Triangulation
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 "I've never really had a taste for this sort of thing, but I must admit... I'm deeply enjoying the suit!" | ||||||
| "Triangulation" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | May 12, 2012 | |||||
| Written by | David McDermott | |||||
| Directed by | Todd Waterman | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
Optimus Prime hunts for relics in Antarctica and finds himself caught between shifting alliances.
Synopsis
Megatron: And bring some fragging cheese back! Velveeta! You hear me?!?
Megatron notes that the second relic is in Antarctica, and Dreadwing volunteers to head there. Megatron warns Dreadwing that he'd better prove himself a more worthy second-in-command than his predecessors. In the Harbinger, Starscream is about to operate on himself to install the T-cog of his traitorous clone. He is clearly nervous to have to perform the procedure alone, when the ship's computer picks up the fact that the Decepticons are dispatching teams to four continents. Starscream happily postpones the operation to investigate.
At the Autobot base, Bulkhead departs through the GroundBridge for his relic hunt. Optimus Prime announces he's heading for the Antarctic relic, and that Ratchet will need backup on his mission—Wheeljack. Ratchet is less than pleased at having to contend with the wild card Wrecker, but Optimus affirms that Ratchet would be wise to accept the aid of a seasoned warrior like Wheeljack.
Starscream uses a GroundBridge remote control to head to the Antarctic on a hoverscooter. He's quickly spotted by Dreadwing and some Vehicons who knock him off his hoverscooter. Starscream at first mistakes Dreadwing for Skyquake, and soon has some cuffs slapped on him. Though Starscream is miffed at the irony that he's been apprehended by Megatron's new second-in-command, he's silenced when Dreadwing begins violently pushing him along. As Optimus watches from afar, the group trudges through the snow to where the relic is located, only to find it has already been dug out of the ice and is gone. The Vehicons start searching and find vehicle tracks. They're approached by Optimus, who demands the return of the relic, and after a lengthy standoff. the confrontation turns into a firefight.
After Prime takes out two of the Vehicons and scores a hit on Dreadwing, the Decepticon starts breaking out heavier weapons, and proves to be formidable with a sword. The two 'bots fighting to a draw, they take a dive off a cliff, following which Optimus brings the ice crashing down, burying Dreadwing. Seeing the tables have turned on the Decepticons, Starscream is able to kill the remaining Vehicons. He excitedly proposes that Optimus free him from his cuffs in exchange for him leading the Prime to the relic, but Optimus, already in a bad mood, refuses. To Starscream's disappointment, he is forced to lead Optimus to the relic.
The two then take a long walk through the Antarctic. Starscream tries to plead his case, mentioning how he helped Optimus return from his stint as Orion Pax and alerted the Autobots to Airachnid. Optimus notes his appreciation for Starscream's help, but makes it clear he knows it was all for Starscream's own self-interests. The two arrive at a human military base, and Optimus prevents Starscream from just waltzing in. Starscream is puzzled as to why they must be so careful around humans when retrieving the relic, but Optimus radios home and gets Agent Fowler to evacuate the human base so he can safely retrieve the relic.
Meanwhile, Dreadwing breaks free of the ice and after contemplating the slain Vehicons, heads out to find Prime. With the base clear, Optimus and Starscream venture inside to find the relic still frozen in a chunk of ice. They're interrupted by Dreadwing, who's disgusted by Starscream apparently allying with an Autobot. Starscream quickly jumps ship and claims he was leaving a trail for Dreadwing. While Optimus and Dreadwing fight, an unattended Starscream sets about liberating the relic from the ice, which turns out to be the Apex Armor. Outside, Dreadwing has Optimus on the ropes and is about to strike when Starscream, now wearing the armor and much more powerful, crashes out of the building to challenge them.
Both Dreadwing and Optimus attack the rogue Decepticon, but he swats them aside, repeatedly. Optimus suggests to Dreadwing that they will need to cooperate to defeat Starscream, and Dreadwing accepts the offer for both of their sakes. While Dreadwing flies around, Optimus slaps one of the Seeker's bombs onto Starscream, but the Apex Armor proves invulnerable even to that. Optimus realizes that Starscream still has a vulnerability—his lack of flight. While Optimus keeps Starscream's attention once more, Dreadwing plants explosives on the ground, and just as Starscream works out that the pair are up to something, the bombs detonate. Starscream disappears into a hole blasted in the ice. With no relic left to claim, Optimus once again pleads for Dreadwing to turn on Megatron and join him. Dreadwing refuses, and after sincerely thanking him for helping him survive the ordeal, promises to terminate him the next time they meet. With no relic to fight over, the two go their separate ways, and Optimus is left in the aurora borealis-bathed tundra to contemplate Dreadwing's final refusal of peace.
At the bottom of the ocean below, Starscream walks along, still protected by the invincible Apex Armor.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans | Others |
|---|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Ener-stat. Cross-clamp. Laser scalpel. Durabyllium drill. And, one slightly damaged but operational T-Cog, courtesy of my traitorous clone. Everything I require to make myself whole. A simple, painless procedure... Nothing to it, really... Provided one possesses the nerve..."
- —Starscream about to perform self-surgery.
"What a team we make! I am so glad that you prevailed, Optimus Prime! That wretch Dreadwing was going to terminate me! Now, if you could just remove my bonds, I can lead you straight to the relic."
*Optimus cocks his blaster*
"You will lead me there regardless."
"Hmph! You're welcome!"
- —Starscream is excited on one of those rare days Optimus Prime doesn't give a damn.
"I haven't had this much fun since I punched that hole in Cliffjumper!"
"And you, Optimus Prime. I will beat the living spark out of you, just so I never again have to endure your pontificating!"
- —Starscream says what he thinks of Optimus Prime's speech pattern.
"*Evil laugh*That tickled! *Evil laugh*Fools! Not only am I intelligent, I am INVINCIBLE!"
"Yet, you cannot fly!"
"Nobody's perfect."
- —Starscream and Optimus Prime, the former enjoying the suit a little too much.
Notes
Continuity notes
- This episode happens concurrently with the previous episode and with the following two.
- Starscream is preparing to install a new T-cog into himself at the beginning of the episode, which he scavenged from his traitorous clone after killing him in "Armada".
- Starscream refers to helping Orion Pax regain his memory, saving Arcee's life and giving information to the Autobots.
- Starscream mistakes Dreadwing for Skyquake, who died in "Masters & Students", and who Starscream attempted to revive in "Shadowzone".
- Starscream enjoyed killing Cliffjumper and claims he will reunite Dreadwing with his "beloved twin".
- Dreadwing is still mad at Optimus for Skyquake's demise.
- Optimus refers to how he offered Skyquake a chance of redemption, as well as expressing remorse for the Decepticon's demise from "Masters & Students".
- This is the second time that Starscream finds himself in manacles.
Transformers references
- The Apex Armor is a reference to the item of the same name from Generation 1, first introduced with the Heroes of Cybertron PVC of what in Japan had been God Ginrai, and released as a Commemorative Series reissue of the Powermaster Optimus Prime toy a year later. Still later, the Apex Armor appeared in the IDW Publishing Megatron Origin miniseries, used by Sentinel Prime.
- Among the tools Starscream tries to operate on himself with are a durabyllium drill and a laser scalpel.
Real-world references
- People actually do put flags around archaeological sites in desolate wastelands, in order to find them again.
Errors
- When Dreadwing is volunteering to go the Antarctic, Megatron's eyes are out of place when he looks back at him. One is correctly in the corner of his eye but the other isn't, placed as if he were looking slightly left.
- Starscream is missing his manacles during Optimus and Dreadwing's first battle.
- The Apex Armor was established in Exiles as a relic of Solus Prime; however, Starscream calls it armor of "Decepticon origin".
- In a couple of shots, the parts hanging out of the Apex Armor's shoulders seem to clip through its upper torso.
- Dreadwing picks up both his sword and his complete gun after he recovers from the avalanche, despite the sword forming the handle of the gun.
Trivia
- Optimus still hasn't gotten Raf that snowball he promised to give him the other day. Though, since Raf did get to visit the Arctic anyway, he's hopefully forgotten about that.
- Unless one counts the recap at the beginning, this is the first episode in which Arcee does not make an appearance.
- Dreadwing reveals that he has a sword. While his gun has a bayonet that is very similar to his various toys' swords, this is the first time in-series he has ever used an independent sword.
- Currently, Dreadwing is the only main character whose gun and blade are both handheld.
- For an unknown reason, Dreadwing seems to want to kill Optimus to avenge his twin, but technically, it was Bumblebee who killed him. He even saw it on Soundwave's monitor. What, does Megatron think killing a scout isn't really impressive?
Foreign localization
German
- Title: "Allianzen in der Antarktis" ("Alliances in the Antarctic")
- Original airdate: 13 November 2012
Japanese
- Title: "Hyōketsu Henkei! Muteki no Body wo Te ni Irero!" (氷結変形!無敵のボディを手に入れろ!, "Freezing Transformation! Obtain the Invincible Body!")
- Original airdate: 29 December 2012
Brazilian Portuguese
Italian
- Title: "Triangolazione" ("Triangulation")
- Original airdate: 24 October 2012
Home video releases
- DVD
2012 — Transformers Prime — Season Two (Shout! Factory)
2013 — Transformers Prime — Vol. 20 (Avex Trax) — Japanese audio only.
2013 — Transformers Prime — Folge 9: Angriff auf Megatron (EDEL:kids) — English and German audio.
2013 — Transformers Prime — Volume 3: Weapons of Choice (Madman Entertainment)
2014 — Transformers Prime — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment)
2014 — Transformers Prime — Saison 2 Vol. 2: Nemesis Prime (Primal Screen)
2014 — Transformers Prime — Season 2 Vol. 2: Nemesis Prime (Primal Screen)
2014 — Transformers Prime — Stagione 2 Vol. 2: Nemesis Prime (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio.
2015 — Transformers Prime — Operation Bumblebee (Madman Entertainment)
2015 — Transformers Prime — Intégrale Saison 2 (Primal Screen)
2015 — Transformers Prime — The Complete Season 2 (Primal Screen)
2015 — Transformers Prime — La Seconda Stagione Completa (Primal Screen) — English, Italian, Swedish, Finnish, Danish and Norwegian audio.
- Blu-ray
2012 — Transformers Prime — Season Two (Shout! Factory)
2015 — Transformers Prime — Season Two Collection (Madman Entertainment)
