Sideways (episode)
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| "Out of Focus" | ||||||
| Production company | Hasbro Studios | |||||
| Airdate | March 29, 2015 (Australia) | |||||
| Writers | Steven Melching | |||||
| Directors | Frank Marino | |||||
| Animation studio | Polygon Pictures | |||||
Bee and his team encounter a new Decepticon who inadvertently leads them to discover Steeljaw's gang.
Synopsis
A couple of street racers speed along a drainage canal in Crown City, however a glimpse of a scuttling shape causes the lead driver to brake heavily. As they emerge from their cars, one of them is grabbed by a giant metal claw and dragged into a nearby drain. The two drivers rapidly exit the scene in the remaining car. The next day, Strongarm returns to the scrapyard by sneaking in over the wall, only to be caught by Sideswipe. Sideswipe seizes the opportunity to engage in a bit of blackmail in return for his silence. Bumblebee paces at the command center, only to be startled by Denny and Fixit, and admits he's on edge due to the lack of Decepticon activity. As the other Autobots arrive Denny and Fixit explain they've made two duplicate Decepticon hunters. The alarm sounds as they pick up a Decepticon signal in the flood drains under Crown City and the team head out, though not before Bumblebee embarrasses himself with another attempt at a rallying cry.
The Autobots head into the storm drains and split up to search. Sideswipe exercises his blackmail over Strongarm by getting her to go down the worst of the tunnels, however Bee soon locates tracks. He finds a crab-like Decepticon hiding in a pile of refuse, and the Autobots arrive to help, however the Decepticon attempts to make a deal as there's another bot he's more afraid of. As they attempt to cuff him, the Decepticon scurries away, and they're forced to chase him through the storm drains. After Sideswipe manages to cut him off, they trap him at the end of a tunnel, however he breaks some pipes and unleashes a torrent of water at them. The four Autobots are washed out of a storm drain into the river. The Decepticon climbs out through a manhole where he encounters Steeljaw. The Autobots recover from their impromptu bath, and Fixit is able to identify the Decepticon as the snitch and blackmailer Clampdown.
Steeljaw and Clampdown arrive at the Decepticon hideout where Fracture and Underbite are waiting. Thunderhoof arrives during introductions and recognizes Clampdown as the Cpn who got him arrested and put in prison. Though Steeljaw makes it clear that's all in the past, Thunderhoof is still enraged, and Clampdown flees as a result. Strongarm later spots Clampdown climbing onto a garbage barge and the Autobots are able to reach the garbage tip and ambush Clampdown when he reaches it. He tries to use his knowledge of Steeljaw's activities to cut a deal, but the other Decepticons arrive as well. The Decepticons attack and Sideswipe tries to stop Thunderhoof from chasing Clampdown, but is waylaid by Fracture. Steeljaw manages to get the better of Bee, and tosses the Autobot in a garbage compactor, however Sideswipe manages to stop it closing. Grimlock takes out Underbite by feeding him some plastic and then cannonballing him, Sideswipe succeeds in taking out Fracture, and Strongarm cuffs Divebomb and Airazor. Thunderhoof pins Clampdown in a crater, but they accidentally headbutt each other and are knocked out. Bumblebee also defeats Steeljaw, and the group of Decepticons are soon all secured.
While Bumblebee announces he's feeling more relaxed now, Steeljaw manages to slip his cuffs and runs off. The Autobots give chase, but as Steeljaw runs along the dock, he smashes the moorings of a garbage barge. The ship starts drifting into the path of a tour boat, and Bumblebee orders the rest of his team to help prevent a collision. They all grab the mooring ropes and manage to pull the barge back out of the way, with the tour boat passing safely by. At their hideout, Steeljaw slashes Clampdown's insignia, and Steeljaw assures everyone that the newcomer won't turn on them... or else. Driving back to the scrapyard, Sideswipe attempts to again blackmail Strongarm into doing his patrol for him, but Strongarm refuses. Bumblebee revels he already knows that Strongarm's been sneaking off base and punishes Sideswipe for blackmail by giving him double shifts. Strongarm reveals that she's been sneaking off to a carwash, which Bumblebee promptly tries out and finds very relaxing.
Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)
| Autobots | Decepticons | Humans |
|---|---|---|
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Quotes
"Eureka! Sorry Bee, did we startle you?"
"Maybe a little. With no Decepticon activity lately I've been kinda jumpy because I, I mean I know something's coming I just don't know when. So all I can do is obsess about it and I guess I just don't know how.."
"BIG NEWS!"
[startles Bumblebee again]
"..To relax."
- —Denny startles Bumblebee while Fixit makes things worse.
"Nooo, you're not getting a Decepticon Hunter."
- —Denny to Russel.
"The signal is coming from under Crown City, in the flood control tunnels. C'mon team."
[Team doesn't move]
"W-what is it? Oh uhh, let's speed and succeed!"
[Cat shrieks in the background]
"Well come on, I mean w-we..y-you put me on the spot!"
- —Bumblebee is forced to try out a new battle cry.
"Who moves like that? It's just weird!"
- —Grimlock on the way Clampdown moves
"Don't underestimate any Con. Clampdown may be capable of things we haven't seen yet, He might shoot lasers out of his eyes or blow flames from his tailpipes, it's always something."
- —Bumblebee
"You want a piece of this Dinobot?!"
"Yeah! Piece by piece work for you?"
- —Underbite and Grimlock prepare for their rematch.
"Tough, toned and talented!"
- —Underbite
"Ahhhh this feels good. Maybe going out on missions is my version of relaxing."
[Steeljaw escapes]
"You were saying something about not patting ourselves on our backs?"
- -Bumblebee and Strongarm
"How do we know he won't turn on us the first time things get, tricky?
"Clampdown realizes that after all we've done for him if he sided against us, I wouldn't rest until I've made him eat his own claws."
- —Fracture and Steeljaw
"A carwash? That's your big secret? Wooow, even your secrets are boring."
- —Sideswipe
Notes
Animation and technical errors
- The tour boat captain says that the collision is on the starboard side, but it's shown to be on the port side.
Continuity notes
- Fixit and Denny finish working on two additional Decepticon Hunters, a project they started in "Rumble in the Jungle".
- Fracture has taken on an Earth mode since he turned up in "Hunting Season".
Transformers references
Real-world references
Trivia
- The first thirteen episodes of the series, this included, first premiered in Mandarin on Chinese streaming video site M1905.
Foreign localization
Chinese
- Original airdate: December 31, 2014
French
- Title: "Le secret de Strongarm" ("The Secret of Strongarm")
- Original airdate: February 27, 2015
Portuguese
- Original airdate: March 18, 2015
Italian
- Title: "Accordi sottobanco" ("Secret deals")
- Original airdate: March 25, 2015
