Roll for It

The Transformers episode 5
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For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

The Decepticons create a powerful new type of energon.
Original USA broadcast date: October 13th, 1984

Contents
1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


Synopsis

Starscream leads a raid on a power plant, but is stopped by the Autobots. Optimus sends Prime and Bluestreak after the retreating Decepticons. On Cybertron, Megatron has seen what's happened, and tells Starscream to get repaired, as they will be attacking the laboratory to gain the antimatter formula. Megatron then uses the space bridge to return to Earth. On Earth, Bumblebee, Spike and Chip go to the laboratory to see Dr. Alcazar. Alcazar gives Chip a diskette which will allow his own computer to link up with the one in the lab.

When Chip returns home, he finds out that the lab is under attack from Megatron and the Decepticons. Alcazar sends chip the antimatter formula, which he memorizes. He then gets contacted by Prowl, who has been injured in a battle with Starscream and some other Decepticons and is searching for another online computer to link up to. Finding Chip's, Chip is able to take control of Prowl and help him defeat the Decepticons. Meanwhile, Megatron learns that the antimatter formula has been transferred to another computer. Some of the Decepticons locate the source at Chip's home, so they capture him and bring him back to the lab. Soundwave is able to extract the formula from Chip's mind.

The Decepticons are able to create the antimatter, which they use to fill up some energon cubes. The Autobots arrive and save Chip, but when they confront Megatron, he throws a single antimatter energon cube at them, which causes widespread damage to all the Autobots and the lab itself. Optimus orders the Autobots to retreat to HQ so they can undergo repairs.

The Decepticons arrive at the Autobot HQ and begin their attack. Megatron powers himself with antimatter and transforms, as Starscream blows most of the Autobots away. Optimus manages to knock Megatron out of Starscream's hands, but Skywarp picks him up. He's about to start firing when Chip rolls over and attaches a device Wheeljack gave him to Skywarp's leg. This causes Skywarp to be put in Teletraan's control, making him start shooting at Decepticons. Megatron transforms and realizes this has caused his antimatter to reach ignition temperature. He jettisons the antimatter energon cubes from himself.

But they explode close to him and the Decepticons, damaging them all. They retreat, as the Autobots hail Chip as a hero and are proud to have him as a friend. Meanwhile, the Decepticons retreat. Megatron moans that one small boy came between him and mastery of the universe. But soon revenge and victory... will be his.

Notes

-SCRIPT DIFFERENCES: Click here for details.

-Whilst this episode was animated by Toei, it has a very different look when compared to what they did for the previous four episodes, and not in a good way a lot of the time. There's quite a few coloring errors, especially with Thundercracker, who repeatedly gets colored like Skywarp. Characters are frequently off-model and look weird. Wheeljack's lights that come on when he talks are orange in this episode, in the previous episodes they were blue. The Autobot's HQ is shown to be blue/purple in one shot, instead of orange.

-Shockwave's "safe journey" line did not have any special notes on it in the script. However, Corey Burton (Shockwave's voice actor) says it in a bit of a spiteful manner, and the visuals also make it look like Shockwave may be plotting against Megatron. Sadly this wouldn't be the case, and in future episodes, Shockwave is always loyal to Megatron. According to Hasbro staff, this was caused by there not being enough time to get character's personalities consistent between the comics and cartoon, so unfortunately cartoon Shockwave ended up being a bit of a bore. Try the Marvel comics Shockwave instead, he's way better there!

-This episode introduces Chip Chase, who was originally going to be called Billy. He makes several appearances in the first and second seasons of the show. He's also clearly from the future and has special powers, such as owning a computer in the 1980s that can display camera-quality video and sound, and he also rips apart a floppy disk like it's a piece of paper.

-Cliffjumper isn't doing too well is he? In the previous episode he got swatted aside by Megatron, and he gets creamed by Thundercracker in this one. What's interesting though, is in this episode's original script, it was Bluestreak who was supposed to get hit by Thundercracker, not Cliffjumper. This is why Thundercracker later says "you don't have Prime and Brawn to bail you out this time" to Bluestreak when they fight in the hangar.

Errors

-Brawn's head is colored yellow instead of gray during this shot.
-Starscream's nosecone is colored red instead of gray during this shot.
-When Soundwave sends out Ravage to get Chip, the wrong background is used -it shows the aircraft hangar, it should show a street.
-Possibly the most infamous error with the episode is a sound goof -when Soundwave congratulates Ravage, his words haven't been through the usual sound processing, revealing that voice actor Frank Welker is using his Dr. Claw voice for him.
-Spike has blonde colored hair instead of brown during this shot.
-When Sunstreaker congratulates Chip at the end, his mouth isn't moving.