Bulkhead: This is for Cliffjumper! *Punch* For Bumblebee! *Punch* For everything! *Punch*
Bait-and-Switch: It seems like the Autobots (Bulkhead) have finally managed to permanently kill off another Decepticon (Starscream). It is soon revealed that Starscream had made copies of himself from stored Protoforms beforehand.
Berserk Button: When the Starscream's Clone threatens to kill him "like a certain Cliffjumper," Bulkhead stops playing nice.
Bittersweet Ending: Arcee defeats Airachnid and this time, manages to capture her in the process, but it results in the Insecticon hive returning to Megatron's command. On the plus side, Bulkhead grounds the Decepticon warship as he finds a way out and back to base. As for Starscream, his plan to kill Megatron via clones fails miserably, though his opportunity to kill off his last clone implies that he can fish out a T-Cog from the body as a consolation prize.
Chew Toy: Starscream, feeling all the pain his clones do when they get terminated, be it from Bulkhead, Megatron, or himself.
Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: Starscream's clones manage to avoid turning on each other, but the last one still attempts to betray him. Since Starscream knows how his clones think, he anticipates it and kills the clone.
Conservation of Ninjutsu: Surprisingly, the Insecticons aren't as effective in groups as when there's only one of them.
Continuity Nod: Starscream wonders why every-time he returns to the Nemesis, an Autobot happens to be on board, referencing when he encountered Optimus (formerly Orion Pax) back in the season 2 premiere.
Didn't See That Coming: Starscream over both his clones having working T-Cogs and him feeling whatever pain they experience.
Foreshadowing: When confronting Bulkhead in the opening, Starscream's hands are able to turn into guns, something a T-Cog-less Cybertronian should not be able to do. This hints that something weird is going on.
For that matter, how would he be able to get to ship without his ability to fly?
Gory Discretion Shot: All of Starscream's clones are killed but none of the aftermaths are seen.
I Am Legion: This is the first episode in which the Insecticons speak, and they do so in this manner.
"Forgive us, one true lord and master."
How We Got Here: The episode begins with Bulkhead waking up in the Decepticon warship storage room and then running into and killing off Starscream. It then rewinds 24 hours earlier showing further context between both Cybertronians.
I Did What I Had to Do: After beating Starscream to death (unaware that it was a clone), a shaken Bulkhead remarks he had no choice given all of the grief he brought to his friends.
Internal Reveal: Ratchet scans familiar signals in the same area where Airachnid, Megatron, and the Insecricon scout clashed. Optimus and Arcee soon discover that Airachnid now has unearthed an entire hive of Insecticons at her disposal.
Me's a Crowd: Thanks to Starscream creating clones of himself.
Mood Whiplash: Starscream coldly executes his remaining clone, complete with discretion and dramatic music. We then hear Starscream comically scream about how much that last bit of Synchronization hurt.
Mythology Gag: Starscream once again sends an army of clones to kill Megatron. Though this time, he's savvy enough to see their treachery coming a mile away (albeit this time he can literally sense it).
Never Trust a Trailer: The promo clip for this episode was nearly the entire scene of Bulkhead encountering and killing the Starscream clone. Fans were in an uproar believing it to be the real deal, since there was no sign whatsoever that it was a clone of Starscream biting the dust, as well as this show's steadfast adherence to All Deaths Final.
No-Holds-Barred Beatdown: Bulkhead delivers one to Starscream's clone (but he thinks he's polishing off the real deal). Even though we know Bulkie's a hero (and justifiably ticked), it still comes off as quite, quite brutal.
The Starscream Clone just before Bulkhead starts beating the slag out of him.
As the Nemesis starts crashing, Bulkhead after bumping into the remaining Starscream clone and seeing him fly off.
Our Clones Are Different: Starscream clones himself several times via experimenting on protoforms with his own CNA. Unlike in Transformers: Animated, the clones are all completely-identical copies of the original Starscream in looks and personality, without missing a T-cog like the original Starscream. The original Starscream later discovers that a side-effect of the cloning process is that the clones have a one-way mental link to him which causes his own pain receptors to trigger whenever one of the clones is enduring extreme or fatal physical trauma, much to his vexation.
P.O.V. Cam: Most of Bulkhead's beatdown is from the Starscream Clone's perspective, making it all the more brutal. Ends with an Impairment Shot, only the clone isn't simply unconscious.
Starscream Clone: What was that? Megatron:[taking aim] The sound of the tables turning. [opens fire]
Starscream remarking he does, in fact, feel his remaining clone's pain.
Rage Breaking Point: The Starscream clone gives Bulkhead a warning scratch and tells him to back off or else he'll end up like Cliffjumper. An enraged Bulkhead beats him to death for that.
Scream Discretion Shot: The screen fades to black just as Starscream terminates his last clone before it betrays him. However, instead of the clone, it's the real Starscream that screams due to sharing their pain.
Starscream: AUUUUGGGGGGH! Scrap, that hurt!
Sealed Evil in a Can: Airachnid at the end of the episode. Optimus is pretty much the only person who doesn't believe that she's getting off light.
Knockout, the Decepticons' comic relief, is absent in an episode where the Transformers face such a serious threat (a swarm of monstrous Insecticons) even Megatron lacks confidence in taking them on.
The Starscream: The last of Starscream's clones attempts to pull this on him in the end. Since 'Screamer knows a thing or two about backstabbing, he easily anticipates it and kills the clone, though he suffers a great deal for it.
Status Quo Is God: This episode is the first and last time Airachnid's army of Insecticons really comes into play. And thus a major threat to the Decepticons is quickly removed. note Airachnid and the Insecticons would later return in "Thirst", but were just a Goldfish Poop Gang to the Decepticons in that episode compared to the infection.
The Stoic: Megatron must've not had his coffee today, because nothing, from an army of Insecticons, Starscream clones, or even his own ship crashing so much as causes him to raise an eyebrow more than once.
Suddenly Voiced: Megatron finds out that the Insecticons can talk, as long as they're wired into obeying him.
Synchronization: Starscream discovers the hard way that whatever pain the clones feel, he in turn will feel. He was clearly not happy. Luckily, he can only feel the pain, or else he never would have survived his clones' rather brutal deaths.
Starscream: (feeling the pain a clone receives from Bulkhead) AAAAAAAAGH!!! My genetic code provides my clones with a T-cog I no longer possess, and all I get is their AGONY!?
Title Drop: Both Starscream and Airachnid (the latter with rather more justification) refer to the forces they send after Megatron as an "armada."
Villain Has a Point: Megatron accurately predicts that, without a common foe, the various Starscreams will inevitably try to kill each other rather than share power. It's their nature, as he says.
Villain Respect: Megatron is admittedly impressed by Starscream's clone gambit.
Walk Into Camera Obstruction: As the Starscream clones split up to find Megatron, one of them walks toward the camera and his chest fills the screen.
Starscream: AAAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUGGGHHHH SCRAP, THAT HURT!!!
