Garbage In, Garbage Out
AllSpark energy turns a junk pile into a sentient robot who tries to help the Autobots, but ends up doing more harm than good.
Summary
Garbage is piling up all over Detroit, as the trash-bots are malfunctioning and Sumdac Systems CEO Porter C. Powell refuses to repair them until the city and he can come to an agreement on payment. In Powell's office, a technician demonstrates a new form of the nanobots that caused big problems a while back, designed this time to break garbage down to its component molecules, quickly and cheaply solving the garbage problem (while allowing Powell to charge the city a hefty fee).
Elsewhere, the Autobots are trying to patch up their still-damaged reputation by helping pile garbage into scows. Ratchet ends up getting into a shouting match with an old man whose car ended up under a garbage mound, resulting in the car being dumped in the river and the two old grouches almost coming to blows. Captain Fanzone arrives to break up the scene and remarks that Ratchet needs to work on his "people skills". Prime agrees and assigns Bumblebee and Sari to try and help out Ratchet while they work more on the garbage problem. Ratchet is not happy with this.
Just before the Autobots depart, though, Sari's key glows, but she quickly disregards this...and misses the emergence of a junk-robot from the scow, brought to life by an AllSpark shard. The confused machine tries to figure out his identity using the scraps around him, but is unsatisfied with the results. Spying a passing blimp with a sign for the Detroit police department with the slogan "We're Here to Help", the robot happily goes about trying to find some police for some help with his identity.
At the Decepticon base, Lugnut detects a surge in AllSpark energy, and Megatron concludes that another fragment must have turned up. Megatron orders Lugnut to retrieve it, while Lugnut continues his glory spouting as he leaves. Megatron's optical sensor begins to noticeably twitch.
Stuck in a traffic jam, Ratchet is about to display some serious road rage when Bumblebee puts on his siren and clears a path for them. Heading through, they a find a familiar couple who are expecting, but their car crashed on the way to the hospital. Ratchet agrees to take them to the hospital, then jets off at high speed, despite the warning to keep the mother calm.
Meanwhile, the robot is walking through down town Detroit, nearly causing a few accidents. The police, pursuing the Angry Archer, crash into the robot, who subsequently asks them for help. Archer tells the robot to throw them aside so that they can escape, and the robot agrees. When Archer inquires as to his identity, the robot responds that he is 'worthless wreck', 'walking pile of garbage', so the Archer dubs him Wreck-Gar. He tries to explain the that they steal from the rich and give to the poor (themselves), but Wreck-Gar gets the Archer's words confused. Seeing a passing armored car, Archer tells Wreck-Gar that they must go for, and Wreck-Gar picks up the Archer and chases after a car.
Meanwhile, expecting mother Carly asks her husband, Spike, to ask the driver to slow down, only for Spike to learn that there is only a little girl in the car—and no driver! Ratchet tells them to keep quiet as he tries to find a hospital, only for the armored car pursued by Wreck-Gar to be thrown through the air, landing in Ratchet's way. Jettisoning the Humans, Ratchet and Bumblebee try to stop Wreck-Gar, only for Angry Archer to flee with a canister that was in the armored car. As Sari points that Autobots are supposed to catch the bad guys, Wreck-Gar assumes that he is an Autobot, slaps on an Autobrand, and goes after the Archer. Bumblebee and Sari go after him, while Ratchet offers to drive the Spike and Carly to the hospital. They say they'll take a cab, and Ratchet mutters that people say he's rude.
Out running the swinging Archer, Wreck-Gar hurls him into the air, allowing the Angry Archer to escape, but the Canister falls into Wreck-Gar's backpack. As the Autobots and Sari show up, her key starts to glow, and they realize that Wreck-Gar was created by an AllSpark fragment. Ratchet rudely tells Wreck-Gar that he is not an Autobot and is only good for one thing: GARBAGE! Wreck-Gar transforms into his garbage truck vehicle mode, and leaves to give garbage to the people of Detroit. As he leaves, he covers Sari and the Autobots in a pile of garbage.
Meanwhile, Lugnut has reached the city, and confronts Wreck-Gar in the military base he and Blitzwing previously visited. Demanding the AllSpark fragment, Wreck-Gar transforms. Wreck-Gar's repeating of Lugnut's statements leads him to conclude that Wreck-Gar is a loyal Decepticon, and Wreck-Gar slaps on a Decepticon symbol.
Back at the crime scene, Ratchet is removing the driver of the armored car when Powell and Fanzone show up. Powell reveals that the car was carrying the garbage devouring microbots to a demonstration for Mayor Edsel. However, the canister carrying them is gone. Sari is more than willing to let Powell suffer, but Ratchet is concerned about what the microbots might do if infused with AllSpark energy. Tracking Wreck-Gar to the base, Ratchet demands the Microbots, only for Lugnut to transform and activate his bomb punch. Wreck-Gar interprets this as the universal greeting, and gives Lugnut a high five. Sari and the Autobots barely manage to avoid ground zero. As Lugnut transforms to attack, Wreck-Gar takes out the canister, which has cracked, allowing some of the microbots to touch Lugnut. Crying out in pain, Lugnut commands Wreck-Gar to get them off, so Wreck-Gar dissects Lugnut, causing the tail end to crash onto a garbage scowl. Bumblebee declares their problems over, but Ratchet is worried. If those microbots ate through Decepticon armor-plating, there is no telling what they'll do to down town Detroit.
On the river bank, Powell arrives to cancel the presentation with the mayor, only for the group see the microbots eat the garbage in on the scowl, which cause Powell to start wheeling and dealing. As the scowl gets closer, Ratchet jumps from the bridge to stop it. He tries to reason with Wreck-Gar, but everything fails, leaving Ratchet to unleash the ultimate weapon...he apologizes. Telling Wreck-Gar he can be whatever he wants, Wreck-Gar decides to save the city, vacuuming up the microbots. However, Wreck-Gar's backpack explodes, causing him to fall into the river. Ratchet tries to pull him out with his magnets, but only finds junk. As Bumblebee and Sari declare Ratchet a hero, Powell cries foul, saying that he destroyed his product. Thus, no deal, and the garbage dispute will continue. Ratchet picks Powell, the Mayor, and his aide, telling them to make peace or be thrown into the river. Powell and Edsel agree to a small increase to re-service the garbage bots, ending the dispute. As the bystanders cheer, Ratchet takes it as cheer for him, leading him to conclude that he does have people skills. Sari and Bumblebee know differently, however.
Meanwhile, at the bottom of the river, Wreck-Gar, neck-deep in sediment, assures the sealife that he is a hero, and is there to help. First, however, he needs a hand. Or a fin. Maybe a pelvis?
Stats
- Written by: Marty Isenberg
- Directed by: Ben Jones & Shunji Oga
- Original airdate: May 3, 2008
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
|
Quotes
"Arh, I'm picking up a new AllSpark energy signal, my liege..."
"No doubt another fragment has surfaced. Retrieve it Lugnut, before the Autobots get their filthy servos on it..."
"Stasis lock itself can not deter me from your grand and glorious plan, Oh Wise and Noble Megatron!"
[left eye twitches] "Just... go..."
"Yes, my liege!"
- —Lugnut's blind worship of his
queenliege can get too much for Megatron sometimes...
Wreck-Gar: I don't suppose you can tell me what I am, funny green man?
Angry Archer: You are erm...my partner-in-crime. They call me Angry Archer!
Wreck-Gar: They call me 'worthless wreck', 'walking pile of garbage!'
Angry Archer: Oh really? Bit of a mouthful. Perhaps we should just call you Wreck-Gar for short.
- — Angry Archer, Renaissance Man
"I am Wreck-Gar!"
- —The opening to pretty much everything Wreck-Gar says from the moment he gets his name.
[Sari, Spike, and a very pregnant Carly are almost crushed by an axle carelessly discarded by Ratchet]
"Uh, I don't know much about these things, lady, but I think you're supposed to breathe or something."
- —Sari the midwife.
Bumblebee: [at Wreck-Gar] "What are you?" [To Sari] "What is he?"
Sari: "I don't know, but he's giving off a ton of AllSpark energy."
Wreck-Gar: "I am Wreck-Gar! I give off a ton of AllSpark energy!"
Bumblebee: "So, what, an AllSpark fragment just brought a junk pile to life and, made some new kind of Autobot?!"
Wreck-Gar: "I am Wreck-Gar! I am some new kind of Autobot!"
Ratchet: "Listen up scrapheap. You are not an Autobot, and you never will be an Autobot. You're only good for one thing. GARBAGE!!"
Wreck-Gar: "I am Wreck-Gar! I am only good for one thing. GARBAGE!! I must deliver garbage to all!" [transforms and rolls out]
- — Ratchet's lack of people skills backfire again.
Lugnut: Human! Surrender the AllSpark fragment. Now!
Wreck-Gar: No human here. I am Wreck-Gar! I am only good for one thing: GARBAGE!
Lugnut: Are you an Autobot?
Wreck-Gar: I am Wreck-Gar! I am not an Autobot and will never be an Autobot!
Lugnut: Then you must be a Decepticon!
Wreck-Gar: I am Wreck-Gar! I must be a Decepticon!
[Wreck-Gar places a Decepticon badge on his chest]
Lugnut: ALL HAIL MEGATRON!
Wreck-Gar: All Hail Megatron!...Uh...what's a Megatron?
- —Wreck-Gar makes a new friend in Lugnut.
"You glitch-head!! You're gonna destroy the whole city! You wouldn't dare do something THAT stupid!"
"I am Wreck-Gar! I dare to be stupid!"
- — Ratchet and Wreck-Gar. Yes, but does he count his chickens before they hatch?
"I will destroy the whole city!"
- — Wreck-Gar, getting the hang of the Decepticon lifestyle.
"Fear not fellow creatures of the deep, I am Wreck-Gar, I am a hero...er...excuse me, could someone give me a hand...or a fin...anyone?""
- —Wreck-Gar begins a new life under the sea, down where it's wetter, down where it's better, take it from meeeeeeee...
Other notes
- This episode was first shown on Friday, April 25th, at BotCon 2008. The version aired still had the time-code running in the top-left corner.
- This episode is the first to feature Ratchet's official transformation animation-sequence
Continuity errors
- When removing trash into a boat, Optimus transforms and suddenly his trailer evaporated, together with all the trash on it.
- Why don't Sari or Ratchet react to the Allspark Key when it starts to glow, indicating the presence of AllSpark energy?
Transformers references
- Wreck-Gar interprets Lugnut's incoming rocket punch as an invitation to a high-five, and he happily delivers the universal greeting.
- Wreck-Gar's shifting allegiance and red optics as he faces down Ratchet on the garbage scow appear to be callbacks to the original Wreck-Gar, who at first appeared to be an enemy to the Autobots in his movie appearance, complete with red optics, and was even marketed as such in television commercials.
- The Animated incarnations of Spike and Carly, who made a cameo in the pilot episode, re-appear with speaking lines and even get their names called out. Corey Burton even reprises his post-Movie voice for the adult Spike Witwicky.
- The motorcycle altmode of G1 Wreck-Gar can be spotted amongst the garbage that Wreck-Gar throws at Bumblebee.
Real-world references
- Wreck-Gar's "I dare to be stupid!" is, of course, a reference to one of "Weird Al" Yankovic's most well-known songs, "Dare to be Stupid", a Devo "style parody" that appeared on the soundtrack to the original animated movie in the scene with the original Wreck-Gar.
- While driving Spike and Carly to the hospital, Ratchet drives past a toy store whose sign reads "Wyatt Toys." This is most likely a reference to Derrick Wyatt, art director on the show.
Miscellaneous trivia
- Even Megatron gets annoyed from Lugnut's constant worshiping. Sound familiar?
- The mayor never talks in the episode but his aid speaks for him. Maybe he's mute.
- Aside from Wreck-Gar, Weird Al also voiced the Sumdac Systems technician who explains the new version of the nanobots to Porter C. Powell.
- How exactly a single blast from Sari's key produced a fully-functioning Transformer (complete with a vehicle alt-mode) out of the contents of a garbage-scow is not addressed. Though considering Ratchet was about to throw a whole car on the scow, it isn't completely impossible to believe someone threw out a perfectly good garbage truck.
- This is the first time we see Lugnut use his mace/axe weapon. It is awesome. It gets eaten by microbots.
- Given that Carly is about to give birth and in the pilot seemed to have a wafer-thin profile, the Autobots seem to have spent at least nine months in Detroit.
