Ripped Up Space

There's a hole in the universe, dear Optimus, dear Optimus, a hole.

Summary
Alpha Q marvels as Unicron returns to life. Kicker and Misha are likewise amazed, and worried about what will happen now that Unicron has his head back. Scorponok notes that the only remaining task is to get rid of Megatron.

In his control harness, Megatron swears revenge on Alpha Q. Rodimus (linked with Hot Shot) arrives with Landmine and Prowl; but Megatron shields himself before they can fire. Megatron causes Unicron to release massive amounts of unstable, potentially explosive energon.

Shockblast stalks Optimus Prime through Unicron, but when he threatens to usurp Megatron, Mirage and Starscream arrive and hold both of them off. Optimus's entreaties to Starscream to stop Megatron fall on deafly obedient ears.

Alpha Q panics, noting that Megatron's actions will destroy Unicron. Kicker wonders how they're supposed to stop him, which Alpha Q immediately takes as a refusal.

Rodimus and company blast into Megatron's chamber, but he's gone. They keep hunting for him.

The newly recreated Wing Dagger, now callimg himself Wing Saber, arrives to help Prime out. They combine and counterattack, quickly leaving Megatron's troops behind.

Scorponok wants to leave Ironhide behind, saying that he's just "baggage". Prime meets up with Rodimus; Ironhide radios that he's with Scorponok somewhere, and that Scorponok has sensed an energon stockpile. Prime and Rodimus realize Scorponok is a Terrocon.

Rodimus tells Prime that Megatron wants nothing less than a final showdown with Prime, and places himself under Prime's command. Prime has devised a complex attack strategy: destroy Megtatron.

Prime's plan changes: Hot Shot will help Alpha Q and separate Unicron's head from his body, while he and Rodimus finish off Megatron.

In space, Alpha Q's red orb drifts away from Unicron. Hot Shot informs Kicker that Alpha Q is moving, so they'll need the human's guidance. Elsewhere, Alpha Q is releasing energon under Kicker and Misha's direction, but he's a bit confused as to why. Kicker tells him to go slowly, so Megatron won't notice.

Megatron, wired up to another control node, is furious at this attempt at resistance. He plans to destroy Unicron and then everyone else. Scorponok arrives and challenges him. Alpha Q stops, as he senses Scorponok and Megatron engaging. Despite backup from Ironhide, Megatron slices off Scorponok's tail, rips off his arm, and stabs him through the chest. Alpha Q refuses to leave his friend behind, and heads back toward Unicron, despite Kicker's protests.

Megatron rejoins with his control harness. Alpha Q speaks, asking why Megatron is doing this, and telling him that Unicron will destroy him as well if he doesn't stop. Megatron expels Scorponok and Ironhide, and activates his energon. The energon starts to react, spreading panic among all the forces.

Megatron merely chuckles as a giant energy rift forms near Unicron, sucking in Hot Shot's team. Ironhide challenges him, but Optimus and Rodimus arrive before Megatron can do anything. Hot Shot and Prowl combine to go after Landmine; Demolishor and Snowcat are also sucked in.

Alpha Q retreats in the face of the rift, getting too close to it, to the point that it begins to pull him in. Having started this, Alpha Q vows to see it through. Kicker loses contact with him.

Prime and Megatron prepare to have a final showdown. Shockblast briefly interferes, but Megatron merely bashes him aside, and he gets sucked away into the rift. Megatron leads Starscream and Mirage away into the rift. The Autobots retreat, as Unicron is about to explode. Unicron falls into the rift.

Prime sends Ironhide to report back to Cybertron, and leads the rest of the team in pursuit of Megatron through the rift. Ironhide contacts Kicker, who yells and screams a lot till Ironhide tells him he's just following orders. Arcee arrives with a squad of Omnicons, as the Miranda II prepares to follow Optimus through the rift.

Stats
Original airdate:

Written by:

Featured characters
(''Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes
"Kicker..." "...we're confused." "We have... a question."
 * Alpha Q summarizes the entire episode in a nutshell.

"I'll use the energon I've collected and use it to destroy all who dare challenge my supremacy!"
 * Megatron

Rodimus: "Optimus. I hate to disagree." Optimus: "Uh?" Rodimus: "You can't let Ironhide get ahead of us. Megatron will annihilate him in a nanosecond.  Megatron wants a showdown with you, his arch-rival and he won't let anything stand in his way." Optimus: "Yes." Hot Shot: "Let's do this!" Landmine: "Yeah!" Rodimus: "Until this mission is completed, I put myself totally under your command, Optimus. Just let us know what you need, sir." Opimus: "Thank you. Rodimus." Prowl: "So. I guess that means we kinda got ourselves a new boss, Landmine." Landmine: "Kinda looks like it, doesn't it Prowl." Rodimus: "Okay. Now that we all agree that you're running the show, Optimus.  What's our first plan of attack?" Optimus: "Ha hah. Very simple.  We destroy Megatron.  But remember -- he's mine." Rodimus: "Yes sir." Optimus: "Okay, let's get moving, men. We've got a job to do.  Roll out!" Rodimus: "Hm. Just lead the way.  Disengage!" Hot Sho: "Hot Shot reporting in, sir." Optimus: "We're counting on you, soldier." Rodimus: "Remember to stay close, in case we need to link up again, Hot Shot." Hot Shot: "Don't you worry, Rodimus. We'll do whatever it takes to win this fight." Rodimus: "Right. Then let's listen up to Optimus." Optimus: "Change in plans, men. Hot Shot, take Prowl and Landmine and help Alpha Q.    Rodimus and I will take care of Megatron.  Your mission is to separate Unicron's head from its body." Hot Shot: "Yes sir!" Optimus: "This is the most dangerous mission we've ever been on. But with the power of energon we will succeed."
 * -- the Autobots put their faith in a true master tactician

"There's a hole in the universe!"
 * Alpha Q

"Optimus. What's our next plan of action, sir?" "We save the universe." "That's a pretty tall order, sir."
 * Rodimus calls bullshit on Optimus

"So what are you doing back here?" "Well because -- Optimus ordered me -- " "Where did everybody else go?" "They all followed Optimus somewhere." "Why didn't you go?! Why are you ''here?!  Where's Optimus?!" "I was ordered to report to Cybertron!" "Why didn't you say that before?!"
 * Ironhide should really just step on Kicker

Pain count

 * "Uh?": 22
 * Stock footage: 1
 * The power of energon: 2
 * It's time to: 1
 * We don't have time for this: 4
 * We've gotta: 3
 * Let's do it: 3
 * Our planets: 3

Continuity errors

 * Dialog says that Scorponok's leaving Ironhide behind, but a few seconds later Scorponok is just standing there, with Ironhide saying that Scorponok has sensed energon.
 * Kicker seems to be having Alpha Q execute some kind of plan, but we're never told what it was, and nothing becomes of it.
 * Kicker and Misha keep saying that Alpha Q is "leaving", when he's actually moving toward the rift.
 * Despite what Rodimus says, Unicron isn't about to "blow"; he's getting sucked into the rift.

Miscellaneous trivia

 * This episode is an incredibly chaotic jumble of bad visuals, incongruous scene changes and garbled script writing. It's not at all clear where Alpha Q is, where he's going, or even what Unicron is at times.  And the conversation quoted above is only one example of the disjointed dialog.