Bumblebee's Night Off

Bumblebee's Night Off is the thirty-fourth episode of Transformers: Robots in Disguise and the eighth episode of season 2.

Plot
Bumblebee takes a night off to see his favorite band, but things get dangerous when Bisk attempts a soundboard robbery at the Rumbledome where the concert is held with his two new Mini-Cons Hammer and Anvil

Synopsis
Bumblebee, Strongarm and Grimlock search the trains in a railyard. Though Grimlock and Strongarm are visibly bored, Bumblebee reminds them that the Cons have been reliably stealing shipments of high-output cable from the yard, so they need to find it first and they can use it as bait. Grimlock finally finds the cable in question, only to be shot from behind by Springload. The Decepticon makes off with the cable, and the Autobots start hunting the Con, however Bumblebee is so jumpy that when Grimlock comes up behind him, he accidentally zaps the Dinobot. Grimlock is relatively undamaged, but a cackling Springload is able to hop aboard a nearby train which whisks him away.

The Autobots return to the scrapyard, where the others' visible resignation when Bumblebee announces they're going back out on patrol in fifteen minutes prompts Denny to suggest they need to take a break. Fixit believes he has worked out the Decepticons will next be after a sound board, and their most likely target is the Rear Axle concert at the Rumbledome. Both Bumblebee and Denny are huge fans, but both Strongarm and Grimlock are unenthusiastic and turn down staking out the Rumbledome parking lot. Denny also realizes he can't go because he has a prior engagement with Crackpot Carl and so Russell is reluctantly pressed into service.

Once they arrive at the venue, Russell heads inside the Rumbledome to get Denny a T-shirt and avoid Bumblebee's bouncing. He manages to get the T-shirt, but takes a wrong turn and ends up in an area under the stage where props are being lifted up to be part of the show. After narrowly avoiding being lifted up with a rocket prop, he spies Bisk along with two Mini-Cons, Hammer and Anvil, liberating a spare sound board. He knocks over a box of cymbals in his panic, alerting the Decepticons to his presence, but fortunately the two Mini-Cons are not the brightest sparks, and when Bisk sends them to find what the noise was, they return with two cymbals. The Cons return to the task of liberating the sound board, only for Russell to knock over a broom, leading to another large prop crashing to the floor. Russell hides in a box, and the two Mini-Cons, unable to find him, begin firing indiscriminately. Bisk sends them to guard the door while he searches himself, but Russell is able to jump onto one of the lifts carrying a prop up to the stage, and escapes. Bisk returns to his work stealing the sound board. Out in the parking lot, Russell realizes he's forgotten where Bumblebee is parked, and triggers several car alarms before he finds the Autobot.

Grimlock is practicing his sculpting and Strongarm is quizzing herself on regulations when Bumblebee contacts them to ask for backup. Russell poses as the son of Rear Axle's drummer, getting him and Bumblebee into the loading area. Unfortunately Strongarm reports that she and Grimlock are stuck in traffic, and when Bumblebee and Russell reach the backstage area, they find it empty of Decepticons. Bumblebee thinks Bisk may go after the sound board being used for the concert. Up top, the stage manager has an encounter with Bisk, whom he assumes is part of the band's show. Bumblebee heads up as well, and is promptly ordered onto the stage by the stage manager who believes he's also part of the show. Bumblebee is happy to comply, and soon he and Bisk are having a fight in full view of the audience. Bumblebee is momentarily starstruck when he realizes where he is, allowing Bisk to unleash Hammer and Anvil on him while the Con heads for the sound board. After taking out the two Mini-Cons, Bumblebee resumes fighting Bisk while Rear Axle continues playing, and takes out the Con just as the band hits the big finish to their song.

Later, Bumblebee and Russell throw Bisk and his Mini-Con companions into a box and smuggle them out of the venue. Returning to the scrapyard, Russell apologizes for the mess the T-shirt is in, though Denny is enthusiastic that it's "pre-distressed", and Russell shows Bumblebee the picture he has of the pair of them with Rear Axle.

Autobots

 * Bumblebee
 * Fixit
 * Grimlock
 * Strongarm

Decepticons

 * Bisk
 * Anvil
 * Hammer
 * Springload

Humans

 * Denny Clay
 * Russell Clay
 * Rear Axle
 * Nigel
 * Ted

Quotes
"I mean, they play songs about fighting for justice, and not giving up so long as the music's still playing! I mean it's like they know me!"
 * —Bumblebee geeks out

"Whoever you are, you're playing against opponents with much higher combat attributes than yourself!"
 * —Bisk, before trying to get Russell and EXP from crates.

"That's not sculpting! That's turning big rocks into smaller rocks!"

"Hmph, some bots have no appreciation for art."
 * —For Fixit and Grimlock, art is so subjective.

"Decepticons wrecking property... endangering humans... making me miss a Rear Axel concert! Bisk messed with the wrong Autobot.”
 * —Bumblebee's berserk button has been mashed.

"It's...like being in a video game!"

"It's...like being in a dream!"
 * —Bisk and Bumblebee

Continuity notes

 * Back in "Rumble in the Jungle" Springload was described as an "Amphiboid", but here he's referred to as an "Amphibicon". Maybe one term is a common name and the other scientific?
 * Bumblebee mentions that he developed a taste for Rear Axle during his first trip to Earth. Perhaps Miko introduced him to the band?

Prisoner manifest

 * In stasis: Hammerstrike, Chop Shop, Terrashock, Filch, Minitron, Ped, "that one with all the eyes",  Malodor and the Skunkticons, Nightstrike, Vertebreak, Octopunch, Headlock, Scowl, Scratch, Zizza, Pseudo, Fracture, Airazor, Divebomb, Underbite, Backtrack, Ransack, Polarclaw, Razorpaw, Swelter, Glacius, Torpor, Axiom, Theorem, Scorponok, Crazybolt, Slicedice, Bludgeon, Clout, Bisk, Anvil, Hammer
 * Known at large: Steeljaw, Kickback, Saberhorn, Glowstrike, Quillfire, Groundpounder, Thunderhoof, Overload, Clampdown, Springload, several unnamed Glowstrike/Scorponok associates
 * Released: Grimlock
 * Unknown status: Simacore escapes some time between "Brainpower" and "Decepticon Island (Part 2)".
 * Countless others all missing, presumed at large

Real-world references

 * Rear Axle's style and face paint evokes the look of 80's glam rock, particularly the band KISS.

Trivia

 * Bisk sports car kibble, suggesting that he's scanned an Earth-appropriate disguise since escaping the scrapyard.