Deus ex Machina
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| "Deus ex Machina" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | March 11, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Nicole Dubuc | |||||
| Directed by | Shaunt Nigoghossian | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
When Bulkhead makes a discovery in Greece, the race is on to recover an Energon Harvester.
Synopsis
Miko is failing to enjoy some detention when Bulkhead hauls up outside the school, blaring loud music. She takes advantage of an inattentive teacher to sneak out and join her Autobot buddy, who's obliged to act as her getaway car when a teacher approaches. They head for base while Bulkhead tries to explain to Miko that she'll never get into college if she flunks out. Ratchet reports he's found an energon pulse in Greece.
Meanwhile Knock Out has arrived on the Nemesis finally. Starscream shows him to Megatron's sick bed.
Bulkhead and Miko arrive at an excavation site in Greece, but to her disappointment, he's intending her to research her history report. Bulkhead says the humans have hit an energon vein, but then he spots something Cybertronian in an ancient fresco among the ruins.
Starscream explains Megatron's condition to Knock Out, who says things would be easier with his assistant, but Breakdown is on the trail of some energon.
Bulkhead identifies the object in the fresco as an Energon Harvester, but as Miko snaps a picture, they're interrupted by the arrival of Breakdown. Wondering if Bulkhead's new pet plays fetch, Breakdown throws a pillar at Miko. Bulkhead intercepts the pillar and is tackled by Breakdown, who slams him into the fresco, shattering it. The Decepticon races off, but Miko shows Bulkhead the image she snapped of the fresco.
Back at base, Optimus Prime confirms that the depicted device is an Energon Harvester. The Autobots are relieved that the fresco was broken, as they think it means the Decepticons won't be able to find the Harvester, but Raf points out that there are photos of the thing online — the actual Harvester is held in a museum. The Autobots try to contact Agent Fowler for help, but he's away on a training retreat. Optimus says they'll have to obtain the Harvester themselves, and Miko volunteers the kids to help.
Soundwave has found the same photo using on Breakdown's description of the Harvester, and Starscream says Megatron's revival will have to wait.
The Autobots move into position around the museum before the kids move in via ground bridge on a motorized scissor lift. Miko deals with a security camera by taking a picture of the Harvester and balancing her phone on top of the camera. While they move towards the statue holding the Harvester, Optimus has an encounter outside with Knock Out and Breakdown, the latter of whom fires a missile at the museum. Optimus manages to catch the missile, but Knock Out shocks him with an energon staff. Breakdown barrels towards the museum entrance, with Bumblebee and Arcee failing to stop him. Bulkhead joins the fight as well, but the disturbance sets off the museum's alarms, alerting the security guard. The kids finally manage to get the Harvester onto their lift platform and head for the exit. Miko, going ahead on foot, is caught by the security guard who whisks her away. Raf and Jack run towards the opening door, expecting Arcee, but instead it's Soundwave, who grabs the Harvester and departs. Knock Out and Breakdown spot him leaving and make their getaway as well. Meanwhile Miko attempts to spin a yarn to the security guard about how she got locked in the museum while researching her history report.
Believing that Starscream will attempt to use the Harvester to gather energon as quickly as possible, Optimus, Bumblebee and Arcee go out attempting to intercept them. Ratchet works on a replica Harvester to return to the museum in place of the stolen one, while Bulkhead realizes that the Decepticons might be intending to go after the energon seam in Greece.
Indeed, Starscream, Knock Out and Breakdown are at the excavation site. When the other two Decepticons attempt to correct him on who's to thank for the Harvester, Starscream demonstrates the device's effectiveness on a hapless Vehicon and the pair are suddenly a lot more submissive. While Starscream starts tapping the energon seam, Bulkhead attempts to sneak up behind the Decepticons but clumsily lets them know he's there. He manages to deal with Knock Out and Breakdown until Starscream turns the Harvester on him. Bulkhead struggles to stay upright, but reaches Starscream, smashes the 'Con in the face, and breaking the Harvester. He throws the device into the sky where it explodes. The Decepticons are about to move in and finish the weakened Bulkhead when the rest of the Autobots arrive and chase them off.
Miko is starting to run out of Greek history to bore the museum security guard with, however Fowler turns up to collect her. The guard is surprised when Fowler points out the replica Harvester in place on the statue. Outside, Miko's reunited with Bulkhead, and tells him all about how she's going to write her report on how the Autobots interacted with ancient Greece.
Miko, the ne'er do well she is, is stuck in detention. Bulkhead, in his SUV mode, drives to the front of the school where Miko spots him. She escapes from detention to meet up with Bulkhead, who promptly drives her to the base. Ratchet, hard at work on the computers, discovers an Energon pulse originating from Greece.
Meanwhile, on the Decepticon ship, Starscream summons Knockout. Knockout expresses that he is still picking bugs from his grill, which leads Starscream to express his disgust at Knockout's vehicle mode. Starscream proceeds to lead Knockout to the chamber where Megatron's corpse is being held, and requests that he do some "repair work".
Miko and Bulkhead take the Ground bridge to Greece, where they discover a fresco depicting a human holding a golden orb, which Bulkhead points out is an Energon harvester built by ancient Autobots. Miko snaps a picture with her phone, and right after they hear a voice coming from afar, a voice belonging to the brutish Decepticon Breakdown. Breakdown becomes angered at his old rival Bulkhead and his "pet", and proceeds to through a giant column at Miko. Bulkhead blocks it with his body and proceeds to engage Breakdown. Breakdown throws Bulkhead into the fresco, breaking the entire wall, and Breakdown transforms into his SUV mode and drives away. Bulkhead is upset that he destroyed the image, but Miko shows him that she had snapped a picture of the fresco, thus nullifying the its destruction.
After returning to the base, Optimus explains exactly what the Energon harvester does, and how dangerous it is to Transformers. The Autobots become worried about the Decepticons getting their hands on the harvester, and Raf proceeds to search the Internet for images of the golden orb. The harvester was found to be located in a museum, and in order to keep the harvester out of Decepticon claws, the Autobots decided to contact their government lead,Agent Fowler. Turns out he is on a training program, and unavailable until Tuesday. Without his help, confiscating the harvester would be much more difficult.
Soundwave picks up transmissions from the Autobots, and tells the other Decepticons of the harvester's location. Starscream decides to put the revival of Megatron on hold once again to obtain the harvester.
The Autobots drive off to the museum, and use the ground bridge to teleport Miko, Raf and Jack inside. Miko snaps a picture of the statue holding the harvester and places her phone over the security camera, tricking the guard. Outside, Knockout rolls up to Optimus and comments on the Autobot leader's rims, and how heavy duty he is, just like his friend. Knockout's friend, Breakdown, proceeds to fire a missile at Optimus Prime, who catches it and holds it back. Knockout, however, leapt at Optimus with his electro staff and stunned the Autobot leader. With the arrival of the other Autobots, a battle outside the museum was underway. Bulkhead, bodychecking Knockout into the museum entry way, set off a number of alarms, calling the attention of the security guard. The human children, however, manage to sneak away with the harvester, with only Miko actually getting caught. Jack and Raf run to the exit, where a Transformer they confused for Arcee was waiting. It was actually Soundwave, who used his long arms to snatch the harvester away from the humans. He transformed and flew away, with his Decepticon allies driving off after him.
Once the Autobots returned to base, they formulate a plan to save Miko and replace the stolen harvester with a replica. Bulkhead realizes that Starscream will return to the ruins with the harvester, and decides to return himself.
Starscream, at the ruins with Knockout and Breakdown, decides to show off the power of the harvester by using it on a Vehicon. Once that display of brutality was over with, he uses it on the Energon crystals lying around the ruins. Bulkhead tries to sneak up on the Decepticons, but by stepping on a vase, alerted them to his presence. Bulkhead dodges the attacks of both Breakdown and Knockout, causing them to crash into one another. Bulkhead stuns Breakdown with Knockout's staff, only to get struck by the harvesting beam from Starscream's Energon harvester. Bulkhead resists the beam's sapping of power, punches Starscream in the head, and crushes the harvester in his hands. The Decepticons fled after the defeat of Starscream.
After the turmoil with the Decepticons, Agent Fowler arrives to save Miko from the museum guards with his government authority, and Bulkhead picks Miko up in his SUV mode to drive her back to the base.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Miko, listen. If you fail high school, you can't go to- uh...uni...kesa...colls...w-wait, what's that word again?"
"Uh, college?"
- —Bulkhead tries to give Miko a lecture on academia
"It's about time, Knock Out. I do not enjoy being kept waiting!"
"Ah, it was a long drive, Starscream. I'm still picking bugs out of my grille."
"Yes, right, you're one of those,"
"Come again?"
"Never understood why any self-respecting Decepticon would choose automobile as his vehicle mode when he could have flight!"
"I like the way I look in steel-belted radiums,"
"You've reached Special Agent William Fowler. I'm currently on an intensive training retreat and unavailable until Tuesday."
"I hate talking to machines,"
- -Agent Fowler's answering machine and Ratchet pull off their own version of a Captain Fanzone gag
Notes
Animation or technical errors
When Optimus, Arcee and Bumblebee find Bulkhead lying on the ground, Arcee and Bumblebee's optics are dim, while Optimus' and Bulkhead's are not.
Continuity errors
Transformers references
Foreign dubbing
Real-world references
Trivia
- Despite the initial descriptions of this episode saying that the Autobots were going to Greece to recover the Harvester, it's instead housed in an American museum.
- Miko's teacher is reading a copy of The Jasper Daily.
- There is a painting of Big Rocks National Park in the security guard's office.
- Knock Out and Breakdown are the first Decepticons who weren't part of the main cast to survive their debut episode. The first guest star Cybertronian to survive their own debut episode was Wheeljack.
