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Orion Pax, Part 1

2012-04-15T17:16:48Z

70.253.129.193: /* Trivia */

{{disambig3|Orion Pax}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 27
|prev=One Shall Rise, Part 3
|next=Orion Pax, Part 2
|image=Orion-Pax-Part-1-OP-Megatron.jpg
|caption=
|title="Orion Pax, Part 1"
|airdate=[[February 18]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Nicole Dubuc]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

{{picsneeded}}

'''Megatron manipulates the impaired Optimus into joining the Decepticons.'''

==Synopsis==
With the [[Autobot]]s back at base after [[Unicron]]'s defeat, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] grimly outlines the situation and speculates that [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] has reverted to Orion Pax, his pre-Prime self.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] makes a ship-wide announcement that Orion Pax is to be treated as a guest. [[Airachnid]] doesn't think it's wise to let an Autobot on board, but Megatron isn't concerned and has his own plans for Orion. Elsewhere on the ship, [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] affixes a new [[Decepticon]] [[insignia]] to Orion's shoulder.

[[William Fowler|Fowler]] wonders why they can't just track down Optimus's signal, but Ratchet says it hasn't been on their sensors since they left the [[Earth]]'s core. They must find some way to track down Optimus regardless, so they can somehow restore his memory. The best bet seems to be to use the [[Key to Vector Sigma]], but the problem is, [[Vector Sigma]]'s on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]].

Megatron begins to fill Orion Pax in on what's been happening, spinning a yarn about how Orion has been a captive of the Autobots, who are led by the Warlord Ratchet. Orion is shocked at the images Megatron shows him of a war-ravaged Cybertron.

[[June Darby|June]] announces that there's no way [[Jack Darby|Jack]] is going to Cybertron, but Ratchet says only Jack can use the key to access Vector Sigma. The point's moot anyway, as they don't have any way to get to Cybertron. As [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] points out, the [[GroundBridge]] barely made orbit, though [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] wonders why Ratchet can't just "turbo-charge" it.

With Megatron finished "informing" Orion, the latter vows to help the Decepticons overcome Ratchet and the Autobots. Megatron has [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] remove any incriminating evidence from the ship's data core so Orion can be put to work furthering the Decepticon cause without any risk of him finding anything embarrassing.

[[Sierra]] turns up at [[KO Burger]] to visit Jack as he works at the drive through, confused that she never sees him outside school. Their discussion is interrupted by [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] picking him up as his shift ends. Sierra jumps to the obvious conclusion after hearing the female voice, and seems unconvinced by Jack's claim that it's his mother. Arcee reports that they haven't detected Optimus yet.

Megatron discusses their new comrade with Knock Out, specifically his task to decrypt records stolen from the [[Iacon (polity)|Iacon]] archives near the end of the War. Knock Out wonders if they shouldn't beef up the security, but Megatron feels that Orion will work better if he feels he is not under threat. In any case, Orion's workstation has been located close to the [[energon]] storage, which is under heavy guard.

Back at [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]], Ratchet is "tinkering" with the GroundBridge.

Orion has managed to decode some of the data from the Iacon archives, giving coordinates on Earth of stashed Cybertronian technology, possibly weapons. He is puzzled by the absence from the ''Nemesis'' of [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] who is mentioned in the documents as being Megatron's second-in-command, but Megatron claims Starscream is dead. Megatron returns to the bridge, where he tells Soundwave he's concerned that Orion will soon learn the truth.

Fowler contacts the Autobots to let them know that the Decepticons are attacking one of the military bases they hit two months before. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee respond, finding Knock Out and Breakdown in the process of stealing a power source. As the pair GroundBridge out, Arcee races through after them and begins speeding through the ''Nemesis'', bashing Vehicons and hunting for Optimus. Soundwave soon relays her presence to Megatron, and though Airachnid offers to deal with it, Megatron sends Soundwave to ensure the Autobot is escorted off the ship. Alerted by the fighting, Orion emerges from his quarters, but Soundwave manages to GroundBridge Arcee off the ship just before Orion can see her.

Deposited somewhere Arctic, Arcee is soon back at base admitting she didn't succeed in determining the location of the ship or whether Optimus was even aboard. Fowler makes a brief call to yell at them for the human casualties at the base, and tensions among the Autobots soon spill over into arguing. Jack, however, believes they can commandeer the Decepticon [[space bridge]] once it's complete, and use it to reach Cybertron. The Autobots are doubtful, but determined to try and find the space bridge.

Meanwhile, [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] sneaks back on board the ''Nemesis'' to steal a stack of [[energon cube]]s. Though he deals with the Vehicons guarding the energon storage, more are on their way, and he's forced to duck into a nearby room. His relief is momentary, as he finds himself face to face with Optimus Prime.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (2)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (3)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (4)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (10)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (11)
*[[Airachnid]] (12)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|"Orion Pax"]] (13)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (14)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (15)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (17)
|c3=
*[[William Fowler]] (5)
*[[June Darby]] (6)
*[[Jack Darby]] (7)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (8)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (9)
*[[Sierra]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (18)

}}

==Quotes==
"—and the first to address him as Optimus Prime will have their voice box torn out."
:—'''Megatron''' makes plain the penalty for failure.

"Your mom looks good in leather, on your bike..."
:—'''Sierra''' is unconvinced that [[Arcee (Prime)|the girl on the motorcycle]] is really Jack's mom

"One question, Megatron, why are we called 'Decepticons'?" 
"Another craven Autobot scare tactic. The name was meant to demonize us. Instead, we wear it as a badge of honor. For if speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty."
:—"'''Orion Pax'''" is (ironically) deceived by '''Megatron'''.

"Bulkhead—" 
"What? ''You needed that?!''"
:—'''Ratchet''' is eternally frustrated, and '''Bulkhead''' should invest in a punching bag.

"Whoa, that's a pretty good idea!" 
"Oh, well if ''Miko'' thinks it's a good idea..."
:—'''Miko''' gets no respect from '''Arcee'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*During his first appearance, the scar on Starscream's right cheek is missing. In the next scene however, it's suddenly there. It also disappears when the lights are flickering after he killed two Vehicons.
*The Vehicons fail to notice that Starscream is flying in formation behind them, and don't hear him land with them inside the ship, even though on both occasions Starscream is no more than a dozen or so meters behind them.

===Continuity notes===
* Fowler refers to the "microchip in his butt" that allows the government to track him, which was previously used for that purpose by the Autobots in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 3]]".
*Starscream's absence is finally acknowledged by Megatron after his supposed capture in "[[Partners]]". He evidently realized that Starscream may have betrayed him again and ordered him to be detained if he returned.
*Megatron refers to Ratchet as the "Doctor of Doom", as the Autobot medic called himself in "[[Stronger, Faster]]".
*The Decepticons previously attempted to seize the same power source in "[[One Shall Fall]]", which according to Agent Fowler, was two months before this episode.
*Starscream still has the scar on his right cheek inflicted by Arcee in "[[Partners]]".

===Continuity errors===
*Ratchet says that Optimus' signal never reappeared at the end of "[[One Shall Rise, Part 3]]", even though it did.

===Transformers references===
*In summarizing his version of history for Orion, Megatron uses the rather specific terminology of "exodus" and "war for Cybertron", pretty blatantly alluding to the [[Transformers: Exodus|novel]] and [[Transformers: War for Cybertron (franchise)|video game]]. In particular, the first name-drop is kinda forced, as the word isn't even used correctly: Megatron says they are "in exodus on another world", but he means [[Transformers: Exiles|"exile"]].
*Fowler calls Orion a "librarian" in disbelief that he has lost his memories: this was Megatron's favored insult for Optimus in ''Exodus''.
*Megatron refers to the storming of the Hall of Records in the final days of the war for Cybertron; ''Exodus'' climaxed with the Decepticons storming Iacon, and, in ''[[Transformers: Exiles| Exiles]]'', the building is occupied.
*Ratchet remarks that if the government shuts down [[Autobot Outpost Omega One]], then maybe they'll "fire them into space", a fate that befell the Autobots when they fell out of favour with humanity in both the Generation 1 cartoon episode "[[Megatron's Master Plan, Part 1|Megatron's Master Plan]]" and the ''[[Transformers: Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' film. His other suggestion, that they be shipped off to "some island", feels like a reference to ''[[Transformers: Rescue Bots (cartoon)|Rescue Bots]]'', the cast of which operates on an isolated island (this episode's writer, Nicole Dubuc, is also the head writer for ''Rescue Bots'', strengthening the potential allusion).
*Arcee remarks that perhaps Optimus gave Jack the Key to Vector Sigma because he thought there was "more to Jack than meets the eye".

===Trivia===
*A 12-minute sneak preview of this episode was made available On Demand on [[February 10]], 2012.
*Polygon resolved the issue of the seemingly empty [[Jasper]] with roving cars!
*Arcee nearly blew her cover while balancing in the drive-thru without her [[Sadie|holographic driver]] touching the ground. Earth bikes can't do that, Arcee.
* One has to wonder why Megatron would have told Optimus that Starscream was dead, if he was also prepared for Starscream to return alive.
* The Decepticon GroundBridge seems to be able to open anywhere inside the ship, since Arcee enters in the middle of one hallway, only to be sent back out at the end of a completely different one.
*Despite [[Out of His Head|previously]] beating Starscream to a pulp for his attempted betrayal, Megatron still allows Airachnid to serve as his subordinate - though his brief scolding of her implies he's well aware of her treachery. This would indeed [[Crossfire|eventually]] catch up to Airachnid.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Crisscross (episode)

2012-04-15T17:07:44Z

70.253.129.193: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 17
|prev=Operation: Breakdown
|next=Metal Attraction
|image=Airachnid and Silas.jpeg
|caption=They'll make you jump, jump.
|title="Crisscross"
|airdate=[[June 25]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Joseph Kuhr]]
|directed by=[[Vinton Heuck]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''Airachnid teams up with MECH to get revenge on Arcee and Jack.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Silas]] and three MECH soldiers are searching through a wooded area for a Decepticon. They jump into a web-shrouded ravine, but the three soldiers are snatched from the ground and stuck on one of the webs by [[Airachnid]]. Silas takes a shot at her, but is promptly thrown against a rock wall and webbed there. The Decepticon threatens to eviscerate him for what MECH did to [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]], but wants his help in finding [[Jack Darby]] and will give them [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]].

Jack arrives home with Arcee, to find [[June Darby|his mother]] mad that he's been breaking curfew and neglecting his job and schoolwork. She believes he may have been racing his motorcycle and grounds him for the next few weeks—with no motorcycle use. Arcee says she'll miss Jack during that time, but he points out that if she doesn't stay in the garage, his mom will think he's breaking her rules. Arcee promises she'll try to be back in the garage before his mom gets home each night.

[[Image:Motorcycle abuse.jpeg|thumb|left|300px|This must be some form of abuse, surely.]]
The next day, as Jack's leaving [[KO Burger]], he gets a call from his mother, who is on her way home early to make dinner for him. He frantically contacts Arcee, who's with [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] in the middle of a fight with some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s. Arcee leaves Bumblebee to it and [[GroundBridge|bridges]] out. June arrives home to find the garage empty, and she blows up at Jack as he arrives on his bicycle. Arcee bridges into the garage behind her, but this merely results in June thinking one of Jack's friends snuck the motorcycle in. Jack spills all about the Autobots, but when Arcee refuses to transform, Jack's mom asks if he's been hanging out with a science fiction club. She leaves to return to work, the conversation unfinished.

[[Image:MECH ambush.jpeg|thumb|right|300px|"Jehova's Witnesses, ma'am. Take a leaflet!"]]
Silas uses images from the black box from Airachnid's ship to track down information on Jack, including the identity of his mother. A MECH vehicle soon arrives to abduct June as she leaves the [[Jasper Hospital|hospital]].

Jack arrives home on his cycle to find Arcee, but no mom. There's a package waiting for him, which turns out to be a MECH communicator. Silas tells the pair that MECH has June, and there are GPS coordinates that will lead them to the temporary MECH facility. Arcee attempts to contact base and gets an instant headache. Silas explains the communicator will scramble her brain as well as Autobot communications. Jack and Arcee follow the communicator's map to a disused factory, where they're met by Silas and a bunch of MECH goons. They race past the MECH guys to look for Jack's mom and instead find Airachnid. Airachnid webs Arcee, who is then zapped by a MECH soldier. The 'Con tells Jack he has until midnight to rescue his mother. Jack tries to plead with Silas for help, but the MECH leader pushes him back. Jack then races off to find his mom, followed by Airachnid. Silas tells his men to start working on Arcee, as he suspects Airachnid will double-cross them.

Jack runs through the factory, but is unable to find June until Airachnid points her out, dangling in a web cocoon from a building. At this point, June awakens both to discover her predicament and to spy Airachnid. Jack tells Airachnid he's found his mom, but she points out the task was to ''rescue'' June. Webbing Jack's hand to the ground, she prepares to destroy his family.

The MECH surgeons finish cutting through the web holding Arcee, and Silas instructs them go for the heart, as they only have time to take one part. Arcee has recovered consciousness by this point, and she tosses the MECH personnel aside before leaving to help Jack.

[[Image:Airachnidconcrete.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Thanks a lot, Mixmaster."]]

As Jack continues to try to free his hand, Airachnid moves in on June. Before she can lay a hand on mom, however, Arcee comes barreling up a nearby roof and tackles her. Jack gets free and goes to help June, while Arcee and Airachnid battle on the factory superstructure. They eventually reach the ground, but Airachnid's laser fire damages the platform June is dangling from, and Jack has to scramble to avoid falling. Jack accidentally knocks against a lever, pouring concrete into a concrete truck on the ground. Arcee manages to kick Airachnid into a container nearby, and with Jack's help, pours concrete in on top of her. Airachnid starts climbing out, but is frozen by the quick-drying substance. Arcee goes to help June, but the concrete isn't enough, and Airachnid webs her back to the ground. Luckily, the cavalry arrives in the form of [[William Fowler|Agent Fowler]] with three helicopters armed with chain guns.

Silas wonders how Fowler was alerted, and then realizes Jack stole his radio earlier.

The helicopters stop firing, but this just allows Airachnid to [[scanning|scan]] Fowler's chopper and make her escape in her new [[alternate mode|altmode]]. Her scanning process is also observed by Silas.

Fowler introduces himself to June and attempts to weave a cover story, but June doesn't buy it. Jack introduces her to Arcee, and the next day, they go to the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]] so she can meet the rest of the Autobots.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
* [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (5)
* [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (7)
* [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (12)
* [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (13)
* [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (16)

|c2=
* [[Airachnid]] (3)
* [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]]s (8)

|c3=
* [[Silas]] (1)
* [[MECH]] soldiers (2)
* [[Jack Darby]] (4)
* [[June Darby]] (6)
* [[MECH Surgeon]] (9)
* [[William Fowler]] (10)
* Soldier (11)
* [[Miko Nakadai]] (14)
* [[Raf Esquivel]] (15)
}}

==Quotes==

"Tell me you haven't fallen in with a bad crowd." 
"W-what? N-no no no no, my friends are the good crowd, seriously good."
:—'''Jack''''s not wrong.

"Ah, the mother lode." 
"Government database?" 
"Social networking page."
:—'''Silas''' teaches '''Airachnid''' the fastest way to track down a teenager.

"Now, I know we promised the spider-bot that she would have first crack at you, but something tells me she's going to turn our mutual crisscross... into a double-cross."
:—'''Silas'''

"Jack, your motorcycle?" 
"I can explain, Mom. Wait, I already did."
:—Even with '''June Darby''' in mortal peril, '''Jack''' can still crack wise.

"Oh, not again!"
:—'''Agent Fowler''' is exasperated at Decepticons copying his vehicles.

"So that's how it's done. Genius."
:—'''Silas''' on seeing how Airachnid scans a vehicle mode.

"It's time you knew the truth. For the past several months, Jack has been... interning for me at the agency." 
"Agent Fowler, Mom's not gonna buy that." 
"He's got that right."
:—'''Agent Fowler''''s first meeting with '''June''' hits a rocky start.

"Motorcycle, Guardian, Autobot, friend."
:—'''Jack''' lists '''Arcee''''s status to his mom.

"Mom, meet my science fiction club!"
:—'''Jack''' introducing June to the Autobots

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
*The amount of cement shown pouring onto Airachnid isn't actually enough to cover her ''entire'' body.

===Continuity errors===
* June takes an early break from work to cook Jack a dinner, but then as soon as she gets home, she returns to work.
*Airachnid scans Agent Fowler's helicopter, which resembles a [[wikipedia:Bell UH-1 Iroquois|UH-1 "Huey"]], but the alt-mode she adopts is of a completely different design, resembling a futuristic [[wikipedia:Boeing/Sikorsky RAH-66 Comanche|RAH-66 Comanche]].

===Continuity notes===
*Airachnid wants revenge on Arcee and Jack for the events in "[[Predatory]]".
*The rumors June heard about Jack racing his motorcycle may have been referencing the events of "[[Speed Metal]]".
*Airachnid has heard of Breakdown's treatment by MECH, which happened in [[Operation: Breakdown|the previous episode]].
*Messages on Jack's social networking page refer back to "Speed Metal" (Sierra refers to a race) and "[[Con Job]]" (Miko's message about a monster truck rally references a line of dialog from that episode).
*Agent Fowler previously had a vehicle of his scanned for an alternate mode by Skyquake back in "[[Masters & Students]]".
*The soldier who reports to Fowler at the end is the same one who was on the train in "[[Convoy (episode)|Convoy]]".
*This is MECH's last appearance for season one.

===Transformers references===
*The final sequence of Arcee and Jack taking June to the Autobot base is an almost shot-for-shot replica of the first time Jack, Miko and Raf were taken there back in the pilot. Even the same musical piece, "We Have Returned", is used.

===Real-world references===
* The title of this episode is a reference to Alfred Hitchcock's [[wikipedia:Strangers on a Train (film)|''Strangers on a Train'']], which famously originated the use of the word "crisscross" for a team-up murder plot in which each participant takes out the enemy of the other. Silas even uses the term to describe MECH's alliance with Airachnid.
* [[Super Guitar Band]], which Miko posts on Jack's social networking page, is an amalgam of ''[[wikipedia:Guitar Hero|Guitar Hero]]'', ''[[wikipedia:Rock Band|Rock Band]]'' and the plethora of video games with Super- as a suffix.

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Der Hinterhalt'''" ("The Ambush")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 13|13 January]] [[2012]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Túszjátszma'''" ("Hostage Game")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 31|31 January]] [[2012]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Rivelazioni'''" ("Revelations")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 20|20 November]] [[2011]]

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Geomi ui Boksu'''" (거미의 복수, "Spider's Revenge")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 24|24 October]] [[2011]]

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 27|27 December]] [[2011]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[February 27|27 February]] [[2011]]

===Trivia===
*MECH has a really funny concept of "suppression fire".
*The name of the social networking page is partially obscured, but begins with "Some Social".
*Fowler got someone else to pilot his helicopter for him this time.
*Silas calls June Darby "Miss Darby", but Fowler calls her "Mrs. Darby".
*Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Raf, and Miko all cameo at the end, but have no lines.
*The way Airachnid says "'Transformer', was it", implies that Cybertronians don't use that term themselves and that it's mainly an invention of humans.
*This is the first time anyone from the Autobots' team meets Silas face to face.
*The photo in the Darby household is the opening shot from [[Darkness Rising, Part 1]], only flipped.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]