TF Views

The Autobots and Decepticons begin a ceremony for the signing of a peace treaty, only to be caught unawares as a group of mercenaries freezes the entire population in time and begin to loot the planet. Luckily, Arcee and Grimlock happened to be offworld at the time... looting the tomb of Nexus Prime. This doesn't really sit well with me. The Autobots shouldn't be looting anything, unless they have no other options, or maybe if it were a less than reputable Autobot.... but this is portrayed as Grimlock and Arcee doing it just for the fun of it. Also not sure why the tomb of Nexus Prime would be on an alien planet, protected by a giant invisible space bird. Anyway, one of the objects they get aware with is... The Enigma of Combination. I really hate this thing ever since it was introduced as a plot device. I always liked the idea that combiners were a rare and potentially risky thing to create if the team didn't mesh well. This thing makes it too easy when it can just magic a bunch of Transformers together.

Arriving back on Cybertron, Arcee and Grimlock split up to figure out what's going on, only for Arcee to end up frozen when she encounters the mercenaries. Grimlock doesn't stay on his own for long though, as he discovers the Dinobots. They're from another planet where these mercenaries did the same thing and then destroyed their world, and now they're on a mission to stop them. It also turns out they know of Grimlock, having seen the transmissions he'd sent out while he was living on prehistoric Earth (back in season 1). This is also why they've adopted dinosaur forms, to be like Grimlock's dinosaur pals they'd seen. They take on the mercenaries, but with a lack of teamwork and the mercenaries time freeze gun, they're forced to retreat.

While regrouping, the Dinobots discover the Engima can allow them to combine. It is nice to see that once they form the gestalt, they don't automatically know how to function in this new form. Grimlock creates an obstacle course to train themselves, which doesn't go well at first, but eventually they get the hang of it. Meanwhile, the mercenaries track down Soundwave. Turns out he's the whole reason they've come to Cybertron, because Soundblaster wants some revenge on him. It's explained he used to be a Decepticon, until he and Soundwave and a beatboxing match, and Soundwave won. Soundblaster quit the Decepticons after that to become the mercenary he is now... Ok then. I also have to say, I really don't like the voice they gave Soundblaster in this. It's like a stereotypical redneck voice, and it just doesn't fit the character at all. Anyway, Soundwave is rescued as the Dinobots rematch the mercenaries. After being caged, they ask that they restore Cybertron, only to be told their boss has to make that decision... Which turns out to be Trypticon. Volcanicus (whom I don't recall ever actually being named in the episode) takes him on, and eventually they're able to time freeze him with Soundblaster's gun, although the rest of the mercenaries are able to escape during the fight.

Unfreezing Wheeljack, he creates a device to amplify the gun's effect to unfreeze the entire planet, which also overloads the device. The peace treaty is signed, with the population completely unaware they'd been ever been frozen in time, leading to some confused reactions with the sudden appearance of Trypticon, or those that had been moved during the recent battles, although this is quickly brushed off as the celebration continues, and the wall dividing Autobot and Decepticon territory is shut down.

While the joint Autobot and Decepticons dedicate the new Trypticon Plaza, Astrotrain suddenly comes crashing to Cybertron and warns them "he's coming, they're coming", someone much worst than Megatron and shuts down. The Cybertronians quickly goes on the defensive, raising the planetary shield, but the "Perfect Decepticons" easily teleport through it. Surprisingly, they don't attack anyone on Cybertron, they're busy fighting each other. One of them, calling himself Tarn, explains when Megatron created them, he made them to be perfect soldiers, mindless soldiers only programmed to fight. Without anyone left to fight, they ambushed Astrotrain in retribution for their fallen leader, and then turned on each other. After the Autobots efforts to contain them fails, and the Decepticons weapons prove ineffective, Tarn says he's heard of the Cortex Helm, which may allow them to change the Perfect Decepticon's programming to get rid of their need to fight.

Seeking out Thunderhowl, he leads them to one of Oynx Prime's hidden islands where the Helm is located. Tarn of course betrays the group once they arrive and claims the Cortex Helm for himself, making the others into his own personal army. Teleporting to a gladiator ring, he forces Optimus to fight, and declares the alliance between Autobots and Decepticons over. The Autobots regroup, and with a teleporter Wheeljack grabbed from a soldier, they're able to get the drop on Tarn. Tarn orders the Decepticons to attack, but the Decepticons refuse to follow him, and stand by the Autobots. The Perfect Decepticons still prove too much for even the joint Autobot and Decepticons, but Soundwave is able to take the Cortex Helm to reprogram them, and sacrifices himself with a massive sonic blast, taking out Tarn with him.

The Autobots and Decepticons hold a wake for Soundwave. Outside the bar, Optimus, Bumblebee, Hot Rod and Windblade have a short converstation, not sure what to do with themselves with the war over. Optimus decides Cybertron is no longer in need of a Prime, that they've all proven themselves capable leaders, while he will finally take the opportunity to relax.