Operation: Breakdown
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| "Operation: Breakdown" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | June 18, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Steven Melching | |||||
| Directed by | Shaunt Nigoghossian | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
Breakdown is captured by MECH, and the only ones who can save him are... Team Prime.
Synopsis
Bulkhead is fighting Breakdown in a ghost town on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Eastern Russia after the two have a run-in while tracking an energon signature. Though Bulkhead fights valiantly, Breakdown lays him flat with a hammer blow. As Breakdown prepares to finish the unconscious Bulkhead off, he's zapped by a blast of energy from a helicopter, which lands and disgorges Silas and a pack of MECH troops. Silas instructs them to take Breakdown. Bulkhead comes around to find Breakdown missing and Miko calling out to him on the comm. After he bridges back to base for repairs, everyone's confused about what happened to Breakdown. Agent Fowler has an idea who might be behind it.
On the Nemesis, Starscream relays news of Breakdown's capture to Megatron. Starscream is keen to hunt down the humans responsible, but Megatron intends to leave Breakdown to his fate.
Breakdown recovers to find himself firmly attached to a metal slab. Silas introduces himself to the captive, who announces that Megatron will never pay a ransom, but Silas reveals they're not after money, just the technology in Breakdown's body.
Fowler fills the Autobots in — his intel has reported MECH activity in the Kamchatka Peninsula. While the other Autobots are happy for MECH to have Breakdown, Optimus Prime decides to mount a rescue mission. The others are surprised, and Bulkhead wonders if Optimus believes Breakdown will switch sides if the Autobots rescue him, but Optimus says while that's unlikely, they can't let MECH get Cybertronian technology.
Meanwhile, MECH have disengaged Breakdown's pain receptors in preparation for the operation. Silas thanks their captive in advance for the service he is about to do them, and the heavy machinery moves in to take the Decepticon apart.
Miko tries to talk Bulkhead into going on the mission, but he's not keen, and Optimus agrees he would not be an asset on the mission. Optimus departs with Ratchet, Bumblebee and Arcee. Miko looks disappointed, and Bulkhead suggests they watch a movie instead.
Prime's team arrives in the ghost town, to find it deserted. Though Bumblebee spots some vehicle tracks, Ratchet reports he's got an energon trace, and they go to look for the source.
Fowler has already fallen asleep in front of Dinolizard vs. Five-Headed Ape. Miko isn't watching the movie though, as she's disappointed that Bulkhead isn't getting to face down his own arch-enemy. Bulkhead still doesn't want to rescue the 'Con, but Miko points out that if he doesn't, he won't get to have a rematch. Bulkhead takes the GroundBridge to Russia.
Prime's team finds the energon reading — it's Breakdown's eye, sitting in the open.
Bulkhead follows a MECH car to a railway tunnel and, weapons primed, ventures inside.
Ratchet hooks Breakdown's eye up to his scanner so they can retrieve the last images it saw, however it turns out that Silas has turned the eye into a two-way video feed. Silas is surprised to see the Autobots, but shows off the work they're doing on Breakdown and points out the bomb the Autobots are standing virtually on top of. Prime's team just manages to get clear before the bomb explodes.
Silas passes on the news to Breakdown that his would-be rescuers are Autobots, much to the captive's confusion. At this point, Bulkhead breaks through an outer door and fights his way through the MECH goons to find Breakdown. Freeing the startled Decepticon, Bulkhead leads the way to the exit, but once outside they're confronted by the bulk of the MECH forces. Bulkhead calls for backup and their pair start fighting in earnest. Silas's 'copter begins firing bursts of energy, and Breakdown in an uncharacteristic act of altruism knocks Bulkhead out of the way of them. The fight continues, but Silas's copilot reports incoming signals, resulting in Silas ordering a general retreat. Arriving, however, is not Optimus's team, but Starscream and a bunch of Vehicons. Starscream orders Breakdown to destroy Bulkhead, and though Breakdown is initially reluctant, Starscream sways him, and he attacks his Autobot rescuer. Bulkhead soundly pummels Breakdown before smashing Starscream and taking out the Vehicons with Breakdown's body. The Decepticons are forced to retreat as Optimus's team finally shows up. Optimus is impressed that Bulkhead has risen above his petty rivalries to rescue Breakdown, but the moment is spoiled by Bulkhead asking if they all saw how he bashed the Decepticons.
Breakdown pauses short of the Nemesis, where Starscream informs him that he will repay his debt one day... when he must choose between Megatron's leadership and Starscream's.
Silas records that the information they gained from Breakdown was enough for them to start Project Chimera...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"You're making a very big mistake, little man. When I'm done with you they'll have to scrape you of the floor!"
- —Breakdown promises to make jam out of Silas.
"It's a trap!"
"Would this be a 'roll out' kind of trap?"
- —Optimus Prime ackbars and Arcee continues to be genre savvy.
"'Marco'! You're supposed to say 'Pollo'!
- —Bulkhead plays with MECH.
"Never run when you can fight."
- —Breakdown
Notes
Animation and technical errors
Continuity errors
- MECH can carve up Breakdown with ease with their surgical lasers, but the guns they give their footsoldiers seemingly have no effect on Transformers. Clearly MECH's footsoldiers should be equipped with surgical lasers instead.
Transformers references
Foreign dubbing
Real-world references
- Miko plays the game "Marco Polo" with Bulkhead. Bulkhead later plays the game with MECH.
Trivia
- The episode was screened at BotCon 2011 before its first airing on television.
- This is the first episode of the series that Jack hasn't appeared in.
- Miko seems to have learned her lesson: she didn't follow Bulkhead this time.
- Bulkhead, Miko, and Fowler watch Dinolizard vs. Five-Headed Ape.
- Human death must have occurred during Bulkhead and Breakdown's outdoor battle with MECH. Case in point: Breakdown throwing a car at a helicopter, causing a midair explosion.
- Despite being Breakdown's partner, Knockout makes no appearance in his episode, leaving the audience to wonder if he didn't know about Breakdown's capture, or didn't care enough to bother rescuing him.
