Recap / Transformers Prime S 2 E 24 Patch

Everybody cut loose! Footloose!

"A word of advice? Stop thinking aloud."

— Megatron

Written by Duane Capizzi

Starscream asks to return to the Decepticon fold in return for the 4 Omega Keys. Unfortunately for him, Megatron will not be played for a fool, and has Knock Out freed from his wall, in order to use the cortical psychic patch to determine whether Starscream is really worth bringing back into the fold. What follows is essentially a character piece on who Starscream is, and how he has changed over the whole series, and how he hasn't. It even drudges up long gone plot points significant for other Decepticons on board, and nothing will be the same afterwards.

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Tropes present in the episode

• Armor-Piercing Question: Megatron furiously asks Starscream why he should be welcomed back despite constantly trying to usurp him. 'Scream can only blubber out excuses and outs.
• Blatant Lies: Starscream when he excuses off being half-crazed from Energon deficiency and always putting Megatron's well-being before his own.
• Bottle Episode: Only Knock Out, Dreadwing, Starscream and Megatron have speaking parts. The majority of this episode is a Clip Show.
• Breather Episode: After a couple of hard episodes (for the protagonists, anyway) and before the big season finale, we have a quasi-clip show about Megatron and Starscream's relationship. And let's face it, people will always remember Starscream's dance above everything else from this episode.
• Broken Pedestal: It's implied that the Decepticon cause has become this to Dreadwing after he learns that Starscream resurrected Skyquake as a zombie with Dark Energon.
• Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Megatron has every legitimate reason to execute Starscream. Ultimately, however, he decides against it and allows Starscream to rejoin the Decepticons on the grounds that his skills outweigh his flaws, and that that will be useful in the effort to revive Cybertron.
• Cerebus Retcon: Inverted. When Starscream assumed leadership of the Decepticons, the scene was played entirely seriously. When the event is revisited here, Starscream is shown to have performed a comical victory dance immediately after the original scene ended.
• Chekhov's Boomerang: The cortical psychic patch is once more used after last episode.
• Clip Show: Contains mostly footage of past episodes. It's just the Decepticons watching (and denigrating) reruns of Transformers Prime.
• Courtroom Episode: Starscream is the defendant serving as his own lawyer, Megatron serves as the judge and prosecutor to sift through his memories. He is practically an executioner as well, promising to end him if he can't find a reason why he can't. Knock Out is the court reporter (or recorder) and Dreadwing is Megatron's bailiff. Interestingly, there is no jury of Vehicon troopers.
• Deadpan Snarker: Megatron, as usual.
  Megatron: Now, where did we leave off? Oh yes. "All hail Starscream"?
• Did I Just Say That Out Loud?: Starscream narcissistically muses that he "does transform with an exceptional sense of style" after a montage of him doing exactly that, then sheepishly realizes he thought it out loud.
• Dirty Coward: Starscream in both original and archive footage. Because of all the clip shows in his mind playing, Starscream starts to abandon his intent to rejoin the Decepticons then begs Megatron to just take the keys and let him go but Megatron only orders him to proceed with the trial. Starscream does wise up and stand up for himself in stating neither Megatron or the other Decepticons made him feel welcome with all the abuse, insults and demotions.
• Divided We Fall: Megatron gets smart about this in "Patch". He takes Starscream back despite his self-serving behavior and allows Knock Out full return to duty despite his track record, since he cannot afford to have the Decepticons fighting among themselves if he is to revive Cybertron. In fact, that's pretty much what doomed it to begin with. Too bad one Decepticon didn't even stay to hear that. Though Megatron tells him this in the next episode, but that doesn't stop him from attempting to kill Starscream.
• Drunk with Power: The first montage of clips highlights how Starscream was quick to bark orders and give himself the title of "Lord" when in a position of authority.
• Even Evil Has Standards:
  • Megatron agrees to let Starscream back in, understanding he left because of all the torment and abuse.
  • When Starscream complains that he went through much trouble to kill Cliffjumper, Megatron retorts he never even gave Cliff a fighting chance:
    Megatron: Trouble would have been facing him as a gladiator!
• The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: In-universe. Megatron delivers a Death Glare to Knock Out as punishment for his attempts at taking Megatron's life.
  Megatron: Infighting has nearly destroyed the Decepticons during your absence. We must operate as a united front if we are to revive and conquer Cybertron. That means each and every one of us, Knock Out.
• Gollum Made Me Do It: When Megatron sees Starscream's memory of cloning, Starscream tries to blame his traitorous desires on the clones. Megatron, naturally, doesn't buy it.
• Hanging Judge: Megatron takes on this role in deciding whether to welcome back Starscream or scrap him permanently.
• Humiliation Conga: Effectively a giant 20-minute one to Starscream, and by extension, Knock Out.
• Idiot Ball: Had Starscream just assertively told off Megatron "I left because I didn't want to be your punching bag anymore! But now I'm hungry, tired and grounded since I lost my T-Cog!", there wouldn't have been a need for the trial. Instead, Starscream out of cowardice acts like Megatron did nothing wrong to him.
• Internal Reveal: Through the course of watching the memories, Megatron learns that Starscream has lost his T-Cog and now can no longer transform. Dreadwing learns that while the Autobots killed his brother Skyquake, Starscream used a piece of Dark Energon turn him into a Terrorcon.
• It's All About Me: Megatron accuses Starscream of abusing this trope. Not that Megatron is any different.
• Journey to the Center of the Mind: While this isn't the first time the cortical psychic patch is used, the technical aspects of it are explored in more detail. First of all, it's a bit screwy - Starscream is shown in his memories doing a victory dance after Megatron's apparent death, then Megatron talks to this Starscream who's shocked and states he "just watched [him] perish". It creates the impression that this is the Starscream from the past, but Megatron then addresses him as "the present you" and then points to the actual past Starscream, who until that moment had been indistinguishable from the present one. Also, the whole process is watched by Knock Out on a monitor and Megatron, knowing that Knock Out is watching, at one point addresses him directly and glares at the screen, as if there's a camera facing him.
• Lampshade Hanging: After repeatedly called out for his treachery, Starscream points out they're called Decepticons for a reason.
• Oh, Crap!: Starscream when Megatron tells him that he is entering his mind to see the truth of his loyalty.
  • Knock Out when Megatron views the memories of Starscream's deal with him during "Sick Mind". He actually contemplates killing him before Dreadwing stops him.
    Knock Out: Uh-oh. (starts frantically mashing buttons) Does this thing have a fast-forward button, or better yet, erase?
• "Oh, Crap!" Smile: Starscream gives one of these when he realizes that Megatron is looking into his memories.
• Pet the Dog: Megatron values loyalty and speaks highly of Dreadwing and Skyquake's shared sense of honor.
• Photographic Memory: Being Cybertronians, Megatron can jack directly into Starscream's mind and view his memories without distortion or concealment.
• Say My Name: Starscream while in charge made the Vehicons chant "ALL HAIL STARSCREAM!" then dances to it.
• Saying Too Much: Megatron calls out Starscream for blurting out Skyquake's fate even though obviously other Decepticons are watching their conversation.
• Skyward Scream: Dreadwing does one upon hearing the truth about his brother Skyquake's fate.
• The Starscream: Almost every incarnation of the franchise involved levels of Starscream's constant treachery, but it's discussed in detail here, with numerous clips (such as trying to kill Megatron by removing the piece of Dark Energon and the assorted deals) to back it up.
  Megatron: Tell me why should I welcome someone back whose every waking impulse has been to thwart me, undercut me, OVERTHROW ME?!
• Status Quo Is God: Starscream is eventually welcomed back to the Decepticons after going rogue for the entire season.
• Tempting Fate: Upon seeing the comical victory dance memory, Knock Out mused this was all going to be quite juicy. Eventually, though, they get to the memories of his deal with Starscream.
• Title Drop: "Megatron sure knows how to patch things up."
• Tranquil Fury: Upon learning how Starscream disrespected Skyquake's demise by resurrecting him as a zombie, Dreadwing simply narrows his eyes without saying a word. Knock Out is left rather uncomfortable by the moment of silence as the brother of the fallen Decepticon stands right behind him.
  Knock Out: Awkward...
• Villain Ball: As Megatron notes and a montage of clips shows, Starscream consistently gets himself into trouble or squanders a potential advantage because he'd rather gloat about his presumed superiority rather than just finish the job.
  Megatron: You never learn Starscream! Your arrogance will trump your wits everytime.
• Villain Protagonist: Starscream.

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