Stronger, Faster
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| "Stronger, Faster" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | August 14, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Mairghread Scott | |||||
| Directed by | Shaunt Nigoghossian | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
Ratchet 'finalizes' the synthetic energon formula and uses himself as a test subject, but it ends up having some negative side effects.
Synopsis
The episode begins with
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"HOOAAH!"
- —Ratchet gets a new catchphrase. He needed that.
Ratchet: (clicks as he walks by) How's it hummin'?
Arcee: ... Did he just?
Bulkhead: Stronger, faster, studlier.
- —Yeah, he did.
"It's all right—I'm an emergency vehicle!"
- —Ratchet, engaging the Decepticons.
Optimus Prime: "A direct assault on the Decepticons would only provoke retaliation...and lead to incalculable losses. I will not endanger innocent human lives."
Ratchet: "Yet you seem to have no problem endangering ours! Just ask Cliffjumper! Oh, I forgot! He couldn't be here today!"
Arcee: "That's it!" (Runs toward Ratchet, but Bulkhead holds her back.)
Ratchet: "You know your problem, Optimus? For such a big, strong 'Bot...you're soft. You didn't pound Megatron into scrap when you had the chance! Many chances, in fact!"
- —Optimus Prime and Arcee quickly become victims of Ratchet's new personality.
"Yeah, she's kinda domineering and the extra arms are weird, but... I find myself intrigued by her."
- —Breakdown chats to a Vehicon about Airachnid.
Notes
Animation and technical errors
- Bumblebee is shown returning with the other Autobots despite staying at base to operate the GroundBridge.
- The sample of synthetic energon Knock Out was holding was only about half full, but when Ratchet picked it up, it was completely full.
- Just before destroying the cylinder of synthetic energon, Ratchet's wound is not shown to be leaking. Mere moments after he's hit the ground, another puddle of energon has formed beneath him.
- Breakdown is knocked out by Ratchet just before he engages Megatron. When the Autobots show up at the end, however, Breakdown has vanished and he isn't shown fleeing with Knock Out.
Continuity notes
- The synthetic energon created in the episode is derived from the formula transcribed by Bulkhead in the previous episode.
- Ratchet's description of the Autobots having fought numerous battles recently is accompanied by flashbacks to various battles from the "Darkness Rising" five-part pilot among others, including "Operation: Breakdown" and "Partners".
- The engine Ratchet uses to test the synthetic energon is a larger version of the device Ratchet built for Jack's science project in "Masters & Students".
- Knock Out confuses Ratchet for a "new" Autobot. Which makes sense, since neither he or Breakdown have encountered him before.
- However, Ratchet was with the other Autobots when they charged in to rescue Bulkhead from Starscream and Breakdown in "Operation: Breakdown". Of course; it's entirely possible that Breakdown simply didn't see him, since he was focused on escaping and missing an eye.
Transformers references
Real-world references
- Given that the plot centres on the idea of artificial enhancement, this episode's title is almost certainly a reference to the opening of the 1974 Six Million Dollar Man series, which promised a cybernetic secret agent who was "Better, stronger, faster."
- That said, there's also the possibility it could be a reference to the original Action Masters commercial, in which Optimus Prime described the new breed of Transformer as "Stronger, faster, more alive!"
- And we guess we wouldn't totally rule out the notion that it refers to Star Wars director/producer George Lucas's desire for his actors to be "Stronger, faster— more intense!", or Daft Punk's 2009 Grammy winning song Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.
Trivia
- The episode was first broadcast on Canada's Teletoon channel.
