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This Is Why I Hate Machines

2010-11-08T21:51:51Z

75.61.67.116: /* Quotes */ fix

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Fanzone Crowd.jpg
|caption=
|ep=40
|title="This Is Why I Hate Machines"
|caption=This is what hell looks like to Captain Fanzone.
|airdate=[[May 9]], 2009
|written by=[[Rob Hoegee]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Yutaka Hirata]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''A space bridge accident sends Ratchet and Captain Fanzone to Cybertron, right as the Decepticon controlled Omega Supreme arrives.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:TFA ThisIsWhyIHateMachines Fanzone SpaceBridge.jpg|thumb|200px|left|That's it! I'm firing my travel agent.]]
[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] is trying to calibrate the newly constructed [[space bridge]] properly to begin the hunt for [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]]. Unfortunately, [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]]'s advanced notation system of adhesive note papers leaves something to be desired. [[Captain Fanzone]] chooses that moment to step off [[Sumdac Tower]]'s elevator, engaged in a spirited discussion with [[Sumdac Systems]] technical support over some malfunctioning police drones. Fanzone has come to take up the matter with [[Isaac Sumdac]] himself, but before he can start looking for the scientist, a pair of police drones catch up to him and open fire with lethal force. Now dodging gunfire while the oblivious Ratchet continues to sort through Bulkhead's notes, Fanzone grows progressively more irate until the space bridge suddenly activates, having located Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Ratchet looks up just in time to see the hapless Fanzone being sucked into the space bridge portal, and, deciding that this probably isn't a good thing, opts to follow.

[[Image:ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-Glyphandothers.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Just robot asses as far as the eye can see.]]

Fanzone finds himself unceremoniously dumped in the middle of a large city on [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]], a situation he's less than thrilled about. A crowd of Autobots freaks out at the presence of the horrifying organic lifeform. Nearly stepped on by the immense [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] at the urging of a [[Flareup (Animated)|friend]], Fanzone is rescued by the timely arrival of Ratchet. Fanzone wants to return home immediately, but Ratchet insists that while they're on Cybertron, they may as well hit up [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]]. To his dismay, his favorite watering hole has been shut down, along with other "subversive" gathering places, by order of [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]]. After watching one of Sentinel Prime's propaganda videos, the pair are soon approached by the Elite Guard, and Sentinel Prime demands to know how they have been able to get to Cybertron with space bridge travel locked down. Ratchet angrily explains that they didn't use the space bridge network, but rather piggybacked on Omega Supreme's transwarp signature. Sentinel, well-informed as always, laughs off Ratchet, thinking that Omega Supreme had been decommissioned centuries ago. He is immediately proven wrong as the looming shape of Omega Supreme's robot form appears in the Cybertronian skies.

Above the city, aboard Omega's inert body, [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] muses on this (glorious!) moment for the [[Decepticon]]s: those who were once driven away from Cybertron in exile are now poised over it in one of its greatest weapons. As [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] points out that they have no means actually to ''use'' said weapon, [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] comes to Megatron's defense, saying that with the [[plasmadynamic thruster]] removed, the Decepticons have control over Omega's navigational systems, transformation, and free access to the ship. Starscream points out that they have no control over the weapons systems, but Megatron rebuffs him with the revelation that he still has a spy on Cybertron who can fetch him the access codes to Omega Supreme. On cue, [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] contacts the Decepticons, saying that he knows of another means to the get the codes, only needing time to get to it. Starscream comments that this will only work if the Cybertronian defense cannons don't shoot them out of the sky, but Megatron doubts that they would fire on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength.

Meanwhile, Sentinel advocates that they fire the Cybertronian defense cannons on one of the greatest symbols of Autobot military strength. This understandably does not go over well with several prominent members of the [[Autobot High Council]], to say nothing of Omega Supreme's former mentor, Ratchet, who warns that destroying Omega with the amount of transwarp energy currently stored within him could cause a blast that would wipe out Cybertron itself. [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] rebuff Sentinel and inform him to wait for the council's decision. Ratchet warns Sentinel that there will be consequences if Omega is harmed, and Sentinel prepares to lock up Ratchet and Fanzone, but they make a break for it when Fanzone fakes a sneeze. The Elite Guard pursue the two, but lose them outside the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]. Sentinel orders Jazz to continue searching, while he and the twins head to [[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]] to prepare the defense cannons, as Sentinel intends to attack regardless of the Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Ratchet and Fanzone take refuge in the forgotten network of maintenance tunnels beneath the city, which have been sealed for quite some time, but soon realize that someone ''else'' has been hiding in the tunnels quite recently. The occupant of that hideout is revealed to be none other than the double-agent [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]], who nearly gets the jump on the duo, still armed with the stolen [[Magnus Hammer]]. Ratchet fights back, surmising that Shockwave wishes to hack his processor to get the access codes to Omega Supreme, but Shockwave scoffs at this, revealing that he plans to go right to the original source: [[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]]! Horrified, Ratchet loses his concentration, allowing Shockwave to hurl him aside and escape.

At Fortress Maximus, Sentinel's diverting of all but essential [[energon (fuel)|Energon]] has not gone unnoticed, and Perceptor contacts him for an explanation. Sentinel says that the Elite Guard is simply preparing to attack if the Council gives the okay, and Alpha Trion informs him that they will have a decision shortly. As the council continues to deliberate a course of action, Sentinel Prime orders [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] to arm the weapons of the Elite Guard's base and aim at Omega Supreme. Lugnut advocates that they leave Omega's body and retaliate, something Starscream agrees to for different reasons, but Megatron silences them, claiming he has a reason for exposing their position. Shockwave then contacts Megatron to inform him that he has acquired clearance codes to enter the facility holding Arcee.

[[Image:TFA-ThisIsWhyIHateMachines-UltraMagnusSparkSupport.jpg|thumb|200px|left|"Is it water on the knee?" "A whole bucket, see?" "A Charley Horse, it's true!" "I'm the doctor for YOU!"]]
Fanzone puts his cop instincts to work and quickly tracks down the local stoolie, [[Rattletrap]], the bot who gave Shockwave the clearance codes. With a little organic coercion, the pair are able to force an access card from Rattletrap, but when they attempt to use it, they discover that the codes are bogus. Just as they make this discovery, [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] steps from the shadows to offer them his aid. He has finally had it with Sentinel Prime's attitude, and he gives Fanzone and Ratchet a functioning access card. The duo quickly locate Arcee, only to find that they have inadvertently led Shockwave right to her. A running firefight ensues as Ratchet tries to get Arcee to safety while Shockwave pursues them, and the battle carries them to the medical bay in which [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] is convalescing. Thinking that Ratchet is out of commission after a blow from the Magnus Hammer, Shockwave decides to finish the job on Ultra Magnus and turns his back on his fallen foe. Ratchet is still very much alive and kicking, however, and he downs Shockwave with a blast from his [[electromagnetic pulse]] generator, allowing him to reclaim the Magnus Hammer from the Decepticon's clutches. Of course, Sentinel Prime chooses that moment to enter the room, and he promptly leaps to the conclusion that Ratchet is trying to do away with Ultra Magnus. This distraction offers Shockwave the time he needs to escape with Arcee, which prompts Sentinel to issue the command to fire on Omega Supreme. Fortress Maximus opens fire, but Omega transwarps out of the path of the blast, which shoots off harmlessly through the sky.

A short while later, the council and Elite Guard see Ratchet and Fanzone to the [[space bridge nexus]] so that they can return to [[Earth]]. Alpha Trion chastises Sentinel for his actions, making it clear that if it was up to him alone, Sentinel wouldn't be Magnus for a second longer. Trion extends his thanks to Ratchet and Fanzone, but Ratchet sees little reason to celebrate, as the Decepticons now have Arcee. Perceptor tries to assure Ratchet that the damage done to Arcee's processor is irreversible, but Ratchet is not cheered up at the prospect. Just before they enter the space bridge, Sentinel orders Ratchet to hand over the Magnus Hammer, but Ratchet refuses, telling him they will give it back to its rightful owner, Ultra Magnus, when he is repaired. Before Sentinel can object, Ratchet and Fanzone dart off through the space bridge. Sentinel is about to pursue them, but Jazz blocks his path and offers to go in his stead. Ratchet and Fanzone are not happy to see Jazz when he appears in front of them, but Jazz explains that he is unable to condone Sentinel's actions any more and is deserting to join the Autobots on Earth.

[[Image:TFAni ThisisWhyIHateMachines Arcee Earth.jpg‎|thumb|200px|right| "Insert ''2001: A Space Odyssey'' instrumental here"]]
Out in space, Omega Supreme rematerializes close to Earth's [[moon (moon)|moon]]. Aboard the dormant Autobot, Shockwave bows before Megatron and abandons his [[electronic paint job]] so that he can finally serve his leader under his true colors. Megatron bids his "most loyal servant" to rise, sending Lugnut into fits of silent, quivering rage—much to Starscream's amusement. On the other side of the bridge, the ''conscious'' Arcee lies upon a table and looks out at the Earth below, quietly whispering Ratchet's name...
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (1)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (3)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (4)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (5)
*[[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]] (6)
*[[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]] (7)
*[[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] (8)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (9)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (10)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (11)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (12)
*[[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]] (13)
*[[Zaur]] (14)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (15)
*[[Autotrooper]] (20)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (21)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (22)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (23)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (24)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (25)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (26)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (27)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (28)
*[[Rattletrap]] (29)
*[[Arcee (Animated)|Arcee]] (30)

|c2=
*[[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] (16)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (17)
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (18)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (19)
*[[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] (31, flashback)

|c3=
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (2)
}}

==Quotes==
'''Security Bot''': ''Halt. You are in violation of Criminal Code 30114. Lethal force has been authorised.'' 
''[Security bots open fire]'' 
'''Fanzone''': Hey! Ow! Hey! 
'''Ratchet''': Think you have it bad? I got to decipher ''Bulkhead''<nowiki>'s</nowiki> handwriting! And those claws of his aren't exactly designed for penbotship.
:—As the Security Bots try to kill Captain Fanzone, Ratchet shows the depth to which he does not care.

"I'd be a happy man if I never see another—"''[Fanzone takes in his surroundings]''"...''robot''?"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''' enters his own personal hell, and its name is Cybertron.

"I can't believe we're on Cybertron! Of all the places we transwarped, this is great!"
:—'''Ratchet''', happy for the first time since...well, since we've seen him.

"Citizens of Cybertron, Decepticons are in our midst! Neighbours, friends, even ''your own model'' can be a spy! Do your duty and report any suspicious activity to the Elite Guard immediately." 
"...what is this scrap?!" 
"For your protection, all potentially subversive gathering places remain closed. Curfew remains in effect. Remember, Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy our way of life! Don't let THIS ''[picture of Ultra Magnus on [[spark support]]]'' happen to you. As your Magnus, I will continue to defeat the Decepticon scourge and bring peace and security to Cybertron! I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message." 
"No-good glory-hog's got a lot of steel. It was [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] who caught those 'Cons!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime'''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s propaganda film, with commentary by '''Ratchet'''

"Cybertron. At last, our ultimate goal is at our feet. And here we stand, aboard its ultimate weapon." 
"Now, wouldn't it be nice if we could actually figure out how to use it!" 
:—'''Megatron''' has a moment, which '''Starscream''' ruins.

'''Perceptor''': Sentinel Prime, please explain why all but essential Energon has been diverted to Fortress Maximus. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Need we remind you that the Council is still deliberating? 
'''Sentinel Prime''': As acting Magnus, I must be ready to strike should Omega... should Megatron make a move against us. 
'''Alpha Trion''': Very well. We will inform you of our decision shortly.
:—Sentinel Prime reveals his secret dream of blowing up Omega Supreme and covers it up neatly.

"How'd you know about this bot?" ''[indicating Rattletrap]'' 
"Ehh. There's one in every town." 
:—'''Ratchet''' learns a little more about how '''Captain Fanzone''' works.

"This is why I hate machines." ''[looks at Sentinel Prime]'' "Certain machines more than others."
:—'''Captain Fanzone'''

'''Captain Fanzone''': I get mixed up in a war, nearly stepped on, blasted, burried, and possibly zapped into space, and now, you've just made me an accomplice to INTERGALACTIC GRAND THEFT!! 
'''Police Drone:''' Halt. You are under arrest. 
''(Ratchet blows it up with his magnetic powers)'' 
'''Captain Fanzone''': Let's say we call it even.
:—Captain Fanzone complains about the worst day of his life and then blows it off.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* A few of the laser blasts that the drone fires at Captain Fanzone (before he gets sucked up by the Space Bridge) are out of sync with the animation of the strafing drone.
* Shockwave's head model changes randomly throughout the episode in shape, size and in the positioning of his optic.
* When Shockwave holds up the Magnus Hammer and starts generating lightning, its handle is only half as long as usual.
* When Sentinel Prime first sees Omega Supreme, his shoulderpads ends up behind the circle around his neck.

===Transformers references===
* Captain Fanzone's arrival on Cybertron treats us to another crowd scene full of cameos, some of which we haven't seen before. Notable newbies in this crowd include [[Glyph (Animated)|Glyph]], [[Bumper (Animated)|Bumper]] and his white recolor [[Sedan (Animated)|Sedan]], [[Steeljaw (Animated)|Steeljaw]], [[Zaur]] and robot-mode [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. We also get a closer look at [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], but only from behind, as he talks to an unnamed blue-and-tan female robot.

* Ratchet's favorite hangout is [[Maccadam's Old Oil House]].

* Parade footage from "[[Decepticon Air]]" is used in Sentinel's little propaganda video. (See said episode for the list of cameos within.)

* Ratchet remarks that [[Lockdown (Animated)|Lockdown]] was the one to capture the Decepticon prisoners, as seen in "[[Five Servos of Doom]]".

* The Autobot Council's headquarters is known as "the [[Metroplex (Animated)|Metroplex]]", and the Elite Guard's battle station is "[[Fortress Maximus (Animated)|Fortress Maximus]]".

* Ratchet's flashback uses footage from "[[The Thrill of the Hunt]]", giving Lockdown a brief "appearance" in this episode.

* At the end of the episode, Shockwave utilizes an [[electronic paint job]] to reveal his "true colors", represented by a [[Target]] [[exclusive]] [[redeco]] reminiscent of his [[Shockwave (G1)|Generation 1 namesake]]'s color scheme.

*Rattletrap's design and speech pattern are modelled after [[Rattrap]].

===Foreign dubbing===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Voila pourquoi je hais tant les machines'''" ("This Is Why I Hate Machines")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

===Real-world references===
*Sentinel Prime's broadcast was based on [[wikipedia:The Red Scare|The Red Scare]] during the Cold War. The broadcast concludes with him saying "I'm Sentinel Prime, and I approve of this message."—in the style of contemporary [[President of the United States|political campaign ads]].
*Sentinel's insistence that he is the one who "makes the tough decisions" and insistence that any questioning of his orders is tantamount to treason is probably some kind of statement about [[Mission Accomplished|some''one'' or some''thing'']], but we'll leave it at that.
*Shockwave's slow, deadpan delivery of "I'm afraid I can't let you do that" is a reference to the menacing supercomputer HAL from Stanley Kubrick's ''[[wikipedia:2001 (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'', who also featured an unblinking single red eye.
* When Ratchet and Fanzone are headed to Maccadam's, they stop in front of a building which appears to have Target's trademark "bull's-eye" logo.
* Ratchet retorts to Shockwave about taking the activation codes from his "cold, offline processor", similar to one of Charlton Heston's most famous quotes in support of the NRA. He'd previously used a similar line in [[Megatron Rising - Part 1]].

===Trivia===
*This is the first, and only, episode in which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] does not appear at all.
*There is oxygen on Cybertron. Probably to allow combustion to happen.
*This episode marks the last appearances of Jetfire, Jetstorm, Ultra Magnus and Captain Fanzone in the series.
*Arcee wasn't actually offline at the end of the flashbacks in "The Thrill of the Hunt"—although she was amnesiac, she could stand, talk and take in her surroundings. This implies that it was the vivisection of her head in the "[[TransWarped]]" flashbacks in an attempt to retrieve the activation codes for Omega Supreme which caused the "damage to her circuitry" that Perceptor called "completely irreversible", and meant she was left, comatose, in a hospital bed for millions of stellar cycles.
*Everything has to be [[Megatron Rising - Part 1|"cold and offline"]] with Ratchet, doesn't it?

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Mission Accomplished

2010-11-07T22:34:49Z

75.61.67.116: /* Trivia */ add

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image=Jagged.JPG
|caption=Starscream refused to invoke his right to remain silent, so the Autobots decided to enforce it.
|ep=19
|ep2=18
|prev2=The Return of the Headmaster
|next2=Garbage In, Garbage Out
|title="Mission Accomplished"
|airdate= [[April 26]], 2008
|written by= [[Marsha Griffin]]
|directed by=[[Irineo Maramba]] [[Yoshio Frank Chatani|Yoshio Chatani]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}

'''Convinced there are no Decepticons left on Earth, the Elite Guard prepares to take Optimus Prime and his crew back to Cybertron, unaware of the increasing Decepticon activity taking place under their very noses.'''

==Synopsis==
The Autobot [[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] sends a message to the Earth-based Autobots, revealing he is under attack from Decepticons and has already lost one [[space bridge]]. He requests backup, but the transmission is cut off. Ultra Magnus explains this is but one of many reports of rising Decepticon activity. Jazz thinks it is due to the rumours of Megatron's survival, and Sentinel can't resist an opportunity to make a snide comment about the source of those rumours: Optimus Prime. Magnus therefore decides that all Earth-bound Autobots will make preparations to leave the planet. When Optimus protests due to the presence of Decepticons on Earth, Ultra Magnus brushes him off, whilst Sentinel butts in with another tirade about putting Prime up for an inquiry (or a [[wikipedia:court-martial|court-martial]], as Optimus perceives it). Ultra Magnus tries to make his position clear; that in the long run, everyone is better off believing Megatron is dead. Putting forward the idea of the Decepticon leader surviving and the [[AllSpark (Animated)|AllSpark]] being destroyed would cause panic among the Autobots and strengthen the resolve of the Decepticons. An outraged Optimus is forced into compliance.

Back at the factory, Sari is heartbroken by the idea of her friends being forced to leave Earth. The situation is made worse when Sentinel shows up. With his usual grace and tact, he tells Sari to belt up and officially inducts Optimus's team into the war effort. In the middle of insulting the "repair grunts", he makes a gesture of sorts to Optimus: Do as Ultra Magnus says, admit he's been lying, and Sentinel will use his connections to get Optimus's military career back on track, as thanks for [[The Return of the Headmaster|the recent Headmaster incident]]. When Optimus tells him what to do with his offer, Sentinel places him under formal arrest.

[[Image:Tooyoungtodie.JPG|left|180px|thumb|Go to your happy place, Screamer.]]

On a garbage scow moving along the river, Starscream suddenly reactivates. Disorientated, he panics when he realises that not only can he not pick up any other Decepticon energy signatures, he can't even pick up his own! After a moment of shock, he recovers and gets his bearings: he's alive and still on Earth. Furious at Megatron's attempt on his life, he transforms and blasts off into the sky.

At the Decepticon base, Blitzwing and Lugnut successfully test out Professor Sumdac's new Decepticon signal dampener. Mildly impressed, Megatron quickly moves on, demanding the creation of a subspace communicator so he can contact his forces in space to call off the aimless skirmishes until he can build his own space bridge. When Sumdac comments that Earth technology is too primitive to create a tachyon transmitter, Megatron smugly informs him that they will simply steal the required tech from the Elite Guard's ship. Meanwhile, the Autobots are trying to figure out what to do with Sari, so they take her to the most together human they know, Captain Fanzone—although they do point out that most of the humans they know are criminally insane, such as [[Meltdown (Animated)|Meltdown]] and [[Nanosec]].

[[Image:MissionAccomplished-Fanzoneindressinggown.jpg|right|175px|thumb|It's not what it looks like.]]

While they handle that, Optimus is on the Elite Guard's ship, with Sentinel still trying to convince him to play ball. Optimus refuses to lie, while Sentinel says that confirming there are no Decepticons on Earth would merely confirm what their sensors are saying. While they argue, Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the ship's shield and steal a tachyon transmitter. As they make their escape, they fail to notice Starscream tailing them back to base.

[[Image:Swordscream.JPG|left|180px|thumb|And so begins the greatest ''Transformers'' montage of all time.]]

As Lugnut presents his prize to Megatron, Starscream makes his presence known. What follows is a quick but decisive victory for Megatron, who simply slashes Starscream before blasting him point-blank. Lugnut checks to see if Starscream is still online, and finding no spark, helps Blitzwing toss his corpse into the river. After floating downstream, Starscream suddenly reactivates again. He realises he lacks a spark and discovers he is being kept alive by a fragment of the AllSpark buried in his head, effectively making him immortal. Delighted, he declares the end of Megatron's era. As Megatron sends his message out to the Decepticons, Starscream attacks...and is promptly killed again. After a couple more fruitless attempts, he starts to wonder if he needs a new strategy. His fragment allows him to locate a second shard, and a plan begins to formulate...

[[Image:Sentinel Prime shocked.jpg|right|180px|thumb|Sentinel Prime: Totally owned. Again.]]

At the Elite Guard ship, Magnus presses Optimus Prime to cooperate, when Jazz reveals that he's discovered a sudden surge in AllSpark energy. Concluding that it's another shard, Magnus and Jazz go to retrieve it, while Sentinel is to remain and watch Optimus. As Sentinel moans, Optimus realizes that they had only found AllSpark shards before due to [[AllSpark Key|Sari's key]]. Doing a thermal scan, he discovers Starscream. Optimus tries to warn Ultra Magnus, but Sentinel threatens to put him in [[stasis cuffs]] if he tries to leave. Optimus is able to take down Sentinel and place him in the cuffs, then [[Roll out|rolls out]].

Meanwhile, Optimus' crew are watching Sari "interview" Captain Fanzone, who is not very fond of children, when Optimus contacts them and tells his team to meet him en route to the train.

As Starscream gloats about his plan to draw out Megatron and kill him in a massive explosion, Ultra Magnus and Jazz arrive, as do Megatron and Blitzwing. Megatron realizes that it's a trap set by Starscream, while Magnus and Jazz have trouble extracting the shard. An energy surge throws the Elite Guard off the train. Further ahead along the tracks, Optimus orders Prowl to sever the passenger cars from the main car, while Bumblebee takes Sari to use her key to remove the shard. They succeed, but the train still nearly crashes, only stopped because Ratchet uses his magnets from ahead while Bulkhead, anchored by Optimus Prime, grabs the rear of the train. High in the air, as Starscream fumes about the lost opportunity, Megatron appears, ready to beat him senseless.

On the ground, Ultra Magnus reprimands Optimus Prime, while Sentinel Prime arrives and accuses him of assault. Though Optimus defends his position, both Elite Guardsmen point out that there is no evidence of Decepticons—only for Starscream to crash into the ground mere meters away, causing Sentinel Prime to freak out at the sight of an actual Decepticon. Quickly coming back online, Starscream takes advantage of Magnus's momentary inattention to blast the Autobot leader into unconsciousness from point-blank range, taking the shard with him. The Autobots' attempts to take down Starscream fail, until Optimus comes up with a plan—although an intervention from Jazz is required to make Sentinel go along with it. Having Sentinel draw Starscream's attention, Optimus uses the stasis cuffs on the Decepticon, who is then taken to the Elite Guard ship—with his mouth riveted shut.

Ultra Magnus admits that Optimus Prime was right about there being Decepticons on Earth, and though Sentinel Prime brings up the assault and insubordination charges, Magnus still supports Optimus's actions. Magnus decides that Optimus Prime's crew will remain on Earth to locate the remaining AllSpark shards and capture the Decepticons, while the Elite Guard returns to Cybertron for Magnus to conduct the war effort. Sari is overjoyed that the Autobots are staying, but promises Captain Fanzone that they can still hang out.

Meanwhile, Megatron tells his minions to inform their double agent on Cybertron that the Decepticons have repledged their allegiance to Megatron and that their attacks will draw Autobot forces away from the Transformers' home world. Once the space bridge technology is fully developed, Megatron's group will return to Cybertron and conquer the planet from within...

==Featured characters==

{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Ironhide (Animated)|Ironhide]] (1)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (2)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (3)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (4)
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (5)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (7)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (8)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (9)
*[[Ratchet (Animated)|Ratchet]] (10)

|c2=
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (11)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (12)
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (13)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (6)
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (14)
*[[Captain Fanzone]] (16)
}}

==Quotes==
"You dare strike ME, Megatron? After all my loyal stellar cycles of—wh-wu-wait, where is everybody? How did I get here? I'm not picking up any Decepticon energy signatures... not even my own. I'm too young to be offline!"
:—On coming back from the dead, '''Starscream''''s speech-making tendencies outweigh his observational skills.

[[Image:Number one wink.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Thumbs up, soldier!]]
'''Fanzone''': Why me? 
'''Bumblebee''': You're tops on the list of all the humans we know personally. 
'''Bulkhead''': Although, it is kind of a short list. 
'''Prowl''': And it does include [[Prometheus Black]] and [[Nanosec]]. 
'''Bumblebee''': But still, you're number one! 
:—The Autobots try to get Captain Fanzone to adopt Sari. They need to work on their sales pitch.

"Is that the best you could do, Starscream? And to think you actually believed you could take over as leader of the Decepticons. You couldn't lead a parade."
:—'''Megatron'''

"Fellow Decepticons, take heed. Your leader, Megatron, still lives! Though we remain dispersed throughout the far reaches of the galaxy, exiled from our true home, we are all still Decepticons, united by a common purpose. The time has come for us to put aside our differences and act as one under my undisputed leadership. Only then can we cast off the shackles of Autobot oppression. Working together, we can raise up our glorious empire once more and crush all who stand in our way!"
:—'''Megatron''' has a good speechwriter

"When are you going to get it through your thick processor? There are no Decepticons on this planet! So keep your audio unit shut or I'll do it for you." ''[brandishes stasis cuffs]'' 
''[beat]'' "I'd like to see you try, you worthless crankshaft!" 
"THAT'S IT!" ''[ten seconds later]'' "You put me in stasis lock?!"
:—'''Sentinel Prime''', owned by '''Optimus Prime''' yet again.

"'''''STARSCREEEEEEAM!!!!!'''''" 
"Sorry, you must have me confused with some other harrier jet."
:—'''Megatron''' and '''Starscream'''. We don't think he bought it, Screamer.

'''Sentinel''': Optimus Prime, you are under arrest for assaulting an Elite Guard officer. Add that to the other charges against you, and you can kiss your career goodbye. Do you have anything to say for yourself? 
'''Optimus''':...Incoming! 
''[Starscream crashes from high altitude into the ground.]'' 
'''Sentinel''': WHAT IS THAT THING?! 
'''Optimus''': Oh, that's right, you've never seen one up close. It's called...a Decepticon.
:—Starscream crashes to Earth, freaks out Sentinel Prime, and gives Optimus Prime the proof he needs.

"Yeesh, Optimus, think you could have drawn that one out any longer?" 
"You're welcome, Sentinel." 
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' and '''Optimus Prime''', same old song and dance.

==Notes==
*This episode was first broadcast in Canada on April 26, one week before its United States premiere, and during the American premiere of the episode "[[The Return of the Headmaster]]".

===Animation or technical errors===
* When Starscream drops into Megatron's mountain base for the first time, the "glow" effect on his jet exhaust is misaligned for several seconds until he 'catches up' to it.

* Just before Prime activates the thermal scan of the cloud bank supposedly concealing Starscream, Starscream is already plainly visible on the viewscreen. If Starscream wasn't meant to be concealed, then it's a continuity error, as Prime wouldn't need a thermal scan to detect him, just a magnified visual, unless Starscream has a different heat signature than normal Harrier Jets.

===Continuity errors===
* Megatron and the other Decepticons don't seem to wonder why it is that Starscream keeps coming back, despite the fact that they note that his spark compartment is empty.

* Megatron shatters Starscream's yellow cockpit the first and fourth times he "kills" him in the episode, leaving his empty spark chamber visible. When Starscream pulls a [[wikipedia:Jack_Harkness|Captain Jack]], it is still missing. After he sees his reflection in the water the first time, and simply when they cut to a different angle on the fourth time, it is suddenly present and intact once more. (It's possible that's because of the miraculous powers of the AllSpark shard; if it can keep Starscream online, it surely can regenerate any damage he has taken.)

* The AllSpark shard Starscream recovers changes size constantly, from barely fitting into Starscream's hand, to small enough to fit into Optimus's palm with his hand closed.

* How did Sentinel get the stasis cuffs off?

* Captain Fanzone's wife is mentioned in "[[Total Meltdown]]", but she's neither seen nor mentioned here. A possible divorce, perhaps?

* When Optimus Prime puts the newly acquired fragment of the AllSpark into its housing, there are four shards total, even though thus far, only two have been recovered by the Autobots on-screen. Optimus does note in the episode that, in the past, [[AllSpark Key|Sari's key]] had been the primary tool used to locate fragments of the AllSpark. As this has only happened in the episode "The Elite Guard" so far (as well as this episode), it is conceivable that the Autobots managed to locate two other "SmallSparks" off-screen.

* As Lugnut and Blitzwing tunnel under the force shield to the Elite Guard's ship, they leave a gigantic hole, which no one notices. And later on, the hole has mysteriously disappeared.

* When the Autobots stop the train, Sari is somehow not hurled forward off its roof by her own momentum, even though she is not restrained in any fashion.

===Transformers references===
*Much like [[Starscream (G1)|his Generation 1 counterpart]], [[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] is now immortal, only this time they actually explain why and leave him with a body.

===Foreign dubbing===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''La revanche de Starscream'''" ("The Revenge of Starscream")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Mission erfüllt'''" ("Mission Fulfilled")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 17|17 July]] [[2008]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' '''爆鎮完了！''' (''Bakuchin Kanryō!'', "Blast-Extinguishing Complete!")<ref>This is the title of the [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtvuT0ppP7Q second opening theme] for ''[[wikipedia:Tomica Hero: Rescue Fire|Tomica Hero: Rescue Fire]]'', the live-action [[wikipedia:tokusatsu|''tokusatsu'']] show that previously held ''Transformers: Animated''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s time slot. It was sung by [[JAM Project]], who also sings the Japanese opening theme to ''Animated''. In-jokes, ahoy!</ref>
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 31|31 July]] [[2010]]
* New stock footage of Prowl transforming has him delivering the "watch TV in a bright room" message, while Jazz does the intro.

*In this [[Otoboto family]] segment, [[Hiroyuki Otoboto|Hiroyuki]] and [[Tatsuya Otoboto|Tatsuya]] are demonstrating gameplay of ''[[Transformers Animated: The Chase]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated: The Shooting]]''. ...all to see who gets to eat a [[wikipedia:Taiyaki|taiyaki]].

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Misja wykonana'''" ("Mission Accomplished")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

===Real-world references===
* [[wikipedia:Mission Accomplished|The title. Nuff said.]]

* Starscream refers to his disguise as a [[wikipedia:Harrier Jump Jet|Harrier Jet]]. Pity his model won't turn up for another hundred years or so.

===Trivia===
*Along with [[Transformer|machines]] and [[Survival of the Fittest|lawyers]], it seems [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]] doesn't like kids.
*It's not clear how Starscream ended up in the garbage scow. If the Autobots threw him there, wouldn't they have retrieved him (as proof of Decepticon activity) in "[[The Elite Guard]]"? If it was humans, why didn't they keep his body in order to study alien technology? One of the Decepticons may have thrown him into the scow as a gesture of contempt or to hide their presence on Earth...but we don't know for sure.
*In the first interior shot of the Decepticons' hideout, we see the markings on the top of their computer station resemble the upper half of the Decepticon sigil, complete with glowing eyes.
*In his speech, Megatron goes on about how the Decepticons are united by a common purpose and need to put aside their differences, yet Megatron himself is beating the slag out of a fellow Decepticon for the duration of the speech. How ironic.
*Starscream is not just beaten up, but ''killed'' by Megatron five times in a ''single episode''. Must be a new record.
*The Elite Guard does not come off very well in this episode: Ultra Magnus and Jazz fail to notice a large hole the size of [[Lugnut (Animated)|a B2 bomber]] when leaving their ship, a tachyon transmitter gets ripped off their ship without them even noticing, Sentinel Prime freaks out at the mere sight of a Decepticon, and Ultra Magnus gets defeated by Starscream after only one shot. (To be fair, it ''was'' at point-blank range, ''right in the face''.)
*Megatron mentions having a double agent on Cybertron. Who could it be?
*With this episode, [[Optimus Prime (Movie)|all]] [[Ironhide (Movie)|five]] [[Bumblebee (Movie)|of]] [[Jazz (Movie)|the]] [[Ratchet (Movie)|Autobots]] from [[Transformers (2007)|the live-action movie]] have appeared in ''Transformers: Animated''.
*When Sentinel is trying to bribe Optimus, he says he could get Optimus re-instated in the Elite Guard, yet in the flashback in "[[Endgame, Part I]]", Optimus would be expelled from the Autobot Academy, and rendered permanently ineligible from joining the Elite Guard in the first place.
*Optimus Prime's crew has already proven to be smaller and less powerful than the Decepticons yet these Autobots are all that the great Autobot Supreme Commander could think of to leave behind on Earth to fight and capture the really powerful MEGATRON!? Sure, he left some stasis cuffs, but it's still a gross overestimation of their abilities. That plan is worse than movie Optimus Prime's.

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Vier: Mission Erfüllt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

== Footnotes ==
<references/>

[[Category:Animated episodes]]

The Return of the Headmaster

2010-11-07T22:30:10Z

75.61.67.116: /* Trivia */ fix

{{episode|
|series= Anitoon
|series2=AniJapan
|image= Sentinelprimeanimatedhumiliated.jpg
|caption= Schadenfreude.
|ep=18
|ep2=17
|prev2=The Elite Guard
|next2=Mission Accomplished
|title="The Return of the Headmaster"
|airdate=[[April 19]], [[2008]]
|written by=[[Michael Ryan]]
|directed by= [[Ben Jones]] [[Shunji Ōga|Shunji Oga]]
|animation studio= [[The Answer Studio]]
}}
'''Optimus Prime is forced to team up with his rival Sentinel Prime after Sentinel has a humiliating encounter with the Headmaster.'''

==Synopsis==
[[Image:Returnofheadmaster sarisroom.jpg|left|200px|thumb|im in ur room, shackin in ur cribs]]
In Sari's room at [[Sumdac Tower]], Sari bitterly packs her things while grumbling about [[Porter C. Powell]] taking over her home and throwing her to the curb. She doesn't notice Powell enter as she badmouths him, but rather than get upset, the man smugly proves many of her points right and adds insult to injury by introducing her bedroom's new tenant, the freshly re-hired [[Headmaster (Animated)| Henry Masterson]]. As the Headmaster makes himself at home, Sari protests, pointing out the man's lack of sanity, but Powell merely rushes her out the door. Then, just as Sari's day can't get any worse, Powell claims [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] and [[Tutor Bot]] as company property. Harsh.

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster sentinelspeaks.jpg|right|200px|thumb|I am destined to be a superhero. To right wrongs and to pound two-fisted justice into the hearts of evildoers everywhere.]]

Meanwhile, the Primes [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] and [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel]] stand at a press conference along with the mayor and [[Carmine Fanzone|Captain Fanzone]]. Sentinel is his usual charming self, boasting the significance of the [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard's]] presence, condescending to the [[Human|icky organics]], showing complete ignorance of the planet's customs, and insulting his comrade's lowly position at every opportunity. Optimus tries his best to ignore all this and put the humans' minds at ease about the current situation, but finds it difficult to get a word in edgewise as Sentinel cuts him off, determined to do all the talking, refusing to let Optimus speak for him.

Powell and Masterson watch the press conference with intent. Powell says he expects great things from Masterson, intending to tap the lucrative military hardware market that Sumdac so foolishly ignored. Masterson is itching to get to work, but wants new robots on which to test his Headmaster units. The old Autobot crew won't cut it, however; he wants the new models, and he eagerly eyes Sentinel Prime's image on the screen.

Masterson calls up Fanzone with a false Decepticon sighting in Old Detroit. Fanzone relays the information to the Primes, and the heroes transform and roll out. Sentinel still hasn't gotten the hang of the city's traffic customs, however, and spends more time driving over other cars than on the road.

[[Image:AnimatedBumbleeBulkheadProfessor.jpg|left|150px|thumb|We tackle any topic, immense or microscopic!]]

Meanwhile, Sari is moving in with the Autobots at the old factory. Bulkhead and Bumblebee are eager to cheer up the sullen girl with loud TV, music, and a misguided tutoring session in which they end up throwing around theories about her mysterious origins. Predictably, everything they try only seems to make her more miserable.

Sentinel soon arrives at the scene of the supposed Decepticon sighting, prying a stop sign from his shoulder, and is quickly joined by Optimus and the police. Optimus starts making suggestions, but Sentinel shuts him up, opting to split up and search on his own, as he doesn't need help from a scrub.

The search drags on into the night, and Sentinel is jumping at shadows, turning the advanced weaponry of the Cybertron Elite Guard on such dire threats as [[Skippy|stray cats]]. This distracts him, and Masterson gets the jump on him with the Headmaster unit. Shortly afterwards, Sentinel contacts Optimus, telling him it was a false alarm and to send the police away. He then demands Optimus come to his position alone and promise not to laugh. Soon after, Optimus finds Sentinel's decapitated head and breaks out in laughter. Bitter and humiliated, Sentinel pleads with Optimus to help him get his body back without [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] finding out. Optimus guesses that the reason Sentinel is trusting him with the task is that he's just not important enough for his opinion to matter, but Sentinel is careful not to say something so insulting in his position. How about that.

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster optimuslaughs.jpg|right|200px|thumb|Haw-haw!]]

Optimus learns of Masterson's re-hiring thanks to a conveniently timed message from Bumblebee, reporting what he's heard from Sari. The next day, Optimus pays a visit to Sumdac Tower, hiding Sentinel's head under a tree trunk while he chats with Powell. The new manager makes it clear that the Autobots aren't free to waltz into his building as they please any more, but assures their leader that Masterson isn't there. However as soon as Optimus leaves, he phones the Headmaster with information on the new development, warning his employee not to jeopardize the company's image. Lucky for the Primes, Optimus thought ahead enough to intercept the phone call with his ear transceiver as soon as he was out of sight. He traces the call to a cargo ship at the docks.

It's night again when the 1.5 Primes arrive at the docks and start searching for Sentinel's body. They don't get far before a nearby crate bursts open, revealing a sinister Sparkplug and Tutor Bot outfitted with miniature Headmaster Units. Sentinel isn't too worried by the puny automatons until they reveal some powerful laser-shooting upgrades. They send Optimus scrambling for cover while Sentinel's head bounces around impotently on the ground. When the ship Masterson is supposedly on starts casting off, they can't play around any longer, and Optimus rushes through the laser fire, ramps off the deck, transforms in mid-air and rides a powerful burst from his rocket axe to hook into the side of the ship's hull. Awesome. His grappling hooks probably would have worked equally well, but dude, flying rocket axe!

[[Image:Returnofheadmaster headmastersvictim.jpg|left|200px|thumb|Oh, beware the other head of science, Arthur. It bites.]]

On the ship, Optimus and Sentinel try to find Sentinel's body...until it finds them. The Headmaster pushes Optimus down with Sentinel's shield. Sentinel is surprised that it's so powerful, to which Masterson gloats he upgraded his equipment. Pulling out Sentinel's beam lance and expanding the shield into a spikier version, the Headmaster clashes with Optimus while Sentinel bounces around impotently on the ground some more.

Masterson manages to knock Optimus's axe off the ship, leaving him unarmed. After being pinned to the ground with shield spikes inches from his face, Optimus returns the favor by ripping off Sentinel's arm, shield and all. Sentinel is mortified by the dismemberment, but Optimus feels it was justified. He then uses Sentinel's arm as a makeshift axe and fights back the body, eventually severing the Headmaster unit. The head quickly converts to robot mode and starts to run off, but this time Optimus stops him by kicking Sentinel's head into the fleeing villain like a soccer ball. Again, Sentinel is appalled. Optimus has less of an excuse this time.

[[Image:Headm anim.JPG|right|200px|thumb|Salut!]]

Back on land, Fanzone has Masterson in cuffs, and it looks like a happy ending until Powell shows up, pointing out that the ship was Sumdac Systems property, the assaulted robots don't have rights protected by the law, and the whole incident occurred over international waters between the [[United States of America|United States]] and [[Canada]]. Masterson is free to go, much to the chagrin of everybody else.

Meanwhile, at the factory, Bumblebee and Bulkhead are about to try another zany scheme to cheer up Sari, but Prowl stops them and tells them just to listen to her instead. When they try this last resort, Sari opens up about all her worries regarding her [[Isaac Sumdac|missing father]], her lost home and company, and her questioned existence. Bumblebee and Bulkhead aren't sure what to do, but they assure her they are there for her.

Finally, aboard the Elite Guard's ship the next day, Sentinel and Optimus report to Ultra Magnus, who has heard something about Sentinel "losing his head". Sentinel trembles uncomfortably in silence, but Optimus reports that they worked together to solve the crisis, effectively covering for his comrade, who really doesn't deserve it. Ultra Magnus congratulates both of them and takes his leave to contact [[Cybertron Command]] on an issue of great importance. As the Primes walk down the hallway, Sentinel struggles out a "thank you" to his compatriot. Optimus notes that it must have hurt to say that, and Sentinel acknowledges the fact and reaches out his hand.

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (6)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (7)
*[[Bumblebee (Animated)|Bumblebee]] (12)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (13)
*[[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]] (14)
*[[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]] (15)

|c3=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (1)
*[[Porter C. Powell]] (4)
*[[Headmaster (Animated)|Headmaster]] (5)
*[[Carmine Fanzone]] (8)
*[[Augustus Edsel]] (9)
*[[Miss Adrias]] (10)

|c4=
* [[Tutor Bot]] (2)
* [[Sparkplug (robot dog)|Sparkplug]] (3)
* [[News Bot]] (11)
}}

==Quotes==
"Whoa, hey! Check it! Major cribbage! And it's mine. It's all mine!"
:—'''Masterson''', who is surprisingly okay with the fact that his new "facilities" are frilly, lacy, and painted pink.

"This is why I hate machines...especially arrogant, full-of-themselves machines!"
:—'''Captain Fanzone''', also saying what we're all thinking.

'''Optimus''': Sentinel, we should scramble our comlink frequencies in case the Decepticons are listening in! 
'''Sentinel''': What you ''should'' do is stick within the scope of your programming. If I need a trash can emptied or a floor mopped, I'll call on my buddy Optimus Prime. Or should I say...''Maintenance'' Prime? Hahahaha! 
''[Sentinel turns and walks away; Optimus does the same]'' 
'''Optimus''': 'Maintenance Prime'...then I'll just call you 'Pompous Gas-Bag Prime'. Yeah...that's what I should have said.
:—'''Optimus Prime''' and '''Sentinel Prime''' match wits. Somehow, Optimus loses.

'''Sentinel''': Uhhh, Optimus. Tell the organic Fanzone that he can send his police force home. It's a false alarm. 
'''Optimus''': How do you know? 
'''Sentinel''': I just know, okay?! Now I need you to come to my position. ''ALONE''. And promise me one more thing... 
'''Optimus''': What? 
'''Sentinel''': That you won't laugh! 
''[Optimus looks around the rubble for Sentinel]'' 
'''Optimus''': Sentinel? Where are you? 
'''Sentinel''': ''[quietly]'' Look down... 
''[Optimus looks down to see Sentinel's head severed from his body]'' 
'''Optimus''': ''[lets out a hearty laugh]'' 
'''Sentinel''': You promised you wouldn't laugh!
:—'''Optimus Prime''' gets a kick out of '''Sentinel Prime''''s misfortune

'''Bumblebee''': Just because you don't have a tutor bot anymore doesn't mean you have to stop learning. 
'''Bulkhead''': Right. We can teach you. 
'''Bumblebee''': So, class, today's lesson is regarding...um...well, stuff, and how it works. Any questions? 
'''Sari''': Yeah. Why is there no record of my existence? 
'''Bumblebee''': Okay...a little bit outside the lesson plan. Professor Bulkhead, your thoughts? 
'''Bulkhead''': Maybe she came here from another planet in some kinda egg and crashed on Sumdac's doorstep. 
'''Bumblebee''': Or a portal could have opened and she fell through from another dimension. 
'''Bulkhead''': Or maybe she's really a robot. 
'''Bumblebee''': Or maybe Sumdac found her in a cabbage patch. 
'''Bulkhead''': Or that stork thing.
:—Professors '''Bumblebee''' and '''Bulkhead''' have obviously been visiting the fan forums...

"Yes! I am so 1337!" 
"Yeah? Well, I have no idea what that means!"
:—'''Headmaster''' boasts as '''Optimus Prime''' scores a blow against over-sized egos everywhere.

==Notes==
* This episode was first broadcast in Canada on [[April 19]], one week before its United States premiere.

===Continuity errors===
* When Optimus stops Masterson's escape, he asserts the villain is going "back to prison", although the Headmaster has yet to serve time at all.

===Foreign dubbing===
'''Brazil'''
:*''Title:'' "'''O Retorno de Headmaster'''" ("The Return of the Headmaster")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Le retour du cérébro-pilote'''" ("The Return of the Cerebro-Pilot")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

'''German'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Headmasters Rückkehr'''" ("Headmaster's Return")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 16|16 July]] [[2008]]

'''Japanese'''
:*''Title:'' '''ヘッドマスター, ふたたび!''' (''Headmaster, Futatabi!'', "Headmaster, Once Again!")
:*''Original airdate:'' [[July 24|24 July]] [[2010]]
[[Image:ReturnHeadmaster Otoboto insignia.jpg|thumb|right|200px]]
* An entirely new stock footage of Bumblebee transforming delivers the usual warning of watching in a bright room. This episode also debuts a slightly new [[title sequence#Animated|title sequence]], using the second half of "[[Transformers Evo.|TRANSFORMERS EVO.]]" and replacing the footage of the Starscream clones and Cybertronian-mode Megatron with Earth-mode Megatron, [[Soundwave (Animated)|Soundwave]], Soundblaster, [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]], and two [[Blackout (Animated)|Blackout]] lookalikes. However, it doesn't have the additional sound effects used in the previous four episodes.

* '''Cut:''' Optimus laughing upon discovering Sentinel's detached head and Sentinel's dismay at Optimus breaking his promise not to laugh.

* The [[Otoboto family]] reveals [[Sega]]'s arcade games ''[[Transformers Animated: The Chase]]'' and ''[[Transformers Animated: The Shooting]]''. It's preceded by the famous faction-swipe with a Decepticon-[[insignia|symbol]] modified to incorporate [[Hiroyuki Otoboto|Hiroyuki]]'s face in the bottom half. [[Megumi Otoboto|Megumi]] then shows off the [[Transformers Cards|cards]] that can be used to play the two games and reveals what A-021 looks like: a gold-foil Voyager Optimus with his axe. [[Hiroyuki Otoboto|Father]] and [[Tatsuya Otoboto|son]] proceed to hog the machines, to [[Yūka Otoboto|Yūka]]'s disappointment.

'''Polish'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Powrót Headmastera'''" ("Headmaster's Return")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

===Real-world references===
* Bumblebee mentions Sari could have come from a cabbage patch, a reference to the popular explanation of where babies come from - or to the [[wikipedia:Cabbage_Patch_Kids|Cabbage Patch Kids]] said explanation inspired.
* Powell makes a passing reference to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, also known as "the Mounties".
* Bulkhead's "came here from another planet in some kind of egg" comment could be a reference to 1970s sitcom [[wikipedia:Mork_and_Mindy|''Mork and Mindy'']], or also a reference to the [[wikipedia:Superman|Superman: origin]] story.
* The appearance of [[Detroit]]'s real-life Wayne County Building and the Renaissance Center in this episode gives a firm location for [[Sumdac Tower]] -- it's on one of two blocks of Randolph Street, currently occupied by a parking garage and a surface parking lot.

===Trivia===
*Powell claims Optimus and Sentinel's clash with Masterson took place in "international waters". While the nation in which the incident occurred may be in question, there are no ''international'' waters in Lake St. Clair or Lake Erie, just American and Canadian waters. (But then, this is the future.) The "Mounties" remark is still relevant.
*Apparently, calling the police to report fabricated events (about Decepticons) doesn't constitute a crime in [[Detroit]]. Either that, or Fanzone didn't put two and two together as to Masterson being the caller of the faux incident.
*When Sentinel asks for Optimus to cover for him, Optimus mentions how Sentinel "covered for him" all those years ago, presumably after the [[Blackarachnia (Animated)|Elita-1]] [[Along Came a Spider|incident]]. Maybe this is the reason that Optimus washed out of the [[Autobot Academy]]? Answer: [[Endgame, Part I|Yes. It is.]]
*Either the events of this episode span at least two days and two nights, or the sun goes down roughly [[Transformers (2007)|every couple of hours]].
*Given they presumably had very little time to prepare, the Autobots have whipped up a surprisingly comfortable room for Sari in their factory, doubly surprising given the lack of proper materials on hand. Who wouldn't want to sleep in a bed made from a giant radial tire!?
*On the other hand, their idea of proper human cuisine needs some work, since the meal they provide for Sari consists of a bunch of acorns, a fish skeleton (with flies buzzing around it), a live rabbit, and some miniature barrels of [[oil]].
*This is the only episode of Season Two where the Decepticons don't appear.
*How did Powell clear the Headmaster for his attempt to destroy Michigan in his previous appearance?
*Bulkhead's guesses about Sari's origin were quite accurate: [[TransWarped|She is part robot and she did come to earth in an egg-like thing that just happened to land near Sumdac]]. Foreshadowing there, Bulky?

==Home video releases==
;DVD
[[Image:Flag of USA.png|20px|United States of America]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Season Two ([[Transformers Animated (cartoon)/home video|Paramount]]) — English and Spanish audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Australia.png|20px|Australia]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[Image:Flag of UK.png|20px|United Kingdom]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Four: Mission Accomplished (Paramount) — English and German audio. 
[[Image:Flag of Germany.png|20px|Germany]] 2009 — ''Transformers Animated'' — Volume Vier: Mission Erfüllt (Paramount) — English and German audio.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Return of the Headmaster}}
[[Category:Animated episodes]]

Decepticon Air

2010-11-07T01:29:18Z

75.61.67.116: /* Continuity errors */

{{episode|
|series=Anitoon
|image=TFAni Decepticon Air Decepticons Freed.jpg
|caption=So which one of them is [[John Malkovich]]?
|ep=39
|title="Decepticon Air"
|airdate=[[May 2]], 2009
|written by=[[Michael Ryan]]
|directed by=[[Kalvin Lee]] [[Shigeharu Takahashi]]
|animation studio=[[Mook]]
}}
'''The Decepticons aboard the Elite Guard ship decide to take down the Autobots that turned them in.'''

==Synopsis==
On [[Earth]], [[Isaac Sumdac|Professor Sumdac]] and [[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] have completed a [[space bridge]] terminal in record time, for which [[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus]] congratulates them. However, the [[transwarp]] field sequencers still have to be recalibrated, and Sumdac and Bulkhead argue over whose fault that is. [[Sari Sumdac|Sari]] insists she could have helped get it right, but both builders politely rebuff her as insufficiently knowledgeable. As they continue arguing about getting the resequencing done, she takes matters into her own hands—almost literally. Using her new abilities, she fixes the terminal's calibrations and gets it to activate, to the surprise of the others.

[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air Sentinel Typing.jpg|thumb||180px|left|"[[Ravage (SG)|Ravage]] has poked me on Facebook ''how many'' times?"]]
Meanwhile, out in space, [[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] fruitlessly attempts to interrogate his [[Decepticon]] prisoners for info on the military cells that have been attacking space bridge outposts. He returns to the bridge after [[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] tells him there's an incoming message from [[Cybertron (planet)|Cybertron]]. [[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]], [[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] and [[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] indicate that the [[Autobot High Council]] has decided to make public the news of the assault on [[Ultra Magnus (Animated)|Ultra Magnus]]. Sentinel tries to pull rank on them, since he's now technically the ''pro tempore'' [[Magnus]], and advises them to keep it quiet, but Alpha Trion makes it clear that they don't quite recognize his authority. Frustrated, Sentinel tries to pull rank on Jazz instead, commanding him to take the ship at full thrust through an energy cloud, despite any risks, as that heading will be the shortest route to Cybertron. Jazz complies despite objections, and of course, his worries prove justified: The energy strikes and flows through the ship, re-energizing [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] and bringing him out of time-stasis. Swindle soon frees and re-arms the other Decepticons, even if they don't have payment up front for it, as they work for [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]], his best customer. With the alarms muted by Swindle's [[Sonic Jammer 3000]], the Decepticons strike at the ship's bridge just after the ship emerges from the energy cloud. Swindle quickly takes out [[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] and [[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] with a demo of the SJ3K's other function, a [[stasis suspension ray]]. Sentinel and Jazz put up a fight, but to little avail, and finally, Sentinel sends a brief, encrypted call for help to his old buddy, Optimus Prime (as he's too embarrassed to call Cybertron). Shortly afterward, [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] strikes him down, but Swindle convinces the massive Decepticon to spare their prisoners' lives: Not only could selling off their [[Cybertron Elite Guard|Elite Guard]] parts earn a fortune, but they could be a bargaining chip in finding Megatron.

On Earth, Optimus receives Sentinel's message, which decrypts to "[[Broken Lance]]", a coded call for help that Sentinel used with him back in their [[Autobot Academy|academy]] days. Bulkhead notes the space bridge terminal detects an unusual transwarp field aboard the Elite Guard's ship. With Sari's help, the terminal locks onto the field, providing stable coordinates for an arrival point. [[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air Swindle Optimus Hand.jpg|thumb||180px|right|HUNGER GETS WHAT HUNGER WANTS.]] The space bridge is activated, and Optimus steps through... only to emerge from Swindle's chest, having arrived via the private storage dimension he uses for holding all his stock.

Rather than attack against overwhelming odds and attempt to free Sentinel and the others, Optimus takes off down the ship's corridors to better his situation. Most of the Decepticons give pursuit, with Lugnut ordering Swindle to watch the prisoners in the meantime. Taking an elevator to the ship's energon storage chamber, Optimus perforates a group of energon cubes with his axe, destabilizing them just enough. He then puts them in the elevator car and slices its cables, so it explodes near the bottom just as the Decepticons pry open the doors. Slightly charred from the backblast, Optimus enters one of the service ducts and works his way back to the brig area, grumbling as he does.

Meanwhile, Swindle's greed is still holding sway, and the arms dealer leaves his prisoners unguarded so he can raid the ship's stores. Prime arrives almost immediately afterward and frees his fellow Autobots, earning no gratitude from the power-tripping Sentinel. The Decepticons then return, so Optimus tells Jazz to rewire the decontamination unit on the bridge into a freezing chamber to trap them, his Autobot emblem blinking all the while. Optimus severs a steam duct, giving Jazz cover to escape, but then Lugnut punches a hole in the hull, sending everyone else in the brig out into space.

The Jet Twins prove far more capable in space combat than anticipated, giving the Decepticons a fair amount of trouble. Noting their predicament through a porthole in the storage depot, Swindle metaphorically shrugs and goes back to looting. Meanwhile, despite Sentinel's continued objections and struggling, Optimus uses him as a living spiked slingshot against Lugnut. Sentinel insists he be obeyed as leader, but this only prompts [[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] to freeze him and hold him hostage. Sentinel demands they don't surrender, but Optimus convinces the Jet Twins to follow his lead instead, and they capitulate.

[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air Optimus Jazz HighFive.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Slip me some metal, O.P.!]]
On the bridge, Blitzwing, [[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]], and [[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] put Sentinel, Optimus and the Jet Twins in the decontamination unit with Jazz. Blitzwing sneers that Optimus shouldn't have blabbed his plan where all could hear it, as now the Autobots will suffer freezing instead. However, when he activates the chamber, the freezing tubes reverse direction, icing all the Decepticons on the bridge and leaving the Autobots safe. Optimus explains to a surprised Sentinel that back in the brig, he'd used his blinking emblem to send a different message to Jazz in Cybertronian [[cybertronian optical code|optical code]]. They all pause as they hear a roar of engines, courtesy of a loot-filled Swindle taking off in one of the ship's shuttles. As the Decepticons are imprisoned again, Sentinel offers Optimus the Elite Guard spot that will be opening when Sentinel becomes Magnus, but Prime demurs, as he's still got plenty to do on Earth.

At [[Sumdac Tower]], Bulkhead frets as Swindle's transwarp signal moves too far away to warp Optimus back. Sari offers to help fix it, but her father points out it won't be necessary, as the Elite Guard ship has come to them. Optimus steps off the ship, and he and Sentinel trade salutes before it departs.

On Cybertron, Sentinel has a victory parade, displaying his prisoners to a cheering crowd and vowing to hunt down and offline [[Shockwave (Animated)|Shockwave]] and any other Decepticon if they accept him as the new Magnus. Perceptor and Alpha Trion exchange dubious glances, but say nothing.

[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air Lugnut Megatron.jpg|thumb|right|180px|Ugh...I'll get the squeegee...]]
Out in space, [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] warps into place near a drifting Lugnut, who abruptly finds himself plastered on the front window—right in front of [[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]].
{{--}}

==Featured characters==
{{featuredcharacters
|c1=
*[[Optimus Prime (Animated)|Optimus Prime]] (1)
*[[Bulkhead (Animated)|Bulkhead]] (2)
*[[Jetstorm (Animated)|Jetstorm]] (8)
*[[Jetfire (Animated)|Jetfire]] (9)
*[[Sentinel Prime (Animated)|Sentinel Prime]] (12)
*[[Jazz (Animated)|Jazz]] (13)
*[[Perceptor (Animated)|Perceptor]] (14)
*[[Alpha Trion (Animated)|Alpha Trion]] (15)
*[[Cliffjumper (Animated)|Cliffjumper]] (16)
*[[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]] (17)
*[[Dug Base]] (18)
*[[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]] (19)
*[[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]] (20)
*[[Searchlight (Animated)|Searchlight]] (21)
*[[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]] (22)
*[[Furão]] (23)
*[[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]] (24)
*[[Beachcomber (Animated)|Beachcomber]] (25)
*[[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]] (26)
*[[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]] (27)
*[[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]] (28)
*[[Seaspray (Animated)|Seaspray]] (29)
*[[Rattletrap]] (30)
*[[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]] (31)
*[[Rosanna (Animated)|Rosanna]] (32)
*[[Autotrooper]] (33)
*[[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]] (34)
*[[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]] (35)
*[[Cosmos (Animated)|Cosmos]] (36)
*[[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]] (37)
*[[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] (38)
|c2=
*[[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] (5)
*[[Blitzwing (Animated)|Blitzwing]] (6)
*[[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] (7)
*[[Ramjet (Animated)|Ramjet]] (10)
*[[Sunstorm (Animated)|Sunstorm]] (11)
*[[Megatron (Animated)|Megatron]] (39)
*[[Starscream (Animated)|Starscream]] (40)
|c3=
*[[Isaac Sumdac]] (3)
|c4=
*[[Sari Sumdac]] (4)
|}}

==Quotes==
'''Sentinel Prime''': All due respect, Alpha Trion, the Council should concern itself with more important matters, like beefing up security for the Decepticon prisoners that...ahem...''I'' captured. 
'''Cliffjumper''': I thought that was [[Prowl (Animated)|Prowl]].
:—Actually, they're [[Lockdown (Animated)|both wrong]].

"Those bureaucratobots couldn't find their own [[Anatomic euphemism#Diode|diode]]s with a bitmap and a homing beacon."
:—'''Sentinel Prime''' talks behind the council's back.

"The Sonic Jammer 3000! Don't leave Cybertron without it! But wait—there's more! It also has a stasis suspension ray, handy for those tight spots. Picked this baby up on [[Quintessa]]. Nice folks, the [[Quintesson]]s; give you a good deal and all the oil you can drink."
:—'''Swindle''', ready as ever with a sales pitch.

"Guard the prisoners, or... loot the ship? It's a no-processor...er."

"Maybe I should help them.... or maybe I should just help myself!"

"Nothing beats a shopping spree... especially when it's all ''free!''"
:—The Tao of '''Swindle'''.

"Maybe that energon was a little ''too'' unstable!"
:—'''Optimus Prime''' realizes he may not have thought his plan through very well.

==Notes==

===Animation or technical errors===
* When Sentinel calls for Jetfire and Jetstorm, the prisoners do not have their facemasks.

* Character heights vary wildly throughout the episode, mostly with the non-Swindle Decepticons being various levels of undersized. The kneeling Decepticons still tower over Swindle as he first talks to them (which seems correct, as Swindle is small), but do not appear to gain any height on him once they're upright. The final scene in particular, Blitzwing and the two clones are downright tiny, looking to be about as big as the average Autobot.

* While convincing Lugnut to let the elite guard live, Swindle's bolo tie suddenly disappears.

* When Sunstorm and Ramjet trap the Autobots in the chamber, Sunstorm's chin seems like it's been cut down, and looks similar to the G1 Seekers' chin size.

* In the crowd scenes towards the end of this episode, characters change positions relative to each other every time the camera angle switches. Beachcomber, in particular, appears in literally four different places at once.

* When Lugnut crashes against Omega Supreme at the end of the episode, his Deception insignia is missing.

===Continuity errors===
* Up until the part where [[Lugnut (Animated)|Lugnut]] orders [[Swindle (Animated)|Swindle]] to guard the prisoners, all of the captive Autobots were confined within the prison cells. Later, when Swindle contemplates whether to stay to guard the prisoners or loot the ship, all of the captured Autobots are now ''outside'' of their cells. Unless this was an oversight by the animators, why would Swindle let them out in the first place?

* Safeguard is able to create a tornado in outer space?

* Optimus transforms into his full firetruck vehicle mode to escape the Decepticons when he first arrives, yet is able to detach the cab section several seconds before he actually transforms into robot mode. The cab slides down an adjacent hall as he reaches the elevator.

* A possible error occurs during Sentinel's interrogation of the prisoners. When Lugnut declares "Megatron is everywhere!", Sentinel offhandedly comments "You don't know how true that is." While it is conceivable that the Earth-bound Autobots informed Sentinel of Megatron's fate, in the next episode he expresses shock at the fact that [[Omega Supreme (Animated)|Omega Supreme]] is still online, which would suggest that he was either never told or they, for some reason, left that part out.

===Transformers references===
[[Image:TFAni Decepticon Air BoxScream ConeScream.jpg|thumb|180px|right|"Your conehead makes my ears look silly in comparison!" "No it doesn't!"]]
* Swindle claims to have had business dealings on [[Quintessa]], suggests they could make enough from Elite Guard parts to "retire to a beach island on [[Nebulos]]", and swears by "the fifth moon of [[Pz-Zazz]]".

* His reference to a "personal storage dimension" from which accessories can be pulled at a moments' notice hearkens back to the concept of [[subspace]].

* To help tell the Starscream clones apart, Swindle gives the Ramjet a [[conehead]] accessory and Sunstorm a boxy helmet resembling those of the [[Generation 1 (franchise)|Generation 1]] [[Seeker (body-type)|Seekers]]. The new cone-head is topped with a drill.

* Sentinel's adoring public consists of a seriously crazy amount of cameos, a great many of which have not been seen before this episode. While many of them could be identified right away, it would take a further few episodes, and some more crowd scenes in "[[This Is Why I Hate Machines]]" and "[[Endgame, Part II]]", before some of the more obscure characters could all be named and shamed. The crowd includes [[Tap-Out (Animated)|Tap-Out]], [[Carrera (Animated)|Carrera]], [[Searchlight (Animated)|Searchlight]], [[Flareup (Animated)|Flareup]], [[Furão]], [[Freeway (Animated)|Freeway]], [[Beachcomber (Animated)|Beachcomber]], [[Red Alert (Animated)|Red Alert]], [[Huffer (Animated)|Huffer]], [[Powerglide (Animated)|Powerglide]], [[Seaspray (Animated)|Seaspray]], [[Rattletrap]], [[Hot Shot (Animated)|Hot Shot]], [[Rosanna (Animated)|Rosanna]], [[Autotrooper]] (based on [[Autorooper]]), [[Mainframe (Animated)|Mainframe]], [[Warpath (Animated)|Warpath]], [[Cosmos (Animated)|Cosmos]] and [[Tracks (Animated)|Tracks]]. The widescreen-to-fullscreen crop also manages to cut off an unnamed orange female robot (her forearm can be seen for a split-second poking into shot over Rosanna's head) who would reappear in "Endgame, Part II", an unknown, tall blue-and-white robot (behind the second Beachcomber, above Hot Shot) and an equally-mysterious skinny red-and-orange robot (behind Hot Shot). Recolored [[generic]] robots in the crowd include a Tracks-colored Mainframe, a red-white-and-blue Warpath, and a [[Brawn (Animated)|Brawn]]-colored Cosmos, sans nacelles.

* Sentinel and the Autobot Council are carried upon [[Grandus (Animated)|Grandus]]. Behind them, the Decepticon prisoners are carried by a [[Dug Base|Grandus lookalike]] with yellow detailing; Derrick Wyatt stated that this was supposed to represent [[Grandus (ROC)|''Return of Convoy'' Grandus]]'s ''[[Brave (franchise)|Brave]]'' [[redeco]], Dag Base.

* The "Lance" in "[[Broken Lance]]" refers to Sentinel's weapon of choice.

===Foreign dubbing===
'''French'''
:*''Title:'' "'''Prise en Otage'''" ("Taking Hostage")
:*''Original airdate:'' ???

===Real-world references===
* The title is a play on ''[[wikipedia:Con Air|Con Air]]'', a Nicolas Cage movie where prisoners being transported by plane get free and do bad things.

* Sentinel's phrase "[[Broken Lance]]" is similar to the [[United States of America|U.S.]] military term "[[wikipedia:United States military nuclear incident terminology#Broken Arrow|Broken Arrow]]", which is used to describe a cock-up involving nuclear weapons. In this context, it is more likely to be a reference to the 1996 action film [[wikipedia:Broken Arrow (1996 film)|of the same name]], in which John Travolta hijacks a stealth bomber (in order to sell the nuclear missiles on board).

* Speaking of action movies, Optimus taking on all the Decepticons by himself using hit & run tactics and then crawling through an air shaft while sarcastically complaining about how much fun he's having, is very similar to a famous sequence from ''[[wikipedia:Die Hard|Die Hard]]''. The exploding elevator trick also appears in the film.

* When Optimus drops out of the air shaft suspended by a wire harness, it's similar to a famous sequence from the Tom Cruise version of ''[[wikipedia:Mission Impossible (film)|Mission Impossible]]''.

* Optimus claiming to have a small chamber that can trap his foes, only for them to doublecross him and force him inside it, only for him to ''triplecross'' them when the chamber is the only place safe from the real trap, is similar to a famous sequence from ''[[wikipedia:Superman II|Superman II]]''.

* Sari's fingers extending and separating when she types are a reference to ''[[wikipedia:Ghost in the Shell|Ghost in the Shell]]''.

* When Sentinel uses his remote to unlock and re-lock Lugnut's mouth clamps, it makes the same noise as a car alarm remote.

* When Swindle first hears Megatron's name, his facial expression changes with the sound of a cash register.

* Swindle's personal storage dimension features old Hanna-Barbera stock sound effects, typically used to denote magic spells.

* Swindle's "Don't leave Cybertron without it!" is a variation of the American Express credit card slogan "Don't leave home without it." He immediately follows that up with "But wait, there's more!", one of TV huckster [[wikipedia:Ron Popeil|Ron Popeil]]'s most famous catchphrases.

* When Swindle uses the stasis suspension ray, the sound effect is identical to that of the Zat Guns used in ''Stargate SG-1''.

===Trivia===
* Sentinel Prime went through the space disturbance to gain some time, but in the end, agreed to go all the way back to Earth to drop off Optimus Prime. So the whole thing ended up being a rather pointless act. Lesson learned, Sentinel?
* Sentinel seems to have decided to keep his Earth alt-mode [[Autoboot Camp|this time]].
* At the end of "[[SUV: Society of Ultimate Villainy]]", Captain Fanzone claimed that Swindle would be stripped down for parts. But other than his weapons (which would have been confiscated by the Elite Guard if the Detroit Police hadn't already taken them), nothing obvious seems to be missing from his person. Maybe Fanzone was just trying to freak him out?
* When he's giving the helmets to Sunstorm and Ramjet, Swindle mentions in a very casual manner that he "never could get the hang of cloning." Thinking back, no one was really shocked to see the army of clones that Starscream created. So maybe, cloning is something fairly common among Decepticons, or at least was at some point.
** Later, [[Dirge (Animated)|he does get]] [[Thrust (Animated)|the hang of cloning]].
* Ramjet and Sunstorm are pretty quiet throughout this episode, probably because their strange speech patterns make it nigh-impossible for them to have a normal conversation.
* This episode marks the last appearance of Blitzwing, Sunstorm, Ramjet, and Swindle.

==Home video releases==
This episode has yet to be released on home video.

[[Category:Animated episodes]]