Ghost in the
Machine

The Transformers episode 80
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For a detailed overview of this episode, click here.

To get a new body, Starscream makes a deal with Unicron.
Original USA broadcast date: October 21st, 1986

Contents
1) Synopsis
2) Notes
3) Errors


Synopsis

Starscream takes over Scourge, makes him shoot at the other Decepticons, and then gets him to leave. They go to Unicron and reactivate him, where Starscream proposes a deal: he wants his body back. Unicron agrees to this, asking Starscream to perform three labors. Scourge tries to fly away, but Starscream reminds him that he can't go back to Chaar now -the Decepticons see him as a traitor. Scourge realizes Starscream is right. Unicron names his first labor: he wants the eyes of Metroplex, so he can see again. Starscream and Scourge head to Autobot City on Earth, where Starscream briefly takes over Kup and causes an explosion. This deactivates Metroplex's security systems.

As the Autobots begin repairs on Metroplex, Scourge and Starscream steal his eyes. But the Autobots are alerted to their activities, and this results in one of Metroplex's eyes being smashed. Scourge takes the other one, as he and Starscream leave and head back to Chaar. They are spotted by Runabout and Runamuck, but Starscream deals with them. He and Scourge then enter Trypticon and steal one of his eyes. Astrotrain, Dirge and Thrust hear an alarm and investigate, but Starscream takes over Astrotrain. As Astrotrain has more room for cargo, he and Scourge take the eyes back to Unicron.

Starscream leaves Astrotrain, leaving him to be attacked by the Autobots as he approaches Cybertron. Starscream and Scourge install Unicron's new eyes. Unicron is pleased, and then names the second labor: he wants Trypticon. Starscream and Scourge go back to Chaar. Meanwhile, the Autobots see that Unicron has his eyes back, so Rodimus Prime has Sky Lynx take a team up to find out more. Ultra Magnus, Springer and the Protectobots enter Unicron, but he uses his powers to cast them out. On Chaar, Starscream takes over Trypticon, infuriating Galvatron.

The Autobots watch as the Decepticons follow Trypticon and fire on him, but they're unable to stand up to his firepower and are forced to retreat. Unicron reveals he wanted Trypticon's transformation cog, which is installed into his own head. He then names his final labor: connect his head to Cybertron. Scourge decides to leave, and informs the Autobots about what Starscream and Unicron plan to do. Starscream uses Trypticon to push Unicron's head onto Cybertron.

Some Decepticons still inside Trypticon smash up some circuits, leading to Starscream losing control over him. Starscream tells Unicron that if he wants the connection to be made, he'll have to give him his new body now. Unicron does so, as Starscream yells that he lives again. Unicron tells him to make the connection, only for Starscream to betray him and tell him to make it himself! Before Unicron can retaliate, some energon explosives the Autobots setup next to Unicron's head go off. Unicron is blasted back into space, and so is Starscream.

The Decepticons see Starscream falling through space, and blast him without mercy. Later on, Rodimus jokes that he wants a team of Autobots to return to Unicron's head and get Metroplex's eyes back. The other Autobots look nervous, but he then says that the explosion probably damaged the eyes beyond repair, so they'll have to construct new ones.

Notes

-This episode is the follow-up to Starscream's Ghost, although at the end of that episode, Starscream is seen taking over Scourge in a different place. The way he takes over Transformers here works differently than before. In Starscream's Ghost, Starscream has complete control over Cyclonus, and Cyclonus can't remember anything that's happened once Starscream leaves him. Here, Scourge is shown to be able to resist him and remember things he's been made to do.

-Orson Welles voiced Unicron in the Transformers movie. He died before the movie was released, (not that he would have come back for season three anyway) so in this episode, he's voiced by Roger C. Carmel.

-This episode also introduces one new character: Runabout. It's his first and last appearance. It's also Runamuck's second and last appearance.

-Whilst Starscream is last seen tumbling through space out of control, he has at least got his body back, and is alive again. Sadly this is his last appearance in the series, which is too bad as I would have liked to have seen him come back and try and take over the Decepticons again... but I guess that had already been done.

-Divebomb is shown getting destroyed in this episode -as in, blown to pieces. It happens as Starscream uses Trypticon to attack the Decepticons. A Sweep is shown exploding and then Divebomb gets obliterated as well, only to appear alive and well a couple of shots later. This episode was animated by AKOM, who always seem to go a bit over the top with the violence -they animated Dirge and Ramjet blowing up in this episode, and also has Sharkticons getting destroyed in this one. In general, when Transformers get hit in AKOM episodes, they often get blown up quite a bit more violently then usual. I doubt the script called for characters to be totally annihilated, it just seems to be an AKOM thing.

Errors

-Scourge fires pink lasers, but the Decepticons are then seen dodging green lasers.
-Headstrong is colored like Breakdown during this shot.
-One thing that's not very clear in the episode is how the initial explosion in Metroplex happens. Starscream enters Kup's body, then a second or so later, the explosion happens behind Kup, and Starscream is seen tumbling out of Kup's body.
-The letters on Blurr's computer monitor overlap part of his head.
-Sometimes, Hot Spot has a visible mouth, other times he has a mouthplate (the latter is what he's meant to have).
-Sky Lynx has a Decepticon insignia during this shot.
-Springer is colored like Kup during this shot.
-As mentioned above, Divebomb is seen getting blown to pieces, but is then also seen retreating with the other Decepticons moments later.
-Galvatron tells Scourge that Trypticon neutralized their weapons, but he's seen shooting Starscream later on.
-Hot Spot is colored like Ultra Magnus during this shot.