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Shadowzone (episode)

2011-05-29T16:18:11Z

69.246.94.229: /* Continuity errors */

{{disambig2|the episode|the dimension|Shadowzone (dimension)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 15
|prev=Out of His Head
|next=Operation: Breakdown
|image=Shadowzone-shadow.jpg
|caption=Who zones? The Shadow zones.
|title="Shadowzone"
|airdate=[[May 14]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''After a GroundBridge failure, the kids are flung into another dimension with a reanimated Skyquake.'''

==Synopsis==

[[Image:Shadowzone-MegsStarscream.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Baby, I don't ''want'' to hurt you!"]]

[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] lies in the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> lab, having taken a severe pounding from [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. His leader pays a visit, mostly to gloat over how their positions have changed. Once he leaves, Starscream rips himself free of the cables feeding him. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] is shocked to see Starscream up and about, but Starscream claims angrily that he feels fine and limps away. Starscream retrieves a shard of [[Dark Energon]]—the one he originally ripped from Megatron's body—from its hiding place and promises that his and Megatron's positions will be reversed.

At the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]], [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] reports that he's detected a weak but rapidly moving Dark Energon signal, which the [[Autobot]]s assume is Megatron. [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] wonders if he plans to use it raise a new army of [[Terrorcon (Prime)|Terrorcons]] ([[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] seems thrilled at the prospect of zombie-cons) and [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] notes that it's possible, given the Dark Energon signal is moving to a familiar site.

[[Image:Shadowzone-purple.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"The Power Cosmic!"]]
Starscream arrives at the site of [[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]]'s grave, announcing that this time the fallen warrior will be his servant. Breaking off a chunk of the Dark Energon and throwing it into the cairn, Starscream plunges the rest of it into himself and feels the power flowing through him.

Optimus Prime readies the Autobots to move out, though Ratchet's surprised that he's on the team. As Miko yells words of encouragement to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]], [[Jack Darby|Jack]] and [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] observe that she's obviously up to something, since she's acting disinterested in coming along. Indeed, as the Autobots head through the [[GroundBridge]], Miko makes a break for the opening, and Jack and Raf give chase. Jack manages to grab her on the threshold, but she shakes loose and runs through, though [[Miko's phone|her cell phone]] is knocked from her belt. The three kids arrive on site just behind the Autobots and scramble up a nearby outcropping to watch the anticipated battle. The Autobots are surprised to find Starscream instead of Megatron, and he takes advantage by shooting at them and proclaiming his invulnerability. Optimus responds by shooting one of Starscream's arms off. As the Autobots close in, Starscream takes cover and shouts at Skyquake to hurry up and rise before panicking and requesting an emergency GroundBridge. The Autobots finally spot the kids when Miko shouts at Jack for making her lose her phone, just in time for [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to call from base asking where the kids are. Optimus orders her to send a GroundBridge. Ratchet is surprised when ''two'' GroundBridge portals open, but orders the kids to go in. They do so, and Starscream likewise dives through the 'Con GroundBridge, but moments later, green energy begins swirling around everywhere. Bulkhead runs to save the kids, but is knocked back from the GroundBridge portal, which then explodes.

Starscream arrives back on the ''Nemesis'' and tells the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] operator to keep his mouth shut. After leaving the GroundBridge room, he removes the chunk of Dark Energon from his chest.

The kids pick themselves up, as do the Autobots, but the kids quickly discover that the Autobots can't see them, and to Miko's alarm, Bulkhead steps right through her. Unaware, the Autobots speculate on what happened to the kids. Raf works out that he, Jack and Miko are in a sort of alternate dimension he calls a [[Shadowzone (dimension)|shadowzone]]. Optimus observes that Skyquake's grave is empty and requests a GroundBridge from Arcee. The kids spot Skyquake—now a Dark Energon zombie—heading towards the Autobots. Their cries of warning go unheard, but Skyquake's strike passes right through Bulkhead. The kids rapidly realize that Skyquake is in the same dimension as they are, and they and run for it. Raf trips and is carried to safety by Jack, but has lost his glasses. Miko makes an ill-advised recovery of the spectacles, and they continue their flight.

The Autobots are at a loss to locate the kids until [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] suggests calling them. Bulkhead rings Miko, only to discover her lost cellphone sitting on the floor in the Autobot base. Arcee rings Jack, and in the shadowzone, his phone rings, but there's too much interference for him and Arcee to communicate. The kids hit on the idea of sending a text message to Miko's phone but are forced to run as Skyquake finds them. Miko is just realizing that they've gone in a circle when they literally run into Starscream's lost arm.

Knock Out examines Starscream, who covers for his lost arm by saying it just fell off. The medic tries unsuccessfully to interest him in a replacement upgrade arm.

[[Image:Shadowzone_HappymusPrime.jpg|left|thumb|300px|What? Optimus is ''smiling''?! No! We're ''still'' in another dimension!]]

Meanwhile, the kids use Starscream's arm to fire a missile at Skyquake. They manage to blast Skyquake's arm off, but it promptly animates and starts charging towards them at high speed. The kids start running once again.

At base, Bulkhead notices that Miko's phone is flashing, and the Autobots finally get the kids' message. Ratchet sets about trying to locate where they are.

Starscream's piece of Dark Energon starts pulsing, which he takes to mean that Skyquake has risen. He tells Knock Out, returning with a new arm, that he's going to go and retrieve his old arm.

Ratchet pinpoints the kids to the location of Skyquake's grave and starts working on a way to return them to the normal dimension.

The kids find themselves back at Starscream's arm and are confronted by Starscream himself, come to find Skyquake. Luckily, he can't see them, but they're forced to run toward him when Skyquake's arm appears. A GroundBridge portal opens in front of them, and they run through at the last moment. Starscream is startled by the three humans running past, but then Skyquake's arm follows them through the portal and grabs Starscream's head. He has barely shaken the thing loose when Optimus, Bulkhead and Arcee arrive, and he has to request another emergency GroundBridge.

[[Image:Shadowzone-alone.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Zombies have no respect for personal space!]]
Back at base, Miko takes responsibility for the whole venture, much to Jack's surprise, but the Autobots decide she's been through enough. Bulkhead regrets she didn't get to take any pictures, but Miko asserts that the mental image of zombie Skyquake will be enough.

Knock Out performs more repairs on Starscream and enquires whether he retrieved his arm. Back in the shadowzone, Skyquake briefly tries Starscream's arm on for size before tossing it away.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (6)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
|c2=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (2)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (3)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] (12)
*[[Skyquake (Prime)|Skyquake]] (13)
|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (9)
*[[Jack Darby]] (10)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (11)
|c4=

}}

==Quotes==
"You cannot harm me while Dark Energon flows through my veins!" 
:—'''Starscream''', seconds before Optimus blows off his arm.

"I can't see without my glasses!" 
"What are you, ninety?" 
"Not. Helping!" 
:—A glasses-less '''Raf''', a jerky '''Miko''' and a frustrated '''Jack'''.

"Uhhh, Starscream, I don't quite understand how this could have happened." 
"And yet it DID! Can you imagine my horror? There I am, minding my own business, when my arm just falls off! Clearly, Megatron inflicted more damage upon me than you realize, ''doctor''..." 
"Well, on the bright side, this provides an excellent opportunity for an upgrade! Let's see...you could go with the Sonic Cannon. It's reliable, low-maintainence, but it lacks a certain flair. Personally, I prefer the Null Ray. It has just the right mix of flash and firepower!" 
"I DON'T WANT A NEW MODEL! I just want the same arm I had before!" 
"Starscream, your equipment is a bit...uh...obsolete. I'm not sure I have another one lying around. Of course, we COULD try to salvage yours. You kept it, didn't you?" 
"It was...beyond recovery." 

:—'''Knock Out''' treats '''Starscream''', who won't admit to what really happened.

"How can a zombie arm move faster than the actual zombie?"
:—That's a very good question, '''Miko'''.

"Look what I found in storage- What are you doing?!" 
"You were right, Knock Out; I'm much too attached to my original appendage! I WILL retrieve it!"
:—'''Knock Out''' gets more lies from '''Starscream''' while the viewers laugh ''their'' arms off.

"Ratchet, can we triangulate the geographical position of the cell phone signal?" 
"''In a parallel dimensional plane?!''... Let's find out."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' poses a challenge for '''Ratchet'''.

"Agh! Unhand me!" 
:—'''Starscream''' to Skyquake's hand. Sorry.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===

===Continuity errors===
* Skyquake's arm continues to function even after being blasted off. When Ratchet severs a zombie's arm in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]", the arm is shown deactivating moments later. It is possible that that is due to Skyquake being somewhat 'fresher' than the zombie in Darkness Rising Part 4, the same way [[Cliffjumper (Prime)| Cliffjumper]] was still functional in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 2]]" despite being cut in half.
* Jack [[Darkness Rising, Part 2|previously discovered]] that the Autobot base was shielded from cell-phone reception. This may have something to do with the "cell phone comlink patch" Raf mentions in "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]".
*When tracking the Decepticon signal on the radar, the Autobot's claim Megatron is heading for a "familiar sight" But in Master's&Student's the only three Decepticons there were Starscream, Soundwave and Skyquake whilst Megatron was still in space from the space bridge explosion.

===Continuity notes===
* Starscream attempts to raise Skyquake as a zombie the way Megatron raised an undead army in "[[Darkness Rising]]" parts [[Darkness Rising, Part 4|4]] and [[Darkness Rising, Part 5|5]]. He even quotes Megatron's exact line about symbiosis.
* Starscream stole the Dark Energon shard he uses from Megatron way back in "[[Masters & Students]]". Likewise, Skyquake made his previous appearance in the same episode, and the action in this episode happens around his burial site.

===Transformers references===
* This episode finally has the Autobots refer to the ''Nemesis'' by name. The name was previously given to the [[Nemesis (G1)|Decepticon cruiser]] from Generation 1 in "[[Nemesis Part 1]]".
* When suggesting alternative arm weapons for Starscream, Knock Out makes a few references to past [[Starscream (disambiguation)|Starscreams]]: While he recommends a [[null-ray]], as sported by [[Starscream (G1)|Generation 1 Starscream]], he also proposes a "[[sonic cannon]]", in an apparent reference to [[Starscream (Animated)|''Animated'' Starscream]], whose arm cannons were referred to as sonic weapons in various places (though never the ''Animated'' show itself).

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
* Ratchet fears that the GroundBridges may have "crossed streams". [[Wikipedia:Ghostbusters|This is generally a very bad thing]].

===Trivia===
* Starscream is apparently obsolete in terms of equipment and systems. Stubborn refusal to upgrade is not unheard of among [[Spotlight: Kup|Transformers]].
* Despite Megatron being pretty ticked off at Starscream in the previous episode, Starscream is still alive (albeit heavily injured). Just like old times!
* [[Jeff Kline]] claimed that when they kill a character, the character stays killed. He wasn't exactly lying: Skyquake reappears, but only as a shambling zombie. He doesn't even get lines, except for groans and moans.
* So Starscream launches the missiles on his arms by flexing his index finger.
* Miko claims to have learned her lesson. Let's see how long that lasts.
* This is the first time since "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" that we've seen Ratchet in his vehicle mode.

==Home video releases==

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Shadowzone (episode)

2011-05-15T07:10:25Z

69.246.94.229:

Sick Mind

2011-05-03T15:45:43Z

69.246.94.229: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 13
|prev=Predatory
|next=Out of His Head
|image=SickMind-OPinfected.jpg
|caption=Psychonautobots!
|title="Sick Mind"
|airdate=[[April 30]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Steven Melching]]
|directed by=[[Shaunt Nigoghossian]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''When Optimus is infected by a Decepticon plague, Arcee and Bumblebee sneak aboard the ''Nemesis'' to find a cure.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Cybonicplague.jpg|250px|thumb|left|Day one-thousand and one. We came in close contact with a hive today...]]
[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] reports that his scans have located the [[Nemesis (Prime)|Decepticon warship]] while experimenting with different frequencies. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] thinks they should strike now, but Ratchet says he's also detected an [[Autobot]] emergency beacon, and [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] decides they should check that out first. He and Ratchet arrive at a centuries-old crashed Autobot ship and venture inside. Though they expect there may be survivors, they find the crew already dead. Ratchet's scans reveal that the crew didn't die in the crash, but had succumbed to [[cybonic plague]]. As the ship shifts, a deceased Autobot hanging from the ceiling drips plague-imbued [[energon (fuel)|energon]] onto Optimus.

Later at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Optimus lays stricken while the others discuss the situation. The plague was developed as part of the Decepticons' [[Decepticon Biological Warfare Program|Biological Warfare Program]], specifically by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] himself, and Ratchet thinks they might be able to find information in the Decepticon databases. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] [[GroundBridge]] onto the Decepticon ship and, narrowly hiding from [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]], enter the ship's laboratory. Inside, Arcee scours the database, but fails to find a cure for the plague. While she's doing so, Bumblebee stumbles on something just as important—the comatose body of Megatron! Arcee is ready to finish Megatron off then and there, but Ratchet has a better idea—enter Megatron's brain and retrieve the plague cure. Ratchet knows of a procedure to create a [[cortical psychic patch]]. Though such procedures have been banned by the Autobots for years, it will get them into Megatron's brain, and Bumblebee is willing to try it.

On the ship's bridge, [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] complains that the ship's electromagnetic shielding has not been fixed, and directs the [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s to hurry up and do so before the Autobots detect them. Afterwards Starscream has a private word with Knock Out, suggesting that the Decepticons deserve a leader who is conscious, and the pair come to an understanding whereby Knock Out will be Starscream's new [[second-in-command]].

[[Image:Megatron_WHY_IN_MY_HEAD.jpg|thumb|250px|right|He ''does'' [[Transform and Roll Out!|eat Autobot protoforms for breakfast]].]]
Arcee plugs Bumblebee into Megatron, and Bumblebee finds himself in a simulation of [[Kaon]]. Ratchet creates a communications downlink, so they can monitor what Bumblebee is doing. Bumblebee wanders though Kaon until he finds what appears to be Optimus, but is just a figment of Megaton's imagination. Megatron appears and slays the false Optimus, who dissolves into smoke. Another Optimus appears, and as Megatron fires his [[fusion cannon]], Bumblebee jumps in the path of the blast, only to find it passes right through him to slay the imaginary Optimus. Megatron, however, has seen Bumblebee and attempts to strike him, but his blows pass clean through the Autobot scout. While Megatron is trying to work out what's going on, Optimus, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and another Bumblebee appear, all figments of his imagination. Megatron destroys them, but begins to realize that he's in his own subconscious.

Arcee becomes anxious when Starscream, Knock Out and [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] enter the lab, though the two Autobots are hidden well enough that the Decepticons don't see them. Starscream is determined to put on a show for Soundwave, to convince his fellow Decepticon that Megatron is beyond saving. He and Knock Out attempt to persuade Soundwave that putting Megatron out of his misery is the best thing. Arcee and Ratchet overhear their conversation, and Ratchet says terminating Megatron will permanently separate Bumblebee's mind and body.

In the dream world, Megatron ponders what has happened to him, and finds out from Bumblebee about the [[space bridge]] explosion. Short on time, Bumblebee relays the news about Optimus's cybonic plague infection. Megatron is amused that after all this time Optimus will be felled by a virus, but Bumblebee plays on his desire to finish Optimus himself.

Starscream is about to pull the plug on Megatron when Soundwave points out the psychic patch cable. Starscream begins following it, as Arcee observes from her hiding place.

[[Image:SickMind-take me.jpg|thumb|left|250px|"The dream's collapsing!" Braaaahm. Braaahm.]]

Megatron briefly shows Bumblebee the formula for the virus cure, but will only share it if Bumblebee can release him from his mental prison. Unknown to Megatron, Ratchet can still see everything Bumblebee sees. Having ganked the formula, Ratchet tells Arcee to cut the link. Megatron's dream world begins to disintegrate and the Decepticon leader launches himself at the disappearing Bumblebee.

Bumblebee comes around as Starscream finds the two hidden Autobots, and, as they escape through the GroundBridge, Arcee blasts one of the cables attached to Megatron. Starscream is actually pleased that Megatron has flatlined as a result, but at Soundwave's insistence has Knock Out reconnect the cable.

[[Image:SickMind-I'm out.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Hmm... A [[Megatron (BW)|Megatron]] that gets [[Spark of Darkness|trapped inside]] a [[Diagnostic Drone|weaker bot]] after he was [[Sparkwar Pt. III: The Siege|presumed deceased]]. That sounds familiar.]]
A newly-cured Optimus stands up and the Autobots celebrate, but Optimus insists the celebration should be for Ratchet and Bumblebee. On the Decepticon ship, Knock Out observes that Megatron is no longer exhibiting any brainwave activity — there's no one home. Unbeknownst to anyone, Megatron now resides in Bumblebee's head...
{{-}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (2)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (3)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*Autobot plague victims (9)

|c2=*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (10)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (11)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s (12)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (14)

|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (5)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (6)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (7)

}}

==Quotes==

"Spiking hard, his sick mind still at work."
:—'''Arcee''' namedrops the title.

"I will NOT allow Optimus to pass knowing that Megatron will outlive him!"
:—'''Ratchet''', increasingly desperate to save Optimus.

"An inglorious fate that he should remain in this vegetative state..."
:—'''Starscream''' composes poetry about Megatron. [[Sky-Byte (RID)|Sound]] [[Wheelie (G1)|familiar]]?

"You scratch my back, I scratch yours."
:—'''Starscream''' to Knock-Out, who evidentally doesn't remember what happened [[Speed Metal|the last time Starscream's claws got close to him]].

"Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
:—'''Starscream''' to Soundwave as the former is about to take Megatron off life support. And Soundwave STILL won't say a word.

"If this is my subconscious... ''WHAT ARE YOU DOING INSIDE MY HEAD?!''"
:—'''Megatron''' unintentionally makes us laugh.

"I'm out... or should I say ''in''?"
:—'''Megatron''' cackles as he awakes in Bumblebee's body.

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===

*When Knock Out says that there is no brainwave activity, one of the monitors next to Starscream shows brainwave activity in Megatron.

===Continuity errors===

*Since Megatron's dream was, presumably, taking place ''before'' the cortical psychic patch, why is it destroyed once the patch is broken? Shouldn't Bumblebee be the only thing in it to disappear?

===Transformers references===
*[[Kaon]], the Decepticon capital on Cybertron, was first mentioned in the Dreamwave ''Generation One'' comics.
*"One shall stand, one shall fall" is used for the [[Darkness Rising, Part 5|second time]] in this series.
*Megatron asks whether or not he "still functions".
*Megatron refuses handing over the formula for the cure to the plague unless Bumblebee helps him escape, or he will let Optimus [[The many deaths of Optimus Prime#The Transformers: The Movie| "fade to gunmetal grey."]]
*The first showdown between Megatron and an Optimus illusion is reminiscent of the [[title sequence]].

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===
*[[Cybonic plague]] is a reference to [[wikipedia:bubonic plague|bubonic plague]].
*Bulkhead says that Megatron is "pushing up lugnuts." This is a modification of the human phrase, "pushing up daisies," although it doesn't make much literal sense.
*Oddly enough, Starscream uses two common human phrases, both quoted above. Perhaps Soundwave gets cable?

===Trivia===
*The two offline Autobots on the plague ship were reminiscent of [[Perceptor (G1)|Perceptor]] and [[Ironhide (G1) |Ironhide]].
*This episode was available to watch prior to its intended airdate on some cable providers' Video On Demand services.
*This episode marks Megatron's first speaking role since the end of the ''[[Darkness Rising]]'' mini-series.
*This is also the first episode to show Megatron using his [[fusion cannon]] outside of the opening titles sequence.
*"I'm inside your mind!" is a common fictional trope that ''Transformers'' fiction has explored in the past:
*In the [[Beast Wars (cartoon)|''Beast Wars'' episode]] "[[Other Voices, Part 2]]", [[Blackarachnia (BW)|Blackarachnia]] uplinks herself into [[Tarantulas (BW)|Tarantulas]]'s mind and wanders through his inwardly-imagined world before confronting his own psychic avatar. Tarantulas also manages to install himself into her mind as Megatron has done here.
*And from a less metaphysical perspective, the Autobots literally shrank themselves into microscopic size in order to walk around inside [[Megatron (G1)|Megatron]]'s brain in the [[The Transformers (cartoon)|Generation 1 episode]] "[[Microbots]]".
*Starscream totally bitch-slaps a Vehicon.
*Megatron moves rather quickly in his dreams. After destroying the dream Optimus, Bulkhead and Bumblebee, and realizing its his subconscious, he takes barely a second to move from his position a few feet away to looming over Bumblebee.
*Megatron's voice has a surprisingly compassionate sound to it when he asks if "someone besides [him]self is unwell"... It's rather disturbing.
*Nobody transforms once in this episode.
*Breakdown is absent in this episode

==Home video releases==

==External links==

[[Category:Prime episodes]]