Megatron appeals to Ratchet; Optimus takes on the Predacon.
Tropes
- Admiring the Abomination: At several points, Ratchet is admittedly impressed by Decepticon engineering.
- All Your Base Are Belong to Us: Starscream leads an assault on the new Autobot base after Fowler accidentally led them to it. Subverted since the Autobots just switched the letters on the hangers, leading Starscream to destroy the base's mess hall instead of the actual Hangar E, now Hangar F.
- Borrowed Catchphrase:Raf: Miko, I needed that! Puh-lease!
- Brawler Lock: Optimus and Predaking grab each other by the wrists and briefly contest in strength before Optimus heabutts Predaking back.
- Brutal Honesty: Megatron makes no attempt to disguise the fact that he cannot be trusted, instead banking on Ratchet's desire to save Cybertron overpowering his reservations.
- Can't Kill You, Still Need You: Upon learning an Autobot was brought aboard, Predaking wants to tear him apart. Megatron says that Ratchet is quite vital to restoring Cybertron, but he promises to hand him over to Predaking once his usefulness is over. Ratchet later acknowledges how, in the event of accepting a deal, he has no guarantee that Megatron will just let him walk away once his part is done.
- Curb Stomp Cushion: Prime mamages to match up Predaking's power, but just barely. He is K.O'd briefly, and it's only thanks to Megatron ordering the dragon to retrieve the machine from the human base that Optimus survives this time.Predaking: It took a cataclysm to wipe out Cybertron's original Predacon inhabitants. You never stood a chance against me, Prime.
- Deadpan Snarker: Ultra Magnus of all people.(after witnessing Starscream blow up the wrong building just because they switched the letters on the hangars) Ultra Magnus: We are fortunate that the Decepticons can be fooled by a simple paint job.
- Deal with the Devil: Subverted. Ratchet pretends to go along with Megatron's plan to complete the Synthetic Energon formula, planning on escaping without ever handing over the (genuine) formula.
- Enemy Mine: Megatron spends the episode trying to convince Ratchet to complete the Synthetic Energon formula, which would ultimately lead to Cybertron's restoration.
- Everyone Has Standards: Ratchet wants Cybertron back more than anyone, but not when working with the Cybertronian who ravaged it during the war and damaged Bumblebee.
- Foreshadowing: Megatron shows Ratchet assorted Decepticon technology, including the specific version of the ship's cloaking device. It's how Ratchet will be able to turn the cloak off in the next episode.
- Genre Blindness: Starscream keeps underestimating humans as "the weak link." He and his armada also don't consider the possibility of the Autobots using the considerable lag time to move their base into another building, or even something so simple as repainting the letter on the front.
- Handicapped Badass: Ultra Magnus, despite losing his hand, is still good enough to take down previously undefeated Shockwave without too much effort.
- Hidden Depths: Wheeljack works surprisingly well with Raf.
- Hypocritical Humour: Shockwave mocks Ultra Magnus' lack of two functioning hands.
- I Lied: The first way that Megatron attempts to secure Ratchet's help is promising to leave the Autobots and human allies in peace. While leaving Ratchet to think it over, Megatron orders Starscream to take a squadron to destroy the Autobot base. In their next scene, Megatron doesn't even bother with the pretense of pretending to honor any promises, saying that they both know a Decepticon's promises are quite worthless.
- Internal Reveal:
- Optimus learns of Predaking's name before the end of their fight.
- Shockwave extracted Ratchet's memories with his Cortical Psychic Patch in hopes of finding the Snyth En formula, only to turn he is still trying to complete it.
- Mythology Gag: Wheeljack again references his Gadgeteer Genius past.
- Raf names the tracking drone "Chip" after the franchise's original kid genius.
- Never Trust a Trailer: The trailers show Starscream apparently destroying the Autobots' new base. See All Your Base Are Belong to Us.
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Word of God said there would be a Heel–Face Turn and a Face–Heel Turn in this season. While Knock Out does pull a Heel–Face Turn to join the Autobots in the Grand Finale, Ratchet and Megatron himself make it clear he's not pulling a Face–Heel Turn, only an Enemy Mine.
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- "Not So Different" Remark: Megatron reminds Ratchet that, despite being mortal enemies, they both share a desire to revitalize Cybertron in all its former glory.
- Pet the Dog: Smokescreen kicks himself for failing to take out Laserbeak before Soundwave was reactivated. Ultra Magnus tells him not to sweat it and adds that the piece he blasted off of Laserbeak could make for a useful clue.
- Properly Paranoid:
- Fowler warns Team Prime that their position is likely compromised after Laserbeak infiltrated their new base to retrieved Soundwave and abducted Ratchet. Megatron uses this to pressure Ratchet into working with the Decepticons on the Synth En. He then orders Starscream to attack anyway. Luckily, they prepared for this.
- Ratchet is well-aware that Megatron would enslave Cybertron after revivijg in the and gladly wipe out humanity on a whim, then kill him once he's no longer useful. Megatron tells him he is exactly right to suspect this.
- Sadist: Per Ratchet, Megatron not only crushed Bumblebee's voice-box but gladly looked him in the eye the entire time.
- Shout-Out: When Fowler first comes to, he claims he saw "a man on the wing of this plane".
- Wham Line: With all of cards and tools laid out to him thanks by Megatron, Ratchet is finally "convinced" to help complete the formula for the Synthetic Energon.Ratchet: I'll do it... but you already knew that, didn't you?
- Wham Shot: Megatron's final argument involves showing Ratchet that the Decepticons have already rebuilt the Omega Lock.
