Metal Attraction

Metal Attraction is the thirteenth episode of the first season of Transformers: Prime. It is the eighteenth episode of the series overall.

Premise
Bulkhead and Arcee, along with Miko, are sent on a reconnaissance mission to investigate a bizarre energy signal.

Synopsis
Ratchet reports to Arcee and Jack that there's an incoming vehicle, which they initially assume to be a Decepticon, but they were relaxed when it turns out to be June Darby in her car. Jack's less than enthusiastic that his mother's come to check up on him again, but the mood changes when Ratchet detects an unusual magnetic flux.

Soundwave has also picked up the magnetic signature, which Megatron recognizes as a Decepticon weapon. Breakdown volunteers to secure the invention. Megatron is skeptical of Breakdown's abilities following certain recent events, but Breakdown insists.

Miko and Raf arrive back at base with Bulkhead, but their high spirits drop when they realize Jack's mom is there. Arcee and Jack prepare to go conduct a routine diagnostic, but June's questioning about how safe it will be makes Arcee irritated. Ratchet asks Bulkhead to go and investigate the magnetic disturbance, and when Miko announces she's going too, Bulkhead is obliged to tell her to stay at base. Finally, June's questions about it being safe for Jack to help Arcee test her new tracking system but not safe for Miko to join Bulkhead in an investigation mission, become too much for Arcee, and she opts to go with Bulkhead, which makes Jack shoot his mother an irritated glance.

In a desert area, Breakdown breaks apart some rocks to find the device he's after. No sooner has he picked it up than Airachnid puts in an appearance, clouts him and grabs the weapon. Breakdown recovers quickly and begins fighting Airachnid, until she burrows up from beneath the earth and drags him down, leaving him buried. She picks up the device and is ready to leave, when Breakdown pulls himself free of the ground, and the pair charge at each other. Arcee and Bulkhead trudge through the rocks, discussing how Jack's mom is a killjoy, and Miko, who has quietly tagged along, asks if they can ban her from the base. Arcee calls for a Ground Bridge, but Miko talks her out of it, then requests Bulkhead play some rock music. Arcee tells him to shut it off, as it's not exactly stealthy, and they soon find Breakdown and Airachnid fighting. Leaving Miko a safe distance behind, the two Autobots leap into combat, surprising Airachnid, who has just gotten the upper hand. Bulkhead tosses Arcee into the air, and she shoots at the pair before charging at Breakdown, but Airachnid insists on facing Arcee herself. After a few minutes' fighting, Bulkhead and Arcee overcome their opponents, but Breakdown grabs the weapon and activates it. Warning him that it isn't a toy, Airachnid retreats underground, and Arcee and Bulkhead find themselves being dragged towards each other. The weapon hoists them into the air before slamming them back against some rocks. Satisfied, Breakdown transforms to return to the Nemesis. Miko finds her phone stuck to Bulkhead's chest and Arcee stuck to Bulkhead's back. Driving along a road, Breakdown is ambushed and entangled in a web.

Ratchet realizes that the weapon Breakdown has is a polarity gauntlet and says their best bet to get Arcee unstuck is to get the gauntlet back. Arcee insists on Miko returning to base, and Miko complains loudly that she sounds just like Jack's mom, which June naturally hears over the comm link.

At an old gas station, Airachnid tries on the gauntlet. Breakdown, securely webbed to the side of the building, suggests they could take it back to Megatron together, but she's not keen on rejoining the Decepticons and thinks the gauntlet will be perfect for keeping everyone else away. Bulkhead trudges up to the gas station to confront Airachnid, who tells him to put his hands up and turn around. He does so, and Arcee promptly opens fire, managing to shoot the gauntlet out of Airachnid's hand. The device activates and drags everything metal towards it, including Breakdown, who is pulled free of the webbing and shuts the gauntlet down. Bulkhead and Arcee begin awkwardly fighting Breakdown and Airachnid. Bulkhead manages to deck Breakdown and turns to face Airachnid, but then Breakdown uses the gauntlet to drop an oil derrick on the 'Bots. Pinned under an unconscious Bulkhead, Arcee is menaced by Airachnid. Fortunately, Bulkhead comes around in time, and the pair stand up, now separated. Arcee attacks Breakdown, but Bulkhead finds himself no match for Airachnid, who grabs the gauntlet and uses it to draw Arcee to her. Bulkhead blasts Breakdown into another oil derrick, while Arcee and Airachnid fight. Arcee eventually gets possession of the gauntlet and uses it to polarize everyone so that they repel metal. Airachnid uses her webbing to snatch the gauntlet back and transforms to escape, but Bulkhead grabs onto her helicopter mode and throws her into Breakdown. With the gauntlet secured, Arcee and Bulkhead head back to base, where they give it to Ratchet, and June apologizes for being overprotective. On the Nemesis, Megatron is unhappy when Breakdown returns apparently empty-handed, but Breakdown reveals he has Airachnid stuck to his back. Airachnid tells an amused Megatron that she is happy to return to the Decepticons.

Autobots
Ratchet

Arcee

Bulkhead

Decepticons
Soundwave

Megatron

Breakdown

Airachnid

Vehicons

Humans
Jack Darby

June Darby

Miko Nakadai

Rafael Esquivel

Cast

 * Frank Welker as Megatron
 * Sumalee Montano as Arcee
 * Kevin Michael Richardson as Bulkhead
 * Gina Torres as Airachnid
 * Adam Baldwin as Breakdown
 * Josh Keaton as Jackson Darby
 * Tania Gunadi as Miko Nakadai
 * Andy Pessoa as Rafael Esquivel
 * Markie Post as June Darby

Quotes
June: ''So... where's Optimus?''

Ratchet: ''On a scouting mission with Bumblebee. Sorry to disappoint.''

June: And I wore heels and everything...

Jack: MOM!

- June to Ratchet and Jack, much to Jack's embarrassment.

Breakdown: ''Allow me to redeem myself, master. What I have lost... is a constant reminder that I must never again fail you.''

- Breakdown to Megatron.

Arcee: A scout should be silent but deadly.

- Arcee unwittingly makes Bulkhead and Miko's day.

Airachnid: Still up for a truce, muscles?

Breakdown: Only because I hate Bulkhead more than I hate you.

- Airachnid and Breakdown making an alliance.

Megatron: Breakdown, you dare to return empty-handed?!

Breakdown: No, Master.

[Turns around, revealing Airachnid magnetized to his back]

Megatron: ''Airachnid... it has been some time.''

Airachnid: ''Lord Megatron... what can I say? It's good to be back.''

- Airachnid ending the episode with a literal pun.

Errors/Notes

 * Arcee slashes Airachnid's face twice, both apparently enough to leave an open wound, but it would seem unlikely that Airachnid would only have one to show for it.


 * Cellphones are primarily made of plastic, which is not attracted to magnetic objects. The gauntlet also took Miko's change, which is also not magnetic. Yet the gauntlet didn't attract Miko's belt buckle, and her earrings.


 * When Arcee is stuck to Bulkhead, she can still move her arms and legs. If the magnetic force were strong enough to hold her to him, her limbs would also have been stuck.


 * Mere moments after Bulkhead states that he is polarised and can't touch metal, he grabs Airachnid out of the air and throws her at Breakdown.

Gallery
Main Article: Metal Attraction Gallery

Trivia

 * Arcee states that she has been protecting Jack for months, indicating a lot of time has passed in between the mini series and this episode. Fans believe that years have passed during the show, but if it was true, then the humans would have aged.
 * During this episode's original airing, the commercial bumpers were backwards: "we now return" was played at the start of each break and "we'll be right back" was played at the end.
 * As of this episode, we finally have a mention of Jack's father having left him and June.
 * The door of the gas station is referred to an Arizona horror story.