Deadlock (episode)

This article is about the Prime episode. For the Generation 1 Decepticon, see Drift (G1).

« Transformers: Prime ep 65 »
Take that to the secondary cargo hold. We need to make room for the Stargate.
"Deadlock"
Production company	Hasbro Studios
Airdate	July 26, 2013
Written by	Steven Melching
Directed by	Shaunt Nigoghossian
Animation studio	Polygon Pictures

The Autobots face the Decepticons for a last showdown.

Synopsis

The Autobots storm the Nemesis via the outer hull, while Ratchet lets them know he's heading for the Omega Lock's control station. As he approaches the ship, Optimus orders Arcee's team to join Ratchet while Ultra Magnus and the Wreckers take the bridge. Arcee asks if they should destroy the lock, but Optimus intends to use it to restore Cybertron. Smokescreen has to be prompted to follow the others when he's momentarily distracted by the sight of Megatron arriving on the top of the ship to face Prime. The Decepticon leader uses the Dark Star Saber to damage Optimus's jet pack. Optimus manages to land on one of the lower spires and starts climbing up.

Telling them he has something he needs to do, Smokescreen leaves Arcee and Bumblebee. Meanwhile, Ratchet reaches the control station and begins fighting Shockwave. Arcee and Bumblebee approach the control station, as well, but they're cut off by Starscream and a bunch of Seekers who open fire on them. While this is going on, Knock Out packs for a sudden journey he has to make right now. Smokescreen soon reaches the warship's storage area and retrieves the Star Saber.

Ultra Magnus and his team reach the bridge; however, their attempt is cut short by Soundwave, who GroundBridges them to another part of the ship, where they're quickly surrounded. Ultra Magnus notifies everyone that his team has been delayed, which gives Jack an idea. He asks Raf to bridge him onto the Nemesis bridge as he's come up with a plan.

On the warship, Shockwave finishes pummeling Ratchet, but is interrupted by the Omega Lock signalling that it's ready to fire. As he opens the huge portal to prepare for firing, he spots Optimus hanging out on the Omega Lock's structure and is forced to take cover as Optimus opens fire. Megatron soon arrives to engage Optimus directly and orders Shockwave to begin the firing sequence.

Knock Out, wandering the corridors, finds himself cut off by the fighting. The bridge, meanwhile, is invaded by Jack and an Apex Armor-clad Miko. She quickly finishes off the Vehicons on duty, but Soundwave advances on her with an open GroundBridge. Jack tells Raf to open a GroundBridge right next to Soundwave, and the conflicting bridge energies promptly transport Soundwave into the shadowzone. As Jack and Miko head to the controls, the Omega Lock begins powering up on the bottom of the ship. On its rim, Optimus and Megatron continue to battle, with Optimus knocking the Dark Star Saber from Megatron's grip and decking him. Megatron orders Shockwave to prepare to fire, but is interrupted by the ship lurching while under Jack's control.

Cue the tears of children worldwide.

Down below, Smokescreen passes Arcee and Bumblebee, carrying the Star Saber into the Omega Lock control room. He attempts to throw the sword down to Optimus, only to be blasted by Shockwave. Arcee, Bumblebee, Starscream and Shockwave all run for the weapon, but Arcee takes out Starscream, and Bumblebee reaches it first, decking Shockwave before grabbing the saber in midair. Ratchet warns Optimus he must use the Star Saber to destroy the Omega Lock; however, as Bumblebee jumps to pass the weapon to Optimus, he's blasted repeatedly by Megatron. As other Autobots watch in horror, Bumblebee dies. He plunges lifelessly into the Omega Lock's energy field.

Outraged, Optimus smacks Megatron around, only to be knocked off the Omega Lock when Megatron recovers the Dark Star Saber. As Prime clings to the side, Megatron prepares to finish the Autobot off, only to turn around in response to someone calling his name. Bumblebee runs him through with the Star Saber, and as everyone looks on in shock, Megatron dies, his body falling from the Omega Lock and plunging Earthward. Bumblebee helps Optimus climb up as the remaining Decepticons scramble to escape. As the Autobots reunite, they marvel at the fact that Bumblebee has his voice back, and Optimus passes on the news to Magnus's team and Hangar E that Megatron has perished. With the ship now under Autobot control, Optimus orders Magnus to set course for Cybertron. Bumblebee radios Raf to let him know to come up so he can be there for the restoration of Cybertron.

Peace.

As the ship passes through the space bridge, Starscream and Shockwave reach the escape pods to find there's only one left. They cram into it and eject, though Starscream complains about the cramped conditions. Ratchet explains that he does not have the complete formula to synthesize cyber-matter, and the current amount was intended to cyberform Earth, not the much larger Cybertron. Optimus directs the ship to the Well of All Sparks, so they can revitalize Cybertron's core. The beam of energy strikes Cybertron's core, and the planet is soon completely restored and glowing a healthy blue. On the bridge, Knock Out admires the planet's new luster, and claims to be "joining the winning team", only to be decked by Miko. Predaking, still clinging to the hull, looks out over Cybertron before transforming and flying off.

Back on Earth, Optimus gives a speech about how they're going to miss Earth. Fowler says the three kids will be members of Unit:E, June modifying it by mentioning that they'll be in a consulting capacity only until they're of age, and Ratchet takes the opportunity to announce he's staying on Earth. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee give a tearful farewell to their respective partners, while Fowler, Magnus, Wheeljack and Smokescreen share a mutual salute. As the Autobots head through the space bridge, Optimus gives Ratchet a last goodbye, and with a final lingering look at his human companions, strides through after his team.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Decepticons	Humans	Predacons
Ratchet (2) Ultra Magnus (3) Wheeljack (4) Bulkhead (5) Bumblebee (6) Arcee (7) Smokescreen (8) Optimus Prime (9)	Vehicons (1) Megatron (14) Shockwave (15) Starscream (16) Knock Out (17) Soundwave (18)	William Fowler (10) Miko Nakadai (11) Jack Darby (12) Raf Esquivel (13) June Darby (20)	Predaking (19)

Quotes

"Pack light. Pack light! [Finds his rotary buffer] Oh! Pack smart!"

—Knock Out, not needing to be told that cowards survive.

"You took my voice. You will never rob anyone, of anything, ever again."

—Bumblebee, getting payback at last.

"I will avenge you, Master!"
[Shockwave grabs him]
"Starscream, do not be a fool!"
[They flee as Starscream resists]
"Curse you and your logic!"

—Starscream and Shockwave debate the merits of revenge.

"Bumblebee..."
"Your voice..."
"My voice? What're you g-...My voice!"
[grabs Ratchet in a great big hug]
"Ratchet! I have my pipes back!"
"Errhmm, y-yes! Yes we noticed!"

—Arcee, Bumblebee, and Ratchet in a crazy-happy moment. Admit it, you smiled too.

"Optimus Prime to all units: Megatron is no more."

—Recent news is announced by Optimus.

"Rrrgh, your elbow articulator is digging into my lateral flexer!"
"Do you intend to whine for the duration of the voyage?"

—Starscream and Shockwave get used to each other's company. This is going to be a long trip.

"Ah, such luster."
[Autobots stare in disbelief]
"What? I'm joining the winning team."

—Knock Out proves once again just how self-important he really is, right before Miko shuts him up.

"Raf..."
"I know Bee. You don't have to say anything."
"I never did."

—Raf and Bumblebee share their last exchange...for now.

"Until we meet again, old friend..."

—Optimus Prime and Ratchet also share their last exchange, and in a way, to us.

Notes

Animation and technical errors

• Ultra Magnus goes into the battle using his built-in blasters, but in the next scene is lugging around the same handheld cannon he used in "Rebellion".
• Even though the ship is orbiting Earth, Transformers and objects fall at a rate consistent with Earth-normal gravity outside of the ship.
• Though it makes sense that Megatron and Optimus failed to notice Bumblebee's revival, certainly the assembled Autobots and Decepticons should have, considering Bumblebee would have had to climb out of the cybermatter pool, grab the sword, then walk over to Megatron to stab him with it.
• Before Jack arrives in the ship, we see Soundwave and Laserbeak (on his chest) missing it's left wing.

Continuity notes

• Jack, Miko, and Raf experienced the effects of crossed GroundBridges firsthand in "Shadowzone".
• Bumblebee gets his voice back in this episode. His voicebox was destroyed in the events of Tyger Pax as explained in "Operation Bumblebee, Part 1" and the novel, Transformers: Exodus. His voicebox, as well as his wounds, were restored through the energy field generated by the Omega Lock. It is rather fitting that he delivers the final blow to Megatron.
• Miko previously used the Apex Armor in "Chain of Command".
• The Star Saber was previously seen in the Decepticon vault in "Prey". Despite not making a note of it then, that fact did not escape Smokescreen's notice.
• Ultra Magnus refers to Soundwave's combat GroundBridging as a "relocation trick", which he had used on Arcee in "Orion Pax, Part 1", a Predacon bone fragment in "Project Predacon", and Airachnid and her Insecticons in "Thirst".
• Soundwave isn't the only Decepticon who is trapped in the Shadowzone.
• The Autobots fire the Omega Lock into the Well of All Sparks, last seen in flashback in "One Shall Rise, Part 1".
• Predaking is revealed to have survived Megatron's attack from the previous episode.
• The Immobilizer is seen in a stasis field in the vault, thus accounting for all the Iacon relics left on Cybertron last season.
• Wheeljack takes the lobbing ball with him to Cybertron. It was last seen in "Project Predacon".

Transformers references

• This is not the first incarnation of Megatron to free fall through Earth's atmosphere.
• Likewise this is not the first time Megatron is killed from behind by Bumblebee.
• Also this isn't the first time Bumblebee gets a fatal hole blown in his torso by Megatron.

Real-world references

• Raf refers to opening conflicting Space Bridge portals as 'crossing the streams', a term from Ghostbusters for a method of last resort with potentially devastating consequences. The same term was used the first time this happened.
• The Dark Star Saber makes a brief sound similar to a lightsaber from Star Wars as it falls from the Nemesis.

Trivia

• Just before Megatron retrieves the Dark Star Saber from the Omega Lock to use its wave attack to push Optimus off the side, the Dark Star Saber emits a sound very similar to the original Star Saber sword whenever it was activated.
• Ratchet kept saying that he wanted to go back to Cybertron, and that he wouldn't forgive Optimus for leaving him on a planet with humans. Evidently, he has grown used to them, and stays behind anyway, claiming that he's needed in Unit:E.
• Bumblebee was wearing a battle mask over his mouth for the whole series, which is revealed when he retracts it upon discovering he can speak again.
• Soundwave has his Spacebridge trump card used against him (at last). One has to wonder what purpose he will serve in the Shadowzone.
• Between solicitations for upcoming issues of the Beast Hunters comic (which revealed that Cybertron would be restored), the press release for the Predacons Rising movie (which revealed that Megatron was going to die) and a clip shown at the Prime panel at the San Diego Comic Con and later released online (which revealed that Bumblebee would regain his voice), a well-informed Transfan had pretty much every surprise of this episode spoiled by official sources well in advance of its airing. Boo.