Metal Munchers

« Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy ep 43 »
"Metal Munchers"
Production code	143
Season	1
No. in season	43
Production company	Allspark Animation
Airdate	November 2, 2019
Writer	Nicole Dubuc
Director	Ray Quigley
Animation studio	Boulder Media Studio
Watch this episode on YouTube

On a field trip to an area of natural beauty, the Recruits face a swarm of metal-munching Scraplets.

Synopsis

The recruits observe that their museum of Earth objects is looking pretty empty, but Whirl has news to cheer them all up—they've got a field trip to go on. They join Boulder in the GroundBridge room, and after a brief interlude during which Hot Shot has to shut off a phone call from Cody, they head through the portal to a field of geysers. Boulder has them take equipment to survey the area and ensure it's safe for humans, warning them to make sure not to disturb the natural environment. Hoist takes a tumble into a crater, at the bottom of which he finds a metal-filled rock and decides to take it to add to the museum. Hot Shot finds a rock formation with some strange holes. When it becomes apparent that something's been gnawing on the metal in the area, Boulder realizes they have a Scraplet infestation on their hands. His fear is confirmed as Scraplets swarm out of the rocks.

The Bots flee from the oncoming horde of Scraplets. The recruits quickly manage to lose their pursuers, but they also lose Boulder as well, and end up trapped on a rock bridge. Their attempt to hide from the searching Scraplets is foiled when Hot Shot's comms plays Cody's custom ringtone, and they end up falling on Boulder below. Boulder seals the recruits in a nearby cave while he calls Heatwave for backup. The recruits wonder how the Scraplets got to Earth, and theorize that the crater they found was made by a meteorite. Unfortunately, this means that the sample Hoist took also contains a Scraplet, which is now trapped in the cave with them. It pursues the recruits into the tunnel system.

Boulder manages to contact Heatwave, who's in Griffin Rock dealing with a crashed ice cream truck with Cody. Meanwhile the recruits have gotten lost in the tunnels. They realize their pursuing Scraplet is smaller than the others, and reason that it's a baby that they need to reunite with its family. They combine the map of the tunnels Hoist made with Medix's map of the area, and successfully lead the Scraplet towards another exit. Outside, Boulder and Heatwave lure the rest of the Scraplets into the ice cream truck—as it's lined with fiberglass, they won't be able to eat their way out. The recruits emerge from the cave with the last Scraplet. Later back at base, Boulder and Heatwave explain that the Scraplets have been sent back to space. A munching sound sends all the Bots into a panic, as they assume it's a Scraplet, but it just turns out to be Cody eating a carrot.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Humans	Others
Medix (1) Hot Shot (2) Hoist (3) Whirl (4) Wedge (5) Boulder (7) Heatwave (9)	Cody Burns (10)	Tough Luck Chuck (6) Scraplets (8)

Quotes

"The only thing Whirl and I have added lately is this wooden thing with the ball on the end. Whatever it is, it's not the most exciting thing in the world."

—Hoist on paddle ball.

"Hey, after all our training, we're ready for anything. Any time, any place— AHHHHHHH!"

—Hot Shot is startled by a geyser.

Notes

Continuity notes

• The opening establishing shot of the episode gives us our first reasonably clear view of the Academy's location in relation to Milford.
• This is also our first look at the Earth museum that Hoist and Whirl have been working on.
• The recruits previously visited an area full of geysers in "Medix Surprise", though this appears to be a different location.
• This episode marks the return of Scraplets, a dangerous Cybertronian pest last seen in the Prime episodes "Scrapheap" and "Orion Pax, Part 3".
• Hot Shot and Medix seem unfamiliar with Scraplets, though they've been referred to before. Hoist even mentions being afraid of being eaten by Scraplets in "Dino Hard," though it seems by the end of this episode, he's warmed up to them.

Transformers references

• Boulder says Scraplets prefer living metal.

Real-world references

• Hot Shot's custom ringtone for Cody is "La Cucaracha"; he previously used the song as his car horn in "Fright At The Museum".

Animation and technical errors

• TBA

Trivia

• The Scraplets sport a unique design not seen in past Transformers series, though it does take some cues from their appearance in Prime.

Foreign localization

• TBA