Patch (episode)

This article is about the episode from Prime. For the dog from Generation 1, see Patch (dog).

« Transformers: Prime ep 50 »
Everybody cut loose! Footloose!
"Patch"
Production company	Hasbro Studios
Airdate	October 19, 2012
Written by	Duane Capizzi
Directed by	Shaunt Nigoghossian
Animation studio	Polygon Pictures

Starscream proposes a truce with Megatron, but the Decepticon leader remains suspicious.

Synopsis

Atop the Decepticon warship, Megatron asks Starscream what he seeks in return for the Omega Keys, his answer being that he wishes to once more become a Decepticon. While Megatron points out that Dreadwing is now his second-in-command, Starscream insists he will keep to his place. Skeptical, Megatron has Knock Out extracted from the wall so that he can connect Megatron and Starscream with a cortical psychic patch.

Don't get so cocky, Knock Out.

By rummaging through Starscream's memories, Megatron intends to find what really drives him, and first reviews the events surrounding the space bridge explosion. Knock Out monitors the mental images with interest... especially when he sees Starscream does a victory jig. Megatron watches various instances of Starscream insisting on his leadership: the time he made a bunch of clones to assassinate Megatron; and when he tried to make a deal with Airachnid to terminate Megatron. Starscream claims he was half-crazed with energon deficiency at the time, but Megatron is unconvinced. Starscream insists he always had Megatron's best interests at heart, like removing the Dark Energon from his body so his mind did not become corrupted by it. Replaying Starscream's monologue during the time when Megatron was trapped underground, Megatron suggests Starscream refrain from thinking out loud in the future. He also drops the hint that if Starscream fails to be convincing, it'll likely end in Starscream's termination.

Starscream claims being beaten is enough to bring him back into line and tries to play up his own generosity by recalling the time when he provided Megatron with Cliffjumper's corpse for experimentation, and his use of his wits in dealing with the Autobots. Megatron points out his wits are usually insufficient to compensate for his arrogance: when he faced Optimus Prime while charged up on Dark Energon; or when he tried to use the Energon Harvester on Bulkhead. The revelation that MECH took Starscream's T-Cog greatly amuses Megatron, though Starscream is hoping that that might be restored to him in exchange for the Omega Keys—after all, he usually transforms with such style. He points out that at the time he deserted the Decepticon cause, he was not being made to feel particularly welcome there, despite apparently learning his place. Megatron does not believe Starscream's change of heart at the time would have lasted, and replays a discussion between Starscream and Knock Out while Megatron was lying in a coma in the sick bay. In the real world, Knock Out starts to realize that Starscream's memories are going to be equally incriminating to himself. Panicking, he comes up with a plan to disconnect the patch, trapping Megatron in Starscream's mind.

That awkward moment when you find out that your thought-to-be-dead twin brother is a zombie.

As Knock Out goes to unplug Megatron, Dreadwing stops him and he is forced to make up an excuse. Megatron's psychic interrogation of Starscream continues, and while Starscream claims that not even Dreadwing may have been a "perfect" replacement as his second-in-command, Megatron points out at least Dreadwing and his departed brother Skyquake were loyal. Starscream's memories of Skyquake's death and revival through Dark Energon are replayed, and he recalls how Skyquake was left in an undead state in some dimensional nether-realm. This revelation comes as a shock to Dreadwing, who is still watching in the lab. Megatron announces that Starscream will be allowed to rejoin the Decepticon forces proper, as they must be working as one unit if Cybertron is to be properly restored, a fact also addressed to the watching Knock Out. Knock Out realizes that Dreadwing is no longer standing behind him. Dreadwing stands on the outer hull of the Nemesis and aims a scream of rage at the sky.

Featured characters

{{featuredcharacters |c1=

• Optimus Prime (6)
• Cliffjumper (12)
• Bumblebee (13)
• Bulkhead (14)
• Arcee (15)
• Smokescreen

|c2=

• Megatron (1)
• Starscream (2)
• Dreadwing (3)
• Knock Out (4)
• Vehicons (5)
• Breakdown* (7)
• Soundwave (8)
• [[Starscream clone (Prime)|Starscream clone*]s* (9)
• Insecticon* (10)
• Airachnid* (11)
• Skyquake* (17)

|c3=

• Silas (16)

}} *Only appeared in flashback.

Quotes

"Few things of value come without a price."

—Megatron

"This is going to be juicy."

—Knock Out will regret that prediction.

"A word of advice? Stop thinking aloud."

—Megatron reckons Starscream talks too much.

"Uh oh...Does this thing have a fast forward button, or better yet erase?"

—Knock Out really hoped Megatron didn't see that.

"Ah, I do transform with an exceptional sense of style... I said that out loud, didn't I?"

—Starscream

"Awkward."

—Knock Out aptly summarizes the general atmosphere of the episode.

"Megatron sure knows how to 'patch' things up, eh, Dreadwi-"
Knock Out turns around to see that Dreadwing has disappeared.
"Dreadwing?"

—Knock Out name drops the title of the episode before realizing that Dreadwing has already left.

Notes

Continuity errors

• Starscream was not present when Skyquake was trapped in an alternate dimension in "Shadowzone", nor was that fact ever made clear to him or any other Decepticon. While it is obvious that Skyquake lost his arm (since it attacked Starscream), Starscream shouldn't have such precise knowledge of his fate (unless he read the script or something).

Continuity notes

• This is the first truly Decepticon-focused episode, with no Autobots appearing outside of flashbacks.
• This is also a clip show focusing on Starscream, so virtually every Starscream-relevant episode is revisited.
• Dreadwing learns of Starscream's attempt to revive Skyquake as a zombie minion in "Shadowzone", as well as his imprisonment in an alternate dimension at the end of that episode.
• Megatron tells Dreadwing to free Knock Out from the wall of the Nemesis, which occurred in the previous episode.

Real-world references

• When the Vehicons are hailing Starscream, he does a hilarious dance routine, with his final move being an impression of John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever.

Trivia

• This is the second clip episode, the first being "Grill". Interestingly enough, in both episodes only four characters appear outside of flashbacks.
• This is the first episode to feature humans after three episodes which didn't, albeit only in flashbacks. This is also the first episode to not feature any Autobots outside of flashbacks.
• Megatron's mental projection has his original arm, not the dead Prime's arm, just like in the previous episode.
• For being clever enough to engineer a plan to successfully steal all four Omega Keys, Starscream didn't really think through his plan to regain Megatron's favor. He went in with no insurance policy to make sure Megatron didn't just simply scrap him and take the keys instead.
• So, uh... how did they get Knock Out out of the wall?
• Starscream's got sweet dance moves!