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Out of the Past

2012-10-14T21:55:03Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 43
|prev=Hurt
|next=New Recruit
|image=OutofthePast-Shockwave.jpg
|caption=Arcee's partners are all dead.
|title="Out of the Past"
|airdate=[[August 31]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Mike Johnson]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Arcee recalls the time she and Cliffjumper discovered Shockwave and Starscream were building a space bridge.'''

==Synopsis==
:''The ''[[Trypticon (Prime)|Nemesis]]'' flies through space. On the bridge, [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] is dragged before [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] who's interested in decrypting an Autobot signal he's intercepted. While Arcee defies his "offer" by telling him where to go, Starscream reveals he has another prisoner—[[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]].''

In the present day, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] is struggling with his recovery, with [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] providing some "encouragement" in the form of ordering him around. [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] is similarly struggling to decode the recovered Iacon database. [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] says Bulkhead needs a break, despite Miko being annoyed at the slow progress her friend is making. She storms out of the base, but Arcee follows and finds her crying atop the plateau in which the base is located. The Autobot tries to talk to her friend about Bulkhead, and the conversation leads to Miko asking about Cliffjumper.

[[Image:OutofthePast-CliffArcee.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Did it have anything to do with those sirens around noon?" "I said I ''don't'' want to talk about it!"]]
:''Cliffjumper is dumped in the cell, having undergone torture but has resisted talking. He and Arcee discuss how they came to be back on Cybertron. Elsewhere Starscream complains about the failure of his interrogation, and [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] suggests taking them down on the planet's surface. Starscream and some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are soon leading the two prisoners through [[Kaon]] to a laboratory. Cliffjumper is concerned at the sight of the many tools lying ready to be used, even moreso when Starscream introduces them to [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] himself. The two Autobots are strapped to tables, and Shockwave uses a [[cortical psychic patch]] to hook in to Arcee's mind. The process is successful and Starscream uses it to decode the transmission—which turns out to be Optimus Prime's message to bring the other Autobots to [[Earth]].''

:''Though the Decepticons have assumed Arcee is dead, she is very much alive and surreptitiously begins freeing herself. As Shockwave prepares to finish off Cliffjumper, Cliff suggests Starscream should be the one to do it. Shockwave leaves them to it, but as Starscream moves in, he's attacked by Arcee. She straps him to the free table and releases Cliffjumper. Starscream quickly folds under questioning and confesses Shockwave remained on the planet because he's building a [[space bridge]]. Knocking the 'Con out, Arcee goes to shut down the space bridge, and Cliffjumper insists on going along, despite her skepticism about his capacity for stealth. As they walk, Cliff suggests they should join Optimus's team, but Arcee isn't as keen, and rejects the idea that Cliff is her partner. Cliffjumper believes she shouldn't close herself off just because of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]'s death.''

Miko recognizes the truth of this advice, but asks Arcee what happened next.

[[Image:Cliffjumper and Shockwave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Thumbs up if you think Shockwave is weird!" "0_0" "He's right behind me, isn't he?"]]
:''Arcee and Cliffjumper find the space bridge, with two Vehicons operating it. While Cliff provides a distraction, Arcee starts sabotaging the bridge to overload it. Unfortunately Shockwave arrives and attempts to fix the bridge. Cliffjumper dispatches the Vehicons before sparring with Shockwave, ultimately being defeated by the hulking Decepticon. Arcee lends a hand, bringing the roof down on the Decepticon, but the pair become pinned down by Starscream and some Vehicons. Starscream demands they reverse the damage to the space bridge, but they instead head through it. Halfway through the space bridge tunnel, Shockwave catches up with the two Autobots and they exchange fire until Arcee shoots him in the eye. The space bridge deposits Cliffjumper and Arcee on Earth seconds before exploding, and after declaring themselves partners, they go to find Optimus.''

Arcee finishes her story as the sun goes down, saying she misses Cliffjumper. Miko rests her hand on Arcee's in a gesture of comfort as they watch the sunset.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Arcee (Prime) | Arcee]] (2)
*''[[Cliffjumper (Prime) | Cliffjumper]] (5)''
*[[Bulkhead (Prime) | Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime) | Optimus Prime]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (Prime) | Ratchet]] (9)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime) | Bumblebee]] (10)
* ''[[Tailgate (Prime) | Tailgate]] (13)''
|c2=
*''[[Vehicon (Prime) | Vehicons]] (1)''
*''[[Starscream (Prime) | Starscream]] (3)''
*''[[Soundwave (Prime) | Soundwave]] (4)''
*''[[Shockwave (Prime) | Shockwave]] (11)''
*''[[Airachnid (Prime) | Airachnid]] (12)''
|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"So this is Kaon, huh? Love what you Decepticons have done with the place. The ruins are especially picturesque."
:—'''Cliffjumper'''

"Your reasoning is hardly... ''logical''."
:—'''Shockwave'''

"While it often pains me, I ''try'' to be a team player."
:—'''Starscream'''

"Only Starscream could fail to dispose of a helpless captive."
:-'''Shockwave''' seems familiar with some of Starscream's incompetance.

"They should really stop shooting at us if they want our help."
:—'''Cliffjumper'''

"Funny. At first I didn't think I'd ever get used to Cliff's constant chatter. Now, there's nothing louder to me than the silence."
:—'''Arcee'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Within the space bridge, Cliffjumper is by Arcee's side while shooting at Shockwave, but disappears when it's just Arcee facing the Decepticon. He reappears as Arcee shoots Shockwave's eye.
* When Starsream and Shockwave are listening to Optimus Prime's transmission, Shockwave is seen on the left of Starscream but when the transmission ends he's on Starscream's right. It is possible that he moved when the camera was turned to the Autobots.
* The bottom part of Arcee's head crest is red but when she and Cliffjumper are interogating Starscream it becomes silver and the later on becomes red again.This also happens when they are in the space bridge vortex.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode retells the prequel story told in [[Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|the IDW graphic novel]] (also written by Mike Johnson). The story's still about Arcee and Cliffjumper learning about Optimus Prime on Earth, uncovering a Decepticon plot to reestablish forgotten [[space bridge]] technology, Cliffjumper pretending to forfeit to the Decepticons as a cover for Arcee's hijinks, and them running for the space bridge portal to Earth while being blasted at by Decepticons. However, each of these stories occur in an incompatible way, and the episode gives responsibility for the space bridge project to Shockwave instead of Starscream. A notable change to the timeline see the episodes contradict the graphic novel's statement that Starscream had been on Earth with Megatron during the initial clash between the Autobots and Decepticons there (three years prior to the start of the cartoon), and only returned to Cybertron to set up the space bridge; on-screen, it is clear he has ''not'' been to the planet before, given that he requires Prime's signal to locate it (which in the comic only served to provide Cliffjumper and Arcee with knowledge of Prime's location).
* Cliffjumper is voiced by [[Billy Brown]], whose imitation of [[Dwayne Johnson]] generally sounds quite convincing.
* Bulkhead has regained consciousness since the events of "[[Hurt]]", but he can barely walk.
* Optimus tries to decode the rest of the Iacon database gained in "[[Triage]]".

===Transformers references===
* Cliffjumper mentions getting lost in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], which did sort of happen in ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron| Fall of Cybertron]]'', and he was, kind of, separated from his unit (if you count [[Sideswipe (WFC)|two]] [[Jazz (WFC)|bots]] as a unit). However, Cliff ''did'' have Jazz to talk to. (Talk "at")
* Shockwave stayed behind on Cybertron, much like how his G1-counterpart remained on the planet.
* Arcee's declaration that space bridge technology was lost for a long time was true in the ''Transformers: Exodus'' novel.
* Throughout several continuities, Shockwave has kept to logic as his sense for reason.
* This isn't the first time that [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] has attempted to extract [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|codes]] from [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. The same happened [[This Is Why I Hate Machines|towards]] [[Endgame, Part I|the end]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers: Animated]]''.
* Cliffjumper pretends to be an Autobot traitor. In [[Cliffjumper (G1)|another life]], Cliffjumper [[Traitor|accused]] [[Mirage (G1)|other Autobots]] of being traitors. In [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|yet another life]], Cliffjumper [[Autoboot Camp|sent]] an [[Wasp|innocent Autobot]] to prison for being framed as a traitor, ironically by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]].
* Arcee tells Starscream to get [[frag|fragged]].

===Real-world references===
===Trivia===
* Shockwave is apparently the inventor of the illegal cortical psychic patch. Not surprising, considering he's also responsible for some "certain" changes made to some "certain" [[Dinobot (FOC)|Autobots]].
* As in "[[Predatory]]", the primary characters use the same models, meaning they all have Earth-mode kibble well before ever visiting Earth.
* Starscream gloats about how he captured the uncaptureable Arcee. Apparently he never heard of [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s [[Predatory|encounter]] with [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]. This is consistent with comments he makes in the episode "[[Partners]]", in which he asks "Who's Tailgate?", accidentally revealing to Arcee that it was he who killed Cliffjumper.
** In general, Starscream's interrogation of Arcee at the beginning of the episode is very similar to Airachnid's attempts to extract information from her, although Arcee takes the former's threats better than the latter's.
* Arcee's flashback of Tailgate's death happens during the flashback of her adventure with Cliffjumper. A flashback within a flashback. Flashbackception. ''BWAMMMM''.
* When Starscream is deciding on how to eliminate Cliffjumper, he settles on "the old-fashioned way": [[Darkness Rising, Part 1| eviscerating him with his claws]]. He's interrupted by Arcee, but the foreshadowing is almost thick enough to cut with said claws.
* Shockwave doesn't think very highly of Starscream, and by the same token Starscream doesn't like him and considers him an arrogant glory hog despite this episode not providing any hints of it. Then again, this is Starscream we're talking about.

[[Category:Adaptations]]
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Out of the Past

2012-10-14T21:54:50Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 43
|prev=Hurt
|next=New Recruit
|image=OutofthePast-Shockwave.jpg
|caption=Arcee's partners are all dead.
|title="Out of the Past"
|airdate=[[August 31]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Mike Johnson]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Arcee recalls the time she and Cliffjumper discovered Shockwave and Starscream were building a space bridge.'''

==Synopsis==
:''The ''[[Trypticon (Prime)|Nemesis]]'' flies through space. On the bridge, [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] is dragged before [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] who's interested in decrypting an Autobot signal he's intercepted. While Arcee defies his "offer" by telling him where to go, Starscream reveals he has another prisoner—[[Cliffjumper (Prime)|Cliffjumper]].''

In the present day, [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] is struggling with his recovery, with [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] providing some "encouragement" in the form of ordering him around. [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] is similarly struggling to decode the recovered Iacon database. [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] says Bulkhead needs a break, despite Miko being annoyed at the slow progress her friend is making. She storms out of the base, but Arcee follows and finds her crying atop the plateau in which the base is located. The Autobot tries to talk to her friend about Bulkhead, and the conversation leads to Miko asking about Cliffjumper.

[[Image:OutofthePast-CliffArcee.jpg|left|thumb|300px|"Did it have anything to do with those sirens around noon?" "I said I ''don't'' want to talk about it!"]]
:''Cliffjumper is dumped in the cell, having undergone torture but has resisted talking. He and Arcee discuss how they came to be back on Cybertron. Elsewhere Starscream complains about the failure of his interrogation, and [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] suggests taking them down on the planet's surface. Starscream and some [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] are soon leading the two prisoners through [[Kaon]] to a laboratory. Cliffjumper is concerned at the sight of the many tools lying ready to be used, even moreso when Starscream introduces them to [[Shockwave (Prime)|Shockwave]] himself. The two Autobots are strapped to tables, and Shockwave uses a [[cortical psychic patch]] to hook in to Arcee's mind. The process is successful and Starscream uses it to decode the transmission—which turns out to be Optimus Prime's message to bring the other Autobots to [[Earth]].''

:''Though the Decepticons have assumed Arcee is dead, she is very much alive and surreptitiously begins freeing herself. As Shockwave prepares to finish off Cliffjumper, Cliff suggests Starscream should be the one to do it. Shockwave leaves them to it, but as Starscream moves in, he's attacked by Arcee. She straps him to the free table and releases Cliffjumper. Starscream quickly folds under questioning and confesses Shockwave remained on the planet because he's building a [[space bridge]]. Knocking the 'Con out, Arcee goes to shut down the space bridge, and Cliffjumper insists on going along, despite her skepticism about his capacity for stealth. As they walk, Cliff suggests they should join Optimus's team, but Arcee isn't as keen, and rejects the idea that Cliff is her partner. Cliffjumper believes she shouldn't close herself off just because of [[Tailgate (Prime)|Tailgate]]'s death.''

Miko recognizes the truth of this advice, but asks Arcee what happened next.

[[Image:Cliffjumper and Shockwave.jpg|right|thumb|300px|"Thumbs up if you think Shockwave is weird!" "0_0" "He's right behind me, isn't he?"]]
:''Arcee and Cliffjumper find the space bridge, with two Vehicons operating it. While Cliff provides a distraction, Arcee starts sabotaging the bridge to overload it. Unfortunately Shockwave arrives and attempts to fix the bridge. Cliffjumper dispatches the Vehicons before sparring with Shockwave, ultimately being defeated by the hulking Decepticon. Arcee lends a hand, bringing the roof down on the Decepticon, but the pair become pinned down by Starscream and some Vehicons. Starscream demands they reverse the damage to the space bridge, but they instead head through it. Halfway through the space bridge tunnel, Shockwave catches up with the two Autobots and they exchange fire until Arcee shoots him in the eye. The space bridge deposits Cliffjumper and Arcee on Earth seconds before exploding, and after declaring themselves partners, they go to find Optimus.''

Arcee finishes her story as the sun goes down, saying she misses Cliffjumper. Miko rests her hand on Arcee's in a gesture of comfort as they watch the sunset.

==Featured characters==
(Characters in ''italic text'' appear only in flashbacks.) 

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Arcee (Prime) | Arcee]] (2)
*''[[Cliffjumper (Prime) | Cliffjumper]] (5)''
*[[Bulkhead (Prime) | Bulkhead]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime) | Optimus Prime]] (8)
*[[Ratchet (Prime) | Ratchet]] (9)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime) | Bumblebee]] (10)
* ''[[Tailgate (Prime) | Tailgate]] (13)''
|c2=
*''[[Vehicon (Prime) | Vehicons]] (1)''
*''[[Starscream (Prime) | Starscream]] (3)''
*''[[Soundwave (Prime) | Soundwave]] (4)''
*''[[Shockwave (Prime) | Shockwave]] (11)''
*''[[Airachnid (Prime) | Airachnid]] (12)''
|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
}}

==Quotes==
"So this is Kaon, huh? Love what you Decepticons have done with the place. The ruins are especially picturesque."
:—'''Cliffjumper'''

"Your reasoning is hardly... ''logical''."
:—'''Shockwave'''

"While it often pains me, I ''try'' to be a team player."
:—'''Starscream'''

"Only Starscream could fail to dispose of a helpless captive."
:-'''Shockwave''' seems familiar with some of Starscream's incompetance.

"They should really stop shooting at us if they want our help."
:—'''Cliffjumper'''

"Funny. At first I didn't think I'd ever get used to Cliff's constant chatter. Now, there's nothing louder to me than the silence."
:—'''Arcee'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* Within the space bridge, Cliffjumper is by Arcee's side while shooting at Shockwave, but disappears when it's just Arcee facing the Decepticon. He reappears as Arcee shoots Shockwave's eye.
* When Starsream and Shockwave are listening to Optimus Prime's transmission, Shockwave is seen on the left of Starscream but when the transmission ends he's on Starscream's right. It is possible that he moved when the camera was turned to the Autobots.
* The bottom part of Arcee's head crest is red but when she and Cliffjumper are interogating Starscream it becomes silver and the later on becomes red again.This also happens when they are in the space bridge vortex.

===Continuity notes===
* This episode retells the prequel story told in [[Transformers: Prime (graphic novel)|the IDW graphic novel]] (also written by Mike Johnson). The story's still about Arcee and Cliffjumper learning about Optimus Prime on Earth, uncovering a Decepticon plot to reestablish forgotten [[space bridge]] technology, Cliffjumper pretending to forfeit to the Decepticons as a cover for Arcee's hijinks, and them running for the space bridge portal to Earth while being blasted at by Decepticons. However, each of these stories occur in an incompatible way, and the episode gives responsibility for the space bridge project to Shockwave instead of Starscream. A notable change to the timeline see the episodes contradict the graphic novel's statement that Starscream had been on Earth with Megatron during the initial clash between the Autobots and Decepticons there (three years prior to the start of the cartoon), and only returned to Cybertron to set up the space bridge; on-screen, it is clear he has ''not'' been to the planet before, given that he requires Prime's signal to locate it (which in the comic only served to provide Cliffjumper and Arcee with knowledge of Prime's location).
* Cliffjumper is voiced by [[Billy Brown]], whose imitation of [[Dwayne Johnson]] generally sounds quite convincing.
* Bulkhead has regained consciousness since the events of "[[Hurt]]", but he can barely walk.
* Optimus tries to decode the rest of the Iacon database gained in "[[Triage]]".

===Transformers references===
* Cliffjumper mentions getting lost in the [[Rust Sea|Sea of Rust]], which did sort of happen in ''[[Transformers: Fall of Cybertron| Fall of Cybertron]]'', and he was, kind of, separated from his unit (if you count [[Sideswipe (WFC)|two]] [[Jazz (WFC)|bots]] as a unit). However, Cliff ''did'' have Jazz to talk to. (Talk "at")
* Shockwave stayed behind on Cybertron, much like how his G1-counterpart remained on the planet.
* Arcee's declaration that space bridge technology was lost for a long time was true in the ''Transformers: Exodus'' novel.
* Throughout several continuities, Shockwave has kept to logic as his sense for reason.
* This isn't the first time that [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] has attempted to extract [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|codes]] from [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]. The same happened [[This Is Why I Hate Machines|towards]] [[Endgame, Part I|the end]] of ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers: Animated]]''.
* Cliffjumper pretends to be an Autobot traitor. In [[Cliffjumper (G1)|another life]], Cliffjumper [[Traitor|accused]] [[Mirage (G1)|other Autobots]] of being traitors. In [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|yet another life]], Cliffjumper [[Autoboot Camp|sent]] an [[Wasp|innocent Autobot]] to prison for being framed as a traitor, ironically by [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]].
* Arcee tells Starscream to get [[frag|fragged]].

===Real-world references===
===Trivia===
* Shockwave is apparently the inventor of the illegal cortical psychic patch. Not surprising, considering he's also responsible for some "certain" changes made to some "certain" [[Dinobot (FOC)|Autobots]].
* As in "[[Predatory]]", the primary characters use the same models, meaning they all have Earth-mode kibble well before ever visiting Earth.
* Starscream gloats about how he captured the uncaptureable Arcee. Apparently he never heard of [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]]'s [[Predatory|encounter]] with [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]]. This is consistent with comments he makes in the episode "[[Partners]]", in which he asks "Who's Tailgate?", accidentally revealing to Arcee that it was he who killed Cliffjumper.
** In general, Starscream's interrogation of Arcee at the beginning of the episode is very similar to Airachnid's attempts to extract information from her, although Arcee takes the former's threats better than the latter's.
* Arcee's flashback of Tailgate's death happens during the flashback of her adventure with Cliffjumper. A flashback within a flashback. Flashbackception.''BWAMMMM''.
* When Starscream is deciding on how to eliminate Cliffjumper, he settles on "the old-fashioned way": [[Darkness Rising, Part 1| eviscerating him with his claws]]. He's interrupted by Arcee, but the foreshadowing is almost thick enough to cut with said claws.
* Shockwave doesn't think very highly of Starscream, and by the same token Starscream doesn't like him and considers him an arrogant glory hog despite this episode not providing any hints of it. Then again, this is Starscream we're talking about.

[[Category:Adaptations]]
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Inside Job

2012-10-14T21:46:35Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 49
|prev=Hard Knocks
|next=Patch (episode)
|image=InsideJobKnockOutSmokescreen.jpg
|caption=Having fun, Knock Out?
|title="Inside Job"
|airdate=[[October 12]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Bob Skir|Robert N. Skir]]
|directed by=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''When Smokescreen is captured, he learns the location of the Omega Key and attempts to retrieve all the other stolen keys.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] recovers consciousness to find himself on a slab in the [[Trypticon (Prime)|Decepticon warship]] with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] standing over him. [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] demands the final relic, pointing out [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]]'s work decrypting the Iacon database has revealed an image of Smokescreen, but Smokescreen is merely confused as to what it means. Knock Out scans the [[Autobot]], and finds the last relic is hidden inside.

The other Autobots, meanwhile, realize that the Decepticons must have decoded the last coordinates and speculate that Smokescreen holds the [[Omega Key]] inside him, largely due to being installed within him while unconscious by [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]].

Knock Out advances on the alarmed Smokescreen with a rotary saw, only to reveal he's actually going to use the [[phase shifter]] to do the operation. He reaches inside Smokescreen and soon has the Omega Key in hand. Smokescreen refuses to tell the Decepticons what the Omega Keys are, but Megatron has ways of finding out.

[[Image:InsideJobStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Cue evil laugh in 3, 2, 1...]]
[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] ruminates on the one Omega Key he possesses, while talking to his [[Starscream clone (Prime)|dead clone]]. Imagining himself in charge of a reborn [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he quickly realizes that he doesn't have the resources he would need to rule it.

Megatron listens in on Prime's briefing about the Omega Keys, thanks to a [[cortical psychic patch]] hooked up to Smokescreen. Once they've learned all they need, Knock Out unplugs the pair and Megatron orders Knock Out to use the patch to find the location of the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]] so they can retrieve the other Omega Keys. After Megatron leaves to put their new key in a safe place, Knock Out moves in, only for Smokescreen to grab the phase shifter attached to his wrist and uses it to free himself. The pair grapple until Smokescreen manages to pull the device from his opponent's wrist, leaving Knock Out embedded in a bulkhead. Though Knock Out points out Smokescreen has no means of escape from the ship, Smokescreen has plans of his own. Through use of the phase shifter, he manages to catch up with Megatron near the storage area, where he snatches back the Omega Key and takes the one in storage as well. The Decepticons attempt to stop him, but their firepower passes straight through him. He eventually reaches the outer hull, only to be confronted by Megatron. With no other choice, the Autobot bails the ship.

At the Autobot base, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] picks up Smokescreen's signal, but has trouble locking on due to the fact that Smokescreen is plummeting through the air. Harried by [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]], Smokescreen drops towards the [[GroundBridge]] Ratchet opens, only to be knocked off-course by Megatron. He uses the phase shifter to pass through the ground. Moments later, Megatron lands and demands his subordinates search the wreckage. Smokescreen bridges back to base, where the Autobots congratulate him, but wonder where the fourth key is. Their query is answered a moment later when they get a message from Starscream offering the key in return for the replacement of his [[transformation cog|T-Cog]]. Having considered it, [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] decides it's too important to not take Starscream up on his offer.

Optimus, Ratchet and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] bridge to a forested location and approach Starscream, only to find him apparently dead. It is, of course, just the dead clone, as the real Starscream uses his [[Red Energon]] to nip through the GroundBridge into the Autobot base. Moving too fast to be seen, he is tempted at first to finish off the slow-moving Autobots, but goes back to finding the Omega Keys first. The Autobots in the field realize they've been deceived just as Starscream blows open the vault holding the keys. Though Optimus orders [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to close the GroundBridge, it is too slow to prevent Starscream from escaping the base. He stops to mock Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead, only for the Red Energon to wear off right at the worst possible moment. After firing a missile at the Autobots, he frantically opens his own GroundBridge and escapes back to the ''[[Harbinger]]'', much to Optimus's despair. Though Bulkhead and Ratchet believe they can get the keys back Optimus grimly announces the fate of Cybertron is now in Starscream's hands.

[[Image:InsideJobKnockOut.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Well, this is awkward.]]
Despite Knock Out's pleas, Megatron refuses to release him from the wall. Megatron and [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] return to the bridge, where they find Starscream who has come with a peace offering of all four Omega Keys.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (2)
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (9)

|c2=
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (4)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (11)
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticon]] (12)
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] (13)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (14)

}}

==Quotes==
"Trippy."
:—'''Knock Out''' thinks the phase shifter is like, totally groovy, man.

"Get your stinkin' hand out of my gears!"
:—'''Smokescreen''' obviously doesn't like operations.

"Tell me the function of these relics." 
"Door stop, shavers, bling? Beats me."
:—'''Megatron''' asks a question and '''Smokescreen''' gives a vague answer.

"How easy it would be to gut you [Arcee]... to gut all of you."
:—Well, '''Starscream's''' already making plans.

"Now that I have your trinkets, I can enjoy slitting your... [sees the closing GroundBridge] but, as I appear to be pressed for time..."
:—Don't get too carried away there, '''Starscream'''.

"Autobots, maintain positions!" (said in '''very''' slow motion) 
"I'm sorry, what was that? Mblemblemble!"
:—'''Starscream''' uses the power of [[Red Energon]] to taunt '''Optimus'''.

"We ''will'' locate the Autobot base, invade it, and retrieve the Omega Keys!" 
"Been there, done that."
:—'''Starscream''' steals '''Megatron''''s thunder.

==Notes==
[[Image:TFP Inside Job Starscream fistful of keys.jpg|thumb||250px|Beware Starscream bearing gifts...]]

===Animation and technical errors===
*Megatron's vehicle mode still has his fusion cannon, despite the arm it was attached to being removed. Furthermore, if one watches Megatron's transformation scene, it's blocked off by smoke, making it impossible to see what exactly happens with his fusion cannon and his different arm.
*Smokescreen's momentum suddenly disappears upon phasing through the ground. Based on where he exits, he couldn't have landed much lower than the Vehicons did. Speaking of momentum, how exactly were the Autobots planning to catch Smokescreen when he came out of the GroundBridge at terminal velocity? Maybe it's part of the "intuitiveness" that allows for not phasing through floors and simultaneously reaching through objects and grabbing parts of them/items inside them?
*An early external shot of the ''[[Trypticon_(Prime)|Nemesis]]'' has its "eyes" and running lights illuminated in [[Dark Energon]] purple; later in the episode they are their normal red.

===Continuity errors===
*Given how easy it was for the Decepticons to locate the Omega Key within Smokescreen, it seems odd that the Autobots would not have made the same discovery long before now. Surely at least a basic medical workup would have been conducted upon him joining the team to check for any irregularities.

===Continuity notes===
*This episode continues from [[Hard Knocks|the previous one]], starting not long after Smokescreen's capture and subsequent restraint.
*The [[cortical psychic patch]] is used to extract information from Smokescreen, having been used previously in "[[Sick Mind]]" and "[[Out of the Past]]".
*The scene which Megatron watches in Smokescreen's mind is from "[[Alpha/Omega]]".
*Starscream lists off numerous items he's acquired or stolen in previous episodes; the Omega Key from "Hard Knocks", the processed Red Energon (which he acquired in "[[New Recruit]]" and refined in "Hard Knocks"), his GroundBridge remote first seen in "[[Triangulation]]", his murdered clone from "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]", and the T-cog he scavenged from said clone in "Triangulation".
*Starscream previously referred to himself as an "[[Emperor of Destruction]]" in "[[Masters & Students]]".
*Ratchet recalls Starscream's lack of a T-cog, which he learned about in "[[Crossfire]]". Starscream lost his in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]".
*Starscream still seems to be holding a grudge against Arcee from the events of "[[Partners]]", given his comments about gutting the Autobots start with her.
*While Starscream is looking for the Omega Keys in the Autobots' Vault, he comes across [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] in stasis, which occurred back in "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]".
*This is the second time that Megatron abandons one of his own soldiers as a form of punishment. The first was Breakdown in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", whom was rescued by Bulkhead and allowed back.
*Even though the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] was destroyed in "Alpha/Omega", Optimus still wears the hilt Ratchet made him.

===Transformers references===
* One of Starscream's self-proclaimed titles as the new ruler of Cybertron is "[[Emperor of Destruction]]". He also refers to himself as Cybertron's [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]], which originated in the Marvel UK story [[State Games]] as the pre-war rulers of Cybertron.
*This marks the [[Retreat|second time]] that a [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] managed to successfully steal three important planetary [[Cyber Planet Key|keys]] from the Autobots.

===Real-world references===
*A brain pan is real. Scientists use it to study brains of corpses without the confines of a skull.
*Arcee uses the human phrase of sounding like a broken record.

===Trivia===
*This episode explains why the phase shifter doesn't phase the user through everything, neatly tying up the issues of how it can be used with such versatility.
*While in Smokescreen's mind, Megatron's avatar has his own arm rather than the Prime's arm that he's since attached.
*This is the third episode in a row where no humans appear, the first episode in the series where we get to hear Optimus scream in frustration, and the first episode since "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" to show a Vehicon in automobile mode.
*Both Optimus and Megatron scream at the loss of the Omega Keys.
*Looks like Bulkhead finally gets to see Optimus "[[One Shall Fall|lose his cool]]."
*It would seem Megatron cannot tell which of his own soldiers are fliers or ground troopers. Then again, there's not much difference in appearance.
*Megatron hasn't used the [[Dark Star Saber]] since [[Alpha/Omega]]. So, apparrently, he suddenly forgot that he has the power to destroy Team Prime with his bare hands, he must have a ''really'' short memory span.
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Inside Job

2012-10-14T21:46:14Z

75.35.52.74: /* Notes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 49
|prev=Hard Knocks
|next=Patch (episode)
|image=InsideJobKnockOutSmokescreen.jpg
|caption=Having fun, Knock Out?
|title="Inside Job"
|airdate=[[October 12]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Bob Skir|Robert N. Skir]]
|directed by=[[Scooter Tidwell]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''When Smokescreen is captured, he learns the location of the Omega Key and attempts to retrieve all the other stolen keys.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] recovers consciousness to find himself on a slab in the [[Trypticon (Prime)|Decepticon warship]] with [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] standing over him. [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] demands the final relic, pointing out [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]]'s work decrypting the Iacon database has revealed an image of Smokescreen, but Smokescreen is merely confused as to what it means. Knock Out scans the [[Autobot]], and finds the last relic is hidden inside.

The other Autobots, meanwhile, realize that the Decepticons must have decoded the last coordinates and speculate that Smokescreen holds the [[Omega Key]] inside him, largely due to being installed within him while unconscious by [[Alpha Trion (Prime)|Alpha Trion]].

Knock Out advances on the alarmed Smokescreen with a rotary saw, only to reveal he's actually going to use the [[phase shifter]] to do the operation. He reaches inside Smokescreen and soon has the Omega Key in hand. Smokescreen refuses to tell the Decepticons what the Omega Keys are, but Megatron has ways of finding out.

[[Image:InsideJobStarscream.jpg|thumb|left|250px|Cue evil laugh in 3, 2, 1...]]
[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] ruminates on the one Omega Key he possesses, while talking to his [[Starscream clone (Prime)|dead clone]]. Imagining himself in charge of a reborn [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], he quickly realizes that he doesn't have the resources he would need to rule it.

Megatron listens in on Prime's briefing about the Omega Keys, thanks to a [[cortical psychic patch]] hooked up to Smokescreen. Once they've learned all they need, Knock Out unplugs the pair and Megatron orders Knock Out to use the patch to find the location of the [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|Autobot base]] so they can retrieve the other Omega Keys. After Megatron leaves to put their new key in a safe place, Knock Out moves in, only for Smokescreen to grab the phase shifter attached to his wrist and uses it to free himself. The pair grapple until Smokescreen manages to pull the device from his opponent's wrist, leaving Knock Out embedded in a bulkhead. Though Knock Out points out Smokescreen has no means of escape from the ship, Smokescreen has plans of his own. Through use of the phase shifter, he manages to catch up with Megatron near the storage area, where he snatches back the Omega Key and takes the one in storage as well. The Decepticons attempt to stop him, but their firepower passes straight through him. He eventually reaches the outer hull, only to be confronted by Megatron. With no other choice, the Autobot bails the ship.

At the Autobot base, [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] picks up Smokescreen's signal, but has trouble locking on due to the fact that Smokescreen is plummeting through the air. Harried by [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]], Smokescreen drops towards the [[GroundBridge]] Ratchet opens, only to be knocked off-course by Megatron. He uses the phase shifter to pass through the ground. Moments later, Megatron lands and demands his subordinates search the wreckage. Smokescreen bridges back to base, where the Autobots congratulate him, but wonder where the fourth key is. Their query is answered a moment later when they get a message from Starscream offering the key in return for the replacement of his [[transformation cog|T-Cog]]. Having considered it, [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] decides it's too important to not take Starscream up on his offer.

Optimus, Ratchet and [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] bridge to a forested location and approach Starscream, only to find him apparently dead. It is, of course, just the dead clone, as the real Starscream uses his [[Red Energon]] to nip through the GroundBridge into the Autobot base. Moving too fast to be seen, he is tempted at first to finish off the slow-moving Autobots, but goes back to finding the Omega Keys first. The Autobots in the field realize they've been deceived just as Starscream blows open the vault holding the keys. Though Optimus orders [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to close the GroundBridge, it is too slow to prevent Starscream from escaping the base. He stops to mock Optimus, Ratchet and Bulkhead, only for the Red Energon to wear off right at the worst possible moment. After firing a missile at the Autobots, he frantically opens his own GroundBridge and escapes back to the ''[[Harbinger]]'', much to Optimus's despair. Though Bulkhead and Ratchet believe they can get the keys back Optimus grimly announces the fate of Cybertron is now in Starscream's hands.

[[Image:InsideJobKnockOut.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Well, this is awkward.]]
Despite Knock Out's pleas, Megatron refuses to release him from the wall. Megatron and [[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] return to the bridge, where they find Starscream who has come with a peace offering of all four Omega Keys.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Smokescreen (Prime)|Smokescreen]] (2)
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (6)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (9)

|c2=
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (1)
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (3)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (4)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (10)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (11)
*[[Insecticon (Prime)|Insecticon]] (12)
*[[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] (13)
*[[Dreadwing (Prime)|Dreadwing]] (14)

}}

==Quotes==
"Trippy."
:—'''Knock Out''' thinks the phase shifter is like, totally groovy, man.

"Get your stinkin' hand out of my gears!"
:—'''Smokescreen''' obviously doesn't like operations.

"Tell me the function of these relics." 
"Door stop, shavers, bling? Beats me."
:—'''Megatron''' asks a question and '''Smokescreen''' gives a vague answer.

"How easy it would be to gut you [Arcee]... to gut all of you."
:—Well, '''Starscream's''' already making plans.

"Now that I have your trinkets, I can enjoy slitting your... [sees the closing GroundBridge] but, as I appear to be pressed for time..."
:—Don't get too carried away there, '''Starscream'''.

"Autobots, maintain positions!" (said in '''very''' slow motion) 
"I'm sorry, what was that? Mblemblemble!"
:—'''Starscream''' uses the power of [[Red Energon]] to taunt '''Optimus'''.

"We ''will'' locate the Autobot base, invade it, and retrieve the Omega Keys!" 
"Been there, done that."
:—'''Starscream''' steals '''Megatron''''s thunder.

==Notes==
[[Image:TFP Inside Job Starscream fistful of keys.jpg|thumb||250px|Beware Starscream bearing gifts...]]

===Animation and technical errors===
*Megatron's vehicle mode still has his fusion cannon, despite the arm it was attached to being removed. Furthermore, if one watches Megatron's transformation scene, it's blocked off by smoke, making it impossible to see what exactly happens with his fusion cannon and his different arm.
*Smokescreen's momentum suddenly disappears upon phasing through the ground. Based on where he exits, he couldn't have landed much lower than the Vehicons did. Speaking of momentum, how exactly were the Autobots planning to catch Smokescreen when he came out of the GroundBridge at terminal velocity? Maybe it's part of the "intuitiveness" that allows for not phasing through floors and simultaneously reaching through objects and grabbing parts of them/items inside them?
*An early external shot of the ''[[Trypticon_(Prime)|Nemesis]]'' has its "eyes" and running lights illuminated in [[Dark Energon]] purple; later in the episode they are their normal red.

===Continuity errors===
*Given how easy it was for the Decepticons to locate the Omega Key within Smokescreen, it seems odd that the Autobots would not have made the same discovery long before now. Surely at least a basic medical workup would have been conducted upon him joining the team to check for any irregularities.

===Continuity notes===
*This episode continues from [[Hard Knocks|the previous one]], starting not long after Smokescreen's capture and subsequent restraint.
*The [[cortical psychic patch]] is used to extract information from Smokescreen, having been used previously in "[[Sick Mind]]" and "[[Out of the Past]]".
*The scene which Megatron watches in Smokescreen's mind is from "[[Alpha/Omega]]".
*Starscream lists off numerous items he's acquired or stolen in previous episodes; the Omega Key from "Hard Knocks", the processed Red Energon (which he acquired in "[[New Recruit]]" and refined in "Hard Knocks"), his GroundBridge remote first seen in "[[Triangulation]]", his murdered clone from "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]", and the T-cog he scavenged from said clone in "Triangulation".
*Starscream previously referred to himself as an "[[Emperor of Destruction]]" in "[[Masters & Students]]".
*Ratchet recalls Starscream's lack of a T-cog, which he learned about in "[[Crossfire]]". Starscream lost his in "[[Operation Bumblebee, Part 2]]".
*Starscream still seems to be holding a grudge against Arcee from the events of "[[Partners]]", given his comments about gutting the Autobots start with her.
*While Starscream is looking for the Omega Keys in the Autobots' Vault, he comes across [[Airachnid (Prime)|Airachnid]] in stasis, which occurred back in "[[Armada (episode)|Armada]]".
*This is the second time that Megatron abandons one of his own soldiers as a form of punishment. The first was Breakdown in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", whom was rescued by Bulkhead and allowed back.
*Even though the [[Star Saber (Prima)|Star Saber]] was destroyed in "Alpha/Omega", Optimus still wears the hilt Ratchet made him.

===Transformers references===
* One of Starscream's self-proclaimed titles as the new ruler of Cybertron is "[[Emperor of Destruction]]". He also refers to himself as Cybertron's [[Overlord (rank)|Overlord]], which originated in the Marvel UK story [[State Games]] as the pre-war rulers of Cybertron.
*This marks the [[Retreat|second time]] that a [[Starscream (Armada)|Starscream]] managed to successfully steal three important planetary [[Cyber Planet Key|keys]] from the Autobots.

===Real-world references===
*A brain pan is real. Scientists use it to study brains of corpses without the confines of a skull.
*Arcee uses the human phrase of sounding like a broken record.

===Trivia===
*This episode explains why the phase shifter doesn't phase the user through everything, neatly tying up the issues of how it can be used with such versatility.
*While in Smokescreen's mind, Megatron's avatar has his own arm rather than the Prime's arm that he's since attached.
*This is the third episode in a row where no humans appear, the first episode in the series where we get to hear Optimus scream in frustration, and the first episode since "[[Darkness Rising, Part 1]]" to show a Vehicon in automobile mode.
*Both Optimus and Megatron scream at the loss of the Omega Keys.
*Looks like Bulkhead finally gets to see Optimus "[[One Shall Fall|lose his cool]]."
*It would seem Megatron cannot tell which of his own soldiers are fliers or ground troopers. Then again, there's not much difference in appearance.
*Megatron hasn't used The [[Dark Star Saber]] since [[Alpha/Omega]]. So, apparrently, he suddenly forgot that he has the power to destroy Team Prime with his bare hands, he must have a ''really'' short memory span.
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T15:14:33Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 30
|prev=Orion Pax, Part 3
|next=Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 1"
|airdate=[[March 10]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee questions his worthiness to his team after he is compromised.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] stake out a [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] mining operation overseen by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. Optimus isn't about to let Megatron have whatever gave off the signal that led him and Ratchet here, and he confronts Megatron just as the Vehicons break earth and hand the package to him. Megatron advises Optimus to stow his weapons; the device they've unearthed is a deadly [[spark extractor]], capable of sapping the spark from the body of every Cybertronian in its radius. He takes the opportunity to gloat about how Optimus—ahem, ''Orion''—led him to it before stepping through the [[GroundBridge]], and ordering the Vehicons to hold Ratchet and Optimus off. Close by, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] speeds over a cliff and through the attacking Vehicons, before driving into the GroundBridge. He transforms and grabs the package from Megatron's hand, before turning around and bolting. Megatron runs after him, but upon arriving outside the vortex, finds his troops destroyed and all three Autobots gone.

Back at base, Bumblebee brags about his vehicular acrobatics. Ratchet informs Optimus of the reason for the Autobot homing beacon on the device—it was sealed away in Iacon during the war, but was jettisoned offworld when the Decepticons raided the city. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] asks if Optimus remembers if he transcribed any other coordinates, but Optimus regrets that he does not. Ratchet posits that Megatron said he decrypted multiple targets to play havoc with Optimus' psyche.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron laments over the loss of the spark extractor, and regrets that he did no more than destroy Bumblebee's voicebox back on Cybertron. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] reminds Megatron that there are still two contacts on Earth to investigate.

On the road, Bumblebee sounds off to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to rendezvous with him at the coordinates of the new distress beacon. Upon arriving, however, the only device present is an upright beacon. Suddenly, Bumblebee is stunned by a large electrical blast, and he falls unconscious. [[Silas]] and a [[MECH]] team emerge from the shadows, including a [[MECH Surgeon]] who starts work on Bumblebee. Unseen by the troops below, Starscream arrives and transforms on an overlooking cliff. As MECH spots Bulkhead incoming, the surgeon finishes his work, and the team departs in a helicopter. Bulkhead arrives and asks Bumblebee who did it, but Bumblebee doesn't recall. Bulkhead advises pursuit, and transforms to roll—but Bumblebee doesn't. Antsy at the hold-up, Bulkhead asks Bumblebee why he's not transforming, and Bumblebee replies that he can't.

Back at base, Ratchet scans Bumblebee and discovers that his [[transformation cog|T cog]] is missing. The Autobots quickly work out MECH is behind it, and Optimus tells Bumblebee he's going to have to rely on his friends for a while. Bumblebee is very depressed. Optimus is worried about what Megatron might unearth next.

MECH install Bumblebee's T cog into the robot they've built, but when they power it up and have it scan a helicopter, the robot is unable to transform. Starscream, who has been spying on them, reveals himself and proposes an alliance. He explains the T cog requires [[energon]] to work. He intends to supply MECH with information on energon so they can work out a way to find energon deposits.

Bumblebee is making a pain of himself bugging Ratchet, who asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] to keep him busy. Unfortunately all of their entertainment reminds Bumblebee of his missing vehicle mode. Raf makes another attempt to make Bumblebee feel better, but is undermined by Arcee and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] racing into the base at high speed. Ratchet has to stop Bumblebee from going out for a walk, but feels guilty at his inability to fix his fellow Autobot.

Some time later, Ratchet picks Raf up outside school, much to the boy's discomfort.

On monitoring duty, Bulkhead detects a signal, and Bumblebee insists on going with him to investigate.

Raf asks how Bumblebee's voice box was damaged, and Ratchet tells how Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]] and given a working over by the Decepticons. Though a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved the scout, it wasn't enough to save his voice box.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee track the signal to a cave. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] soon comes barreling out, closely followed by [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. While Bulkhead tackles the latter, Bumblebee attempts to chase Knock Out on foot. He soon finds he can't even transform his arms to deploy his guns, and is forced to continue the pursuit by using an old truck as an impromptu go-kart. Unfortunately it loses a wheel, and as Knock Out speeds off with the pilfered device, Bumblebee is sent flying off a cliff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (6)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (12)
*[[Sierra]] (14)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (15)
*[[Vince]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Oh, for Primus' sake. Will SOMEONE keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' doesn't like to be distracted.

"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It will transform it."
:—The '''commercial narrator''' hates Bumblebee.

"I am no stranger to ambition."
:-'''Starscream''' states the obvious.

"You want to ride with the siren on?" 
"No, thank you."
:—'''Ratchet''' attempts to cheer up '''Raf'''.

"Bumblebee, where's your famous horsepower? Show me some ''speed''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', unintentionally striking a nerve.

"What is with the rent-a-car?"
:—'''Knock Out''' on Bumblebee's choice of pursuit vehicle.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes. The three sets of coordinates the Decepticons are investigating here are likewise the fruits of [[Project Iacon]].
*We first heard about [[Project Chimera]] in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", the events of which Starscream also makes mention of. Here we finally see what the project is—an attempt to create a MECH-designed Transformer.
*The old pickup truck Bumblebee uses to chase Knock Out was seen in [[Con Job]].
*When Ratchet says that, "Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no goul." It hails back to Darkness Rising Part 2, 3, 4, and 5 where Megatron raised ''actual'' zombies, or Terrorcons

===Transformers references===
*The ''device dú jour'' today is the spark extractor, courtesy of ancient Decepticons. However, unlike the [[spark extractor|original]], this one seems to be more of a bomb-like device, sapping the sparks of everyone in its radius. It might not be a coincidence that the device showed up in an episode written by [[Marty Isenberg]], given that he was one of the two showrunners of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|series]] it originated from.
*The T-cog is a reference to the [[transformation cog]] of G1 lore. It was first referred to in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]", in which the lack of a transformation cog meant that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was stuck in city mode.
*Ratchet also has to explain to Bumblebee that the Autobots are "Robots In Disguise", which is why he can't leave the base while his T-Cog is missing.
*When Ratchet explain how Bumblebee lost his voice, the scene is a reference to the comic prequel of Transformers the movie and the apocryphal [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]] story by the author of [[Exodus]], [[Alex Irvine]], making it seem rather likely this facet of the character's history has made it into the Aligned "Binder of Revelation."

===Real-world references===
*Megatron uses the term "mutually assured destruction", a longtime slogan for the effect of nuclear war.
*Knock Out references Rent-A-Car, a real-world car rental service.

===Trivia===
*In a first for the series, Bumblebee's car mode is revealed as the [[Urbana 500]]. The Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. ''It'll transform it.''
*This is the first time a fight has happened ''inside'' the Groundbridge.
*Bumblebee and Ratchet's Cybertron mode, again, have Earth vehicle kibble.
*The title is a nod to a Season 1 episode [[Operation: Breakdown]].
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T15:11:48Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T14:59:46Z

75.35.52.74: /* Continuity notes */

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T14:57:03Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 30
|prev=Orion Pax, Part 3
|next=Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 1"
|airdate=[[March 10]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee questions his worthiness to his team after he is compromised.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] stake out a [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] mining operation overseen by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. Optimus isn't about to let Megatron have whatever gave off the signal that led him and Ratchet here, and he confronts Megatron just as the Vehicons break earth and hand the package to him. Megatron advises Optimus to stow his weapons; the device they've unearthed is a deadly [[spark extractor]], capable of sapping the spark from the body of every Cybertronian in its radius. He takes the opportunity to gloat about how Optimus—ahem, ''Orion''—led him to it before stepping through the [[GroundBridge]], and ordering the Vehicons to hold Ratchet and Optimus off. Close by, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] speeds over a cliff and through the attacking Vehicons, before driving into the GroundBridge. He transforms and grabs the package from Megatron's hand, before turning around and bolting. Megatron runs after him, but upon arriving outside the vortex, finds his troops destroyed and all three Autobots gone.

Back at base, Bumblebee brags about his vehicular acrobatics. Ratchet informs Optimus of the reason for the Autobot homing beacon on the device—it was sealed away in Iacon during the war, but was jettisoned offworld when the Decepticons raided the city. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] asks if Optimus remembers if he transcribed any other coordinates, but Optimus regrets that he does not. Ratchet posits that Megatron said he decrypted multiple targets to play havoc with Optimus' psyche.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron laments over the loss of the spark extractor, and regrets that he did no more than destroy Bumblebee's voicebox back on Cybertron. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] reminds Megatron that there are still two contacts on Earth to investigate.

On the road, Bumblebee sounds off to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to rendezvous with him at the coordinates of the new distress beacon. Upon arriving, however, the only device present is an upright beacon. Suddenly, Bumblebee is stunned by a large electrical blast, and he falls unconscious. [[Silas]] and a [[MECH]] team emerge from the shadows, including a [[MECH Surgeon]] who starts work on Bumblebee. Unseen by the troops below, Starscream arrives and transforms on an overlooking cliff. As MECH spots Bulkhead incoming, the surgeon finishes his work, and the team departs in a helicopter. Bulkhead arrives and asks Bumblebee who did it, but Bumblebee doesn't recall. Bulkhead advises pursuit, and transforms to roll—but Bumblebee doesn't. Antsy at the hold-up, Bulkhead asks Bumblebee why he's not transforming, and Bumblebee replies that he can't.

Back at base, Ratchet scans Bumblebee and discovers that his [[transformation cog|T cog]] is missing. The Autobots quickly work out MECH is behind it, and Optimus tells Bumblebee he's going to have to rely on his friends for a while. Bumblebee is very depressed. Optimus is worried about what Megatron might unearth next.

MECH install Bumblebee's T cog into the robot they've built, but when they power it up and have it scan a helicopter, the robot is unable to transform. Starscream, who has been spying on them, reveals himself and proposes an alliance. He explains the T cog requires [[energon]] to work. He intends to supply MECH with information on energon so they can work out a way to find energon deposits.

Bumblebee is making a pain of himself bugging Ratchet, who asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] to keep him busy. Unfortunately all of their entertainment reminds Bumblebee of his missing vehicle mode. Raf makes another attempt to make Bumblebee feel better, but is undermined by Arcee and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] racing into the base at high speed. Ratchet has to stop Bumblebee from going out for a walk, but feels guilty at his inability to fix his fellow Autobot.

Some time later, Ratchet picks Raf up outside school, much to the boy's discomfort.

On monitoring duty, Bulkhead detects a signal, and Bumblebee insists on going with him to investigate.

Raf asks how Bumblebee's voice box was damaged, and Ratchet tells how Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]] and given a working over by the Decepticons. Though a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved the scout, it wasn't enough to save his voice box.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee track the signal to a cave. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] soon comes barreling out, closely followed by [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. While Bulkhead tackles the latter, Bumblebee attempts to chase Knock Out on foot. He soon finds he can't even transform his arms to deploy his guns, and is forced to continue the pursuit by using an old truck as an impromptu go-kart. Unfortunately it loses a wheel, and as Knock Out speeds off with the pilfered device, Bumblebee is sent flying off a cliff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (6)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (12)
*[[Sierra]] (14)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (15)
*[[Vince]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Oh, for Primus' sake. Will SOMEONE keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' doesn't like to be distracted.

"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It will transform it."
:—The '''commercial narrator''' hates Bumblebee.

"I am no stranger to ambition."
:-'''Starscream''' states the obvious.

"You want to ride with the siren on?" 
"No, thank you."
:—'''Ratchet''' attempts to cheer up '''Raf'''.

"Bumblebee, where's your famous horsepower? Show me some ''speed''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', unintentionally striking a nerve.

"What is with the rent-a-car?"
:—'''Knock Out''' on Bumblebee's choice of pursuit vehicle.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes. The three sets of coordinates the Decepticons are investigating here are likewise the fruits of [[Project Iacon]].
*We first heard about [[Project Chimera]] in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", the events of which Starscream also makes mention of. Here we finally see what the project is—an attempt to create a MECH-designed Transformer.
*The old pickup truck Bumblebee uses to chase Knock Out was seen in [[Con Job]].
*When Ratchet says that, "Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no goul." It hails back to Darkness Rising Part 2, 3, 4, and 5 where Megatron raised actual zombies, or Terrorcons

===Transformers references===
*The ''device dú jour'' today is the spark extractor, courtesy of ancient Decepticons. However, unlike the [[spark extractor|original]], this one seems to be more of a bomb-like device, sapping the sparks of everyone in its radius. It might not be a coincidence that the device showed up in an episode written by [[Marty Isenberg]], given that he was one of the two showrunners of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|series]] it originated from.
*The T-cog is a reference to the [[transformation cog]] of G1 lore. It was first referred to in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]", in which the lack of a transformation cog meant that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was stuck in city mode.
*Ratchet also has to explain to Bumblebee that the Autobots are "Robots In Disguise", which is why he can't leave the base while his T-Cog is missing.
*When Ratchet explain how Bumblebee lost his voice, the scene is a reference to the comic prequel of Transformers the movie and the apocryphal [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]] story by the author of [[Exodus]], [[Alex Irvine]], making it seem rather likely this facet of the character's history has made it into the Aligned "Binder of Revelation."

===Real-world references===
*Megatron uses the term "mutually assured destruction", a longtime slogan for the effect of nuclear war.
*Knock Out references Rent-A-Car, a real-world car rental service.

===Trivia===
*In a first for the series, Bumblebee's car mode is revealed as the [[Urbana 500]]. The Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. ''It'll transform it.''
*This is the first time a fight has happened ''inside'' the Groundbridge.

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T14:56:23Z

75.35.52.74: /* Trivia */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 30
|prev=Orion Pax, Part 3
|next=Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 1"
|airdate=[[March 10]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee questions his worthiness to his team after he is compromised.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] stake out a [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] mining operation overseen by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. Optimus isn't about to let Megatron have whatever gave off the signal that led him and Ratchet here, and he confronts Megatron just as the Vehicons break earth and hand the package to him. Megatron advises Optimus to stow his weapons; the device they've unearthed is a deadly [[spark extractor]], capable of sapping the spark from the body of every Cybertronian in its radius. He takes the opportunity to gloat about how Optimus—ahem, ''Orion''—led him to it before stepping through the [[GroundBridge]], and ordering the Vehicons to hold Ratchet and Optimus off. Close by, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] speeds over a cliff and through the attacking Vehicons, before driving into the GroundBridge. He transforms and grabs the package from Megatron's hand, before turning around and bolting. Megatron runs after him, but upon arriving outside the vortex, finds his troops destroyed and all three Autobots gone.

Back at base, Bumblebee brags about his vehicular acrobatics. Ratchet informs Optimus of the reason for the Autobot homing beacon on the device—it was sealed away in Iacon during the war, but was jettisoned offworld when the Decepticons raided the city. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] asks if Optimus remembers if he transcribed any other coordinates, but Optimus regrets that he does not. Ratchet posits that Megatron said he decrypted multiple targets to play havoc with Optimus' psyche.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron laments over the loss of the spark extractor, and regrets that he did no more than destroy Bumblebee's voicebox back on Cybertron. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] reminds Megatron that there are still two contacts on Earth to investigate.

On the road, Bumblebee sounds off to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to rendezvous with him at the coordinates of the new distress beacon. Upon arriving, however, the only device present is an upright beacon. Suddenly, Bumblebee is stunned by a large electrical blast, and he falls unconscious. [[Silas]] and a [[MECH]] team emerge from the shadows, including a [[MECH Surgeon]] who starts work on Bumblebee. Unseen by the troops below, Starscream arrives and transforms on an overlooking cliff. As MECH spots Bulkhead incoming, the surgeon finishes his work, and the team departs in a helicopter. Bulkhead arrives and asks Bumblebee who did it, but Bumblebee doesn't recall. Bulkhead advises pursuit, and transforms to roll—but Bumblebee doesn't. Antsy at the hold-up, Bulkhead asks Bumblebee why he's not transforming, and Bumblebee replies that he can't.

Back at base, Ratchet scans Bumblebee and discovers that his [[transformation cog|T cog]] is missing. The Autobots quickly work out MECH is behind it, and Optimus tells Bumblebee he's going to have to rely on his friends for a while. Bumblebee is very depressed. Optimus is worried about what Megatron might unearth next.

MECH install Bumblebee's T cog into the robot they've built, but when they power it up and have it scan a helicopter, the robot is unable to transform. Starscream, who has been spying on them, reveals himself and proposes an alliance. He explains the T cog requires [[energon]] to work. He intends to supply MECH with information on energon so they can work out a way to find energon deposits.

Bumblebee is making a pain of himself bugging Ratchet, who asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] to keep him busy. Unfortunately all of their entertainment reminds Bumblebee of his missing vehicle mode. Raf makes another attempt to make Bumblebee feel better, but is undermined by Arcee and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] racing into the base at high speed. Ratchet has to stop Bumblebee from going out for a walk, but feels guilty at his inability to fix his fellow Autobot.

Some time later, Ratchet picks Raf up outside school, much to the boy's discomfort.

On monitoring duty, Bulkhead detects a signal, and Bumblebee insists on going with him to investigate.

Raf asks how Bumblebee's voice box was damaged, and Ratchet tells how Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]] and given a working over by the Decepticons. Though a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved the scout, it wasn't enough to save his voice box.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee track the signal to a cave. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] soon comes barreling out, closely followed by [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. While Bulkhead tackles the latter, Bumblebee attempts to chase Knock Out on foot. He soon finds he can't even transform his arms to deploy his guns, and is forced to continue the pursuit by using an old truck as an impromptu go-kart. Unfortunately it loses a wheel, and as Knock Out speeds off with the pilfered device, Bumblebee is sent flying off a cliff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (6)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (12)
*[[Sierra]] (14)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (15)
*[[Vince]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Oh, for Primus' sake. Will SOMEONE keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' doesn't like to be distracted.

"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It will transform it."
:—The '''commercial narrator''' hates Bumblebee.

"I am no stranger to ambition."
:-'''Starscream''' states the obvious.

"You want to ride with the siren on?" 
"No, thank you."
:—'''Ratchet''' attempts to cheer up '''Raf'''.

"Bumblebee, where's your famous horsepower? Show me some ''speed''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', unintentionally striking a nerve.

"What is with the rent-a-car?"
:—'''Knock Out''' on Bumblebee's choice of pursuit vehicle.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes. The three sets of coordinates the Decepticons are investigating here are likewise the fruits of [[Project Iacon]].
*We first heard about [[Project Chimera]] in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", the events of which Starscream also makes mention of. Here we finally see what the project is—an attempt to create a MECH-designed Transformer.
*The old pickup truck Bumblebee uses to chase Knock Out was seen in [[Con Job]].
*When Ratchet says that, "Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no goul." It hails back to Darkness Rising Part 2, 3, 4, and 5 where Megatron raised actual zombies, or Terrorcons

===Transformers references===
*The ''device dú jour'' today is the spark extractor, courtesy of ancient Decepticons. However, unlike the [[spark extractor|original]], this one seems to be more of a bomb-like device, sapping the sparks of everyone in its radius. It might not be a coincidence that the device showed up in an episode written by [[Marty Isenberg]], given that he was one of the two showrunners of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|series]] it originated from.
*The T-cog is a reference to the [[transformation cog]] of G1 lore. It was first referred to in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]", in which the lack of a transformation cog meant that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was stuck in city mode.
*Ratchet also has to explain to Bumblebee that the Autobots are "Robots In Disguise", which is why he can't leave the base while his T-Cog is missing.
*When Ratchet explain how Bumblebee lost his voice, the scene is a reference to the comic prequel of Transformers the movie and the apocryphal [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]] story by the author of [[Exodus]], [[Alex Irvine]], making it seem rather likely this facet of the character's history has made it into the Aligned "Binder of Revelation."

===Real-world references===
*Megatron uses the term "mutually assured destruction", a longtime slogan for the effect of nuclear war.
*Knock Out references Rent-A-Car, a real-world car rental service.

===Trivia===
*In a first for the series, Bumblebee's car mode is revealed as the [[Urbana 500]]. The Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. ''It'll transform it.''
*This is the first time a fight has happened ''inside'' the [[Groundbridge]]
[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T14:53:41Z

75.35.52.74: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 30
|prev=Orion Pax, Part 3
|next=Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 1"
|airdate=[[March 10]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee questions his worthiness to his team after he is compromised.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] stake out a [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] mining operation overseen by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. Optimus isn't about to let Megatron have whatever gave off the signal that led him and Ratchet here, and he confronts Megatron just as the Vehicons break earth and hand the package to him. Megatron advises Optimus to stow his weapons; the device they've unearthed is a deadly [[spark extractor]], capable of sapping the spark from the body of every Cybertronian in its radius. He takes the opportunity to gloat about how Optimus—ahem, ''Orion''—led him to it before stepping through the [[GroundBridge]], and ordering the Vehicons to hold Ratchet and Optimus off. Close by, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] speeds over a cliff and through the attacking Vehicons, before driving into the GroundBridge. He transforms and grabs the package from Megatron's hand, before turning around and bolting. Megatron runs after him, but upon arriving outside the vortex, finds his troops destroyed and all three Autobots gone.

Back at base, Bumblebee brags about his vehicular acrobatics. Ratchet informs Optimus of the reason for the Autobot homing beacon on the device—it was sealed away in Iacon during the war, but was jettisoned offworld when the Decepticons raided the city. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] asks if Optimus remembers if he transcribed any other coordinates, but Optimus regrets that he does not. Ratchet posits that Megatron said he decrypted multiple targets to play havoc with Optimus' psyche.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron laments over the loss of the spark extractor, and regrets that he did no more than destroy Bumblebee's voicebox back on Cybertron. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] reminds Megatron that there are still two contacts on Earth to investigate.

On the road, Bumblebee sounds off to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to rendezvous with him at the coordinates of the new distress beacon. Upon arriving, however, the only device present is an upright beacon. Suddenly, Bumblebee is stunned by a large electrical blast, and he falls unconscious. [[Silas]] and a [[MECH]] team emerge from the shadows, including a [[MECH Surgeon]] who starts work on Bumblebee. Unseen by the troops below, Starscream arrives and transforms on an overlooking cliff. As MECH spots Bulkhead incoming, the surgeon finishes his work, and the team departs in a helicopter. Bulkhead arrives and asks Bumblebee who did it, but Bumblebee doesn't recall. Bulkhead advises pursuit, and transforms to roll—but Bumblebee doesn't. Antsy at the hold-up, Bulkhead asks Bumblebee why he's not transforming, and Bumblebee replies that he can't.

Back at base, Ratchet scans Bumblebee and discovers that his [[transformation cog|T cog]] is missing. The Autobots quickly work out MECH is behind it, and Optimus tells Bumblebee he's going to have to rely on his friends for a while. Bumblebee is very depressed. Optimus is worried about what Megatron might unearth next.

MECH install Bumblebee's T cog into the robot they've built, but when they power it up and have it scan a helicopter, the robot is unable to transform. Starscream, who has been spying on them, reveals himself and proposes an alliance. He explains the T cog requires [[energon]] to work. He intends to supply MECH with information on energon so they can work out a way to find energon deposits.

Bumblebee is making a pain of himself bugging Ratchet, who asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] to keep him busy. Unfortunately all of their entertainment reminds Bumblebee of his missing vehicle mode. Raf makes another attempt to make Bumblebee feel better, but is undermined by Arcee and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] racing into the base at high speed. Ratchet has to stop Bumblebee from going out for a walk, but feels guilty at his inability to fix his fellow Autobot.

Some time later, Ratchet picks Raf up outside school, much to the boy's discomfort.

On monitoring duty, Bulkhead detects a signal, and Bumblebee insists on going with him to investigate.

Raf asks how Bumblebee's voice box was damaged, and Ratchet tells how Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]] and given a working over by the Decepticons. Though a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved the scout, it wasn't enough to save his voice box.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee track the signal to a cave. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] soon comes barreling out, closely followed by [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. While Bulkhead tackles the latter, Bumblebee attempts to chase Knock Out on foot. He soon finds he can't even transform his arms to deploy his guns, and is forced to continue the pursuit by using an old truck as an impromptu go-kart. Unfortunately it loses a wheel, and as Knock Out speeds off with the pilfered device, Bumblebee is sent flying off a cliff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (6)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (12)
*[[Sierra]] (14)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (15)
*[[Vince]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Oh, for Primus' sake. Will SOMEONE keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' doesn't like to be distracted.

"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It will transform it."
:—The '''commercial narrator''' hates Bumblebee.

"I am no stranger to ambition."
:-'''Starscream''' states the obvious.

"You want to ride with the siren on?" 
"No, thank you."
:—'''Ratchet''' attempts to cheer up '''Raf'''.

"Bumblebee, where's your famous horsepower? Show me some ''speed''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', unintentionally striking a nerve.

"What is with the rent-a-car?"
:—'''Knock Out''' on Bumblebee's choice of pursuit vehicle.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes. The three sets of coordinates the Decepticons are investigating here are likewise the fruits of [[Project Iacon]].
*We first heard about [[Project Chimera]] in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", the events of which Starscream also makes mention of. Here we finally see what the project is—an attempt to create a MECH-designed Transformer.
*The old pickup truck Bumblebee uses to chase Knock Out was seen in [[Con Job]].
*When Ratchet says that, "Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no goul." It hails back to Darkness Rising Part 2, 3, 4, and 5 where Megatron raised actual zombies, or Terrorcons

===Transformers references===
*The ''device dú jour'' today is the spark extractor, courtesy of ancient Decepticons. However, unlike the [[spark extractor|original]], this one seems to be more of a bomb-like device, sapping the sparks of everyone in its radius. It might not be a coincidence that the device showed up in an episode written by [[Marty Isenberg]], given that he was one of the two showrunners of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|series]] it originated from.
*The T-cog is a reference to the [[transformation cog]] of G1 lore. It was first referred to in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]", in which the lack of a transformation cog meant that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was stuck in city mode.
*Ratchet also has to explain to Bumblebee that the Autobots are "Robots In Disguise", which is why he can't leave the base while his T-Cog is missing.
*When Ratchet explain how Bumblebee lost his voice, the scene is a reference to the comic prequel of Transformers the movie and the apocryphal [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]] story by the author of [[Exodus]], [[Alex Irvine]], making it seem rather likely this facet of the character's history has made it into the Aligned "Binder of Revelation."

===Real-world references===
*Megatron uses the term "mutually assured destruction", a longtime slogan for the effect of nuclear war.
*Knock Out references Rent-A-Car, a real-world car rental service.

===Trivia===
*In a first for the series, Bumblebee's car mode is revealed as the [[Urbana 500]]. The Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. ''It'll transform it.''

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T14:52:45Z

75.35.52.74: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 30
|prev=Orion Pax, Part 3
|next=Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 1"
|airdate=[[March 10]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee questions his worthiness to his team after he is compromised.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] stake out a [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] mining operation overseen by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. Optimus isn't about to let Megatron have whatever gave off the signal that led him and Ratchet here, and he confronts Megatron just as the Vehicons break earth and hand the package to him. Megatron advises Optimus to stow his weapons; the device they've unearthed is a deadly [[spark extractor]], capable of sapping the spark from the body of every Cybertronian in its radius. He takes the opportunity to gloat about how Optimus—ahem, ''Orion''—led him to it before stepping through the [[GroundBridge]], and ordering the Vehicons to hold Ratchet and Optimus off. Close by, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] speeds over a cliff and through the attacking Vehicons, before driving into the GroundBridge. He transforms and grabs the package from Megatron's hand, before turning around and bolting. Megatron runs after him, but upon arriving outside the vortex, finds his troops destroyed and all three Autobots gone.

Back at base, Bumblebee brags about his vehicular acrobatics. Ratchet informs Optimus of the reason for the Autobot homing beacon on the device—it was sealed away in Iacon during the war, but was jettisoned offworld when the Decepticons raided the city. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] asks if Optimus remembers if he transcribed any other coordinates, but Optimus regrets that he does not. Ratchet posits that Megatron said he decrypted multiple targets to play havoc with Optimus' psyche.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron laments over the loss of the spark extractor, and regrets that he did no more than destroy Bumblebee's voicebox back on Cybertron. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] reminds Megatron that there are still two contacts on Earth to investigate.

On the road, Bumblebee sounds off to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to rendezvous with him at the coordinates of the new distress beacon. Upon arriving, however, the only device present is an upright beacon. Suddenly, Bumblebee is stunned by a large electrical blast, and he falls unconscious. [[Silas]] and a [[MECH]] team emerge from the shadows, including a [[MECH Surgeon]] who starts work on Bumblebee. Unseen by the troops below, Starscream arrives and transforms on an overlooking cliff. As MECH spots Bulkhead incoming, the surgeon finishes his work, and the team departs in a helicopter. Bulkhead arrives and asks Bumblebee who did it, but Bumblebee doesn't recall. Bulkhead advises pursuit, and transforms to roll—but Bumblebee doesn't. Antsy at the hold-up, Bulkhead asks Bumblebee why he's not transforming, and Bumblebee replies that he can't.

Back at base, Ratchet scans Bumblebee and discovers that his [[transformation cog|T cog]] is missing. The Autobots quickly work out MECH is behind it, and Optimus tells Bumblebee he's going to have to rely on his friends for a while. Bumblebee is very depressed. Optimus is worried about what Megatron might unearth next.

MECH install Bumblebee's T cog into the robot they've built, but when they power it up and have it scan a helicopter, the robot is unable to transform. Starscream, who has been spying on them, reveals himself and proposes an alliance. He explains the T cog requires [[energon]] to work. He intends to supply MECH with information on energon so they can work out a way to find energon deposits.

Bumblebee is making a pain of himself bugging Ratchet, who asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] to keep him busy. Unfortunately all of their entertainment reminds Bumblebee of his missing vehicle mode. Raf makes another attempt to make Bumblebee feel better, but is undermined by Arcee and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] racing into the base at high speed. Ratchet has to stop Bumblebee from going out for a walk, but feels guilty at his inability to fix his fellow Autobot.

Some time later, Ratchet picks Raf up outside school, much to the boy's discomfort.

On monitoring duty, Bulkhead detects a signal, and Bumblebee insists on going with him to investigate.

Raf asks how Bumblebee's voice box was damaged, and Ratchet tells how Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]] and given a working over by the Decepticons. Though a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved the scout, it wasn't enough to save his voice box.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee track the signal to a cave. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] soon comes barreling out, closely followed by [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. While Bulkhead tackles the latter, Bumblebee attempts to chase Knock Out on foot. He soon finds he can't even transform his arms to deploy his guns, and is forced to continue the pursuit by using an old truck as an impromptu go-kart. Unfortunately it loses a wheel, and as Knock Out speeds off with the pilfered device, Bumblebee is sent flying off a cliff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (6)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (12)
*[[Sierra]] (14)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (15)
*[[Vince]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Oh, for Primus' sake. Will SOMEONE keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' doesn't like to be distracted.

"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It will transform it."
:—The '''commercial narrator''' hates Bumblebee.

"I am no stranger to ambition."
:-'''Starscream''' states the obvious.

"You want to ride with the siren on?" 
"No, thank you."
:—'''Ratchet''' attempts to cheer up '''Raf'''.

"Bumblebee, where's your famous horsepower? Show me some ''speed''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', unintentionally striking a nerve.

"What is with the rent-a-car?"
:—'''Knock Out''' on Bumblebee's choice of pursuit vehicle.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes. The three sets of coordinates the Decepticons are investigating here are likewise the fruits of [[Project Iacon]].
*We first heard about [[Project Chimera]] in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", the events of which Starscream also makes mention of. Here we finally see what the project is—an attempt to create a MECH-designed Transformer.
*The old pickup truck Bumblebee uses to chase Knock Out was seen in [[Con Job]].
*When Ratchet says that, "Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no goul." It hails back to Darkness Rising Part 2, 3, and 4 where Megatron raised actual zombies, or Terrorcons

===Transformers references===
*The ''device dú jour'' today is the spark extractor, courtesy of ancient Decepticons. However, unlike the [[spark extractor|original]], this one seems to be more of a bomb-like device, sapping the sparks of everyone in its radius. It might not be a coincidence that the device showed up in an episode written by [[Marty Isenberg]], given that he was one of the two showrunners of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|series]] it originated from.
*The T-cog is a reference to the [[transformation cog]] of G1 lore. It was first referred to in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]", in which the lack of a transformation cog meant that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was stuck in city mode.
*Ratchet also has to explain to Bumblebee that the Autobots are "Robots In Disguise", which is why he can't leave the base while his T-Cog is missing.
*When Ratchet explain how Bumblebee lost his voice, the scene is a reference to the comic prequel of Transformers the movie and the apocryphal [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]] story by the author of [[Exodus]], [[Alex Irvine]], making it seem rather likely this facet of the character's history has made it into the Aligned "Binder of Revelation."

===Real-world references===
*Megatron uses the term "mutually assured destruction", a longtime slogan for the effect of nuclear war.
*Knock Out references Rent-A-Car, a real-world car rental service.

===Trivia===
*In a first for the series, Bumblebee's car mode is revealed as the [[Urbana 500]]. The Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. ''It'll transform it.''

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

Operation Bumblebee, Part 1

2012-03-11T14:51:20Z

75.35.52.74: /* Continuity notes */

{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 30
|prev=Orion Pax, Part 3
|next=Operation Bumblebee, Part 2
|image=
|caption=
|title="Operation Bumblebee, Part 1"
|airdate=[[March 10]], [[2012]]
|written by=[[Marty Isenberg]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}

'''Bumblebee questions his worthiness to his team after he is compromised.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] and [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] stake out a [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicon]] mining operation overseen by [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]. Optimus isn't about to let Megatron have whatever gave off the signal that led him and Ratchet here, and he confronts Megatron just as the Vehicons break earth and hand the package to him. Megatron advises Optimus to stow his weapons; the device they've unearthed is a deadly [[spark extractor]], capable of sapping the spark from the body of every Cybertronian in its radius. He takes the opportunity to gloat about how Optimus—ahem, ''Orion''—led him to it before stepping through the [[GroundBridge]], and ordering the Vehicons to hold Ratchet and Optimus off. Close by, [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] speeds over a cliff and through the attacking Vehicons, before driving into the GroundBridge. He transforms and grabs the package from Megatron's hand, before turning around and bolting. Megatron runs after him, but upon arriving outside the vortex, finds his troops destroyed and all three Autobots gone.

Back at base, Bumblebee brags about his vehicular acrobatics. Ratchet informs Optimus of the reason for the Autobot homing beacon on the device—it was sealed away in Iacon during the war, but was jettisoned offworld when the Decepticons raided the city. [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] asks if Optimus remembers if he transcribed any other coordinates, but Optimus regrets that he does not. Ratchet posits that Megatron said he decrypted multiple targets to play havoc with Optimus' psyche.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', Megatron laments over the loss of the spark extractor, and regrets that he did no more than destroy Bumblebee's voicebox back on Cybertron. [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] reminds Megatron that there are still two contacts on Earth to investigate.

On the road, Bumblebee sounds off to [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] to rendezvous with him at the coordinates of the new distress beacon. Upon arriving, however, the only device present is an upright beacon. Suddenly, Bumblebee is stunned by a large electrical blast, and he falls unconscious. [[Silas]] and a [[MECH]] team emerge from the shadows, including a [[MECH Surgeon]] who starts work on Bumblebee. Unseen by the troops below, Starscream arrives and transforms on an overlooking cliff. As MECH spots Bulkhead incoming, the surgeon finishes his work, and the team departs in a helicopter. Bulkhead arrives and asks Bumblebee who did it, but Bumblebee doesn't recall. Bulkhead advises pursuit, and transforms to roll—but Bumblebee doesn't. Antsy at the hold-up, Bulkhead asks Bumblebee why he's not transforming, and Bumblebee replies that he can't.

Back at base, Ratchet scans Bumblebee and discovers that his [[transformation cog|T cog]] is missing. The Autobots quickly work out MECH is behind it, and Optimus tells Bumblebee he's going to have to rely on his friends for a while. Bumblebee is very depressed. Optimus is worried about what Megatron might unearth next.

MECH install Bumblebee's T cog into the robot they've built, but when they power it up and have it scan a helicopter, the robot is unable to transform. Starscream, who has been spying on them, reveals himself and proposes an alliance. He explains the T cog requires [[energon]] to work. He intends to supply MECH with information on energon so they can work out a way to find energon deposits.

Bumblebee is making a pain of himself bugging Ratchet, who asks [[Raf Esquivel|Raf]] and [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]] to keep him busy. Unfortunately all of their entertainment reminds Bumblebee of his missing vehicle mode. Raf makes another attempt to make Bumblebee feel better, but is undermined by Arcee and [[Jack Darby|Jack]] racing into the base at high speed. Ratchet has to stop Bumblebee from going out for a walk, but feels guilty at his inability to fix his fellow Autobot.

Some time later, Ratchet picks Raf up outside school, much to the boy's discomfort.

On monitoring duty, Bulkhead detects a signal, and Bumblebee insists on going with him to investigate.

Raf asks how Bumblebee's voice box was damaged, and Ratchet tells how Bumblebee was captured at [[Tyger Pax]] and given a working over by the Decepticons. Though a [[Ratchet (Prime)|field medic]] saved the scout, it wasn't enough to save his voice box.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee track the signal to a cave. [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] soon comes barreling out, closely followed by [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]]. While Bulkhead tackles the latter, Bumblebee attempts to chase Knock Out on foot. He soon finds he can't even transform his arms to deploy his guns, and is forced to continue the pursuit by using an old truck as an impromptu go-kart. Unfortunately it loses a wheel, and as Knock Out speeds off with the pilfered device, Bumblebee is sent flying off a cliff.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] (3)
*[[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus Prime]] (4)
*[[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] (5)
*[[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] (9)
|c2=
*[[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]] (1)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (2)
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (10)
*[[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] (17)
*[[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] (18)
|c3=
*[[Jack Darby]] (6)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (8)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Surgeon]] (12)
*[[Sierra]] (14)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (15)
*[[Vince]] (16)

|c4=
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (13)
}}

==Quotes==
"Oh, for Primus' sake. Will SOMEONE keep him occupied so I can get some work done?!"
:—'''Ratchet''' doesn't like to be distracted.

"The new Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. It will transform it."
:—The '''commercial narrator''' hates Bumblebee.

"I am no stranger to ambition."
:-'''Starscream''' states the obvious.

"You want to ride with the siren on?" 
"No, thank you."
:—'''Ratchet''' attempts to cheer up '''Raf'''.

"Bumblebee, where's your famous horsepower? Show me some ''speed''!"
:—'''Knock Out''', unintentionally striking a nerve.

"What is with the rent-a-car?"
:—'''Knock Out''' on Bumblebee's choice of pursuit vehicle.

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
===Continuity notes===
*Megatron calls Optimus by his pre-Prime name "Orion Pax" from the previous episodes. The three sets of coordinates the Decepticons are investigating here are likewise the fruits of [[Project Iacon]].
*We first heard about [[Project Chimera]] in "[[Operation: Breakdown]]", the events of which Starscream also makes mention of. Here we finally see what the project is—an attempt to create a MECH-designed Transformer.
*The old pickup truck Bumblebee uses to chase Knock Out was seen in [[Con Job]].
*When Ratchet says that, "Megatron may be known to raise zombies, but he's no goul." It hails back to Darkness Rising Part 2, 3, and 4

===Transformers references===
*The ''device dú jour'' today is the spark extractor, courtesy of ancient Decepticons. However, unlike the [[spark extractor|original]], this one seems to be more of a bomb-like device, sapping the sparks of everyone in its radius. It might not be a coincidence that the device showed up in an episode written by [[Marty Isenberg]], given that he was one of the two showrunners of the [[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|series]] it originated from.
*The T-cog is a reference to the [[transformation cog]] of G1 lore. It was first referred to in the ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|The Transformers]]'' episode "[[Five Faces of Darkness, Part 1]]", in which the lack of a transformation cog meant that [[Metroplex (G1)|Metroplex]] was stuck in city mode.
*Ratchet also has to explain to Bumblebee that the Autobots are "Robots In Disguise", which is why he can't leave the base while his T-Cog is missing.
*When Ratchet explain how Bumblebee lost his voice, the scene is a reference to the comic prequel of Transformers the movie and the apocryphal [[Bumblebee at Tyger Pax]] story by the author of [[Exodus]], [[Alex Irvine]], making it seem rather likely this facet of the character's history has made it into the Aligned "Binder of Revelation."

===Real-world references===
*Megatron uses the term "mutually assured destruction", a longtime slogan for the effect of nuclear war.
*Knock Out references Rent-A-Car, a real-world car rental service.

===Trivia===
*In a first for the series, Bumblebee's car mode is revealed as the [[Urbana 500]]. The Urbana 500. It won't just rock your world. ''It'll transform it.''

[[Category:Prime episodes]]

March 10

2012-02-19T03:17:27Z

75.35.52.74:

<noinclude>{{cal-date|3|10}}</noinclude>

* '''[[1975]] —''' [[Dublin James]] (the voice of [[Hot Shot (Armada)|Hot Shot]] in the [[Transformers (PS2)|''Armada'' PS2 game]]) is born.
* '''[[1992]] —''' ''[[The Transformers: The Movie - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]]'' is re-released on CD in the US by [[Scotti Bros. Records]].
* '''[[1998]] —''' The ''[[Beast Wars (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "[[Transmutate (episode)|Transmutate]]" premieres in the US during a special "Toonami" week-long event on [[Cartoon Network]].
* '''[[1999]] —''' The ''[[Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' episode "[[Dinosaur Combiner Magmatron]]" premieres in Japan.
* '''1999 —''' The Japanese ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' — Decepticon Edition Laserdisc set is released by [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]].
* '''[[2004]] —''' [[Dreamwave Productions|Dreamwave]] releases ''[[More Than Meets The Eye (Armada)|More Than Meets The Eye]]'' (''[[Armada (franchise)|Armada]]''), volume 1.
* '''[[2010]] —''' ''[[The Transformers: Bumblebee]]'' [[Wings of Wax|issue 4]] is released in the US by [[IDW Publishing]].
* '''[[2011]] —''' Nickelodeon.com launches its ''[[Dark of the Moon (film)|Dark of the Moon]]'' "[[16 Weeks of Cyber Sweeps]]" contest website.

[[2012]] The Transformers Prime episode Operation: Bumblebee Part 1 is released

March 3

2012-02-19T03:14:14Z

75.35.52.74:

<noinclude>{{cal-date|3|3}}</noinclude>

* '''[[1973]] —''' [[Matthew Marsden]] ([[Graham|SASF Agent Graham]] in ''[[Revenge of the Fallen (film)|Revenge of the Fallen]]'') is born.

* '''[[1977]] —''' [[Masafumi Kimura]] (voice of [[Lugnutz|Road Storm]], [[Metroplex (Cybertron)|Megalo Convoy]] and [[Undermine (Cybertron)|Dino Shout]] in ''[[Cybertron (cartoon)|Galaxy Force]]'') is born.

* '''[[1999]] —''' The ''[[Beast Wars Neo (cartoon)|Beast Wars Neo]]'' episode "[[Mirage of the Sand]]" premieres in Japan.

* '''[[2008]] —''' The promotional video for the [[Fun Publications]] [[Transformers Collectors' Club]]-[[exclusive]] [[Topspin (Classics)|Topspin]] toy is added to the Club website.

[[2012]] The Transfomers Prime episode Orion Pax Part 3 is released

February 25

2012-02-19T03:10:23Z

75.35.52.74:

<noinclude>{{cal-date|2|25}}</noinclude>

* '''[[1987]] —''' The ''[[The Transformers (cartoon)|Transformers]]'' episode "[[The Return of Optimus Prime, Part 2]]" premieres in the US.
* '''[[1998]] —''' The ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars]]'' episode "[[The Low Road|Stop the Sneezing]]" premieres in Japan.
* '''1998 —''' ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars: Super Lifeform Transformers — New Weapon of Terror and Goodbye Rattle!?]]'' are released on VHS in Japan by [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]].
* '''[[1999]] —''' ''[[The Transformers: The Movie]]'' is released on VHS in Japan by [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]].
* '''1999 —''' ''[[Beast Wars II: Super Lifeform Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars II]]'' — ACT. 11 is released on VHS in Japan by [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]].
* '''[[2000]] —''' ''[[Beast Wars: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars: Metals — I'm a Crab! and I Do Love You!]]'' are released on VHS in Japan by [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Pioneer LDC]].
* '''[[2004]] —''' The ''[[Transformers: Energon (cartoon)|Super Link]]'' OP/ED single "[[Taiyō no Transform!!|Taiyō no transform!!]]"/"[[Calling You|Calling you]]" is released in Japan by [[Interchannel]].
* '''2004 —''' [[What Lies Beneath|''Transformers Energon'' #20]] is released by [[Dreamwave Productions]].
* '''2004 —''' ''[[Transformers: Armada (cartoon)#Columbia Music Entertainment|Micron Densetsu — Volume 11]]'' is released on DVD in Japan by [[Columbia Music Entertainment]], coming with the "[[Linkage Part 11]]" mini-comic and [[exclusive]] [[Kingbolt]] toy.
* '''[[2005]] —''' ''[[Beast Machines: Transformers (cartoon)|Beast Wars Returns]]'' — Volume 4 is released in Japan by [[Geneon Universal Entertainment|Geneon Entertainment]].
* '''[[2006]] —''' The ''[[Information Administration Teletraan 15 Go! Go!|15 Go! Go!]]'' chapter "[[Blaster Volume]]" is published in the April 2006 issue of ''[[Dengeki Hobby]]''.
* '''[[2007]] —''' The ''15 Go! Go!'' chapter "[[Sparkbots Volume 3]]" is published in the April 2007 issue of ''Dengeki Hobby''.
* '''[[2008]] —''' ''[[Transformers: Beast Wars: The Ascending]]'' trade paperback is released in the US by [[IDW Publishing]].
* '''2008 —''' [[Universal]] releases the ''[[Universal#Armada|Transformers: Armada — Bumper Double DVD Collection]]'' in the UK.
* '''[[2011]] —''' The ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' episode "[[Con Job]]" airs on [[The Hub]].
* '''2011 —''' The ''[[Transformers Animated (cartoon)|Transformers: Animated]] [[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video#Japan|volume 7]]'' DVD is released by [[Paramount Pictures|Paramount Japan]].
* '''2011 —''' The ''[[Macrocosmic Seekers]]'' chapter "[[Those Who Resist]]" is e-mailed to [[e-Hobby]] subscribers.
* '''[[2012]] —''' The ''[[Transformers Encore|Encore]]'' versions of [[Blaster (G1)|Twincast]] (with [[Stripes]] & [[Nightstalker]]) and [[Soundwave (G1)|Soundblaster]] (with [[Wingthing (G1)|Wingthing]] & [[Enemy (G1)|Enemy]]) are released in Japan.
The Transformers Prime episode Orion Pax Part 2 is released

Convoy (episode)

2012-02-12T21:22:09Z

75.35.52.74: /* Animation and technical errors */

{{disambig2|the ''Prime'' episode|the Japanese name and rank|Convoy (rank)}}
{{episode|
|otherseries=''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' ep 9
|prev=Con Job
|next=Deus ex Machina
|image=TFP Convoy highway hijack.jpg
|caption=Ain't it a beautiful sight?
|title="Convoy"
|airdate=[[March 4]], [[2011]]
|written by=[[Joseph Kuhr]]
|directed by=[[Todd Waterman]]
|animation studio=[[Polygon Pictures]]
|production company=[[Hasbro Studios]]
}}
'''The Autobots assist Fowler with transporting a nuclear device.'''

==Synopsis==
The Autobots get an angry call from [[William Fowler|Fowler]]. His plane's been shot down while transporting the hi-tech [[Dynamic Nuclear Generation System]], or the "Dingus", a volatile nuclear device, and he needs help in completing his mission. [[Optimus Prime (Prime)|Optimus]] says that using the [[GroundBridge]] to transport it would be too dangerous, so instead they'll have to take it by road. They soon have it loaded into a [[trailer]] which Prime starts hauling, with [[Bulkhead (Prime)|Bulkhead]] and [[Bumblebee (Prime)|Bumblebee]] as an escort. Fowler's disappointed he doesn't get to drive. [[Ratchet (Prime)|Ratchet]] and the kids monitor their journey from [[Autobot Outpost Omega One|base]].

Optimus is irritated by Fowler's enthusiasm with the horn. Unknown to any of them, the convoy is being observed by a helicopter. Fowler and Optimus are discussing whether there was any evil on Earth before the Decepticons came, when they spot the helicopter, which Fowler believes is a [[Decepticon]]. Five green sportscars move in on the convoy, but Optimus warns everyone to maintain their cover and stay in vehicle mode. Ratchet's surprised that they're not showing up on his sensors. All is made clear when one of the cars draws level with Optimus's cab, and a masked human aims a gun at Fowler. Optimus orders the other Autobots to use non-lethal force only. Bumblebee knocks one of the cars, flipping it over, but another drives up alongside Optimus. One of the masked goons climbs onto Optimus and starts attempting to sever the trailer. After Prime knocks the car off the mountainside road, Fowler climbs out and grabs the masked goon, but loses him before he can start the interrogation.
[[Image:Prime-Silas.jpg|left|thumb|250px|I want this mission high and tight. I wanna be home for dinner.]]
The fellow in the helicopter makes contact over the walkie and introduces himself as [[Silas]], part of the [[MECH]] organization, who intend to steal the Dingus for their own use. One of the cars pulls up behind Optimus and the MECH goons blow the trailer's back door open, only for [[Arcee (Prime)|Arcee]] to jump out in motorcycle mode and flip their car, causing it to explode. While Optimus warns Fowler not to take Silas lightly (due to [[Megatron (Prime)|personal experience]]), Ratchet informs them they're nearing the rendezvous point.

On the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'', [[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] has intercepted the communications, and [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] sends a bunch of [[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] to join the party.

The Autobots reach the rendezvous point and duck into a rail tunnel alongside a train. Bulkhead seals off the incoming end. A short time later, they and the train emerge from the other end of the tunnel, and Silas continues to follow the Autobots. As luck would have it, the Vehicons take this opportunity to appear and open fire on the convoy. The Autobots avoid getting hit, but Prime's trailer is shaken loose and explodes. The Vehicons transform and move in, forcing Optimus to inform Fowler that they're going to have to break cover to survive. Silas observes the fight and notes that the rumors he's heard of living technology are true. He lets Fowler know that he's aware the Dingus was transferred onto the train while the Autobots were in the tunnel, and the helicopter moves off to intercept the cargo. Unfortunately, while Fowler's giving Optimus the bad news, the Autobot leader takes a tree trunk to the face and falls off a nearby cliff.

The kids have a frantic discussion about a plan B. [[Miko Nakadai|Miko]]'s in favor of Ratchet ground-bridging the kids onto the train so they can fight the MECH goons. With [[Raf Esquivel|Raf's]] help, [[Jack Darby|Jack]] and Miko are soon on the train. As the MECH helicopter tries to land on top of the train, Raf flips a point switch to make the train go off along another line. In response, the helicopter's pilot hacks Raf's laptop, causing it to short out. On the second try, the helicopter lands atop the carriage the Dingus is in, and the MECH guys start cutting through the carriage roof.

Not far away, the Autobots continue their fight with the Vehicons. Optimus comes around and sees the train in trouble.
[[Image:Convoy-trainstop.jpg|thumb|250px|More powerful than a locomotive!]]
Miko and Jack grab weapons, which they wave at the MECH guys when the ceiling's opened. Back in the chopper, Silas spots Optimus running alongside and sounds a retreat. As the helicopter heads away, he fires a missile and takes out the track ahead of the train. Due to Raf's laptop being out of commission, Ratchet no longer has the train's coordinates and can't bridge the kids out. They prepare to jump, but Optimus [[Maximum overdrive|zooms past]], grabs the front of the train and brings it to a halt in the nick of time. Hovering in the helicopter nearby, Silas promises that next time the playing field will be leveled. Optimus reports back to Ratchet that the kids and the Dingus are safe, but notes that a new player has entered the game...
{{--}}

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

|c2=
*[[Soundwave (Prime)|Soundwave]] (13)
*[[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] (14)
*[[Vehicon (Prime)|Vehicons]] (15)

|c3=
*[[William Fowler]] (1)
*[[Jack Darby]] (5)
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (6)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (7)
*[[MECH]] goons (10)
*[[Silas]] (11)
*[[MECH Navigator]] (12)

}}

==Quotes==
"Ah-ah, no need, Agent Fowler. I will handle the driving." 
"It's going to be a long trip."
:—'''Optimus Prime''' lets '''Agent Fowler''' in on his no-touch policy.

"Agent Fowler. Is that really necessary?" 
"Oh, don't tell me you're one of them "textbook drivers"."
:— '''Optimus Prime''' isn't very keen on '''Agent Fowler's''' use of the horn.

"How about some radio? You seem like a Nashville sound kinda guy."
:—'''Agent Fowler''' to Optimus Prime.

"That's the one! The 'Con who shot me down! Who is he? Wingnut? Dingbat? Skyguy?"
:—'''Fowler''' shares some awesome Transformer name ideas.

"Gentlemen, stop their engines."
:—'''Silas'''

"Is that so? Tell me, Si, what's the market price for a Dingus these days?" 
"What makes you think we intend to sell it, Agent Fowler?"
:—'''Agent Fowler''' and '''Silas''' discussing the value of Fowler's Dingus.

"After a long road trip, feels good to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and kick some tailpipe!"
:—'''Bulkhead''', the reigning king of one-liners.

"You want me to not only bridge you into a confined space, but one traveling at 90 miles per hour? I can't even count the number of things that can go wrong—mass displacement trauma, twisted limbs, metal burn!... Well, maybe not the last one."
:—'''Ratchet''' to the kids.

"First rule of combat: Never leave the enemy with the spoils."
:—'''Silas'''

==Notes==
===Animation and technical errors===
* While Silas delivers his last line, the straps that cross his chest clip into each other.
* At the beginning of the episode, when Ratchet asks Agent Fowler why Starscream would bother with "such primitive technology" (i.e., the Dingus), a small light can be seen inside his open mouth, as if the light coming from his left optic sensor can be seen through it.
*As The Autobots near the destination point, on the side of Optimus Prime's cab is a white musical note, one of those guys are going to get an A* in music

===Continuity errors===
[[Image:Convoy-kablooie.jpg|thumb|upright|"I used minimal force. That was the minimal force necessary to ensure they ''never bother us again.''"]]
* The Autobots have a curious definition of "minimal force". During the short battle, they run two cars off the road (causing both to flip over) and blow up a third. The latter most likely killed the passengers. It's amazing the others came out unharmed, considering one was hanging out of the sunroof of his car at the time.

* On the monitor inside the Autobot base, the fork is shown to be on the right side of the rails. When the scene changes to show the running train, it is shown to be on the left.
* The car in front of Bumblebee disappears after the Autobots begin applying force. There is nothing to show whether Bumblebee took care of the car in the front or if it was forgotten in the writing of the episode.

===Continuity notes===
*The plane Fowler was transporting the Dingus on is the same one he had in "[[Masters & Students]]". And he's ''still'' flying without any kind of pilot gear on. Dude is ''hard core''.
*Miko makes reference to that episode when she follows up Fowler's comment that he had been shot out of the sky with an "again?"

===Transformers references===
*Optimus's [[trailer]] is adorned with the same paint scheme as his [[Optimus Prime (G1)|''Generation 1'' counterpart]]'s [[Combat Deck|trailer]].

===Real-world references===
* This episode is the first in ''[[Transformers: Prime (cartoon)|Transformers: Prime]]'' to feature a reproduction of an actual real-world vehicle: The locomotive depicted hauling the 'Phase II' train is a very accurate model of a four-axle GP series model produced in La Grange, Illinois (Later London, Ontario) by [[wikipedia:Electro-Motive_Diesel|Electro-Motive Diesel]].

===Foreign localization===
'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Konvoi'''" ("Convoy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[November 25|25 November]] [[2011]]

'''Hungarian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Konvoj'''" ("Convoy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 19|19 January]] [[2012]]

'''Italian'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Convoglio'''" ("Convoy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[October 22|22 October]] [[2011]]

'''Korean'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Hosong Jakjeon'''" (호송 작전, "Operation Convoy")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[September 26|26 September]] [[2011]]

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[December 15|15 December]] [[2011]]

'''Portuguese'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 4|4 January]] [[2012]]

'''Spanish'''
:*''Title:'' ?
:*''Original airdate:'' [[January 2|2 January]] [[2012]]

===Trivia===
*The train set piece germinated from [[Alex Kurtzman]]'s desire to have a Train Transformer, which would have been too expensive.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Pb3MeUDdY Roundtable interview with ''Prime'' staff at BotCon 2011]</ref>
*The fact that the Autobots were battling humans rather than Decepticons - a not insignificant twist in the plot - was spoiled by the next-episode preview shown during the Hub's airing of ''Con Job''. What is this, [[Ultra Magnus Dies!!|Japan?]]
*As was previously featured in "[[Darkness Rising, Part 4]]", this episode features an Autobot transforming while carrying a human passenger. Fowler somehow ends up sitting in Optimus's hand rather than inside him, though.
[[Image:JackFireExtinguisherMikoAxe.jpg|thumb|200px|So I married an axe murderer.]]
*On board the train, Jack and Miko each pick a "weapon" of choice to face the MECH goons. Appropriately, Miko happens to take an axe, like she did [[Darkness Rising, Part 5|to face Soundwave's tentacle]], while Jack takes a [[fire extinguisher]], like he did [[Scrapheap (episode)|a couple of episodes ago]].
*When Jack and Miko grab respectively, the fire extinguisher and the fire axe to fight MECH, they forget that there is a gun on the floor, dropped by the immobilized soldier. However, neither (presumably) has had firearms training, and it's unlikely that Optimus would appreciate trigger-happy allies.
*This episode ''might'' imply that Jack has feelings for Miko. So far, however, it seems to be kinda one-sided. But Miko was seen a few times grabbing Jack's arm.
*This episode may contain human [[death]]. After Arcee jumps off one of MECH's vehicles, it rolls right into another vehicle and the two explode. No humans are seen exiting the vehicles during the accident, so it is likely that they perish in the explosion.
*This episode is the first to feature a human enemy to the Cybertronians (both Autobots and Decepticons). However, they do not meet the leader, Silas, until much later whereas the Autobots only hear him speak this episode.

==Footnotes==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Prime episodes]]