Scrapheap (episode)

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

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Aw, look at the cute little—
"Scrapheap"
Production company	Hasbro Studios
Airdate	February 18, 2011
Written by	Marsha Griffin
Directed by	Shaunt Nigoghossian
Animation studio	Digitalscape

While Optimus and Arcee are trapped in the Arctic, the base is invaded by deadly Scraplets.

Synopsis

Trudging through the Arctic, Bulkhead and Bumblebee locate a huge pod buried in the snow. they take it back to base, where their systems are checked over by Ratchet. Optimus asks about the pod, but Ratchet says it can't be opened while it's still frozen. Even as it sits defrosting in another part of the base, the pod cracks open from the inside.

Leprosy was never this adorable. As far as we know.

Optimus and Arcee prepare to travel to the Arctic to look for more clues regarding the pod's origins, and Ratchet gives them some temperature sensors so they can tell when their core temperatures drop to dangerous levels. The kids arrive in time to see them off, and Jack's initially keen on going with them, until he finds out where they're headed. Raf's still interested in seeing some snow, but Optimus says the conditions are too harsh. No sooner have Prime and Arcee stepped through the ground bridge than the ground bridge system goes down. While the Autobots start trying to repair it, Jack and Miko start playing video games, and Raf wanders off. He's playing "being in the Arctic" in a corridor when he stumbles on a tiny cute metal critter. He plays fetch with it using a bolt, but it promptly eats the bolt. Happy with his new pet, he heads back to the control room, unaware that there's equipment sparking behind him.

Ratchet's just dug out a damaged ground bridge component when Raf returns with his find. The Autobots react in terror to the tiny critter. The kids are surprised at the reaction to what the Autobots are calling a Scraplet, but then the creature starts chowing down on Bumblebee, and Raf has to beat it to death with a crowbar. Ratchet's suspicions as to the Scraplet's origin are confirmed when they check the Arctic pod and find it's been broken open — thousands of Scraplets now infest the base.

In the Arctic, Optimus and Arcee find their core temperatures have dropped, but Optimus is unable to contact base to request use of the ground bridge.

Robotflies

Ratchet's discovered that the Scraplets have broken the comm system. Bulkhead's in favor of bugging out, but doing that will mean certain doom for Optimus and Arcee. Bulkhead gives a detailed description of how Scraplets kill a bot to Miko. The kids volunteer to help as the Scraplets aren't interested in eating them, and so they pair off with the three Autobots — Jack helping Ratchet repair the ground bridge while the others hunt for the Scraplets. Mike and Bulkhead explore the corridors where Raf saw the first Scraplet, and Miko is bemused to find that Bulkhead screams like a girl when scared. After an embarrassing encounter with a bunch of overhead cables, Bulkhead is set upon by Scraplets. Elsewhere, Raf and Bumblebee likewise run into a group of the things. Ratchet has meanwhile finished repairing the ground bridge, but it still refuses to function. As he investigates further, a swarm of Scraplets enter the main control room via a vent, and begin flying overhead. They attack Ratchet, but Jack uses a nearby fire extinguisher to freeze them off. There are more of the pests flying overhead however, and as the others return from their search, the Scraplets attack and overwhelm the Autobots.

And not a tauntaun for miles.

Arcee and Optimus try to keep themselves functional by playing "Who screwed things up back at base". Arcee favors Bulkhead, remembering how he walked into some power lines shortly after they arrived on Earth, but Optimus defends the big lug.

The kids manage to eliminate the Scraplets attacking their friends, but from the sounds elsewhere in the base, it's clear there are many more lurking about. They come up with a plan to send the Scraplets to the Arctic by getting the ground bridge working, and Ratchet works out there must be an energon fuel line breach preventing the system from starting. The three kids take a tool kit and go to fix the breach. They're just finishing when the Scraplets decide it's time for lunch, and break into the main control room. The kids rush back and let Ratchet know that the ground bridge is back online. He opens the bridge to the Arctic before collapsing, and Bulkhead acts as bait, leading the Scraplets through. He arrives in the Arctic to see Optimus and Arcee staggering towards the bridge, and the Scraplet horde bursts through behind him. Optimus braces for attack, but the Scraplets rapidly freeze in the air and bounce harmlessly off him.

Back at base, Ratchet supervises repairs on Bumblebee and Bulkhead. He and Optimus pay tribute to the strength of their human allies, but just then Miko spots a spider and runs away screaming.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Autobots	Humans	Others
Bulkhead (1) Bumblebee (2) Ratchet (3) Optimus Prime (4) Arcee (5)	Miko Nakadai (6) Jack Darby (7) Raf Esquivel (8)	Scraplets (9)

Quotes

"The Arctic? I've always wanted to see snow."
"I would invite you to join, Rafael, but the conditions are much too extreme, even for we Autobots."
"I understand..."
"But, I will bring you back a snowball."

—Raf is snow deprived and Optimus says things you would not expect a giant alien robot to say.

"Bulkhead, you NEVER run."
"Miko, you haven't seen a swarm of these things devour a bot. I HAVE. They pick you apart from the inside out, going for the small juicy bits first, fuse by fuse, circuit by circuit, 'til there's nothing left, and I mean NOTHING, not even your optics."

—The kids getting nightmare fuel from Bulkhead.

"I get to be your bodyguard for once. How cool is that?"
"Raf found the first one here, right?"
(lights turn off for a second and Bulkhead screams loudly)
"Did you just scream like a little girl?"
"No...maybe...can we talk about this later?"

—Miko and Bulkhead searching, and a more hilarious reversal of roles cannot be found.

"What do you suggest...wait, how about a game? Let's play 'Who Screwed Things Up Back at Base'."
"Our predicament could be the result of a simple malfunction."
"Caused by Bulkhead."

—Arcee and Optimus prove that when things go wrong, blame it on Bulkhead.

"Bulkhead may be...too large for this world. But his inner strength is without bounds. One should not be measured by size alone."

—Optimus gives us a life lesson while finding a nice way to call Bulkhead fat.

"Ready for the main course? Come and get it!"

—Bulkhead, king of one-liners.

"I'd invite you in, but the place is a mess."

—Seriously, give Bulkhead a crown.

"We're just fortunate that this infestation happened...on a Saturday,"

—Ratchet finds there's an upside to having human companions.

Notes

Transformers references

• To everyone's surprise, these Scraplets behave similar to their namesakes, but are closer in appearance to Mecannibals.
• Bumblebee's interest in video games isn't unlike another Bumblebee's; indeed, we previously saw him and Raf playing this same racing game in "Darkness Rising, Part 3".
• Arcee mentions Bulkhead running into power lines shortly after arriving on Earth, which recalls a different Ratchet's "tingly" encounter.
• At the episode's conclusion, Bumblebee is hooked up to an "electro-pulse" monitor, a feature of Transformer biology that got its first and only previous mention waaaay back in the Generation 1 cartoon episode, "Divide and Conquer", when Optimus Prime declared his to be fading.

Real-world references

• A dolly zoom happens when Raf realizes the Scraplet is attacking Bumblebee.
• This episode's plot resembles the 2010 film Piranha 3D where piranhas attack people. Ratchet, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are the victims, and the Scraplets are the attackers.
• Ratchet remarks the Scraplet's bites on Bumblebee's are "just a mesh wound".

Trivia

• Raf never did get that snowball. Guess Optimus was too busy dying to scoop some up.
• This is the first episode which doesn't feature the Decepticons, or Agent Fowler.
• It is not an error that the Autobots can freeze in the Arctic but not in space. The idea that being in space will immediately freeze you up like a popsicle is a lie perpetuated by bad science fiction. This isn't the first time it's happened.