Soldier (episode)
The Autobots and Decepticons battle over another Mini-Con, and we learn about why nobody talks crap about Red Alert.
Original American Air Date: September 27th, 2002.
Characters (in order of appearance): Hot Shot, Red Alert, Rad, Carlos, Alexis, Street Action Team, Sparkplug, Jolt, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Cyclonus, Demolishor, Starscream, and almost Runway
Summary
At the Autobot base, Red Alert does some important technical work while Hot Shot plays tags with the kids and their Mini-Cons. They manage to outrun him, until Hot Shot requests for some aid from Jolt, who quickly apprehends Carlos. Carlos, upset at losing, calls Jolt an eggbeater. The noise grabs the attention of Red Alert, who chews out Hot Shot for playing around while he should be working. When Optimus investigates the commotion, both Red Alert and Hot Shot dismiss their conflict. Alexis feels the tension in the air and has a bad feeling.
Hot Shot apologizes to the kids for making them watch himself and Red Alert picker. Optimus then explains to Hot Shot and the kids how Red Alert's dedication to preparation was integral on winning many battles on Cybertron. Hot Shot understands that Red Alert is great, but doesn't see why Red Alert won't let himself have a personality. Sudden the alarms go off, signifying that another Mini-Con panel has activated. The Autobots and their human friend quickly warp to the location of the panel: Antarctica.
In the ruins of the Mini-Con ship on The Moon, Megatron also detects the Mini-Con panel. Noticing Starscream's absence, Cyclonus speculates that Starscream has already left for Earth to rectify his lack of personal Mini-Con and Demoishor calls Starscream dumb. As Megatron tells his goons to be silent, Starscream holds a blade close beside Demolishor's head, revealing himself. Megatron sends the three Decepticon minions to Earth.
At the arctic, penguins! Lots of them! Also Autobots and Decepticons.
The Autobots stop due to a drive system failure, and Optimus Prime's trailer converts into it's command center mode in front of the astonished humans. Red Alert fixes Optimus's systems while Hot Shot is impatient. And jerky. After Prime is finished, Hot Shot and Carlos leave together (with a bit of assistance from Jolt).
Starscream searches for the Minicon by chopping Icebergs to no avail, so he flies to search in a different area. Megatron, seeing Starscream from a distance, instructions his henchmen to follow. Eventually Starscream is the first to find the Mini-Con, embedded in the wall of an ice shelf. But before retrieving the Mini-Con he notices Hot Shot nearby and attacks, forcing the Autobot into a massive ice-crevice. Hot Shot is saved from certain death by his Mini-Con, Jolt, and together they ascend the ice wall to return to the battle, noticing the Mini-Con on the way up.
The other Decepticons notice the Mini-Con panel glowing and transform to retrieve it. Further away, the rest Autobots also notice the Mini-Con and Optimus heads over.
At the showdown between Starscream and Hot Shot, Hot Shot has the idea to jump his car mode directly into Starscream, air-bludgeoning the Decepticon. The other Decepticons attack Hot Shot, and verbally attack Starscream. Hot Shot drives away with the Decepticons after him. From within Red Alert, Rad sees Hot Shot under fire and is concerned, but Red Alert tells Rad to relax. Right then, Carlos is tossed out of Hot Shot into the abyss, but Jolt, like during the earlier game of tag, grabs onto Carlos and lifts him to safety. Cyclonus fire his "laser pulse attack" at Hot Shot. Hot Shot and Jolt return fire at the Decepticons. Megatron returns fire at Hot Shot.
Red Alert drops off the kids and tells them to find a safe area, and the two instead decide to find Carlos. When Cyclonus is about to finish-off Hot Shot at close ranger, but Hot Shot is saved when Red Alert uses his cable to violent pull Cyclonus backwards. Megatron takes Hot Shot hostage. Red Alert works his way out of the awkward situation by uses his disc launcher, bouncing the flying disc off of Demolishor and into the back of Megatron. Optimus finally arrives, making the sides even. The three Decepticons retreat.
Starscream, using his sword to climb the ice wall to where the Mini-Con is, begins to punch the wall. This makes things difficult for Carlos, who can barely hang onto to stop from plunging to his death. A punch from Starscream disrupts the terrain enough to send all three kids plunging to their demise, but Red Alert's colorful flying disc catches them. Starscream grabs the Mini-Con panel, but Red Alert swipes it away. Unwisely, Starscream opens fire, but as a result, plunges into the depth of the ice-canyon.
Back at the Autobot base, the Mini-Con is shown to be Runway, who doesn't activate. Red Alert and Hot Shot make amends with each other, and Red Alert reveals that beneath his robocop-esq demeanor, he too, appreciates Hot Shot's abilities.
Notable quotes
- "In that case bro, light it up! It's pedal to the metal time, Hot Shot!" - Carlos
- "Go ahead boys, give me a reason." - Demolishor
Abberations / Errors / Contrarieties
- During the Flash-back of Prime on Cybertron, Prime's robot mode is his Earth form, rather than his Cybertronian form seen in the earlier episodes.
- When Starscream holds his sword at Demolishor, he is seen with both wings on. This is irregular as Starscream's left wing becomes his sword. This is continued for the rest of the episode.
- Demolishor twice has Autobot logos drawn instead of Decepticon.
