Sentinel Prime has incredible success capturing fugitive Decepticons, leading Prowl to suspect he's getting help. As he flashes back to his training under Yoketron, Prowl discovers that Lockdown is helping Sentinel for a price.
Tropes:
- Blatant Lies: Ramjet, as usual.Ramjet: Hold still, Autobots! We can work this out in a friendly manner! [opens fire]
- The Cameo: Warpath appears in Prowl's flashback to drop off the troublesome young bot at Yoketron's dojo. Additionally, the busts in said dojo show Heavy Load, Road Rocket, Dai Atlas, Drift, Springer, Star Saber, Ultra Magnus, Devcon, Kick-Off, Sky Garry, Star Upper, Tap-Out, Grandus, Motorarm, Powerhug, and Roadhandler as having been members of this organization.
- Character Development: Prowl's flashbacks are meant to establish that he's come a long way to be who he is today. When he first met Yoketron, he was a draft-dodger who avoided the war to simply save his own skin. He was an impulsive fighter (no different from Bumblebee) who relied on his holographic mod before Yoketron taught him to be more self-reliant. By the time he mastered his training with Yoketron, Prowl was a little bit more like the bot we know today.
- Compulsive Liar: The fact that Ramjet can only tell lies is what tips Prowl off to the trap Ramjet and Lockdown prepared for Sentinel.Sentinel: So you were right, big deal. You bots make such a cloud of exhaust fighting Decepticons, but I'm capturing them!
Ramjet: And here I am, completely disarmed and helpless.
Prowl: Wait, everything he says is a lie. Sentinel, it's a trap! - Crisis Makes Perfect: Prowl finally masters Processor over Matter when Lockdown's booby trap is about to crush him.
- Disappointed in You: Yoketron reprimands Prowl for using the last protoform to try and keep Yoketron alive rather than preserving it for a future bot.
- Idiot Ball: Lockdown, surprisingly, holds it when he terminates a lucrative partnership with Sentinel because Ramjet offered him a better deal. Putting aside the fact that listening to Ramjet for more than a minute reveals him to be a blatant liar, it's highly unlikely he had any capital to speak of.
- Miles Gloriosus: Sentinel, to an extreme degree. Even after Prowl exposes his ruse, Sentinel still has the gall to claim that he's the one capturing Decepticons despite actually relying on Lockdown to do the dirty work for him.
- Mind over Matter: Processor over Matter.
- My Greatest Failure: Yoketron's death for Prowl.
- Mythology Gag: Sentinel goes to meet Lockdown at Tigatron Stadium.
- Older Than They Look: This episode reveals that Jazz is another Great War veteran (being one of Yoketron's graduated students), and Prowl was around during the final years of the war (being Yoketron's final student).
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Optimus immediately becomes suspicious when Sentinel gags Sunstormnote while he's praising him.
- Punctuated! For! Emphasis!: "Give. Me. Yoketron's Helmet."
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Prowl does this when he discovers that Lockdown was the former student that betrayed and murdered Yoketron.
- Shut Up, Hannibal!:Lockdown: Couldn't resist that old armor, though, could ya? What makes you think you can handle it this time?
Prowl: I've learned something since then: it's the ninja-bot, not the weapon! - Spotting the Thread: Optimus notices something is off when Sentinel gags the sycophantic Starscream clone Sunstorm and has done the same to Blitzwing and Lugnut. Prowl also notices that the weapons and modifications are missing off the prisoners, something only Lockdown is known to do. Sentinel quickly covers his skid plate by showing he had Lugnut's Punch Of Kill Everything devices confiscated. That's still not enough to convince him, and Prowl continues to sneak around, proving his suspicions about Sentinel being in league with Lockdown being correct.
- Tragic Keepsake: Prowl regains Yoketron's helmet as the only thing left of his master.
- Unperson: Yoketron has removed all evidence of his failed disciple, which helps aid the reveal later on.
- Unwanted Revival: Prowl tries to resurrect Yoketron using a remaining protoform, but the latter chides him for trying to revive the past with a piece of the future, before allowing his spark to burn out.
- Villain Respect: Lockdown compliments Prowl for mastering the Processor over Matter technique.
- Wham Line: The following discussion causes Prowl to recall how his master was murdered by a treacherous disciple who stole the protoforms, leading him to realize who the culprit is.Lockdown: And now Circuit-Su? I'd laugh if it wasn't so pathetic!
Prowl: How do you know Circuit-Su?
Lockdown: Never cared much for Yoketron's spiritual crud... But I did like that helmet. - What Happened to the Mouse?: Lockdown manages to flee from Prowl's wrath, but thanks to the cancellation of Season 4, his final fate is unknown.
- Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Lockdown opted to betray Sentinel to Ramjet in exchange for better upgrades and energon. Part of the con was making it look like Ramjet had stasis-cuffs locked on. If Prowl hadn't arrived and exposed Ramjet's compulsive lying, it may very well have worked.
