Divide and Conquer
Synopsis: In order to save the life of a gravely injured Optimus Prime, the Autobots must journey to Cybertron to retrieve a critical piece of technology but must contend with the Decepticons and natural disasters that threaten them from completing this vital mission!
The Episode: As the episode begins, we start at a munitions factory, one of many, it seems, that is working to build weaponry to combat the growing menace of the evil Decepticons. At this particular factory, there’s a visitor; it’s none other than Chip Chase, who’s there to help boost computing efficiency in order to improve productivity.
The visit is cut extremely short, as a group of unwelcome guests decide to crash this party: it’s the Decepticon Seekers! Although a group of guards/workers try to repel the Decepticons by opening fire on them, it’s of no use. The Seekers breach the building, land inside, and immediately start collecting energy. Thankfully, the group is so focused on their task that they don’t notice Chip is there, and with a few button presses, sends out a distress call, hoping to alert the Autobots.
Meanwhile, Optimus Prime and Spike are out searching for any signs of the Space Bridge but find nothing. While still out in the field, Prime receives Chip’s distress signal and relays the message to the other Autobots, who he then instructs to meet him at the munitions plant. Optimus Prime and Spike head to the plant, while the Autobots in the Ark transform to do the same, causing Sparkplug to wonder if he’ll ever get used to seeing them transforming.
Optimus Prime is the first on the scene, and the Seekers immediately hesitate when they see him. Megatron tells them that they outnumber Prime and goads them into battling the Autobots’ leader. Prime is holding his own throughout most of the battle, but a stray shot inadvertently hits one of the massive computers, and it happens to be the one nearest Chip! The machine overloads and is about to explode, but Optimus rushes in and acts as a living shield to protect Chip and his guide.
Optimus Prime takes the full force of the explosion, which leaves him reeling. The Seekers seize their chance and open fire. They don’t miss, and Prime collapses.
It looks like certain victory for the Decepticons, except they hear something: the revving engines of the rest of the Autobots. Megatron calls a retreat, and the Seekers take the energon cubes and take to the skies.
The Autobots nearly give chase until Chip tells them that there are bigger problems at hand; Optimus Prime is severely injured. The Autobots rush to their leader’s side, and Bumblebee asks what happened. Prime manages to give a brief explanation, but it’s with effort. He asks Wheeljack if he can possibly repair the damage, and Wheeljack says he’ll try, but first, they have to get Optimus back to headquarters.
Prime can transform, but he’s so badly wounded that the Autobots have to tow him back. On the way back to the headquarters, Chip and Spike, who are catching a ride with Bumblebee, admit that things look bad. Bumblebee gently chastises the two, saying that Prime will be all right. But Bumblebee sounds worried.
Starscream and the Seekers report back to Megatron, with Starscream claiming that Optimus Prime has been terminated since he saw the Autobot leader fall. But that’s not enough for Megatron. Megatron demands to know whether or not Prime’s laser core has been completely extinguished, so he orders Laserbeak to infiltrate the Autobot headquarters. Laserbeak outright balks at the very suggestion, but Megatron threatens the Decepticon, which gives Laserbeak the “courage” to carry out Megatron’s orders. The Decepticon cassette flies to the Ark and slips inside by transforming and hitching a ride in cassette mode on Brawn’s shoulder. Once inside, Laserbeak hides and begins surveillance.
It’s not good. Prime’s electropulse is fading, and he’s getting weaker. Huffer, being the cheerful, upbeat sort, keeps swearing that Optimus Prime won’t survive because he’s just the type to boost everyone’s morale. With the Autobots distracted, Megatron orders Laserbeak to strike, and he does, firing directly into Prime’s chest and setting off an explosion!
Fortunately, Prime survives the encounter, causing Sparkplug to note, “They sure don’t build ’em like that anymore.” Although Optimus is still alive, his energy is fading rapidly. There’s only one thing that can save Prime’s life: a cosmitron.
Bumblebee is raring to go, demanding to know where it is so he can find it and bring it back. There’s a couple of minor problems: Wheeljack has a spare, but it’s in his workshop. On Cybertron. Making things worse, the Decepticons placed a computerized lock on the door, with a code known only to the Decepticons. So saving Prime’s life requires a trip back to Cybertron and someone with enough computing knowledge to pick a high-tech lock. It looks like Chip Chase has just been elected to act as a locksmith, so that’s one problem solved. The other: getting back to Cybertron.
With Teletraan I’s help, Chip manages to triangulate the coordinates for the next likely appearance of the Space Bridge. Once the location is found, a group of Autobots–Bumblebee, Bluestreak, Ironhide, and Trailbreaker–along with Chip, head to the site. The Decepticons are already there.
Starscream and Rumble, along with a Reflector clone, are overseeing the delivery of a shipment of energon to Cybertron. Well, Starscream and Rumble are overseeing. Since the shuttle needs a guide, the hapless Reflector lookalike is ‘volunteered’ to act as the shuttle’s pilot. It’s not a job this poor guy wants.
Despite his pleas, he’s forced into the shuttle and sent to Cybertron, while Rumble and Starscream mock his predicament. Not long after the shipment is sent, the Autobots arrive, and a melee ensues. But during the brawl, a thunderstorm erupts, which gives Megatron an idea. He’s been monitoring everything, and he instructs the Decepticons to allow the Autobots to win. The Decepticons balk, but eventually obey Megatron’s command. The Autobots head to the Space Bridge and are transported to Cybertron.
The group arrives on Cybertron in Shockwave’s lab, as he’s just received the energon shipment, and a scuffle breaks out. Shockwave opens fire, hits Bumblebee, and sends the other Autobots scrambling. Ironhide manages to weaken one of the walls with some liquid nitrogen and creates a doorway, which the Autobots use to exit. Before leaving, Ironhide shoots an adhesive at the floor, which glues both Shockwave and the Reflector clone in place. Now, the group just has to get to Wheeljack’s lab.
This is when Megatron enacts his plan: he contacts a trio of Decepticon Seekers–yellow, blue, and green–and orders them to create acid rain.
Outside of Wheeljack’s workshop, Chip is trying to crack the lock on the door. It takes a few tries, but he manages to work his way past the mechanism, and the Autobots can now enter the workshop. It takes Ironhide mere moments to find the cosmitron. With the component in hand, the Autobots begin their journey back to the Space Bridge, but their victory is shortlived; the Seekers seed the clouds above the Autobots, and a debilitating acid rain begins to fall. The Autobots try to outrun the precipitation, but they can’t. Their circuits shorting, the Autobots collapse, telling Chip that they’ve failed.
Chip won’t hear it. He tells the Autobots that it isn’t just Optimus Prime, but Earth as well, who is depending on them. It doesn’t appear to work at first, but after a few moments, the Autobots gather enough strength to keep fighting. Trailbreaker manages to shield everyone with his force-field, and Bluestreak fires a few quick salvos skyward to break up the storm and chase off the noisome Seekers. The rain stops and Bumblebee declares that he never did like rain, acid, or otherwise. With their strength renewed, the Autobots leave.
Shockwave has finally freed himself and is assisting the Reflector clone when the Autobots rush inside and head back to the Space Bridge. Again, Shockwave tries to stop them, but it’s to no avail.
Back on Earth, Megatron knows that without Optimus Prime, his conquest of the Autobots is all but assured. Starscream suggests an attack on the Autobots’ headquarters, and Megatron agrees. The Decepticons take to the air, ready to destroy the Autobots.
At Autobot headquarters, Optimus Prime isn’t doing well. Sparkplug tries to let Spike down gently, but before he can, the Autobots are alerted to the oncoming Decepticons. Huffer immediately says that they’re doomed, but Spike refuses to believe that. He tells the Autobots that Optimus Prime would be ready to fight in this situation and manages to grab Jazz’s gun, asking if he was going to have to do this by himself. Not even Huffer can argue, so the Autobots prepare to counterattack. Ratchet and Wheeljack volunteer to stay with Optimus Prime.
The battle erupts just as the Autobot mission returns from Cybertron. Bumblebee, along with Chip and Spike, rushes the cosmitron back to headquarters and to the waiting Ratchet and Wheeljack. They get to work immediately.
The Decepticons are solidly trouncing the Autobots, but Starscream is concerned. He admits that they’re expending far too much energy during the brawl. Megatron doesn’t care. He’s pretty much defeated all of the Autobots, and now he issues a challenge: Can anyone take him on? Then, a voice calls out loudly and clearly.
“There is one, Megatron! I, Optimus Prime, challenge you!”
Megatron wastes no time in taking a shot at Optimus, and Prime reacts by quite literally diving into battle. At first, it seems like an even match, but Prime gains the upper hand, as Megatron is running low on energy. Starscream outright mocks Megatron and tells him that he can’t assist the Decepticon leader in this fight.
Megatron is beaten, and Optimus asks if he yields. Megatron agrees, but only for the time being. Since Megatron is incapacitated, a very self-satisfied Starscream takes command and orders a retreat and to bring Megatron back to headquarters for repairs. As the vanquished Decepticons leave, Chip muses that this might be the last we see of them. But Spike doesn’t believe him and says that the Decepticons will be back.
My Thoughts: This episode is absolutely legendary among Japanese fans, as the Japanese dub features the voice of Convoy letting loose an epic scream during Condor’s attack. Seriously, there have been memes about this! It makes me want to watch the Japanese dub!
Secondly, let’s go ahead and address something that a lot of fans think is a plot hole: No, the Autobots could not have sheltered in Wheeljack’s lab.
To put this another way, Optimus Prime was on an operating table, and he was bleeding out. You don’t waste time when a patient is hemorrhaging. Sure, Ratchet and Wheeljack had him stabilized, but Prime didn’t have a lot of time. The Autobots knew this and had to take their chances; if they had waited that storm out, they could have lost Optimus. They could save themselves or Optimus Prime. It was a no-win situation.
Welcome to the Kobayashi Maru, Cybertronian style.
That is exactly why Megatron set this up; if things had gone according to his plan, there would have been more casualties. That’s why Megatron’s plan was so insidious because he knew those Autobots would take that kind of risk. He was counting on it. However, his plan backfired and backfired spectacularly.
As crazy as it sounds, Chip’s speech to the Autobots did stick with me. There have been times in my life when it was a gargantuan effort to get out of bed in the morning, let alone doing anything remotely productive. I’ve hit some pretty deep potholes, if you will, and there were times when I didn’t think I would get out of them. But knowing that I could do something, anything, helped. It was one of the ways I bounced back from my ex. It helped keep me somewhat sane back in 2010 when everything turned upside down. It was the same with Spike’s speech; sometimes, I need that kick in the pants.
Also remember: Things like this were what helped the Autobots eventually win the war. Beast Wars Megatron outright states that forming an alliance with humanity was a major deciding factor for the Decepticons’ loss. It seems that humans and Autobots are stronger together than apart.
Those Seekers on Cybertron became known as the Rainmakers, and we did eventually get toys of them.
Also: RUMBLE, YOU MISERABLE WAD OF HALF RUSTED PIG IRON! YOU DO NOT CALL BUMBLEBEE A RUNT! OH, AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THAT JERK SHOCKWAVE! 😡
Huffer is that guy whose opinion you never ask because you know it’s not going to be good.
This episode ranks as one of my favorites. It’s fairly dramatic, and the stakes are high with this; if Prime doesn’t get the cosmitron, then we have no Optimus Prime. This was a life or death situation, no two ways about it, and Prime pulled through because the other Autobots were willing to go to the ends of the universe to help him. We start to see at this point that Optimus Prime isn’t just a leader: he’s family.
This is also the first glimpse we get of Bumblebee’s loyalty to Optimus Prime; he’s champing at the bit to do something, anything to help Prime. He’s dedicated, and it absolutely shows, which is one of the many reasons I love him so much. If he cares about you, you have someone on your side forever. Bumblebee is the definition of a ride or die; he will be there for you, no matter what. He’ll walk through Hades without a second thought if you need it. I love him for that.
As insane as this might sound, when I first saw this episode as a child, I remember feeling so bad for Optimus. When he would say that he was getting weaker, I remember thinking how I just wanted to be there, in that universe, with him. I just wanted to lay my head on the back of his hand and tell him not to talk, just to rest. I just had this overwhelming desire to comfort him, but I couldn’t because here I am, stuck in this dumb universe. Stupid time-line. 💔
Unfortunately, there won’t be a post next week due to BotCon. I simply won’t have the time to watch the episode and put together a post during a convention. In two weeks, I’ll be back with my thoughts on the next episode, Fire in the Sky. Til all are one!
Iacon East 