The Autobots capture Soundwave while Megatron decides to resurrect a former plan.
Tropes
- Badass Boast: "Soundwave, superior. Autobots, inferior."
- Berserk Button:
- Smokescreen accidentally pushes Bumblebee's when talking about his voice-box.
- Predaking's insistence for the resurrection of the Predacon race on Cybertron and the chance to personally destroy the Autobots is one for Megatron.
- Deadpan Snarker: When Starscream looks to him for help against Shockwave's anger, Megatron says he's thinking it over. Starscream only gets out of it by convincing Shockwave that it was his actions that led to "this happy accident" of cyber-matter, and their main objective was completed in the long run.Megatron: Exemplary teamwork.
- Defiant to the End: Due to Soundwave's Undying Loyalty to Megatron and the Decepticons, he goes as far as to shut himself down so the Autobots can't get any information from him. He gets better, though.
- Double Meaning: The title is "Minus One". In this episode, Soundwave is captured, leaving the Decepticons "minus one" of their deadliest soldiers. By the end, Soundwave escapes and captures Ratchet, leaving the Autobots "minus one" member.
- Even Evil Has Liked Ones: Megatron seems to have a fondness/appreciation for Soundwave that he lacks for every other Decepticon. When he's captured, Megatron is completely confident that Soundwave won't crack under interrogation, and works to help him both escape and take Ratchet prisoner. This is in sharp contrast to when Breakdown was captured in season one, where he basically left him on his own.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: In trying to figure out what the Solaris particle collider project has to do with the Decepticons' endgame, Smokescreen and Bulkhead believe Megatron wants to create a black hole and swallow up the known universe. Ratchet discusses that it can't be that simple; that he may need something that's capable of destroying worlds, but can use it to create one. He realizes mid-sentence that this is about rebuilding the Omega Lock.
- Eye Scream: Shockwave pushes Starscream eye first towards a sharp piece of cyber-matter, saying that he’s tempted to force the latter “to share my perspective”.
- Foreshadowing: As an example of how Cybertron and Earth are linked, Megatron specifically references Primus and Unicron. Revitalizing Cybertron does the same for Unicron.
- Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: Shockwave nearly drives a spike of cyber-matter through Starscream's head as payback for trying to leave him to perish in the Project Predacon mines. He only backs down when Starscream weasels his way out with some more lies about having to make a "difficult choice".
- Insane Troll Logic: Megatron claims that he wants to conquer both Cybertron and Earth, because they are the bodies of Primus and Unicron, and not conquering one would make conquering the other worthless.
- Menacing Stroll: Soundwave when he is reactivated by Laserbeak quickly electrocutes Bulkhead and Smokescreen into unconsciousness, knocks Fowler aside, and closes in on Ratchet.
- Mythology Gag:
- Not the first time Soundwave has claimed superiority and his opponent's inferiority.
- To add to the gag, Frank Welker reprised the role.
- The Needs of the Many: Optimus refuses to allow the Omega Lock to be repaired by the Decepticons, as he knows Megatron will cyberform Earth without a second thought.
- Oh, Crap!:
- Starscream when Shockwave intends to make him pay for last week's failed Uriah Gambit.
- Ratchet when he sees that Soundwave wiped out the data in his system to prevent the Autobots from extracting it.
- Ratchet when he realizes what Megatron is up to. Also when Laserbeak bursts through the base's window.
- Omnicidal Maniac: Megatron still intends to cyberform Earth, which wouldn't do much for humans or everything else on the planet.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Normally cold and stoic, Shockwave actually loses his composure and attacks Starscream, accusing him of leaving the scientist for dead again. He only stops when Starscream argues that destroying the lab was their main objective, and the cyber-matter was a result of that and the latter's "error in judgment".
- Pet the Dog: While Ultra Magnus is repeatedly told to stay put by Ratchet, Wheeljack backs his former commander and says that he's ready, showing his newfound respect.
- Rage Breaking Point: Megatron slowly loses his cool, due to assorted setbacks and failures, but it's Predaking promising to face Optimus "warrior to warrior" that sets him off.Megatron: You pride yourself on your "evolution", yet you have learned nothing! I may have lost my surveillance chief today. The Autobots have expanded their forces, while ours continue to dwindle!
- Suddenly Voiced: Soundwave only speaks in four words as his Badass Boast. Notably, they are the only words he speaks in the series (the use of others' recorded voices nonwithstanding).
- Taught by Experience:
- Shockwave is confused by Megatron's desire to rule both a revived Cybertron and a cyberformed Earth. Megatron says that events throughout the series have taught him that both planets are linked.
- After last time, Optimus makes sure to not let Laserbeak get anywhere near his jetpack.
- Troll: Soundwave of all characters. When getting interrogated by the Autobots, not only does he continue retaining his silence, he also displays a smiley face on his face screen in an act of defiance.
- Villainous Breakdown: Megatron is slowly losing his cool and patience after Predaking asks him to resurrect the Predacons on Cybertron. Soon after, with the capture of Soundwave, he angrily rants about the major losses of his forces and the Autobots gaining every advantage on the field.
- Voice of the Legion: Soundwave has a habit of mimicking other people's voices, but briefly uses this as his own.
