Bumblebee's self-proclaimed title as "fastest thing on wheels" is threatened by Nanosec, a super-speedster crook on a deadly mission that could destroy all of Detroit.
Tropes:
- All for Nothing: Megatron empowers Nanosecond because he needs Destronium to be delivered in the 8 minutes before it explodes. But when Ratchet analyses the substance, he notes that moving it at high speeds sets off the explosion prematurely, so it wouldn’t have been very useful to Megatron.
- An Aesop: As impressive as an ability can be, it's better to use it wisely than to simply show off.
- Antagonist Title: The episode title is named after the titular speedy supervillain.
- Appropriated Appellation: One of the witnesses of Nino Sexton's crimes comments that he had just disappeared in a nanosec. Nino likes it and adopts it as his supervillain title.
- Clothes Make the Superman: Nanosec's Super-Speed comes from the Sumdac Systems' experimental turbo-blade cyber-suit.
- Description Cut: When Ratchet first refuses to equip Bumblebee with the boosters, Sari protests, declaring that her dad's inventions are perfectly safe. Cut to Sumdac's lab, where the turbo-blade cyber-suit is malfunctioning during testing in the lab.
- "Eureka!" Moment: When Bumblebee has one when Prowl mentions that white hair is present in humans due to age.
- Failed a Spot Check: While arguing with Bumblebee, Bulkhead deploys his wrecking ball to stop Nino from escaping. This turns out to be a poor move on Bulkhead's part, given that it damages the pier they're standing on and causes it to collapse.
- Fastball Special: How the Autobots get the Destronium into the upper atmosphere before it explodes.
- Foreshadowing: When Bumblebee finds Nanosec again, he comments the suit makes him look ten years older.
- Giant Robot Hands Save Lives: When Nino is falling from the pier, Optimus Prime catches him and lifts him up by the arm. Even if he only fell a few feet, this likely would've dislocated his shoulder at least.
- Literalist Snarking: Nanosec is rushing to deliver the Destronium when a certain fire truck sprays a liquid on the road before him and later at him.Nanosec: What is this stuff? Are you nuts?!
Optimus Prime: Negative friction lubricant. {transforms} And technically, I'm nuts, bolts, and armored plating. - The Man Behind the Man: Megatron, who not only gave Nanosec the suit, but also hired him to pick up the Destronium he needs for his new body.
- Mythology Gag: A twofer with Destronium, which is not only a nod to the Decepticons' Japanese name, "Destron", but also to the substance known as "Cybertronium", the substance that allowed the Transformers to function properly in the original cartoon.
- Not Quite Flight: To get rid of the Destronium, Bulkhead and Prowl launch Bumblebee into the air, from which Bumblebee uses his turbo boosters to launch the Destronium into the upper atmosphere.
- Pinned to the Ground: Prowl briefly manages to stop the Nanosec by stunning him and pinning him to the street with his foot. However, titular villain manages to escape a second later via his newly-acquired super-speed.
- Pretty Background Event: The opening scene of Bumblebee, Bulkhead, and Optimus Prime catching Nino Sexton is against a backdrop of a fireworks show (what the fireworks are for isn't explained, although Bulkhead complains about having to catch a criminal when he wants to watch the fireworks). The fireworks are well-rendered and make the shot where Prime is backed by firework lights look very impressive.
- Rapid Aging: A side effect of the suit is that it not only increases Nanosec's speed and reaction time, but also ages his body so rapidly that he literally gets too old to keep up with Bumblebee.
- Relocating the Explosion: The climax of the episode involves this, with Bumblebee sending the Destronium high in the air along with his turbo boosters.
- Stating the Simple Solution: When Bumblebee has trouble controlling his new turbo boosters in his vehicle mode, Ratchet suggests that he change into robot mode so he can stop. It works.
- Too Fast to Stop: Bumblebee's first go with the turbo boosters results in his speed going out of control.
- Unobtainium: The Destronium.
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: By this point in the series, no one in Detroit seems that concerned about giant alien robots who can turn into cars walking around.
