Convoy (episode)
| This article is about the Prime episode. For the Japanese name and rank, see Convoy (rank). |
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 Ain't it a beautiful sight? | ||||||
| "Convoy" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | March 4, 2011 | |||||
| Written by | Joseph Kuhr | |||||
| Directed by | Todd Waterman | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
The Autobots assist Fowler with transporting a nuclear device.
Synopsis
The Autobots get an angry call from Fowler. His plane's been shot down while transporting the hi-tech Dynamic Nuclear Generation System, or the "Dingus", a volatile nuclear device, and he needs help in completing his mission. Optimus says that using the GroundBridge to transport it would be too dangerous, so instead they'll have to take it by road. They soon have it loaded into a trailer which Prime starts hauling, with Bulkhead and Bumblebee as an escort. Fowler's disappointed he doesn't get to drive. Ratchet and the kids monitor their journey from base.
Optimus is irritated by Fowler's enthusiasm with the horn. Unknown to any of them, the convoy is being observed by a helicopter. Fowler and Optimus are discussing whether there was any evil on Earth before the Decepticons came, when they spot the helicopter, which Fowler believes is a Decepticon. Five green sportscars move in on the convoy, but Optimus warns everyone to maintain their cover and stay in vehicle mode. Ratchet's surprised that they're not showing up on his sensors. All is made clear when one of the cars draws level with Optimus's cab, and a masked human aims a gun at Fowler. Optimus orders the other Autobots to use non-lethal force only. Bumblebee knocks one of the cars, flipping it over, but another drives up alongside Optimus. One of the masked goons climbs onto Optimus and starts attempting to sever the trailer. After Prime knocks the car off the mountainside road, Fowler climbs out and grabs the masked goon, but loses him before he can start the interrogation.
The fellow in the helicopter makes contact over the walkie and introduces himself as Silas, part of the MECH organization, who intend to steal the Dingus for their own use. One of the cars pulls up behind Optimus and the MECH goons blow the trailer's back door open, only for Arcee to jump out in motorcycle mode and flip their car, causing it to explode. While Optimus warns Fowler not to take Silas lightly (due to personal experience), Ratchet informs them they're nearing the rendezvous point.
On the Nemesis, Soundwave has intercepted the communications, and Starscream sends a bunch of Vehicons to join the party.
The Autobots reach the rendezvous point and duck into a rail tunnel alongside a train. Bulkhead seals off the incoming end. A short time later, they and the train emerge from the other end of the tunnel, and Silas continues to follow the Autobots. As luck would have it, the Vehicons take this opportunity to appear and open fire on the convoy. The Autobots avoid getting hit, but Prime's trailer is shaken loose and explodes. The Vehicons transform and move in, forcing Optimus to inform Fowler that they're going to have to break cover to survive. Silas observes the fight and notes that the rumors he's heard of living technology are true. He lets Fowler know that he's aware the Dingus was transferred onto the train while the Autobots were in the tunnel, and the helicopter moves off to intercept the cargo. Unfortunately, while Fowler's giving Optimus the bad news, the Autobot leader takes a tree trunk to the face and falls off a nearby cliff.
The kids have a frantic discussion about a plan B. Miko's in favor of Ratchet ground-bridging the kids onto the train so they can fight the MECH goons. With Raf's help, Jack and Miko are soon on the train. As the MECH helicopter tries to land on top of the train, Raf flips a point switch to make the train go off along another line. In response, the helicopter's pilot hacks Raf's laptop, causing it to short out. On the second try, the helicopter lands atop the carriage the Dingus is in, and the MECH guys start cutting through the carriage roof.
Not far away, the Autobots continue their fight with the Vehicons. Optimus comes around and sees the train in trouble.
Miko and Jack grab weapons, which they wave at the MECH guys when the ceiling's opened. Back in the chopper, Silas spots Optimus running alongside and sounds a retreat. As the helicopter heads away, he fires a missile and takes out the track ahead of the train. Due to Raf's laptop being out of commission, Ratchet no longer has the train's coordinates and can't bridge the kids out. They prepare to jump, but Optimus zooms past, grabs the front of the train and brings it to a halt in the nick of time. Hovering in the helicopter nearby, Silas promises that next time the playing field will be leveled. Optimus reports back to Ratchet that the kids and the Dingus are safe, but notes that a new player has entered the game...
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Ah-ah, no need, Agent Fowler. I will handle the driving."
"It's going to be a long trip."
- —Optimus Prime lets Agent Fowler in on his no-touch policy.
"Agent Fowler. Is that really necessary?"
"Oh, don't tell me you're one of them "textbook drivers"."
- — Optimus Prime isn't very keen on Agent Fowler's use of the horn.
"How about some radio? You seem like a Nashville sound kinda guy."
- —Agent Fowler to Optimus Prime.
"That's the one! The 'Con who shot me down! Who is he? Wingnut? Dingbat? Skyguy?"
- —Fowler shares some awesome Transformer name ideas.
"Gentlemen, stop their engines."
- —Silas
"Is that so? Tell me, Si, what's the market price for a Dingus these days?"
"What makes you think we intend to sell it, Agent Fowler?"
- —Agent Fowler and Silas discussing the value of Fowler's Dingus.
"After a long road trip, feels good to get out of the car, stretch my legs, and kick some tailpipe!"
- —Bulkhead, the reigning king of one-liners.
"You want me to not only bridge you into a confined space, but one traveling at 90 miles per hour? I can't even count the number of things that can go wrong—mass displacement trauma, twisted limbs, metal burn!... Well, maybe not the last one."
- —Ratchet to the kids.
"First rule of combat: Never leave the enemy with the spoils."
- —Silas
Notes
Animation and technical errors
- While Silas delivers his last line, the straps that cross his chest clip into each other.
- At the beginning of the episode, when Ratchet asks Agent Fowler why Starscream would bother with "such primitive technology" (i.e., the Dingus), a small light can be seen inside his open mouth, as if the light coming from his left optic sensor can be seen through it.
Continuity errors
- The Autobots have a curious definition of "minimal force". During the short battle, they run two cars off the road (causing both to flip over) and blow up a third. The latter most likely killed the passengers. It's amazing the others came out unharmed, considering one was hanging out of the sunroof of his car at the time, then again, considering what their weapon systems could do...
- On the monitor inside the Autobot base, the fork is shown to be on the right side of the rails. When the scene changes to show the running train, it is shown to be on the left.
- The car in front of Bumblebee disappears after the Autobots begin applying force. There is nothing to show whether Bumblebee took care of the car in the front or if it was forgotten in the writing of the episode.
Continuity notes
- The plane Fowler was transporting the Dingus on is the same one he had in "Masters & Students". And he's still flying without any kind of pilot gear on. Dude is hard core.
- Miko makes reference to that episode when she follows up Fowler's comment that he had been shot out of the sky with an "again?"
Transformers references
- Optimus's trailer is adorned with the same paint scheme as his Generation 1 counterpart's trailer.
Real-world references
- This episode is the first in Transformers: Prime to feature a reproduction of an actual real-world vehicle: The locomotive depicted hauling the 'Phase II' train is a very accurate model of a four-axle GP series model produced in La Grange, Illinois (Later London, Ontario) by Electro-Motive Diesel.
Foreign localization
German
- Title: "Konvoi" ("Convoy")
- Original airdate: 25 November 2011
Hungarian
- Title: "Konvoj" ("Convoy")
- Original airdate: 19 January 2012
Italian
- Title: "Convoglio" ("Convoy")
- Original airdate: 22 October 2011
Korean
- Title: "Hosong Jakjeon" (호송 작전, "Operation Convoy")
- Original airdate: 26 September 2011
Polish
- Title: ?
- Original airdate: 15 December 2011
Portuguese
Spanish
Trivia
- The train set piece germinated from Alex Kurtzman's desire to have a Train Transformer, which would have been too expensive.[1]
- The fact that the Autobots were battling humans rather than Decepticons - a not insignificant twist in the plot - was spoiled by the next-episode preview shown during the Hub's airing of Con Job. What is this, Japan?
- As was previously featured in "Darkness Rising, Part 4", this episode features an Autobot transforming while carrying a human passenger. Fowler somehow ends up sitting in Optimus's hand rather than inside him, though.
- On board the train, Jack and Miko each pick a "weapon" of choice to face the MECH goons. Appropriately, Miko happens to take an axe, like she did to face Soundwave's tentacle, while Jack takes a fire extinguisher, like he did a couple of episodes ago.
- When Jack and Miko grab respectively, the fire extinguisher and the fire axe to fight MECH, they forget that there is a gun on the floor, dropped by the immobilized soldier. However, neither (presumably) has had firearms training, and it's unlikely that Optimus would appreciate trigger-happy allies.
- This episode might imply that Jack has feelings for Miko. So far, however, it seems to be kinda one-sided. But Miko was seen a few times grabbing Jack's arm.
- This episode may contain human death. After Arcee jumps off one of MECH's vehicles, it rolls right into another vehicle and the two explode. No humans are seen exiting the vehicles during the accident, so it is likely that they perish in the explosion.
- This episode is the first to feature a human enemy to the Cybertronians (both Autobots and Decepticons). However, they do not meet the leader, Silas, until much later whereas the Autobots only hear him speak this episode.
