Decepticon Island (Part 1)

Decepticon Island (Part 1) is the thirty-eighth episode of Transformers: Robots in Disguise and the eleventh episode of season 2.

Plot
After the two teams are reunited, the Autobots get support from an old friend, and begin the raid on Decepticon Island.

Synopsis
Optimus Prime and the Bee Team speed along the road in search of a Decepticon fugitive, however when Bumblebee orders everyone off-road, Optimus Prime disagrees and Bumblebee has to assert his authority over the team. The other Autobots discuss the changed dynamics since the away team returned. Learning of the concept of a "team within the team", Grimlock decides to team up with Drift, who is entirely unthrilled by the idea. Switching to bot mode, they head into the forest and encounter a panicked Clampdown, who is closely followed by none other than Ratchet accompanied by the Mini-Con Undertone. A reunion takes place before they move in on Clampdown.

Back at base, Clampdown is secured in a stasis pod. Ratchet explains that the new government on Cybertron blames Optimus for the widespread destruction on the planet, and that he was essentially exiled by assigning him to a job tracking down Decepticons. He has been brought to Earth in the pursuit of a Decepticon who he captured shortly before running into Clampdown and the Autobots. Optimus invites him to stay to help out, though it's Bumblebee who orders Drift and Sideswipe to wake Clampdown to try and get intel. Strongarm observes that Bumblebee is having trouble with Optimus taking trying to take lead when Bumblebee is supposed to be team leader.

The Autobots attempt to interrogate Clampdown, but the Decepticon faints. Before they can do anything more, Fixit reports an unidentified Cybertronian at the front gate. The Autobots prepare for a fight, the gate opens to reveal a damaged Fixit-style Mini-Con. After some repairs are made, Fixit introduces everyone to Toolbox, who turns out to be another Alchemor guard. He reveals that part of the prison ship crashed off the coast of Crown City, and the freed Decepticon prisoners promptly enslaved the Mini-Con guards with inhibitor collars. The Cons, led by Scorponok, Saberhorn, and Glowstrike began to repair the ship for use to plunder the galaxy, though the captured Scoponok, as Toolbox reveals, has now been replaced with Steeljaw.

On "Decepticon Island", Steeljaw calls Glowstrike and Saberhorn to him and reveals that he's managed to obtain the Decepticon Hunters from the locked cabinet. The pair are pleased, until Steeljaw turns the weapons on them.

The Autobots are meanwhile brainstorming ways to tackle the island full of Decepticons. Getting help from Cybertron is out, and they don't have enough stasis pods for that many Cons, however they have cryo-gas from Windblade's stash, and Ratchet hits on the idea of using it to make a stasis bomb. Optimus gives orders and the Autobots split up, though Strongarm again tries to encourage Bumblebee to talk to Optimus about the leadership problem. Ratchet likewise talks to Optimus who feels under the circumstances he should lead, and changes the subject. The team hits on the idea of planting the bomb in the Alchemor 's ventilation hub, though Bumblebee again butts heads with Optimus over the plan. Windblade comes up with a way to get the team onto the island — Grimlock is modified with Decepticon insignias and signals so he can pretend to be bringing a boatload of Autobot prisoners back, and one of Denny's boats is hauled out.

The Autobots head out onto the sea, pretending to be unconscious. Grimlock manages to make contact with the Decepticons, and the Alchemor decloaks, but when the guards become suspicious, Grimlock has to knock them out. The Autobots head into the ship, and are shocked by the number of Decepticons they find. When they encounter a large chamber in which Mini-Cons are being forced to work, their presence is given away by one of the slaves spotting Toolbox. Though Optimus wants to stay and free the Mini-Cons, Bumblebee is determined to complete the mission, however the delay while they argue means even more Decepticons pour into the room and surround them. Steeljaw arrives with the deposed leadership and welcomes them to the first outpost in his new Decepticon empire.

Autobots

 * Peter Cullen as Optimus Prime
 * Will Friedle as Bumblebee
 * Constance Zimmer as Strongarm
 * Darren Criss as Sideswipe
 * Khary Payton as Grimlock
 * Mitchell Whitfield as Fixit/Toolbox/Cinch
 * Eric Bauza as Drift
 * Kristy Wu as Windblade
 * Jeffrey Combs as Ratchet

Decepticons

 * Troy Baker as Steeljaw
 * Grey DeLisle as Glowstrike
 * Fred Tatasciore as Saberhorn/Vehicon
 * Jim Cummings as Clampdown/Vehicon

Humans

 * Ted McGinley as Denny Clay
 * Stuart Allen as Russell Clay

Quotes
"Undertone, careful! I need that!"
 * —Ratchet is back, baby!

Grimlock: Hey Drift, want to be on a team within the team with me?

Drift: No.

Grimlock: He's playing hard to get.
 * —No Grim, he isn't.

Grimlock: ...and that's how we came here, what we know about Decepticon Island and who we punched since we've been here. Does all that make sense?

Ratchet: Sure.

Sideswipe and Strongarm: Seriously?!
 * —Ratchet actually understands Grimlock's lingo.

"Sometimes it feels like he can't help treating me like I'm still his scout."
 * —Bumblebee reckons Optimus just can't let go of the Transformers: Prime days

Bumblebee: Talk, Clampdown. What is Decepticon Island?

Optimus: Where is it located?

Drift: How many Decepticons are there?

Windblade: What is their objective?

Strongarm: Is Steeljaw involved somehow?

Sideswipe: Ugh, those two took my questions!

Grimlock: [punches his fists together, giggling]

Clampdown: Ah… Well, y-y-ya see, I… [passes out]
 * —Another successful interrogation by the Bee Team

"So we call Cybertron for backup."

"Think about it, Slick. Reinforcements would take too long assemble, brief, and coordinate for an assault on the island."

"Yeah, think about it."
 * —Sideswipe is ganged up on by Windblade and Strongarm

"Bumblebee has come a long way since the last time I saw him."

"He has led his team well."

"I sense there is a 'but' coming."

"But I worry Bumblebee is not ready to lead a team of this size, on a mission of this magnitude. And now that I am restored to the strength level I had before the Primes lent me their power…"

"You feel you should lead."
 * —Ratchet and Optimus discuss Bumblebee's character arc (and Optimus's as well)

"Awkward…"
 * —Sideswipe aptly sums up the general atmosphere surrounding Bumblebee and Optimus's leadership conflict

"Autobots…!"

"Let's rev up and roll out!"
 * —Optimus Prime's old battle cry is forced to make way for Bumblebee's new one

Continuity notes

 * Grimlock wears his crane disguise from "Impounded".
 * Optimus's comment that the Primes rescued him before his spark was extinguished suggests he was never really dead.
 * Ratchet was last seen on Cybertron during the events of Predacons Rising. In the season 3 finale "Deadlock", Ratchet announced his intention to stay on Earth for a time to help out Unit E. Ratchet's narration implies that he did not return to Earth following the events of Predacons Rising.
 * We finally get an answer as to why Bumblebee - celebrated war hero and slayer of Megatron - was working as a lowly street cop all the way back in "Pilot (Part 1)": the new Council isn't fond of the Autobots, especially not former members of Team Prime.
 * Scorponok was captured back in "Misdirection".

Transformers references

 * The concept of a post-war Cybertronian government that's opposed to both the Autobots and the Decepticons seems very similar to Starscream's NAIL government, over in IDW's The Transformers comic.

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, Silverhound, Quillfire, Back, Forth, Stockade, Major Mayhems, Clampdown, unknown Decepticon captured by Ratchet
 * Known at large: Steeljaw, Saberhorn, Glowstrike, Groundpounder, Thunderhoof, Overload, Springload, Kickback, several unnamed Glowstrike/Scorponok associates
 * Released: Grimlock
 * Unknown status: Simacore escapes some time between "Brainpower" and "Decepticon Island (Part 2)".
 * Countless others at large