Rise of the Constructicons

'''Bulkhead befriends a pair of construction vehicles brought to life by AllSpark energy. But the Decepticons have their scanners set on the duo for their latest construction project. '''



Summary
The Autobots once again must aid in the restoration of the increasingly disaster-prone city of Detroit. Though there is oddly a fair amount of balking from a space bridge repair crew, Optimus Prime reminds them that a fair amount of the destruction is indeed their fault. These musings are cut short by Bumblebee spotting the other party to Detroit's deterioration, the Decepticons. Blitzwing and Lugnut are scurrying by in a most undignified manner, carrying construction supplies for Megatron. A combined effort by Bumblebee and Ratchet manages to knock the two Decepticons skidplate-over-processing unit, but they still manage to flee with a much smaller portion of the supplies. The Autobots are prevented from giving chase by the cracking of a bridge support, which they then repair.At the end of the day, the Autobots are ready to head home. Bulkhead tells Optimus Prime he'll catch up, to mask the fact that he's accidentally adhered his feet to the ground with cement.

Meanwhile across town, two construction vehicles are seen with AllSpark fragments embedded in them. The two fragments activate, and the machines gain sentience. After a brief debate over naming, they discover their new ability to turn into giant robots. This does not faze them in the slightest, and soon they chase off after a highly attractive sports car.

Bulkhead's attempts at mixing more cement prove explosive, knocking him out and nearly getting him skewered by iron girders. Thankfully the newly minted Constructobots spot this, and save his skidplate. They then help the lumbering Autobot to do the job right and then take him off to a tanker for an oil break. Though Bulkhead was quite pleased with the oil he was served, he soon voiced misgivings as to whether they ought to be doing this. Asked by the Constructobots whether he was going to act like a little yellow compact, he remembered his friends back at the base and invited his new acquaintances back to meet them. Loudly carousing to the point that even Ratchet thought they were a bit rude, they soon woke up Sari. Wondering what all the commotion was, the poor girl had her pigtails forcibly amputated by a game of oil barrel lid frisbee. This was the last straw for Optimus Prime, who kicked the two paisanos out on their keisters.

The next day, Blitzwing and Lugnut were once again hauling heavy construction materials, this time Laurel and Hardy style up a steep hill. Blitzwing's footing slipped, and he was nearly offlined by the heavy trailer that sent him careening towards a wall. Bracing for an impact that never came, he was startled to find Mixmaster and Scrapper had saved him. Immediately he asked them who and what they were. At first the jovial pair answered that they were Autobots, but as this met with some static they quickly amended it to Constructobots. Blitzwing saw an opportunity in the pair's brawn, and as police sirens approached convinced them to help haul the load. Lugnut objected, worried about Megatron's reaction. Blitzwing reassured, sotto voce, that he would offline the two goombahs immediately after the work was done.

Stats

 * Written by: Stan Berkowitz
 * Directed by: Ben Jones, Irineo Maramba, & Shunji Oga
 * Original airdate: May 17, 2008

Featured characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes
Hothead Blitzwing: I WILL POUND THEM INTO SHEET METAL! ''[changes into Random Blitzwing and finds a plate of sheet metal] Random Blitwing: Oooh! Oh, wait! We've already got some!
 * Ah, good ol' Blitzwing.

[Scrapper bangs his shovel into Mixmaster] Mixmaster: Hey, watch where you're pointing that thing, shovel-head! Scrapper: Who you calling "shovel-head", cement-breath?! Mixmaster: My name ain't "cement-breath", okay? It's...it's...uh... Scrapper: Your little name tag says "Mixmaster". Mixmaster: Nah, that's too long. Just call me "Mix". Scrapper: All right, you got it, Mix. And you can call me... ''[Sees a sign that says "SCRAP"] Scrapper: ...Scrap. Mixmaster: All right, that's too short. How 'bout "Scrapper"? Scrapper: I like it.
 * The Constructicons come to life and name themselves. They had an easier time than Wreck-Gar.

"Where did Bulkhead find these two?" "I've got a feeling it wasn't charm school".
 * Colour Prowl and Ratchet unimpressed.

"Hey, those don't grow back overnight!"
 * Sari gets her pigtailsand nearly her headsliced off by Bulkhead with the oil-barrel-frisbee in the factory. Bet they're back by the next episode...

[Blitzwing and Lugnut are pushing heavy supplies up a hill] Icy Blitzwing: Ever notice zat whenever zere's hard work, Megatron's not around? Lugnut: Bite your speech synthesizer! Megatron will take us to new heights of glory! [Blitzwing is nearly crushed under the supplies he is carrying when Mixmaster saves him] Mixmaster: You okay, bro? Hothead Blitzwing: Do I look okay?! Random Blitzwing: Or do these wing struts make me look fat?
 * Blitzwing focuses on the important stuff.

''[Lugnut charges his "powerpunch" and sneaks up behind the Constructicons] Megatron: "Wait." ''[Lugnut loses his balance and stumbles into the mine, causing his punch to backfire on him] Lugnut: "I'm OK..."
 * Ah, good old Lugnut.

Mixmaster: "You tricked us! You Decepticons are the scum o' the universe!" Megatron: "Whaaat? Who told you that?" Scrapper: "Our friend, Bulkhead." Megatron: "And you believed him?" Mixmaster: "Well, sure, he's our friend." Megatron: "And did your friend tell you how his Autobot kind have oppressed us? Driven us from our rightful home? Oh, they may come across as complete imbeciles, but Autobots are cunning, ruthless, unforgiving." Mixmaster: "Okay, like, this is too confusin' for me." Megatron: "Then why don't I explain everything over a few barrels of oil?" Mixmaster and Scrapper: [faces light up] "Oil?!"
 * Seduction of the stupid.

"The Autobots' oil tastes like water next to this stuff!" "It's my private blend."
 * Mixmaster discovers that Megatron ' s an oil connoisseur.

Bulkhead: But...I thought we were friends. Mixmaster: We are friends, Bulky, that's why we ain't gonna hurt you, okay? Long as you hand over whatever bits you got of the...th-...what did he call it again? Scrapper: Uh, SparkAll? AllSpark, AllSpark. Optimus: Over my offline body! Mixmaster: Aghhyou know what? I have had enough of this dipstick-in-the-mud! [Mixmaster shoves Prime back] Bumblebee: Hey! He's our dipstick! Ratchet: And nobody pushes him around!
 * The Autobots defend the honor of their Prime...and fail miserably.

Animation errors

 * When Ratchet tells Bumblebee to "vamoose" (around 1:30), Bumblebee has a red Decepticon insignia.
 * While Blitzwing is shown pushing the heavy load of construction equipment from a side profile, the animation is missing a line that separates his inner thigh from his crotch.
 * As Megatron explains the Autobots' "cunning" to Mixmaster and Scrapper, the white outline around his insignia is not complete (either that or it's part of a shadow).
 * After the Constructicons flee, the road Bulkhead smashed up is in perfect condition.

Transformers references

 * Megatron corrupting the Constructicons may also be a nod to the Generation 1 series, in which he did the same thing in "The Secret of Omega Supreme". Except, instead of using the Robo-Smasher, this time he gets them robo-smashed...


 * The two surveyors on top of the bridge are decked out in blue jeans, white shirts, tan jackets and yellow hard hats and boots, just like a disproportionate amount of humans from the Generation 1 cartoon.


 * A construction crane which appears in a few scenes early in the episode is colored in the traditional Constructicon green-and-purple. Purple and green excavation vehicles were previously seen in "Nature Calls", and yet the Animated Constructicons themselves are yellow and grey, which might be an homage to the Generation 2 Constructicon toys.


 * Scapper and Mixmaster hit on a little red sports car. Sound familiar?

Real-world references

 * The Constructicons often hit on cars (which could be the equivalent for them to female 'bots...or something), just like real cartoon construction workers with passing women.
 * The Constructicons beep as they back up.
 * The whole plot seems to be pretty thoroughly cribbed from every after-school special on the dangers of peer pressure ever... Except with attempted murder, extortion and a plot to overthrow an entire interstellar empire.

Miscellaneous trivia

 * This episode first aired in Dubai, around two weeks before its English-language broadcast premiere in Canada.
 * It seems that in the Animated-verse, yellow eyes represent the neutral position. Good to know if there is a Switzerland equivalent on Cybertron.
 * The Constructicons first start off as Constructobots, a portmanteau of construction and Autobot, but later Megatron gives them a new name, formed from construction and Decepticon instead.
 * Even assuming the Constructicons don't drink anything off-screen, they still consume what looks like half their weight in oil over the course of the episode. Where does it go?
 * On second thought, don't think about it.