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 | Polygon Pictures | |||||
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.
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...which it promptly eats. Happy with his new pet, he heads back to the control room, unaware that there's a sparking hole in the equipment 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 into the danger zone, but Optimus is unable to contact base to request use of the ground bridge.
Ratchet discovers 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. After hearing Bulkhead's detailed description of what Scraplets can do to a 'bot, the kids volunteer to help. Since the Scraplets aren't interested in eating them, they pair off with the three Autobots, Jack helping Ratchet repair the ground bridge while the others hunt for the Scraplets. Miko and Bulkhead explore the corridors where Raf saw the first Scraplet, and after an embarrassingly girly scream and an encounter with a bunch of overhead cables, Bulkhead is set upon by the little monsters. 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.
While Arcee and Optimus try to keep themselves conscious and functional by talking, the kids manage to eliminate the Scraplets attacking their friends. However, 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.
Back in the Arctic, Arcee bemoans the frozen death that apparently awaits her and Optimus, especially after all they've survived so far. Optimus offers what words of philosophical comfort he can, and she says it's an honour to serve with him.
At the base, the kids rush back to the command room 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 |
|---|---|---|
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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."
- —Miko gets some 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
Animation or technical errors
Continuity errors
- When Jack, Miko and Raf reach the damaged energon fuel line, the breach on the duct is shown beneath, where the energon is seen dripping. When the kids seal the duct, they are shown doing so only on its side.
Transformers references
- To everyone's surprise, these Scraplets behave similar to their namesakes, but are closer in appearance to Mecannibals.
- 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.
- Arcee mentions Bulkhead running into power lines shortly after arriving on Earth, which recalls a different Ratchet's "tingly" encounter.
Foreign dubbing
Real-world references
- A dolly zoom happens when Raf realizes the Scraplet is attacking Bumblebee.
- Ratchet remarks the Scraplet's bites on Bumblebee's are "just a mesh wound".
- The initial search for the scraplets is called a "bug hunt".
Trivia
- A sequence from this episode (from the start of Miko and Bulkhead exploring up to Bulkhead's arm thrusting into the air) was shown to the attendees of Toy Fair 2011 prior to the episode's premiere.
- Miko's hair moves during this episode. When Bulkhead first screams, the shadow of her twin buns can be seen jumping up. After, when she screams thinking she saw a spider, the buns and her ponytail curl up.
- Raf never did get that snowball. Guess Optimus was too busy dying to scoop some up.
- This is the first, and so far only, episode which doesn't feature the Decepticons.
- 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.
- Bulkhead is not the only Autobot with a "girlish scream".
