Desertion of
the Dinobots
Part 1

The Transformers episode 37
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For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

Only the Dinobots can save the Autobots, but they don't want to help!
Original USA broadcast date: October 21st, 1985

Contents
1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


Synopsis

The Decepticons destroy an experimental plane and then attack a lab. The Autobots arrive and start fighting them, eventually making them retreat. The Decepticons go to a hidden base they have in an hangar, but are seen by Spike, Carly, Sparkplug and Bumblebee. With the Autobots still making repairs at the lab, the Dinobots reluctantly go to the airport and easily take down the Decepticons. The hangar base is destroyed, but as the Dinobots transform back to their robot modes, Megatron and Skywarp shoot an oil tanker behind the group, causing a massive explosion which sends them flying.

The Decepticons head off, but they all suddenly lose their ability to fly for unknown reasons. They head to a power plant to refuel. At the Autobot HQ, the Dinobots are repaired. Optimus wants them to deal with the Decepticons, but Grimlock refuses. He says he's not taking any more orders, and the rest of the Dinobots agree. The Dinobots leave the base, leaving the Autobots to head to the power plant. They get there and begin fighting with the Decepticons, but strange things start happening to all of them -Jazz struggles to transform, Megatron can't speak properly, Ironhide ends up freezing himself and Starscream crashes immediately after taking off. The Decepticons eventually have to run away to retreat, whilst the Autobots manage to get back to their own base.

Perceptor manages to figure out what's happening -after millions of years of being exposed to Earth's atmosphere, an element that's essential to their mechanical operation is deteriorating: Cybertonium. Cybertonium is only available on Cybertron. With all of the Autobots too weak to go, Carly suggests the Dinobots are sent, as they were originally built on Earth and so don't have any Cybertonium in them. She, Spike and Sparkplug track the Dinobots down, but they refuse to help. However, when Grimlock hears about Cybertonium, he thinks of Cybertron. Wanting to visit Cybertron, the Dinobots head to the location of a Decepticon space bridge. A shipment of Cybertonium has been sent over it and is being guarded by the Constructicons, but the Dinobots get by them and then head to Cybertron.

The Dinobots defeat Shockwave, as Sparkplug learns where they are. He suggests they use the space bridge to come back to Earth, only for Grimlock to say they're never coming back to the bossy Autobots! With no options left, Spike and Carly head to the space bridge. Carly's driving skills get them past Devastator, as they enter the space bridge and head to Cybertron. However, Shockwave is ready for them...

Notes

-This episode makes it clear that the newer Autobot and Decepticon characters introduced this season -such as Powerglide and Blitzwing -are all being effected by the lack of Cybertonium. So in other words this is trying to make it look like these newer guys have been around since the first episode, but they were just never there.

-The Constructicons aren't effected by the Cybertonium, it appears the writer for this episode went off their back story from this episode, where Megatron stated they were built on Earth. However it's hinted at they used to be on Cybertron in this episode, and later on in the season their back story was retconned to them being from Cybertron in The Secret of Omega Supreme.

-At they very end, Shockwave is seen wielding a weapon that's just a smaller version of his own gun mode.

Errors

-Starscream's face is colored white instead of gray during this shot.
-Slag's face is colored gray instead of red during this shot.
-Part of Blitzwing's head is colored purple instead of yellow when he transforms.
-Megatron says "Get", then there's a pause, then he says "fool!". Part of his line appears to have been cut.
-Spike, Sparkplug and Carly are seen when Megatron crashes through a window. But then when the shot changes, the three human characters are suddenly outside.
-Blitzwing has a purple head again when the Decepticons leave the airport.
-Blitzwing's head is colored purple again when he crashes to the ground.
-Megatron's chest Decepticon insignia is missing when he says he's going to get to the bottom of this.
-As the Autobots approach the power plant, Prime's trailer overlaps part of the wall.
-Jazz is colored like Red Alert during this shot.
-When Megatron tries to point out the Autobots, he overlaps Starscream, making the latter look gigantic.
-Megatron is colored completely white when he says he never misses.
-Soundwave's mouth is colored blue instead of gray when he tries to retreat.
-When Shockwave tells the Dinobots to stand back, he has a regular left hand instead of a cannon. His cannon immediately comes back when he tries to shoot Slag.