Crack (episode)

The name or term "Crack" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Crack (disambiguation).

« Transformers: Armada ep 37 »
Is whack.
"Crack" 決意 (ぷらいど) (Pride) "Decision: Pride"
Production code	TF: A-37
Production company	TV Tokyo, NAS
Airdate	May 10, 2003 (English) 19 September 2003 (Japanese)
Writer	Isao Shizuya
Director	Shigenori Awai
Animation studio	Actas Inc.
Continuity	Unicron Trilogy

Starscream must choose between the human friends he has made among the Autobots and his hunger to destroy Megatron. Betrayal and conspiracy are so addictive.

Synopsis

In a secret meeting, Sideways and Thrust plot how to get the Mini-Con weapons away from the Autobots. It's all very ominous.

On Earth, Starscream finds he doesn't feel very motivated to help the Autobots build their stupid spaceship. He feels it's a waste of time when they could be off killing Megatron instead of worrying about Mini-Cons. Optimus Prime explains to Hot Shot, who is exasperated with Starscream's apathy, that the Autobots should take this chance to try and understand what makes Autobots and Decepticons different, and learn how to work together. After all, the inability to make such a rapport is why the two factions are still fighting.

"Do they really like me?" If they're fangirls.

Starscream, meanwhile, is quite shocked to find the human kids throwing him a surprise party; it was Alexis's idea to thank him for the Mars rock he previously gave them. The kids present him with a crudely stitched but brightly colorful chamois, which they have made for him themselves and claim is for cleaning the Star Saber. Starscream explains that he has never received a present before, so he doesn't know how to react. When Jetfire arrives to assign Starscream to monitor duty, Starscream figures that if he slacks off, someone else will do it; Alexis has to explain the notion of teamwork to him. Starscream storms off after her abortive lecture, claiming that he needs some quiet.

As with most of what Starscream says and does, this is total bluster, and he does end up doing his monitor duty as assigned. When a bizarre signal appears on the screens, he goes out to investigate its source. He finds Thrust, who tries to talk Starscream into rejoining the Decepticons so that the two of them can work against Megatron from the inside. Fred and Billy happen by just in time to hear Thrust mention that if Megatron might welcome Starscream back if he were to bring the Skyboom Shield.

Back at the Autobot base, Starscream watches the Race Mini-Con Team—the Mini-Cons who combine to form the shield—and broods.

Starscream is so dreamy, he's like, a dreamboat. Err, plane.

Fred and Billy tell the Autobots about Thrust's appearance and how Starscream chased him away. Jetfire makes a crack about how Fred shouldn't consider Starscream a hero, which is, of course, the moment when Starscream walks in on the conversation. All share an awkward moment. Smokescreen arrives shortly after that, reporting that the Race Team has disappeared. Billy and Fred remember that Thrust wanted them, which leads the Autobots—especially Smokescreen—to accuse Starscream of stealing them. Hot Shot tries to give Starscream a chance to explain himself, but the former Decepticon doesn't bother defending himself. Since the Autobots have already made up their minds that he is a traitor, he believes that trying to get along with them is a failed experiment.

A Decepticon attack interrupts the tense situation, drawing the Autobots out to fight. While his erstwhile comrades face the main Decepticon force, Starscream seeks out Thrust alone high in the clouds. Brandishing the Star Saber and his chamois, Starscream rebuffs Thrust's offer, claiming he would rather stay with robots he can trust. Thrust is still bent on convincing Starscream to work with him against Megatron.

Hot Shot, whom Tidal Wave chased into a forest, runs into Alexis, Carlos, Rad, and the Race Mini-Con Team. Hot Shot learns that the kids only took the Mini-Cons for a walk without notifying anyone first. He realizes he was wrong to accuse Starscream and asks the Mini-Cons to help.

Another "Yoink" moment, brought to you by Photoshop.

Meanwhile, Starscream is at a loss to explain to himself why he won't just kill Thrust and be done with the whole sorry affair. Thrust opines that working alongside the Autobots has caused him to go soft and forget his heritage.

Smokescreen tosses the Skyboom Shield to Optimus Prime on the ground, but Starscream intercepts it. Wielding both it and the Star Saber, Starscream rushes to meet with Thrust, letting the chamois fall back to Earth behind him. He momentarily wonders if he's doing the right thing but knows that he must go to any length to bring Megatron down. He knows that he will never forget the human kids, and in his heart, he thanks them.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Mini-Cons	Misc
Jetfire (3) Red Alert (4) Hot Shot (5) Scavenger (6) Side Swipe (7) Starscream (8) Smokescreen (9) Blurr (10) Optimus Prime (11)	Thrust (1) Megatron (12) Tidal Wave (24) Cyclonus (25) Demolishor (26) Wheeljack (27)	Rad White (16) Alexis (17) Carlos Lopez (18) Fred (19) Billy (20)	Sonar (13) Runway (14) Jetstorm (15) Dirt Boss (21) Downshift (22) Mirage (23) Incinerator (28)	Sideways (2)

Quotes

Red Alert: "Hey, enough chit-chat ladies, we got a job to do."
Hot Shot: "Ah—sorry, Red Alert, but what about Starscream?"
Blurr, the jerk: "You mean Star-traitor, don't you?"

"Why now? Why...am I doubting myself?"

—Starscream broods while training.

Fred: "Guys! We just saw a cone-headed Decepticon!"
Blurr: "You mean Thrust?"
Billy: "He was just outside our base."
Hot Shot: "What are we waiting for? C'mon, let's go get him!"
Side Swipe: "Yeah, baby!"
Fred: "Hang on a sec, Hot Shot. Starscream chased the creep away, already! Starscream is my hero."
Hot Shot: "You are one twisted kid."

"Get on 'em, Tidal Wave!"
"Your wish is my command."

—Demolishor gives the orders and Tidal Wave does his best genie impression.

"Have you made your decision?"
"I have, Thrust. I think I'll stay put here with bots I can trust."

—Starscream answers Thrust's offer with a strange assertion, given the Autobots had earlier accused him of theft.

Hot Shot shoots Tidal Wave in the eye with his axle-zooka
"All right! That's a bullseye—literally!"

—Hot Shot being Hot Shot.

Notes

Differences with Legends of the Microns

• As Optimus and Hot Shot discuss Starscream, Optimus states Starscream changing sides is a major step towards peace between the Autobots and Decepticons, which is why he accepted him. Armada changes this to just having Prime suggest they ought to know their differences and then come to a mutual agreement. Armada also gives Optimus an extra line, saying to return to work, whereas the rest of the scene in Legends of the Microns is silent.
• Unlike Armada, Fred says that the kids didn't make a cake. Then the shot of Starscream taking the chamois is redrawn to show Alexis's arm before it leaves the frame, and the fabric now drapes more realistically.
• Starscream is silent after Alexis explains his gift's purpose. As the boys describe how they made it, Fred goes off-topic and mentions the cake in Armada but says making the chamois took a lot of work in Legends of the Microns.
• Starscream is silent in the Japanese dub when he notes the colorful fabric in Armada. Armada has Starscream saying thank you twice, but the Japanese dub has him say it as "Thank... you...?"
• Fred asks Starscream if there were any "octopus-shaped aliens" on Mars, for which Billy calls Fred an idiot and says there's nothing like that there, and Starscream affirms it.
• Starscream's reason for leaving the kids is to get some "peace and quiet" in Armada, but he says, "I can't stand annoying pests..." in Legends of the Microns. Then Armada adds Billy's subsequent line.
• Starscream groans about all the teamwork talk making him soft in Armada, but in Legends of the Microns, he says the kids almost made him forget about his anger toward Megatron.
• As he ponders his self-doubt, Starscream says, "Even now...Why do I still hesitate? I...Those kids...for my sake." Legends of the Microns mutes the kids' laughing as Starscream thinks about them.
• After swiping the Skyboom Shield, Starscream asks forgiveness for his decision in the Japanese dub. He's unsure if he's making the right choice in Armada.
• Starscream swears to crush Megatron personally in Armada but reflects that taking Megatron down is currently his sole reason for living. Then instead of Starscream thanking the kids and saying he'll never forget them aloud, Legends of the Microns turns it into an internal monologue where Alexis is the only one of the kids he names.
• The Japanese dub has Hot Shot ask "Why?" twice before shouting, "WHY? STARSCREAM!"

Animation and technical errors

• Starscream's wings vanish when he walks away from the rest of the Autobots. Legends of the Microns adds them back.
• When Starscream and Thrust meet, Starscream makes hand motions like he's drawing his sword and using it, but nothing's in his hand. He's holding his sword a few shots later.
• During Thrust and Starscream's meeting in the woods, after Thrust disappears and reappears, he is layered behind the treeline, making him enormous.
• After meeting Thrust, Starscream lets out his frustrations by practicing his swordplay. During a close-up of the tip of his blade, it's incorrectly drawn as the distinctive Runway-shaped tip of the Star Saber.
• Smokescreen is still called by his old name in his new "Hoist" body, likely since the character was still referred to as "Grap" (his Japanese name) on both bodies in the original Japanese scripts.
• Demolishor's purple Decepticon lasers that he fires at Jetfire become red Autobot lasers as they fly towards the Autobot.
• The kids look very off-model in their last shot, noticeably lacking noses. Legends of the Microns redraws them with more accurate models.

Continuity notes

• As stated above, the episode's Japanese version has Optimus explaining to Hot Shot that he accepted Starscream because it's a major step for achieving peace between the two factions. Armada doesn't mention this and instead has the reason being that he "didn't have a choice at the time," as Scavenger explains in "Remorse."
• Gadgets and powers:
  • Smokescreen uses his new arm like a catapult to launch the Skyboom Shield.

Continuity errors

• Rad's line response to Starscream leaving the party, "What's his problem? He sure is self-centered!" doesn't appear to jibe with the animation of him and Carlos smiling happily. This issue doesn't exist in the Japanese dub.
• Starscream claiming to leave the kids for some "peace and quiet" doesn't work with the next scene, which shows him dutifully following Jetfire's order of performing monitor duty.
• Upon arriving in the forest, Starscream says that someone's watching, but how could he have possibly known? It's a non-issue in Legends of the Microns since he asks what's this about instead.
• Hot Shot instructs the kids to Powerlinx with the Skyboom Shield.
• Smokescreen's line: "The three Skyboom Shield Mini-Cons are missing, sir" starts being heard before he moves his mouth.
• After Starscream punches him in the face, Thrust falls over and lands with a thud. It's usually impossible to land on a cloud and generally impossible to make a "thud" with them.
• After Starscream appears with the Star Saber and Skyboom Shield, Thrust is angry with him when he should be ecstatic to have all three Mini-Con weapons finally if anything. The Japanese dub fixes it by having Thrust say he's glad that Starscream finally made his choice.
• Given what happens with him in Transformers: Energon, Starscream saying that he'll never forget the kids is sadly ironic.

Real-world references

• The line "You can't handle the truth!" is a famous quote from the movie, A Few Good Men. Moments after delivering the line, Starscream isn't wearing a necktie.

Transformers references

• Fred calls Thrust a "cone-headed Decepticon", a possible reference to the fan term for the Generation 1 jets Ramjet, Dirge and of course, Thrust.

Trivia

• Starscream calls Thrust a "pathetic snake," which is an amusing coincidence as Thrust's voice actor, Colin Murdoch, previously played the cobra-headed Quickstrike on Beast Wars.
• After Billy and Fred tell the Autobots that Starscream "drove off" Thrust, voice actor Brian Drummond delivers Blurr's appreciative line in a rather hostile, accusatory tone. Then again, Blurr is a bit of a jerk.
• As this episode's main focus is on Starscream's angst and eventual betrayal, the battle between the Autobots and the other Decepticons is left unresolved.
• The Japanese dub reveals that the kids made the chamois from Rad's mom's sheets.

Foreign localization

German

• Title: "Falscher Verdacht" ("Wrong Suspicion")
• Original airdate: This episode was never shown on TV but was dubbed in 2003. The dub premiered in 2009 with the German DVD release of the show.

Hungarian

• Title: "Árulás" ("Treachery")
  • Confusingly, that's the same title the episode "Credulous" was given.

Italian

• Title: "La scelta di Starscream" ("Starscream's Choice")

Korean

• Title: "스크림의 선택 1부" ("Scream's Choice Part 1")

Portuguese

• Title: "Ruptura" ("Rupture")

Home video releases

All releases listed are in English audio unless otherwise noted.

DVD

2004 — Transformers: Legends of the Microns — Volume 10 (Columbia Music Entertainment) — Japanese audio only.
2006 — Transformers: Armada — Season One: Part Two (Rhino Entertainment)
2009 — Transformers: Armada — Volume Two (New KSM) — English and German audio.
2014 — Transformers: Armada — The Complete Series (Shout! Factory)