Recap / Transformers: Animated, S3E8: Decepticon Air

The Space Bridge on Earth is finished, whilst the Elite Guard ship holding most of the Decepticon prisoners heads straight into an ominous space storm. The space storm reactivates Swindle, who frees the Decepticon prisoners, allowing them to take over the ship. Optimus Prime receives a distress call from Sentinel Prime and uses the Space Bridge to transwarp to the ship, where he helps fight back against the Decepticons. Swindle and Lugnut escape the ship, while Blitzwing and the Starscream Clones are taken to Cybertron as prisoners; however, Lugnut finds Megatron and Starscream, and joins them inside Omega Supreme.

Tropes:

• Call-Back:
  • Sentinel claims to Alpha Trion that he caught the prisoners himself, to which Cliffjumper butts in saying he thought it was Prowl. The events of this were shown in "Five Servos of Doom".
  • While the two are arguing, Bulkhead once again brings up the fact that Sumdac built a space bridge for Megatron. Sumdac calls him out for it, as he only built the bridge because the Decepticons threatened his life.
• "Die Hard" on an X: Optimus spends this episode re-enacting Harrison Ford's character from Air Force One, which itself was deemed similar to Die Hard. He references the latter film when he's crawling around in the vent.
  Optimus: Sure, transwarp me onto the ship. Rescue my old buddy from a bunch of Decepticons. It'll be fun.
• The End... Or Is It?: Lugnut floats through space and suddenly crashes into Omega Supreme.
  Starscream: [to Megatron] So, now we're picking up hitchhikers?
• Five-Second Foreshadowing: Towards the climax, Optimus voices a plan rather loudly, but a shot of his autobot insignia is flashing, alerting the audience that all is not what it seems. Later, Optimus reveals to Sentinel that he gave a message to Jazz in Cybertronian Morse code.
• Freeze-Frame Bonus: When Optimus transforms into vehicle mode after transwarping aboard the ship, he runs over Swindle, who gets flattened like a cartoon character.
• Hidden Depths: Lugnut proves to be a surprisingly competent commander of the freed Decepticons. Case in-point; he punches a hole in the hull of the Steelhaven, sucking everyone, Autobot and Decepticon, out into space. Initially, this seems to be just an act of mindless rage, but it's soon revealed he did it because the Decepticons, who transform into jets, have naturally greater maneuverability in a vacuum ^note  His plan gets undercut somewhat by Jetfire and Jetstorm, but it's possible that Lugnut just didn't know they had flying alt-modes .
• Honor Before Reason:
  • When Swindle helps the Decepticon prisoners break free, Jazz tells Sentinel that they need to call Cybertron's command for back-up. Sentinel refuses to let this situation go on his record, so he instead sends a distress signal (BROKEN LANCE) to Optimus.
  • After Blitzwing holds him hostage and demands the others surrender or else, Sentinel orders the group to keep fighting.
• I Owe You My Life: Sentinel's a jerk, but he thanks Optimus for all this and offers him his spot on the Elite Guard after he becomes Acting Magnus.
• Karma Houdini: Swindle escapes with all stolen goods and intends to retire.
• Mythology Gag: Swindle gives helmets to Sunstorm and Ramjet that make them resemble the Generation 1 Seekers. He claimed that he couldn't distinguish them apart even with differing colors.
• Only in It for the Money: Swindle, which causes some friction between him and Lugnut:
  Lugnut: Remove these stasis cuffs at once Swindle!
  Swindle: All in due time; first we have to discuss compensation. You get freedom, but what do I get? See where I’m going with this?
  Lugnut: The honor of serving Lord Megatron should be reward enough!
  Swindle: Megatron?! Why didn’t you say so? The old warmonger’s my Number #1 customer!
  [later]
  Lugnut: You Autobots shall pay! Pay with your sparks.
  Swindle: I also accept all major credit downloads.
  • Also, later, instead of guarding the prisoners like he was asked, he decides to instead loot the ship. This allows for Optimus to
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Bulkhead lampshades how desperate Sentinel must be to call Optimus for help.
• Pragmatic Villainy: While Lugnut and the Starscream Clones are all for killing Sentinel, Jazz, Jetfire, and Jetstorm, Swindle and Blitzwing convince the others to keep them alive...because they're more valuable as hostages (Blitzwing's idea) and for spare parts (Swindle's idea).
• Pre Ass Kicking One Liner: After Lugnut sucks everyone into space, Jetstorm and Jetfire get their time to shine:
  Lugnut: Puny Autobots are helpless in space.
  Jetfire: 'No' to being so helpless...
  Jetstorm: ...and 'no' to being so puny.
  (Both transform into jets)
• Put on a Prison Bus: This is Blitzwing's last appearance, as he gets taken to Cybertron as a prisoner.
• Race Against the Clock: Why Optimus wants the new space bridge online ASAP. He's certain Megatron will soon take control of Omega Supreme and stop transwarping randomly around the galaxy.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons:
  Lugnut: Megatron cannot be stopped! MEGATRON IS EVERYWHERE!
  Sentinel: You don't know how true that is.
• Rule of Three: It takes Sari three tries to get her father and Bulkhead to stop arguing and realize that she fixed the space bridge.
• Short Cuts Make Long Delays: The whole episode is caused by Sentinel wanting to take the Steelhaven through a storm to get to Cybertron faster. If he had just settled for the normal route, the Decepticons wouldn't have made the trip take longer and he wouldn't have had to get Optimus to bail him & the others out. At the end, he says he'll give Optimus a ride home, meaning that he had to take the route back, taking more than twice as long to get to Cybertron by the end of this whole ordeal. Lesson learned, Sentinel?
• Shout-Out:
  • To Alien's infamous chest-burster scene: After handing the clones their new helmets, Swindle's storage unit (his stomach/chest area) starts to move unnaturally, and then Optimus' arm bursts out.
  • The title is one to Con Air, which was about convicts being transported on a plane and getting loose.
  • At one point, while traversing the air shaft, Optimus falls, but is suspended by wires, evocative of Mission: Impossible.
  • Optimus and Jazz pull a Superman II on the Decepticons attempting to freeze them by redirecting the equipment away from the chamber and shielding themselves.
• Somebody Set Up Us the Bomb: Optimus loads a pile of explosive energon cubes onto the lift and then cuts the lift cable, dropping it right down to the Decepticons waiting for him at the bottom.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Sentinel when Optimus first shows up. ^note Just when we were starting to like the guy... He does acknowledge Optimus' noble actions later on though, possibly for the first time ever.
• Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Sentinel ordering the ship into the storm causes a surge that restores Swindle's mobility, which allows him to free the other prisoners. It has long-term consequences, too, as Lugnut ultimately finds his way back to Megatron and Starscream.