Deus ex Machina: Difference between revisions
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* The newspaper Miko's teacher is holding is once again printed with the "Sports" page on the left instead of the right. It's also the same issue (with the same reverse page order) that Raf was using to make his volcano out of [[Masters & Students|several weeks ago]], despite being a daily. | * The newspaper Miko's teacher is holding is once again printed with the "Sports" page on the left instead of the right. It's also the same issue (with the same reverse page order) that Raf was using to make his volcano out of [[Masters & Students|several weeks ago]], despite being a daily. | ||
* The two pages in Miko's open textbook are mirror images of each other. | * The two pages in Miko's open textbook are mirror images of each other. | ||
* It looks like so far animators have not decided yet if Bumblebee's optic sensors should have a central part or not, for they are shown changing their shape through the episode (has also happened [[Convoy (episode)|at least once]] previously). | |||
===Continuity errors=== | ===Continuity errors=== | ||
Revision as of 20:00, 12 March 2011
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 "With this map, I shall find all of the Cyber Planet K— wait. Wrong franchise." | ||||||
| "Deus ex Machina" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | March 11, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Nicole Dubuc | |||||
| Directed by | Shaunt Nigoghossian | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
When Bulkhead makes a discovery in Greece, the race is on to recover an Energon Harvester.
Synopsis
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 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 pulse in Greece.
Meanwhile, Knock Out has finally arrived on the Nemesis. Starscream shows him to 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.
Starscream explains Megatron's condition to Knock Out, who says things would be easier with his assistant, but 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 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 points out that there are photos of the thing online, as the actual Harvester is held in a museum. The Autobots try to contact 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 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 GroundBridge 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 and 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 open a loading ramp door and run towards it, 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 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, 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. Struggling to stay upright, Bulkhead reaches Starscream, smashes the 'Con in the face, and breaks 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, when 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
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
|
|
Quotes
"Miko, listen. If you fail high school, you can't go to—uh...uni...kesa...colls...w-wait, what's that word again?"
"Uh, college?"
- —Bulkhead tries to give Miko a lecture on academia.
"It's about time, Knock Out. I do not enjoy being kept waiting!"
"Ah, it was a long drive, Starscream. I'm still picking bugs out of my grille."
"Yes, right, you're one of those."
"Come again?"
"Never understood why any self-respecting Decepticon would choose 'automobile' as his vehicle mode when he could have flight!"
"I like the way I look in steel-belted radials."
"You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday."
"I hate talking to machines."
- —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 friend here!"
- —Side Burn's got red cars, Knock Out's got 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's and Bulkhead's are not.
- The newspaper Miko's teacher is holding is once again printed with the "Sports" page on the left instead of the right. It's also the same issue (with the same reverse page order) that Raf was using to make his volcano out of several weeks ago, despite being a daily.
- The two pages in Miko's open textbook are mirror images of each other.
- It looks like so far animators have not decided yet if Bumblebee's optic sensors should have a central part or not, for they are shown changing their shape through the episode (has also happened at least once previously).
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.
- We never actually see Soundwave take the harvester off of Raf and Jack.
Transformers references
- The energon harvester used by the "ancients" is a more portable version of the live-action movie universe's solar harvesters.
- The construction vehicles near the beginning bear a striking resemblance to a couple of familiar construction vehicles, only in their Generation 2 colours.
Foreign dubbing
Real-world references
- The title is a reference to "Deus ex Machina", which Miko mentions while talking to the museum security guard, just before Fowler becomes an example of the trope.
- The god depicted on the fresco is presumably Poseidon, because he bears his symbolic trident. The soldiers appear to be Spartans, as their shields bear the Lambda—which is odd, as their patron god was Ares.
- An ancient golden orb that is actually alien technology rather than a magical device of gods? Someone at Hasbro Studios must've played Assassin's Creed—which casts the Spartan shield symbol and Poseidon's staff in a whole new light...
Trivia
- Initial descriptions of this episode said that the Autobots were going to Greece to recover the Harvester. While it starts off housed in an American museum, 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. It's also the same issue of the publication that Raf was using to make his papier-mâché volcano in "Masters & Students."
- 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 aired.
- 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 his own debut episode was Wheeljack.
- Twice in promotional blurbs for the episode, it was mentioned Lugnut would be in the episode.[1][2] The error was also on the Hub's Facebook video for the episode, but was changed after a fan pointed it out.
- When Miko takes a picture and puts the cellphone display in front of the security camera, the picture comes out flawless on the guard´s screen. In real life, it would look blurry.
- Soundwave must have some very...feminine legs if Jack mistook him for Arcee from the knees down.
- Knowledge of Megatron's condition appears to have been confined to the crew of the Nemesis.
