Deadlock

Deadlock is the sixty-fifth and the series finale episode of Transformers: Prime. It aired on July 26, 2013.

Premise
The Autobots face against the Decepticon in their final battle that decides the future of Earth and their own kind.

Synopsis
The Autobots storm the Nemesis via the outer hull, while Ratchet lets them know he's heading for the Omega Lock's control station. As he approaches the ship, Optimus orders the Stealth Team to join Ratchet while Ultra Magnus and the Wreckers take the bridge. Arcee asks if they should destroy the lock, but Optimus does not intend to pass up a second chance to restore Cybertron. Smokescreen has to be prompted to follow the others when he's momentarily distracted by the sight of Megatron arriving on the upper deck with the Dark Star Saber. The Decepticon leader uses the sword to damage Optimus's jet pack. Optimus manages to land on one of the lower spires and starts climbing up.

Telling them he has something he needs to do, Smokescreen leaves Arcee and Bumblebee, much to Arcee's annoyance. Meanwhile, Ratchet reaches the control station and begins facing off, rather badly, against Shockwave. Arcee and Bumblebee approach the control station as well, but they're cut off by Starscream and a bunch of Seekers who open fire on them. Elsewhere, Knock Out packs for a journey he might have to make. Smokescreen arrives at the warship's storage chamber and retrieves the Star Saber.

Ultra Magnus and his team storm the bridge; however, their attempt is cut short by Soundwave, who Ground-Bridges them to the brig, where they're quickly surrounded. Ultra Magnus notifies everyone that his team has been delayed, which gives Jack an idea. He asks Raf to bridge him onto the Nemesis bridge as he's come up with a plan.

On the Nemesis, Shockwave finishes pummelling Ratchet and is about to finish the Autobot off, but is interrupted by the Omega Lock signalling that it's ready to fire. As he opens the huge portal to ready the firing sequence, he spots Optimus hanging onto the Omega Lock's structure and is forced to take cover as Optimus opens fire. Megatron soon arrives to engage Optimus directly and orders Shockwave to begin the firing sequence.

Knock Out, wandering the corridors, finds himself cut off by the fighting. The bridge, meanwhile, is invaded by Jack and an Apex Armor-clad Miko. She quickly finishes off the Vehicons onsite, but Soundwave advances on her with an open Ground Bridge. Jack tells Raf to open a Ground Bridge right behind Soundwave, and the conflicting bridge energies promptly transwarp Soundwave into the shadowzone. As Jack and Miko head to the controls, the Omega Lock begins powering up. On its rim, Optimus and Megatron continue to battle, with Optimus knocking the Dark Star Saber from Megatron's grip and decking him. Megatron orders Shockwave to prepare to fire, but is interrupted by the ship lurching while under Jack's control. After being tossed around, Miko begins criticizing Jack's flying skills. Down below, Smokescreen passes Arcee and Bumblebee, carrying the Star Saber into the Omega Lock control room. He attempts to throw the sword down to Optimus, only to be blasted by Shockwave. Arcee, Bumblebee, Starscream and Shockwave all run for the weapon. Arcee is forced to take out Starscream, and Bumblebee reaches the Star Saber first. He throws it up in the air, decking Shockwave and cracking his optic before grabbing the sword midair. Ratchet warns Optimus that he must use the Star Saber to destroy the Omega Lock; however, as Bumblebee jumps to pass the weapon to Optimus, he's blasted repeatedly by Megatron. As other Autobots and Decepticons watch in horror and glee, respectively, Bumblebee's optics flicker out, and he dies. He plunges lifelessly into the Omega Lock's energy field.

Outraged, Optimus smashes Megatron backward in a series of powerful blows, only to be knocked off the Omega Lock when Megatron recovers the Dark Star Saber and uses its wave attack to blast Optimus. As Prime clings to the side, Megatron prepares to finish the Autobot off, only to turn around in response to someone calling his name. Bumblebee runs him through with the Star Saber, and as everyone looks on in shock, Megatron dies and his body falls from the Omega Lock and plunges Earthward, burning as it enters the atmosphere. Bumblebee helps Optimus climb up as the remaining Decepticons scramble to escape. As the Autobots reunite, they marvel at the fact that Bumblebee has his voice back, and Optimus passes on the news to Magnus's team and Hangar E that Megatron has perished. With the ship now under Autobot control, Optimus orders Magnus to set course for Cybertron. Bumblebee radios Raf to let him know to come up so he can be there for the restoration of Cybertron.

As the ship passes through the Space Bridge, Starscream and Shockwave reach the escape pods to find there's only one left. They cram into it and eject, though Starscream complains about the cramped conditions.

Ratchet explains that he does not have the complete formula to synthesize cyber-matter (never having learned Shockwave's portion of it) and the current amount was intended to cyberform Earth, not the much larger Cybertron. Optimus directs the ship to the Well of All Sparks, so they can revitalize Cybertron's core. The beam of energy strikes Cybertron's core, and the planet is soon restored and glowing a healthy blue. On the bridge, Knock Out admires the planet's new luster, and claims to be "joining the winning team", only to be decked by Miko. Predaking, still clinging to the hull, looks out over Cybertron before transforming and flying off. Back on Earth, Optimus gives a speech about how they're going to miss Earth. Fowler says the three kids will be members of Unit:E, June clarified it by mentioning that they'll be in a consulting capacity only until they're of age, and Ratchet takes the opportunity to announce he's staying on Earth. Bumblebee, Bulkhead and Arcee give a tearful farewell to their respective partners, while Fowler, Magnus, Wheeljack and Smokescreen share a mutual salute. As the Autobots head through the Space Bridge, Optimus gives Ratchet a last goodbye, and with a final lingering look at his human companions, strides through after his team.

Characters

 * Optimus Prime
 * Bumblebee
 * Arcee
 * Bulkhead
 * Ratchet
 * Smokescreen
 * Wheeljack
 * Ultra Magnus
 * Megatron
 * Starscream
 * Soundwave
 * Shockwave
 * Predaking
 * Vehicons
 * Jackson Darby
 * Miko Nakadai
 * Rafael Esquivel
 * William Fowler
 * June Darby

Cast
Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime

Will Friedle as Bumblebee

Sumalee Montano as Arcee

Kevin Michael Richardson as Bulkhead

Jeffrey Combs as Ratchet

Nolan North as Smokescreen

James Horan as Wheeljack

Michael Ironside as Ultra Magnus

Frank Welker as Megatron

Steve Blum as Starscream

David Sobolov as Shockwave

Tania Gunadi as Miko Nakadai

Andy Pessoa as Rafael Esquivel

Ernie Hudson as Agent Fowler

Josh Keaton as Jackson Darby

Quotes

 * Ratchet: The Omega lock's current control station located on the lower deck.
 * Arcee: Come on!
 * Ratchet: I am making my way there now.
 * Optimus Prime: Copy, Ratchet, we will rendezvous at the objective. Arcee lead Stealth Team to secure the Omega lock. Ultra Magnus, you and the Wreckers storm the bridge. Prevent the Decepticons from targeting the device. If Stealth Team is delayed.


 * Ultra Magnus: Wreckers!
 * Arcee: Bee, Smokescreen with me! Smokescreen!


 * Smokescreen: Go without me!
 * Arcee: That isn't the mission.
 * Smokescreen: There's something I need to do.


 * Arcee: Ratchet, we're approaching your position.


 * Knock Out: Pack light! Pack light! Oh *picks up bufffer* pack smart.
 * Smokescreen: I was hoping you still be here.
 * Ultra Magnus: Secure the bridge!


 * Bumblebee: You took my voice. You will never rob anyone, of anything, ever again.


 * Starscream: Rrrgh, your elbow articulator is digging into my lateral flexor!
 * Shockwave: Do you intend to whine for the duration of the voyage?

Errors/Inconsistencies

 * Megatron is able to use the Dark Star Saber without his Prime Arm. While he is able to use Dark Energon, he shouldn't be able to use the Saber without the power of a Prime.
 * After sending Soundwave to it Miko says "Enjoy the Shadowzone, dude!" to him while facing him directly. As he is in the Shadowzone she should not be able to see him, unless she planned he would charge straight at her. Even so, she says it right after he turns to look back at them.
 * Many objects fall at a rate consistent with Eath's gravity despite being in space. This can be disputed by a local gravity field surrounding the Nemesis, or the fact that Earth's gravity extends aways into space, possibly still affecting the Nemesis.
 * Miko's height changes during the episode when she wears the Apex Armor. In "Chain of Command" she was shorter than the Vehicons but is now as tall as them. After Magnus gives her credit for securing the bridge she is as short as she was in that episode. On Cybertron, she is as tall as Knock Out.
 * Bumblebee is dripping in Cyber Matter when he rises from the pool. When he and Optimus reach the top of the Lock, it's all gone.
 * It seems the Nemesis bridge is airtight as Jack and Raf are standing around while the ship is in space. While Miko may have air in her armor, she would have eventually run out and suffocated.

Trivia

 * Last appearance of Jackson Darby
 * Last appearance of Miko Nakadai
 * Last appearance of Rafael Esquivel
 * Last appearance of William Fowler
 * Last appearance of June Darby
 * This is the last episode of the Transformers Prime Series, excluding Predacons Rising.
 * Not counting the Vehicons, Megatron is surprisingly the only character to die in this episode.
 * Despite his entire team trying to get it to him, Optimus never uses the Star Saber.
 * It was revealed in an interview on the Beast Hunters DVD, that this episode was originally going to be the centerfold of an Optimus Prime and Predaking fight which would end with Optimus "slaying the dragon" as an homage to some earlier folklore. However, the team eventually decided to alter the story and continue it in Predacons Rising as it would create a more satisfying conclusion.
 * Also in the Beast Hunters DVD, is an extended scene showing Megatron's death. It contains around 30 seconds of an extension.
 * As of this episode almost the entire Decepticon army is crippled. Megatron, Skyquake, Makeshift, Breakdown, Hardshell and Dreadwing are killed, Soundwave is trapped in the Shadowzone, Knock Out has defected, Predaking is aligned with no one, Airachnid is trapped on Cybertron's moon and the Insecticons were eaten by Airachnid and possibly transformed into Terrorcons as well, the Vehicon and Seeker troopers (the ones that survived) have taken escape pods to various unknown sectors of space. What has become of the Decepticon Miners is unknown. The only currently active members are Starscream and Shockwave.
 * Predacons Rising reveals that any who did not get to escape pods were instead taken captive, only to be killed in a failed attempt to take the warship. Also resurrected Megatron abandons his ways, leaving Shockwave and Starscream the only Decepticons unaccounted for.
 * This is the first time Optimus Prime and Megatron see each other since Rebellion.
 * It was revealed in tie-in comics that thousands of former Autobots and Decepticons (including the Dinobots) were on the planet when it was restored. The restoration itself was shown to have caused massive quakes across Cybertron and killed much of the refugees under the Dinobot's protection.
 * The Dark Star Saber is lost on Earth.

Gallery
Main Article: Deadlock/Gallery