A look at the most recent episodes of Transformers Prime.

Masters and Students

Synopsis:  Starscream assumes command of the Decepticons and decides to track down and reactivates the Decepticon Skyquake. While tracking down the source of the Energon signal, Optimus Prime and Bumblebee are attacked by the powerful newcomer. They manage to defeat him finally (apparently killing him) but during the battle, Soundwave detects Megatron's spark out in space. Starscream retrieves him and begrudingly brings the body back to the Decepticon command ship, where it remains comatose. Also, Ratchet helps the kids out with their science projects (essentially doing them for the kids) but the kids end up receiving poor grades due to his interference.

Comments:  The highlight of this episode for me was the inclusion of Skyquake, a character that, to my knowledge, has never ever been depicted in cartoon form before. Although this version was a new one, the spirit of the original character was very much intact. 

Verdict:  Decent. The sub-plot about the kids science project was stupid and I wish Skyquake had survived longer then one episode but overall a moderately entertaining episode. 

Scrapheap

Synopsis:  When Bumblebee and Bulkhead go to the Arctic they find a Cybertronian Pod and bring it back to the base. Optimus and Arcee later go on patrol back in the Arctic. When the humans come over to Autobot HQ Raf finds a tiny metal robot. He shows the Autobots the robot and they immediate react in fear--the tiny being is a Scraplet, a small metal eating robot. It attacks them but is quickly destroyed. Ratchet finds out the pod that Bulkhead and Bumblebee had found was a Scraplet trap which had been sent into space many eons ago and crashed there. While Optimus and Arcee contact HQ to return back there is no answer and the two Autobots are stuck in the Arctic. Without the Ground Bridge they will freeze to death. The Autobots at the base manage to fight off the Scraplets as best they can until they can repair the Bridge's damaged systems and retrieve Optimus and Arcee. At the same time, they send the Scraplet trap back to the Arctic, attracting the swarm of mechanical insects with it. They freeze once again in the frigid weather.

Comments:  I love that someone thought to bring the Scraplets back after a twenty five year hiatus. I do wonder why the Transformers can freeze to death in cold temperatures--it seems kinda silly to me (also, they can function in the cold vacuum of space just fine). I guess the cold is a convenient way to render the Scraplets helpless and ensure Prime and Arcee are in danger, but the weakness seems dumb otherwise.

Verdict: Decent. Points for bringing back the Scraplets.

Con Job

Synopsis:  When the Autobots receive a signal from a starship which has entered the Earth's Solar System the owner of the starship is identified as Wheeljack. Wheeljack is Bulkhead's best friend from back on Cybertron and both were a part of the Wreckers. Wheeljack arrives somewhere on Earth and is immediately attacked by Decepticons. The Autobots lock onto his signal and teleport to where Wheeljack is to save him. But Wheeljack has already defeated all the Decepticons already. He returns with them to their base. We quickly learn the real Wheeljack has been captured by Starscream and is held personer. Which means that Starscream switched the real Wheeljack with Makeshift just before the Autobots came. Bulkhead and "Wheeljack" catch up on old times but for some reason Wheeljack doesn't seem like himself. Miko is unsure where she fits in, now that Wheeljack is there. However, she tries her best to welcome Wheeljack and takes him on a tour of the base. During the tour he asks her where the base is located (they groundbridged there and he doesn't know where they're phyiscally located). She tells him the correct answer--outside Jasper, Nevada. Bulkhead thinks something's wrong with Wheeljack so he asks him to tell the story about Darkmount Pass. Wheeljacks tells the story correctly, except for one thing--he said Bulkhead was there and Bulkhead wasn't. Makeshift's cover is blown and he threatens if the Autobots do anything he'll kill Miko. The real Wheeljack escapes, meanwhile, and defeats Starscream's planned invasion team for the Autobot Base. Makeshift turns on the Groundbridge and Wheeljack sees it on the other side. He travels there and the two Wheeljacks fight. Makeshift loses and is sent back to the Nemesis. Just before he tells Starscream where the Autobot Base is, they realizes there is a bomb on him and Makeshift blows up. The next day, Wheeljack leaves for space again but asks Bulkhead if he wants to tag along. Bulkhead opts to stay on Earth--he's finally found a place to call home.

Comments: I enjoyed seeing Wheeljack. I just wonder why all these characters show up for one episode and never again...it almost seems like a waste of money to render them in the first place.

Verdict:  Good. A strong character episode that highlights Bulkhead's personality and manages to stay entertaining.

Convoy

Synopsis: The Autobots get a call from Agent Fowler, who is transporting a explosive device called the D.N.G.S. (short for Dynamic Nuclear Generation System), saying that a group of Decepticons attacked him. Optimus, Bulkhead, Arcee and Bumblebee teleport to Agent Fowler's location. The Autobots assist in transporting the "Dingus" but are soon attacked by M.E.C.H., a Human terrorist organization lead by a man named Silas. Meanwhile, Soundwave picks up a signal of the Autobots and Starscream sends a group of Decepticons to destroy them. The Autobots try many things to get rid of M.E.C.H. and can't.
They soon have to fight both the Decepticon team and M.E.C.H. The Autobots beat the Decepticons and manage to keep M.E.C.H. from taking the Dingus. Silas scans Optimus and now wants to find out what makes him tick. Optimus states that Earth has spawned its own form of homegrown evil.

Comments:  I didn't care much for this episode. I'm tired of constant human villians in Transformers and Silas/MECH didn't blow me away in terms of originality or interest me in any way. The rest of the episode seemed almost throwaway in terms of plot.

Verdict:  Decent but not overly exciting.

Deus Ex Machina

Synopsis:  The Autobots pick up Energon signals in Greece so they send Miko and Bulkhead to investigate. While there, Bulkhead sees a picture of Greek gods and a depiction of an Energon Harvester. Breakdown arrives them and attacks them. They manage to defeat him and he returns to the Decepticon base while the duo return to their own base. Starscream has a meeting with Knock Out and gets him and Breakdown to help him find the Energon Harvester. Meanwhile, Optimus explains that the Energon Harvester can easily harvest Energon, from anything. Raf finds the Energon Harvester and its location is in a museum. Miko, Jack and Raf Groundbridge to the museum and try to get the Energon Harvester. The Autobots wait outside the museum and Breakdown and Knock Out distract them by having a battle with them. Soundwave steals the Energon Harvester and Miko is caught by a Security Guard. The Autobots, with Raf and Jack return back to base. Optimus gives Bulkhead orders of staying at base and not doing anything. Instead, Bulkhead remembers about massive Energon readings in Greece and Groundbridges there. He finds Starscream, Knock Out and Breakdown. Starscream tries to harvest Bulkhead's Energon, but Bulkhead destroys the Energon Harvester. Starscream retreats and Bulkhead is found by the rest of the Autobots. Miko lies to the Security Guard and Agent Fowler arrives and frees her.

Comments:  The Energon Harvester was an interesting idea but ultimately served no purpose nor did the plot excite me much. It felt like another throwaway episode to fill time.

Verdict:  Decent.

Speed Metal

Synopsis: One day in Jasper, Sierra (a girl Jack goes to school with) asks Jack for that ride on his motorcycle he'd promised earlier. Jack tells her not this time, Vince (sometimes referred to as the bully) tries to show off and give Sierra a ride. Vince asks him to go racing. Arcee doesn't want to do it and Jack doesn't take the offer until Vince talks about how "ugly" Arcee is. Arcee gets angry, and tells Jack to tell Vince it's on. Later that day, they do just that and go racing. Jack and Arcee easily beat Vince. When Arcee and Jack return to Autobot base, Raf and Miko tell Jack that everybody at their school knows about Jack and Vince's race. The next day, Vince asks Jack to go racing again. He doesn't want to but eventually takes Vince's offer. Arcee disagrees with Jack and doesn't go so he asks Raf if he can borrow Bumblebee. That night, Jack and Vince enter a illegal street race. Knock Out enters too and he tries to terminate Bumblebee. Bumblebee does some crazy things and Vince is amazed. After losing Knock Out, Vince goes up to Jack and asked him what just happened until Knock Out thinks Vince is Bumblebee's human friend. So he kidnaps Vince right in front of Jack and Bumblebee. Bumblebee calls for backup and Arcee and Bulkhead come to help. The Autobots track down Knock Out and battle him but he escapes. Meanwhile, Optimus wonders where the others have gone, and asks Miko and Raf. They act like they don't know anything but Optimus discovers the truth. So, Optimus makes an appearance to stop Knock Out and succeeds. Knock Out returns to the Nemesis and Starscream punishes him for not obeying his orders.

Comments:  A decent episode and it was fun to see some of the human side of things (i.e. Jack's private life) for a change instead of more of the TFs fighting with the human tagging along.

Verdict:  Decent. Not a major story arc episode but a good one anyway.

Predatory

Synopsis:  Arcee and Jack go on a recon mission in the woods where they find a Cybertronian spaceship. Afterwards Arcee tells Jack she knows who the ship belongs to. She attempts in vain to contact base to request a Groundbridge but there's too much interference. Leaving Jack by the ship, Arcee walks out into the trees to find a trail left by her mystery assailant, and flashes back to when she had been captured years earlier. She reacts in fear and transforms before driving them both at high speed through the trees for a distance. When she still can't contact base, she drops Jack off on the other side of a deep crevasse and heads back. Jack starts climbing down the side of the crevasse. Arcee, scouting among the trees, finds a tree stump covered in an acidic compound, and has another flashback. Arcee radios Tailgate, a member of the Delta Team and her partner, for help. Until, she is globbed with webbing and then held capture by the female Cybertronian. Finding Arcee a tough nut to crack, the Decepticon has a couple of Vehicons drag in Tailgate. Arcee, however much she wants to save her partner, doesn't know the attack coordinates the other wants and so Tailgate is killed. In the present, the exact same Cybertronian moves in on an unsuspecting camper in a tent. As she jumps to strike, she is tackled by Arcee, and the pair roll downhill to a clearing. Amused to be reunited with the Autobot after all this time, she is identified to be Airachnid, a spider-like Decepticon. Arcee begins fighting her, but Jack arrives, distracting Arcee long enough for Airachnid to web her to a nearby rock. Arcee cuts her arm free and zaps Airachnid before informing Jack that he's more a liability than a partner, however Jack doesn't believe her. Airachnid recovers from being shot and says she's heard about Cliffjumper's death. As Jack flees, Airachnid promises to finish Arcee later, then she begins pursuing the boy. Arcee begins trying to escape from the webbing she's been trapped in. Meanwhile, Jack continues running, scaling the sides of the crevasse again. He reaches Airachnid's spaceship and hides against it as she searches around. While clambering around it, he finds a Energon leaking from a port on the underside of the spaceship. Grabbing a nearby stick, he uses his pocket knife and flint to set fire to it, then throws it into the leaking port. Airachnid, now standing on top of the ship, yells his name as the ship explodes. Jack runs away, thinking that Airachnid has died, although he is wrong, and Airachnid slings a web on his foot, and Jack can no longer move. Airachnid climbs down a tree and attempts to kill Jack. Until, Arcee attacks Airachnid and defeats her. But she is still alive and escapes underground. Communications at Autobot HQ are working again, so Arcee calls for a Groundbridge.

Comments:  I'm not sure why Airachnid's appearance is so similar to that of Blackarachnia. I presume they used the latter as a template to start from on this new character. Airachnid is much more sinister and primal compared to Blackarachnia. I enjoyed this look into Arcee's past and the brief appearance of Tailgate (another forgotten G1 character). Like other characters, he shows up once and will probably never be seen again (since he's dead).

Verdict:  Good. Definitely one of the stronger episodes.

Sick Mind

Synopsis:  Ratchet reports that his scans have located the Decepticon warship while experimenting with different frequencies. Arcee thinks they should strike now, but Ratchet says he's also detected an Autobot emergency beacon, and Optimus Prime decides they should check that out first. He and Ratchet arrive at a centuries-old crashed Autobot ship and venture inside. Though they expect there may be survivors, they find the crew has succumbed to Cybonic Plague. As the ship shifts, a deceased Autobot hanging from the ceiling drips plague-imbued Energon onto Optimus. Later at base, Optimus lays stricken while the others discuss the situation. The Cybonic Plague was developed by Megatron and Ratchet thinks they might be able to find information in the Decepticon databases. Arcee and Bumblebee Groundbridge onto the Nemesis and, narrowly hiding from Knock Out, enter the ship's lab. Inside, Arcee scours the database, but fails to find a cure for the Cybonic Plague. While she's doing so, Bumblebee stumbles on Megatron's comatose form. Arcee is ready to finish Megatron off then and there, but Ratchet has a better idea — enter Megatron's mind and retrieve the plague cure. Ratchet knows of a procedure to create a cortical psychic patch. On the ship's bridge, Starscream complains that the ship's electromagnetic shielding has not been fixed, and directs the Vehicons to hurry up and do so before the Autobots detect them. Afterwards Starscream has a private word with Knock Out, suggesting that the Decepticons deserve a leader who is conscious, and the pair come to an understanding whereby Knock Out will be Starscream's new second-in-command. Meanwhile, Arcee plugs Bumblebee into Megatron, and Bumblebee finds himself in a simulation of Kaon. Ratchet creates a communications downlink, so they can monitor what Bumblebee is doing. Bumblebee wanders though Kaon until he finds what appears to be Optimus, but is just a figment of Megaton's imagination. Megatron appears and slays the false Optimus, who dissolves into smoke. Another Optimus appears, and as Megatron fires his fusion cannon, Bumblebee jumps in the path of the blast, only to find it passes right through him to slay the imaginary Optimus. Megatron, however, has seen Bumblebee and attempts to strike him, but his blows pass clean through Bumblebee. While Megatron is trying to work out what's going on, Optimus, Bulkhead and another Bumblebee appear, all figments of his imagination. Megatron destroys them, but begins to realize that he's in his own subconscious. Arcee becomes anxious when Starscream, Knock Out and Soundwave enter the lab, though the 2 Autobots are hidden well enough that the Decepticons don't see them. Starscream is determined to put on a show for Soundwave, to convince his fellow Decepticon that Megatron is beyond saving. He and Knock Out attempt to persuade Soundwave that putting Megatron out of his misery is the best thing. Arcee and Ratchet overhear their conversation, and Ratchet says terminating Megatron will permanently separate Bumblebee's mind and body. In the dream world, Megatron ponders what has happened to him, and finds out from Bumblebee about the space bridge explosion. Short on time, Bumblebee relays the news about Optimus's Cybonic Plague infection. Megatron is amused that after all this time Optimus will be felled by a virus, but Bumblebee plays on his desire to finish Optimus himself. Starscream is about to pull the plug on Megatron when Soundwave points out the psychic patch cable. Starscream begins following it, as Arcee observes from her hiding place. Megatron briefly shows Bumblebee the formula for the virus cure, but will only share it if Bumblebee can release him from his mental prison. Unknown to Megatron, Ratchet can still see everything Bumblebee sees. Having ganked the formula, Ratchet tells Arcee to cut the link. Megatron's dream world begins to disintegrate and the Decepticon leader launches himself at the disappearing Bumblebee. Bumblebee then comes around as Starscream finds the 2 hidden Autobots, and, as they escape through the Groundbridge, Arcee blasts one of the cables attached to Megatron. Starscream is actually pleased that Megatron has flatlined as a result, but at Soundwave's insistence has Knock Out reconnect the cable. As Optimus is cured, the Autobots celebrate, but Optimus insists the celebration should be for Ratchet and Bumblebee. On the Nemesis, Knock Out observes that Megatron is no longer exhibiting any brainwave activity — there's no one home. Unknown to anyone, Megatron resides in Bumblebee's head.

Comments:  This was one of the best episodes of the recent batch. It had enough excitement to keep things going and ended on a good cliffhanger.

Verdict: Good.

Out of His Head

Synopsis: Ratchet concludes his tests on Optimus Prime and gives their leader a clean bill of health. Optimus thanks Ratchet and Bumblebee. Unknown to any of the others, Megatron's psyche still dwells in Bumblebee's processor, and he's determined to reclaim his own body. Miko referees a basketball game between Bumblebee and Bulkhead. Bulkhead easily sinks the first basket, but as Bumblebee goes to shoot, he suddenly flashes back to the space bridge explosion. When Bulkhead interrupts the vision, he gets the ball thrown at his head. Bumblebee apologizes and they play on. Later on, Bumblebee freezes as Megatron takes control. Megatron wonders how he escaped the destruction of the space bridge, and recalls Starscream pulling the sliver of Dark Energon from his chest. On the Nemesis, Starscream taunts Megatron's body with the Dark Energon sliver, announcing that he has come up with a new epic plan that will convince the other Decepticons that he's worthy of leadership. Knock Out arrives in time to hear the tail end of the speech. Waiting outside his house, Raf calls Jack, who is already in class, to complain that Bumblebee hasn't picked him up for school. Bumblebee is at base, being puppeted by Megatron to crush a piece of equipment. Ratchet is irritated by the destruction, and Bumblebee explains his visions of Megatron. Ratchet induces a power down to allow Bumblebee's mind time to rest. While he's explaining this to Optimus and Raf, they get a call from Agent Fowler, who says that Decepticons have broken into the Kauai Naval Observatory in Hawaii and stolen the Heuck Nigoghossian telescope's primary lens. Fortunately the lens has a tracking device, and the Autobots trace it to the Arctic where there's a massive unminable energon deposit — unminable unless the glacier it's in is melted, something that would devastate coastal cities. Indeed, the Decepticons have already created a heat ray with the lens, and Starscream begins melting the glacier in question. Raf chats with the shutdown Bumblebee, despite Ratchet pointing out that Bumblebee can't hear him. Raf asserts that Bumblebee is family, and shows off a photo of his parents and siblings. Optimus, Arcee and Bulkhead walk through the Arctic and locate the Decepticon warship, which is warming things up with its heat ray. Ratchet leaves Raf and Bumblebee to find parts to repair the equipment Bumblebee damaged. While he's gone, Bumblebee suddenly powers up and heads to the main control room, where he activates the GroundBridge. Ratchet and Raf are surprised to find him departing through the Groundbridge and wonder where the diminutive Autobot is going. Bumblebee arrives at the battlefield where Optimus and Ratchet once fought Megatron's army of zombies, in search of the Dark Energon shard Megatron used to raise the dead. Ratchet attempts to use the Groundbridge to follow Bumblebee, but once he activates it, Bumblebee promptly steps back through carrying the Dark Energon and decks the medic. Having placed Raf out of the way, Bumblebee runs back through the Groundbridge. Ratchet realizes that Megatron's mind has taken over Bumblebee, and tracks the scout to coordinates in the Arctic. Raf insists on going too. Atop the Nemesis, Starscream spots Bulkhead and Arcee. Knock Out orders Breakdown to deal with the two Autobots, and the big 'Con starts laying into them. Meanwhile, the unseen Optimus scales a nearby cliff. Ratchet and Raf arrive in the Decepticon ship to find disabled Vehicons everywhere. They reach the lab, where Bumblebee has hooked himself up to Megatron's body, but when Ratchet attacks Bumblebee, he's knocked across the room. Raf manages to encourage Bumblebee to retake control, but it's only a brief respite. Ratchet yanks the life support cable from Megatron, only to again be tossed across the room. Despite a last-ditch attempt by Raf to stop Bumblebee, the scout plunges the Dark Energon shard into Megatron's body, and Megatron awakens. A group of Vehicons arrives to find Megatron has risen from the dead, and he orders them to terminate the Autobots. Ratchet, Bumblebee and Raf retreat. Optimus reaches the top of his cliff and takes a flying leap onto the Nemesis. On the ground, Arcee and Bulkhead continue to battle Breakdown. Starscream and Knock Out spot Optimus coming towards them across the hull of the ship, and Starscream turns the heat ray on the Autobot leader. Undeterred, Optimus drives all the way up to the heat ray and slices it with his sword, causing the whole thing to explode. Optimus is thrown to the ground, only to face the rage of Starscream, who begins diving towards him, missiles at the ready. Starscream is intercepted halfway through the dive by Megatron, who takes his disloyal lieutenant back to the Nemesis. Faced with his old leader, Starscream attempts to flee in his vehicle mode, only for Megatron to grab him by the tail and toss him against the ship. Even the promise of nearby Autobots to destroy isn't enough to distract Megatron, who begins dragging Starscream away by the head. Watching the still-blazing ship depart, Optimus radios Ratchet for a bridge, but Ratchet, Bumblebee and Raf appear nearby. Later at HQ, Ratchet finishes checking over Bumblebee, who thanks Raf for helping to rescue him.

Comments:  A good continuation to the story started in the previous episode. I think the difference between episodes like this and something like Deus Ex Machina is that we actually care about what's going on in shows like this while some of the episodes feel like they're there to fill out the schedule (of course this is even true in live action shows as well).

Verdict:  Good.

Shadowzone

Synopsis:  Starscream lays wounded in the ship's sick bay (after Megatron has roughed him up). He decides to use his ace in the hole and retrieves his Dark Energon shard (the one Megatron had but lost). He travels to where Skyquake fell and tries to resurrect him. However, the Autobots detect the massive Dark Energon readings, they assume it's Megatron making up for his lost time. They arrive at Starscream's location and find they're wrong. The Autobots attack Starscream and blow off his left arm. Skyquake is not resurrecting, and Starscream calls for an emergency Groundbridge. Meanwhile, the three kids tagged along with the Autobots and are discovered by their larger comrades. Concerned for their safety, Optimus also call for a Groundbridge. Starscream, and the 3 children jump in the respective Groundbridges at the same time. Starscream returns on the Nemesis. Miko, Jack and Rafm, however, are still stuck in the same location. The 3 children try to talk to the Autobots, but they can't seem to hear them, see them or touch them. Unknowingly, Skyquake's resurrection was successful and he tries to attack Bulkhead but also can't touch him. Raf theorizes they're trapped in another dimension that runs parallel with our own. Miko, Raf and Jack run for their lifes as Skyquake tries to kill them. Meanwhile, Starscream gets Knock Out to get him a new arm. When, Starscream demands his old arm, the Dark Energon in his system glows. Meaning that Skyquake is alive. Starscream tells Knock Out that he is returning to the resurrection site, as he tries to get his arm back. The Autobots try to call the children, but are unable. Until, Jack sends a text message to Miko's cellphone. When the Autobots read the text message, they try to find a way to get them back. The 3 kids run into Starscream's arm that was sucked in with them. They shoot Skyquake with a missile. Skyquake still functions but his own arm falls off. His arm chases after the humans. Starscream arrives, as Ratchet sends a Groundbridge to their dimension. They jump through the Groundbridge where Starscream sees them. Skyquake's arm follows after them and attacks Starscream. He calls for a emergency Groundbridge again. The kids return to base, and Starscream returns to the Nemesis.

Comments:  It was nice to see Skyquake again, even though he only appears as a Dark Energon zombie. The rest of the episode felt like it was borrowed from Star Trek--the typical, "we're in a different phase of reality and nobody can see or hear us" schtick got old a long time ago.

Verdict:  Decent.