While conducting repairs to the city of Detroit, the Autobots find themselves greeted with two unexpected guests after a pair of Allspark shards brings two construction vehicles to life. Bulkhead quickly befriends the two bots, but things take a nasty turn when the Decepticons encounter them.
Tropes:
- Beware the Nice Ones: Bulkhead was the only Autobot who sincerely considered the Constructicons friends...and he completely snaps when the two betray the Autobots because the Decepticons have better-tasting oil.
- Construction Catcalls: Mixmaster and Scrapper both howl at brightly colored vehicles that pass by.
- Continuity Nod: The Autobots are helping to repair some of the damage done to the city after their battle with the Decepticons in the season one finale. Much like the previous episode, it's clear that they're doing this to try and earn back the trust of the humans after they wrecked part of Detroit.
- Does This Remind You of Anything?: The behavior shown by the Constructicons to Bulkhead resembles peer pressure techniques, as they encourage Bulkhead to drink their preferred brand of oil, make fun of him when he tries to defend Bumblebee, and encourage him to behave and talk in a way that's outside of his usual manner.
- Easy Amnesia: Thanks to Bulkhead slipping some explosives into the Constructicons' oil, the explosion wipes their memories.
- Et Tu, Brute?: The normally-affable Bulkhead becomes uncharacteristically upset when Mixmaster and Scrapper become Decepticon agents for extremely simple reasons.
- Everyone Has Standards: The Constructicons are rude, crude, loud, destructive, and are a bad influence on Bulkhead. However, they're more than willing to help Bulkhead when he's in danger, do the same for Lugnut and Blitzwing later, and are willing to lend their construction expertise to anyone who needs help with a project (even Megatron).
- Face–Heel Turn: Megatron is able to get Mixmaster and Scrapper to join his side by offering them better oil than what the Autobots have.
- Foregone Conclusion: No matter what Bulkhead did, given that previous series showed them as Decepticons, Mixmaster and Scrapper were both destined to join the bad guys.
- Genius Ditz: The Constructicons act very crudely, seem to have no real manners, and can easily be won over if offered oil. With that said, they are incredibly skilled at construction work, and are capable of expertly building or repairing things. Even Megatron is impressed with their talents (although he just wanted them to help build his bridge).
- Human Pet: The Constructicons believe that Sari is the Autobots' pet, and that Professor Sumdac is Megatron's. The Autobots don't correct them, but the audience knows that Sari isn't so much their pet as she is their surrogate little sister. Megatron, on the other hand, admits that Sumdac basically is his pet (as well as prisoner).
- Instantly Proven Wrong: When Bulkhead decides to take the Constructicons to meet the Autobots, he says that "They'll love you guys!" Cut to the three at the Autobot base, with the other 'bots visibly unimpressed and Sari getting mad when their roughhousing cuts off her pigtails.
- Line-of-Sight Name: This is how Mixmaster and Scrapper get their names.Mixmaster: My name ain't "cement-breath", okay? It's... It's... Uh...
Scrapper: Your little name tag says "Mixmaster".
Mixmaster: Nah, that's too long. Just call me "Mix".
Scrapper: All right, you got it, Mix. And you can call me... [Sees a sign that says "SCRAP"] ...Scrap.
Mixmaster: All right, that's too short. How 'bout "Scrapper"?
Scrapper: I like it. - Meaningful Name: Mixmaster is named after the manufacturer of the cement mixer he turns into, while Scrapper was named after a pile of scrap.
- Mythology Gag:
- Mixmaster and Scrapper are, of course, based on the Generation One characters of the same name. Their color scheme is close to their Generation Two toys, while a crane similar to Hook is seen in the classic green and purple colors.
- The Construticons' catcalling is similar to how Side Burn flirted with red sports cars.
- As with the original cartoon, Megatron is able to corrupt the Constructicons into his service, only with oil instead of forcibly brainwashing them.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Mixmaster's voice is similar to that of Joe Pesci.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Megatron stops Blitzwing and Lugnut from destroying Mixmaster and Scrapper because he believes they could be useful to him and is proven right when they reveal that they know what supplies will be needed for the Space Bridge.
- Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When Mixmaster and Scrapper defect, Bulkhead is furious to say the least, and nearly beats the living scrap out of them.
- Screw This, I'm Outta Here: The Constructicons flee for their lives after Bulkhead damages them.
- Stealth Insult: When Sari is woken by the rather loud Constructicons in the middle of the night, Bumblebee comfortingly tells her to go back to bed and that it's just a bad dream, before he turns in their general direction and pointedly adds "A really bad dream."
- Toxic Friend Influence: The Constructicons on Bulkhead.
- Wicked Cultured: Megatron apparently makes his own blend of oil, and crushes one of the barrels into the shape of a wine glass.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Upon seeing the Constructicons, Blitzwing and Lugnut trick them into helping them move their stolen construction supplies, intending to invoke this trope once they get the supplies back to base. Before Lugnut can unleash his Punch Of Kill Everything, Megatron stops them, finding they may be of use after all.
