A look at the most recent episodes of Transformers Prime.

Operation: Breakdown

Synopsis:  After encountering the Autobots, operative Silas began plans at acquiring a living Transformer in order to dissect them and use their components to create such machines that would serve MECH. To that end, they ambushed a batte between Breakdown and Bulkhead where the latter was defeated in the fight. Before Breakdown could bring the killing blow, MECH neutralized him and abducted the winning Decepticon so that they could study him. Taking him to their hidden base, they switched off his pain receptors and began the process of dismantling him for parts where they uncovered much on the captured Cybertronian. However, Team Prime arrived on the scene in order to deny Cybertronian technology from MECH and Bulkhead succeeded in freeing his foe. Despite MECHs attempts at reacquiring the test subjects, they were forced to retreat when Starscream arrived at the scene. Thus, the organization was forced to sanitize their hidden base but had managed to transfer much of the newly acquired data to a new facility despite the loss of the test subject. In his report, Silas commented that the diagonistic on Breakdown's vital components had allowed MECH to begin Project Chimera which will allow them to gain the power of living machines that would serve them.




Comments:  A decent episode that actually gives MECH some point in existing. It was interesting to see the Bulkhead/Breakdown dynamic at play here as well as note that the Autobots came to try and save the day while Megatron couldn't be bothered, preferring to leave Breakdown to his fate.

Verdict:  Decent. Points for characterization and advancing the plot.


Crisscross

Synopsis: The episode opens with MECH stalking Airachnaid who quickly outsmarts them and webs them up. She insinuates that she should kill them for what they did to Breakdown as she is an Ex-Decepticon, but quickly changes her mind as she decides to get MECH to help her exact revenge on Arcee and Jack. Meanwhile Jack gets busted by his mom while sneaking in after his curfew. That coupled with calls from his boss at KO Burger and his teacher prompt her to ground him and forbid him from taking Arcee out. Arcee agrees to come back and be in the garage prior to June getting home until the punishment is lifted. Despite some close calls the ruse works. But soon, MECH and Airachnid glean info regarding Jack and kidnap June in the hospital parking lot. They then bait Jack and Arcee into coming to them. Arcee is captured and Airachnid plays with Jack by giving him an ultimatum - Find June in 8 minutes and rescue her or watch her being tortured. Jack, despite his best efforts fails to do so. Silas in the meantime doesn't trust Airachnid and decides to dissect Arcee then and there. However Arcee regains consciousness just in time and escapes, racing to Jack, thereby revealing their secret to his mom, June. After a grueling fight, Jack, who managed to steal Silas's phone contacts Fowler, who shows up with a fleet of helicopters. Airachnaid and MECH escape though, but not before MECH witnesses Airachnid scanning and acquiring a Helicopter transformation, prompting Silas to smile and say "ingenious". June then finally learns the truth about Jack and Arcee and later goes to the Autobot base to meet the rest of Team Prime.

Comments:  Another good Arcee/Jack episode. The follow-up to Predatory brings Airachnid back as well as MECH. We get to see more of Jack's normal life and his interactions with his mother. June finally learns the truth and is introduced to the rest of the Autobots...I wonder how this development will affect future episodes. His mother will understand what he's doing but will she approve of him constantly putting his life in danger? Time will tell. I also liked Jack stealing Silas phone--that part was inspired.

Verdict:  Good. One of the best to-date.


Metal Attraction

Synopsis: After losing his right optic and being bested by humans in "Operation: Breakdown", Megatron refuses for Breakdown to go on a mission to retrieve a magnetic weapon called the Polarity Gauntlet. Eventually,  he relents and allows Breakdown to go on the mission in order to prove his worthiness. Arcee, and Bulkhead go out to also retrieve the Gauntlet before the Decepticons do. But, Breakdown makes it to the location first, and encounters the Ex-Decepticon Airachnid. After a long battle, Arcee and Bulkhead find out the Miko had came with them secretly. Eyeing both of their arch-enemies, a battle rages on, until Breakdown gets hold of the Gauntlet, magnetizing Arcee and Bulkhead together. As Breakdown leaves Airachnid hunts him down. The two Autobots, plus Miko track down their foes, managing to get loose of each other after Breakdown and Airachnid damage Bulkhead, leaving him down on the ground. Arcee and Bulkhead later defeat Airachnid and Breakdown, magnetizing both them together, and then return to base. In conclusion, Megatron is furious with Breakdown that he came back to the ship empty-handed. Breakdown turns around with Airachnid magnetized to his back with Airachnid rejoining with the Decepticons.


Comments:  Another interesting episode. Jack's mother is becoming a nuisance at the beginning of the episode--something I hadn't seen coming (well, not completely anyway). I think Arcee is becoming my favorite character in this show--she's been very well developed character-wise. The Polarity Gauntlet was an okay deus ex machina but it struck as being a little bit on the lame side. It reminded me of something that likely would've just been a G1 character's special power (like Cliffjumper's glass gas, Smokescreen's smoke or Mirage's invisibility). Why don't they just fix Breakdown's optic? They're machines--it should be easily do-able (unless he bears it as a source of pride--or perhaps Megatron is just too evil to allow him to fix it. In which case, he seems like a fool for not permitting his warriors to be in primary battle condition).

Verdict:  Good. A bit perdictable but with some good character moments.


Rock Bottom

Synopsis: Arcee, Bulkhead, Jack and Miko investigate a Decepticon Energon mine for Energon that was supposedly stripped clean. Megatron and Starscream arrive shortly after, and Megatron accuses Starscream of hoarding Energon, and reveals that he knew about the air commander's other treacherous acts - including the attempted revival of Skyquake. Starscream begs for mercy, but escapes when Megatron is distracted by the arrival of Jack and Arcee. Megatron's shots cause a cave in. Starscream escapes the mines, only to return to try to save Megatron. Bulkhead and Miko survive as well, with Bulkhead literally holding the ceiling up. Starscream finds Bulkhead and Miko, but before he's able to hurt them, Jack appears with a Decepticon drill. He and Miko escape. Starscream threatens Bulkhead, but Arcee shows up, resulting in Starscream holding the ceiling. The episode ends with Megatron having dug himself out, and Starscream begging for mercy again, claiming he came back to save Megatron. The episode ends with Megatron staring Starscream down contemplating what he should do.




Comments:  An okay episode. Mostly filler since nothing really important happens. I did like Jack's line near the beginning about Miko (it was funny). The rest of it was, meh... Oh yeah, Jack and later the Autobots decision to spare the Decepticons was noble and Prime-like, which was cool.

Verdict:  Okay. Filler episode at its best.


Partners

Synopsis: Megatron sends Starscream and Airachnid to the site of a crashed Decepticon ship in order to recover a weapon called the Immobilizer. The Autobots are surprised when they come across Starscream who wants "to become an Autobot" upon finding him in Airachnid's web. Though Starscream is placed in stasis cuffs in order for the Autobots to keep an eye on him. While the others go after Airachnid, Arcee keeps an eye on Starscream and ends up learning that Starscream had a hand in what happened to Cliffjumper. After a long fight, Arcee ends up wanting to finish Starscream off, but she sees Bumblebee thinking that what Arcee was about to do was very un-Autobot like. Arcee decides not to kill Starscream. Later, Airachnid returns empty handed, and declares that what happened was all Starscream's fault. To a result Megatron becomes very furious with Airachnid leaving the Decepticon second-in-command with Autobots. The episode ends with Starscream declaring his neutrality.


Comments:  Another Arcee centric episode. This time we see her visit Cliffjumper's grave then discover that Starscream killed him, resulting in a opportunity for her to even the odds. You can't beat drama like this! And yet, another episode with a stupid super weapon that's been conveniently lost for centuries on Earth--enough already! I wish the lazy writing would go away in that instance so they can try some new things already.

Verdict:  Good. Mostly for the Arcee stuff as well as the Starscream changes throughout the episode.


T.M.I.

Synopsis: Bulkhead (and Miko, tagging along) arrive at a desert location where the Autobots and Decepticons are already at battle. Both sides are after a Cybertronian Data Cylinder. During the Golden Age dozens were created with the sum total of all of Cybertron's knowledge stored inside them (each cylinder had different data on various subjects--art, mathematics, history, etc). When The Great War happened, they were hidden throughout the Galaxy to keep them safe from the Decepticons. Now, one has turned up on Earth so both sides scramble to possess it. Miko, having tagged along without Bulkhead's knowledge (what else is new?), goes to try and move the device to safety but inadvertantly triggers it. It shoots an energy beam into Bulkhead's head which we later learn contains all of its knowledge including a possible synthetic energon formula.  But soon we learn all is not well--the data is overwriting Bulkhead's mind! Optimus leads a team to Megatron and asks for the empty Cylinder back in the hopes they can replace the data. In exchange, they'll give him the data. Miko, meanwhile, fearing for Bulkhead, takes him to the monster truck track after hours in an attempt to help jog his old memory. Breakdown and Dead End track them there and try to retrieve Bulkhead's head with the data for Megatron. Megatron is aware of their plan (via comm channel) and tells Optimus he will not deal. His drones fall and he destroys the cylinder before retreating. During the skirmish with Breakdown and Dead End, Miko bumps into the fallen Bulkhead, which triggers the data's security system and it launches itself into the cosmos and out of anybody's reach. The Decepticons retreat and the Autobots retrieve Bulkhead. Ultimately, he is reawakened when Miko plays the guitar and returns to normal.







Comments:  Yet another episode with a convenient lost device turning up (this time it's not a weapon, but...) But we do get to see a bit more of the Bulkhead/Miko relationship (will she ever learn to be less impulsive?) On a side note, I'm surprised we've seen so much of Bulkhead/Miko and Arcee/Jack but so little of Bumblebee/Raf. Or do the writers don't find them interesting enough?

Verdict:  Good. All in all, a good character oriented episode.



(Episodes synopsises courtesy Wikipedia.org)