Secret Science

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"Given my name, this was surely the most logical outcome."
"Secret Science"
Season	2
No. in season	10
Production company	Allspark Animation
Airdate	September 7, 2019 (Australia/NZ) November 1, 2019 (CN app/website) November 9, 2019 (USA)
Writer	Dan Salgarolo
Director	Ehud Landsberg
Animation studio	Boulder Media Studio
Watch this episode on YouTube

When Shockwave kidnaps Wheeljack to help the Decepticons find Starscream, the Autobot scientist must use his resourcefulness to escape.

Synopsis

In the desert, Wheeljack has attached a tracker to his Scraplet specimen, hoping it will lead him back to Starscream. He reactivates the Scraplet, only for it to immediately come across another of its kind. Looking closer, Wheeljack notices a Decepticon tracker attached to the newcomer, and Shockwave appears, revealing he had the same idea with similarly futile results. Shockwave decides the most logical choice is to combine their efforts to track Starscream. Wheeljack refuses, but Shockwave electrifies him, knocking him out and dragging him away.

Wheeljack awakens in Shockwave's laboratory, his hands restrained in stasis cuffs. Though angry at first, the scientist quickly becomes eagerly fascinated by all the inventions in the lab, such as a working gravity modulator and Mega Magnetizer Magnetic Mangler. Shockwave admits that the other Decepticons don't recognize the genius of his work like Wheeljack does, but when Wheeljack attempts to leave, Shockwave forces him to stay by showing him Bumblebee held prisoner in one of the lab's cells, threatening to use him as a test subject. As Soundwave calls him to the bridge, Shockwave orders Wheeljack to scan the Scraplet's neural circuits, leaving his autonomous left hand behind with a blaster to make sure the Autobot keeps on track. On the bridge, Megatron berates Shockwave for leaving the Nemesis in disrepair after Starscream's attack, despite Shockwave's explanations. He threatens to promote Soundwave to the scientist's position before dismissing him, drawing Shockwave's ire. Outside the ship, on orders to find a weakness in the Scraplets, Bludgeon releases a container of the creatures and begins slicing them apart as Windblade observes from afar.

¡Adios!

As Wheeljack works, he asks "Lefty" to pass him a series of tools, tricking the hand into handing over the blaster as well. The two begin fighting, destroying the lab in their scuffle, but Wheeljack uses the Magnetic Mangler to trap Lefty, attaching his new drone controller to it. The device proves effective, and he uses the hand to cut his cuffs. He opens Bumblebee's cell, but discovers that the Autobot is merely a hard light hologram from one of Shockwave's projectors. Meanwhile, Bludgeon finishes off the last Scraplet, only for Windblade to appear and draw her sword before lunging at him.

Shockwave returns to the lab, finding Wheeljack hard at work. He laments to Wheeljack about the shortsightedness of both their leaders, but upon seeing Bumblebee's cell open, he realizes that Wheeljack is only a hologram, enraging him. Elsewhere, Wheeljack makes his way silently through the ship, hanging on the ceiling to avoid detection. Unfortunately, he is quickly caught by Shockwave and takes off running. He uses Lefty to close the door behind him, blocking Shockwave's pursuit, before sending the hand off on a special assignment. Elsewhere, Windblade continues to duel Bludgeon, seeking revenge for Slipstream and infuriated by his silence.

Wheeljack manages to reach the hangar, but Shockwave blocks his exit, declaring he has outlasted his usefulness. Before he can fire, however, Megatron calls and demands his presence, as he is currently under attack by Lefty. Begrudgingly, Shockwave heads back to the bridge as Wheeljack leaves the ship. On the bridge, Lefty is causing all manner of havoc as Megatron swings his energon mace wildly at the errant hand. Shockwave arrives and blasts the levitating appendage, disabling it. Megatron is furious, but Shockwave calms him by showing him Wheeljack's drone controller, declaring it the solution to controlling the Scraplets. Outside, Windblade and Bludgeon's fight comes to a head as the Decepticon overpowers her, disarming her and slicing through her arm. He prepares to finish her off, but Wheeljack appears and magnetizes him, attaching the gravity modulator. As Bludgeon floats helplessly away, Wheeljack helps Windblade up and she thanks him for the rescue.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"So...how long have you been an autonomous four-digit actuator?"

—Wheeljack makes small talk with a hand.

"If Megatron's ratio of leadership acumen vs. tactical failure falls any lower, I will be forced to... supplant him."

—Shockwave showing that Starscream may not be the only Decepticon gunning for leadership.

"Just once, I'd like to take an oil bath that wasn't recycled!"
"Not gonna happen."

—The disgusting cleaning habits of Lockdown and Clobber.

"What's the matter, Bludgeon? Not used to fighting face to face? Would you rather stab me in the back?"
"..." *repeated sword strikes*
"Why won't you talk?!"

—Windblade is annoyed by Bludgeon's refusal to exchange barbs.

"Millions of cycles, Decepticons have shown us nothing but cruelty! After all this time, one of you finally changed for the better! Slipstream was the only one truly looking beyond our differences! And you...you..."

—Windblade seeks Combiner Wars-esque vengeance.

"Sometimes antigravity modulators and magnetic rays are mightier than the sword."

—Wheeljack the philosopher.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Wheeljack references his Mega Magnetizer, first introduced in "The Visitor".
• The Nemesis is still undergoing repairs after Starscream attacked and took the ship in "Starscream's Children". Presumably the Scraplets Shockwave and Bludgeon experiment on were left behind after Screamer retreated.
• Windblade seeks vengeance for Slipstream after Bludgeon killed her in "Parley".
• Shadow Striker displays pleasure in the possibility of Shockwave getting into trouble, presumably as recompense for her reconstruction in "Shadowstriker".
• Though Windblade seems to imply that Slipstream was the only bot among the Decepticons who had begun to change for the better, she seems to be forgetting about Drift, who has been seen defecting in "Maccadam's" and was seen as part of the Ark crew in "The Visitor"—waitaminute.

Transformers references

• The idea of Shockwave threatening to seize power from Megatron may come as a surprise to people only familiar with his cartoon appearances, as the Generation One Sunbow cartoon, Transformers Animated and Transformers: Prime all depicted Shockwave as being a staunch loyalist. Wanting to supplant Megatron out of a belief it is the logical course of action has, however, been a big part of his characterization in the comic books, including the original Marvel Comics run, Dreamwave and the original IDW continuity. Even in the Aligned continuity, the backstory to the aforementioned Transformers Prime, that Megatron mused that Shockwave's loyalty was directly connected to how successful Megatron was as a leader.

Real-world references

Trivia

Animation and technical errors

Foreign localization

French

• Title: "Une science secrète" ("A Secret Science")
• Original airdate: September 29, 2019

German

• Title: "Genies unter sich"
• Original airdate: November 9, 2019

Indonesian

• Title: "Rahasia Ilmiah" ("Scientific Secret")
• Original airdate: October 22, 2019

Japanese

• Title: "Tensai no Nayami" (天才の悩み, "The Genius's Agony")
• Original airdate: November 8, 2019

Malay

• Title: "Rahsia Sains" ("Secret Science")
• Original airdate: October 23, 2019

Portuguese

• Title: "Ciência Secreta" ("Secret Science")
• Original airdate: November 19, 2019

Home video releases

• TBA