aim the space bridge. Raf reasons that the Decepticons may be using a radio dish array in [[Texas]], but Fowler is still too out of it to alert the array staff to the danger. [[Rafael Esquivel|Raf]] attempts to hack in, but the array's firewalls are too good. Jack thinks they should go on site, and they talk Optimus into letting them do it.

Meanwhile, Megatron sends out the Decepticon forces to attack the Autobots. Battle commences.

The kids ground-bridge to the array and sneak in. In a small, unused room, Raf finds a computer and determines that the Decepticons have also hacked in, but takes the opportunity to download their space bridge plans onto his flash drive. Little do the kids know that [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] is in the very next room, plugged into the computer system as well. He aligns the array, which sets the space bridge ready to use, but Raf promptly realigns it. Responding to Starscream's requests to know what's going on, Soundwave taps into the installation's security systems and locates the three kids. While the kids are discussing what the Decepticons could do, Soundwave's tentacle slithers into the room behind them and attacks. As it goes after Raf, [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] grabs an axe and strikes at it. She completely misses, and the tentacle strikes her backward before picking up the axe itself. Though the kids believe it's about to attack them with the weapon, the tentacle withdraws. The kids run to the next room, where they found Soundwave has realigned the dishes and used the axe to cut the hard line, making it impossible to undo his work. Miko then takes a cell phone photo of Soundwave. Before Soundwave leaves, he takes a photo of them.

Starscream activates the space bridge, and Megatron physically throws a huge chunk of Dark Energon through. The Dark Energon strikes Cybertron, swiftly covering the planet and turning millions of dead Transformers into millions of [[zombie]]s. Optimus realizes that the only course of action left to them is to destroy the space bridge. Raf supplies the specs he downloaded earlier, and Ratchet sets about working out a way to do so. As Optimus faces Megatron, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee go to implement some sabotage.

[[Image:DarknessRising5-Megatronsword.jpg|right|thumb|220px|He can do the ''ultimate'' bird flip.]]

Megatron manages to defeat Prime, but as he raises his sword, Starscream alerts him to the actions of the other Autobots. Optimus takes advantage of the distraction to blast Megatron, but the Decepticon leader transforms and flies off to find Prime's team. Arcee's team has succeeded in rigging the space bridge to blow when Megatron attacks and blasts her off into space. The Autobots jump into the ground bridge, Bumblebee collecting Arcee on the way. Megatron realizes his ship appears to be absent, but before his army of zombies can come through, the space bridge explodes in his face.

A short distance away in the ship, Starscream notes that there's totally no way Megatron could have survived that, and he is leader now.

The Autobots make it back to their base, though Arcee's hurt she seemes much better. Optimus announces that there's totally no way Megatron could have survived the space bridge explosion. Fowler thanks the Autobots for saving him, then leaves. Optimus gives a big speech and sends a signal into space to let the galaxy know that Earth is defended by the Autobots.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (6)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (9)
* [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Eradicon|Decepticon drones]] (11)
* [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (1)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
* [[Rafael Esquivel]] (8)
* [[William Fowler]] (12)

|c4=
* [[Zombie]]s (14)

}}

==Quotes==
"Optimus, if you leave me stranded on a planet teeming with humans, I will never forgive you."
:—'''Ratchet'''

"Optimus Prime never disappoints. Unlike YOU, Starscream!"
:—'''Megatron''', burning a disappointing '''Starscream'''

"Surely, Lord Megatron, the Autobots are up to something." 
"Really, Starscream?"
:—'''Starscream''' observes the Autobots and '''Megatron''' lays on the sarcasm.

"I hold no illusions about engaging your army, Megatron. But I might derail its objective...[[Decapitation|by removing its head.]]"
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|solution to most problems]].

"Starscream! Where is my ship?" 
"We would never make it, Lord Megatron! Don't be a fool! Take flight and retreat!"
:—'''Starscream''' fruitlessly tries to get '''Megatron''' to flee the detonating space bridge.

"Decepticons, it is with deep sorrow that I note for the log...Megatron's spark has been extinguished. All hail Starscream."
:—Looks like '''Starscream''' is back to his old self again.

"Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged with our three young friends - true warriors. If not in body, then in spirit. My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this message. Though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem that we are here to stay. If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this: We will defend ourselves. We will defend humanity. We will defend... our home."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
===Continuity errors===
* The zombies are able to leave Cybertron and pass through the space bridge despite the fact that it's in space. Even accounting for the fact that Decepticon corpses might have flight capabilities, it seems unlikely that every zombie would.

===Astronomical errors===
* The Autobots somehow jump from the detonating space bridge straight into the waiting ground bridge vortex, which is positioned below the space bridge, even though there ''is no gravity in space!'' (Though a possible explanation for this is that the ground bridge creates it's own gravity.)

===Transformers references===
* There are two references which are directly related to [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 1986 animated movie]]. First Ratchet says, "Then by all means, let us light our [[darkest hour]]." Later, Optimus exchanges with Megatron: "One shall stand, one shall fall."
* Megatrons have been known to survive space bridge [[Transport to Oblivion|accidents]] and [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|malfunctions]] and even [[Gone but Not Forgotten!|space bridge-related suicide attempts]]. Same goes for standing at ground zero of [[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2|ginormous explosions]]. Hope Starscream and Optimus don't expect to relax. Megatron doubtless has [[to sell toys|a powerful drive]] to survive and return.
* Optimus's Energon blade and Megatron's hidden fusion cannon blade are references to [[Optimus Prime (Movie)| their movie]] [[Megatron (Movie)|counterparts]].
* Optimus's speech at the end is similar to the ones Movie Optimus gives at the end of both movies.

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
* Miko tries to use an axe on [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]]'s tentacle, which is the same tactic Tom Cruise's character tries on the Tripod tentacle in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''War of the Worlds''. Of course, both attempts fail.

* Miko refers to space as "the final frontier". "Space. The final frontier" is the first line of the opening credits of several ''[[Wikipedia: Star Trek|Star Trek]]'' TV shows. ''Prime'' show developers [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]] are also the screenwriters of the current ''Star Trek'' movies.

===Trivia===
* Winged versions of the Eradicons make their appearance here.
* The Decepticons are unable to simply warp to Cybertron thanks to Bulkhead ripping off a vital piece of equipment in the previous episode.
* While it's unlikely anything from ''[[Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron|Exodus]]'' applies to the cartoon, a number of Autobots, including [[Ultra Magnus (Prime)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Omega Supreme (Prime)|Omega Supreme]] and the [[Wrecker]]s, were left behind on Cybertron at the end of that book. Sure hope they weren't around when the zombies came crawling. In a similar vein, [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] is also still on Cybertron at the end of the novel. Granted, it's established fact that the war had continued on other worlds after Cybertron's shutdown, though (as stated by [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] in the [[Transformers: Prime (comic)|prequel comic]]) it's probable that all of them have since moved on to less hostile locales in the intervening years.
* When Starscream tries to convince Megatron to retreat, there is a surprising tone of concern in his voice. Either that, or he's a much better actor than certain other [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscreams]].
* It ''seems'' to take a lot longer for the zombie army to come from Cybertron across the space bridge than it took for the Dark Energon to get there in the first place. [[Wikipedia:Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Must've been the sheer mass of all of them]].
* A short video showing a rehearsal or an earlier take of the confrontation between Optimus Prime and Megatron was screened at both [[BotCon 2010]] and San Diego Comic-Con 2010 <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvW4nsr3ZDo#t=2m53s "Transformers: Prime" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2010]</ref>. The dialogue was somewhat different, with Optimus referring to battle on an alien world when ordering the Autobots away, and lacking the "One shall stand, one shall fall" exchange.

==Home video releases==

==External links==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Darkness Rising, Part 5

2011-01-24T15:46:06Z

67.230.197.70:

{{picsneeded}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]''
|ep=5
|prev=Darkness Rising, Part 4
|next=
|image=DarknessRising5-BulkheadMiko.jpg
|caption=Spoilers: the good guys win.
|title="Darkness Rising, Part 5"
|airdate=[[December 3]], [[2010]]
|written by=[[Joseph Kuhr]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Digitalscape]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''The Autobots race to stop Megatron from raising an undead army on Cybertron.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] imagines in dread what will happen if [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] uses the [[Dark Energon]] to raise an army of [[zombie]]s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]] and brings them to conquer [[Earth]].

[[Jack Darby|Jack]] arrives at [[KO Burger]] and encounters [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]], who muses that her recent loss of a friend makes it hard for her to say goodbye to him. The Autobots have pinpointed Megatron's [[space bridge]] in Earth orbit and must use the [[ground bridge]] to reach it, despite the risks this poses. Arcee and Jack arrive back in time for Arcee to join the mission, and Optimus leads the team (minus [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]]) through the bridge. They land on the space bridge terminal and look up to see the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon ship]] moving into position. Megatron observes their presence, but [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] says that [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] is locking on to Cybertron's coordinates.

Optimus notes that the ship is damaged, and the Decepticons will be unable to use it to aim the space bridge. Raf reasons that the Decepticons may be using a radio dish array in [[Texas]], but Fowler is still too out of it to alert the array staff to the danger. [[Rafael Esquivel|Raf]] attempts to hack in, but the array's firewalls are too good. Jack thinks they should go on site, and they talk Optimus into letting them do it.

Meanwhile, Megatron sends out the Decepticon forces to attack the Autobots. Battle commences.

The kids ground-bridge to the array and sneak in. In a small, unused room, Raf finds a computer and determines that the Decepticons have also hacked in, but takes the opportunity to download their space bridge plans onto his flash drive. Little do the kids know that [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] is in the very next room, plugged into the computer system as well. He aligns the array, which sets the space bridge ready to use, but Raf promptly realigns it. Responding to Starscream's requests to know what's going on, Soundwave taps into the installation's security systems and locates the three kids. While the kids are discussing what the Decepticons could do, Soundwave's tentacle slithers into the room behind them and attacks. As it goes after Raf, [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] grabs an axe and strikes at it. She completely misses, and the tentacle strikes her backward before picking up the axe itself. Though the kids believe it's about to attack them with the weapon, the tentacle withdraws. The kids run to the next room, where they found Soundwave has realigned the dishes and used the axe to cut the hard line, making it impossible to undo his work. Miko then takes a cell phone photo of Soundwave. Before Soundwave leaves, he takes a photo of them.

Starscream activates the space bridge, and Megatron physically throws a huge chunk of Dark Energon through. The Dark Energon strikes Cybertron, swiftly covering the planet and turning millions of dead Transformers into millions of [[zombie]]s. Optimus realizes that the only course of action left to them is to destroy the space bridge. Raf supplies the specs he downloaded earlier, and Ratchet sets about working out a way to do so. As Optimus faces Megatron, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee go to implement some sabotage.

[[Image:DarknessRising5-Megatronsword.jpg|right|thumb|220px|He can do the ''ultimate'' bird flip.]]

Megatron manages to defeat Prime, but as he raises his sword, Starscream alerts him to the actions of the other Autobots. Optimus takes advantage of the distraction to blast Megatron, but the Decepticon leader transforms and flies off to find Prime's team. Arcee's team has succeeded in rigging the space bridge to blow when Megatron attacks and blasts her off into space. The Autobots jump into the ground bridge, Bumblebee collecting Arcee on the way. Megatron realizes his ship appears to be absent, but before his army of zombies can come through, the space bridge explodes in his face.

A short distance away in the ship, Starscream notes that there's totally no way Megatron could have survived that, and he is leader now.

The Autobots make it back to their base, though Arcee's hurt she seems to be recovering. Optimus announces that there's totally no way Megatron could have survived the space bridge explosion. Fowler thanks the Autobots for saving him, then leaves. Optimus gives a big speech and sends a signal into space to let the galaxy know that Earth is defended by the Autobots.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (2)
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (4)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (6)

|c2=
* [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (9)
* [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
* [[Eradicon|Decepticon drones]] (11)
* [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (13)

|c3=
* [[Jack Darby]] (1)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
* [[Rafael Esquivel]] (8)
* [[William Fowler]] (12)

|c4=
* [[Zombie]]s (14)

}}

==Quotes==
"Optimus, if you leave me stranded on a planet teeming with humans, I will never forgive you."
:—'''Ratchet'''

"Optimus Prime never disappoints. Unlike YOU, Starscream!"
:—'''Megatron''', burning a disappointing '''Starscream'''

"Surely, Lord Megatron, the Autobots are up to something." 
"Really, Starscream?"
:—'''Starscream''' observes the Autobots and '''Megatron''' lays on the sarcasm.

"I hold no illusions about engaging your army, Megatron. But I might derail its objective...[[Decapitation|by removing its head.]]"
:—'''Optimus Prime's''' [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|solution to most problems]].

"Starscream! Where is my ship?" 
"We would never make it, Lord Megatron! Don't be a fool! Take flight and retreat!"
:—'''Starscream''' fruitlessly tries to get '''Megatron''' to flee the detonating space bridge.

"Decepticons, it is with deep sorrow that I note for the log...Megatron's spark has been extinguished. All hail Starscream."
:—Looks like '''Starscream''' is back to his old self again.

"Without a means of leaving this world, we Autobots take strength in the bonds we have forged with our three young friends - true warriors. If not in body, then in spirit. My name is Optimus Prime, and I send this message. Though we did not choose to be of Earth, it would seem that we are here to stay. If you approach this planet with hostile intent, know this: We will defend ourselves. We will defend humanity. We will defend... our home."
:—'''Optimus Prime'''

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
===Continuity errors===
* The zombies are able to leave Cybertron and pass through the space bridge despite the fact that it's in space. Even accounting for the fact that Decepticon corpses might have flight capabilities, it seems unlikely that every zombie would.

===Astronomical errors===
* The Autobots somehow jump from the detonating space bridge straight into the waiting ground bridge vortex, which is positioned below the space bridge, even though there ''is no gravity in space!'' (Though a possible explanation for this is that the ground bridge creates it's own gravity.)

===Transformers references===
* There are two references which are directly related to [[The Transformers: The Movie|the 1986 animated movie]]. First Ratchet says, "Then by all means, let us light our [[darkest hour]]." Later, Optimus exchanges with Megatron: "One shall stand, one shall fall."
* Megatrons have been known to survive space bridge [[Transport to Oblivion|accidents]] and [[A Bridge Too Close, Part II|malfunctions]] and even [[Gone but Not Forgotten!|space bridge-related suicide attempts]]. Same goes for standing at ground zero of [[Cybertron Is in Grave Danger, Part 2|ginormous explosions]]. Hope Starscream and Optimus don't expect to relax. Megatron doubtless has [[to sell toys|a powerful drive]] to survive and return.
* Optimus's Energon blade and Megatron's hidden fusion cannon blade are references to [[Optimus Prime (Movie)| their movie]] [[Megatron (Movie)|counterparts]].
* Optimus's speech at the end is similar to the ones Movie Optimus gives at the end of both movies.

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
* Miko tries to use an axe on [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]]'s tentacle, which is the same tactic Tom Cruise's character tries on the Tripod tentacle in [[Steven Spielberg]]'s ''War of the Worlds''. Of course, both attempts fail.

* Miko refers to space as "the final frontier". "Space. The final frontier" is the first line of the opening credits of several ''[[Wikipedia: Star Trek|Star Trek]]'' TV shows. ''Prime'' show developers [[Alex Kurtzman]] and [[Roberto Orci]] are also the screenwriters of the current ''Star Trek'' movies.

===Trivia===
* Winged versions of the Eradicons make their appearance here.
* The Decepticons are unable to simply warp to Cybertron thanks to Bulkhead ripping off a vital piece of equipment in the previous episode.
* While it's unlikely anything from ''[[Exodus: The Official History of the War for Cybertron|Exodus]]'' applies to the cartoon, a number of Autobots, including [[Ultra Magnus (Prime)|Ultra Magnus]], [[Omega Supreme (Prime)|Omega Supreme]] and the [[Wrecker]]s, were left behind on Cybertron at the end of that book. Sure hope they weren't around when the zombies came crawling. In a similar vein, [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] is also still on Cybertron at the end of the novel. Granted, it's established fact that the war had continued on other worlds after Cybertron's shutdown, though (as stated by [[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]] in the [[Transformers: Prime (comic)|prequel comic]]) it's probable that all of them have since moved on to less hostile locales in the intervening years.
* When Starscream tries to convince Megatron to retreat, there is a surprising tone of concern in his voice. Either that, or he's a much better actor than certain other [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscreams]].
* It ''seems'' to take a lot longer for the zombie army to come from Cybertron across the space bridge than it took for the Dark Energon to get there in the first place. [[Wikipedia:Doomsday (Doctor Who)|Must've been the sheer mass of all of them]].
* A short video showing a rehearsal or an earlier take of the confrontation between Optimus Prime and Megatron was screened at both [[BotCon 2010]] and San Diego Comic-Con 2010 <ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvW4nsr3ZDo#t=2m53s "Transformers: Prime" panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2010]</ref>. The dialogue was somewhat different, with Optimus referring to battle on an alien world when ordering the Autobots away, and lacking the "One shall stand, one shall fall" exchange.

==Home video releases==

==External links==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]