Editing Deus ex Machina

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

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

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

Meanwhile [[Knock Out (Prime)|Knock Out]] has arrived on the ''[[Nemesis (Prime)|Nemesis]]'' finally. [[Starscream (Prime)|Starscream]] shows him to [[Megatron (Prime)|Megatron]]'s sick bed.

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

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

Starscream explains Megatron's condition to Knock Out, who says things would be easier with his assistant, but [[Breakdown (Prime)|Breakdown]] is on the trail of some energon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

|c3=
*[[Miko Nakadai]] (1)
*[[Sierra's friend]] (2)
*[[Miko's teacher]] (3)
*[[Jack Darby]] (7)
*[[Raf Esquivel]] (12)
*[[Museum security guard]] (16)
*[[William Fowler]] (18)

}}

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


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


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


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


"Bulkhead, I NEEDED THAT!"
:—Poor '''Ratchet''' just can't catch a break.


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

==Notes==
===Animation or technical errors===
*When Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee find Bulkhead lying on the ground, Arcee and Bumblebee's optics are dim, while Optimus' and Bulkhead's are not.

===Continuity errors===
*The police have the worst response time imaginable. The guard presumably called them right after the harvester was stolen, yet they never show up. Even accounting for the fact that Fowler would have called them off eventually, it should have only taken them minutes to get there.
*When Miko takes a picture and put the cellphone display in front of the security camera, the picture comes put flawless on the guard´s screen. In real life it would look blurry.

===Transformers references===
*Breakdown keeps his bulky body from his earlier comic appearance, but he's been colored to look more like his Cybertronian body.
*At the construction site in Greece, there's a [[Constructicons (G1)|familiar-looking steamshovel and bulldozer]].

===Foreign dubbing===

===Real-world references===

===Trivia===
*Despite the initial descriptions of this episode saying that the Autobots were going to Greece to recover the Harvester, it's instead housed in an American museum.
**However, the Harvester does end up in Greece when the Decepticons take it there, so technically the Autobots do end up going to Greece in an attempt to recover it.
*Miko's teacher is reading a copy of ''[[The Jasper Daily]]''. The security guard at the museum is reading the same issue, despite the museum being located in a big city that is obviously not [[Jasper]].
*There is a painting of [[Big Rocks National Park]] in the security guard's office, as well as a calendar set to March, which handily matches the month this episode first screened.
*Knock Out and Breakdown are the first Decepticons who weren't part of the main cast to unquestionably survive their debut episode.  The first guest star Cybertronian to survive their own debut episode was [[Wheeljack (Prime)|Wheeljack]].
*Megatron's condition has been kept a secret from the rest of the Decepticons.

==Home video releases==

==External links==


[[Category:Prime episodes]]