Only Human
Title card via TFWiki, fan-archive fair use
A crime lord hires alien mercenaries to transfer several Autobots' minds into human bodies.
As buildings explode across the futuristic cityscape of New York City, Springer attempts to save as many people as he can. At the docks, crime lord Victor Drath's men, led by Dutch, attempt to steal a canister of newtronium. Rodimus and Ultra Magnus stop them; however, Dutch shoots the canister which explodes in Rodimus's hands, allowing the criminals to escape in their flying car.
Tired of the Autobots interfering with his operations, Drath contacts the mysterious Old Snake, who apparently ran some kind of terrorist organization in the past. Drath purchases Old Snake's assistance and technology, setting up a laboratory at his home. Lured to the laboratory, Rodimus, Ultra Magnus, Arcee and Springer are trapped and their minds transferred into newly created synthoid human bodies. While the human Autobots are taken away to be disposed at the junk yard, Snake suggests that Drath can make use of the Autobots' former robot bodies.
The four Autobots manage to escape from the crusher in the junk yard before they're pulverised. They find clothing in a nearby building and swiftly realize what has happened. They split up—Magnus and Arcee decide to attempt to contact Autobot City while Rodimus and Springer go after Drath. Once the pair reaches Drath's house, Rodimus attempts to draw the guards away, but is wounded. He is given refuge by Drath's girlfriend Michelle. Springer spots Drath's men taking the Autobots' robot bodies for a test drive, taking the opportunity to rob a jewellery store. He is offers to help operate his old body, claiming that he has experience with heavy machinery, and gains the thugs' confidence.
Meanwhile Arcee and Ultra Magnus are having no luck contacting the police chief they'd worked with after the earlier bombings. They notice a nearby warehouse is owned by Drath and break in, discovering it's full of weapons. Unfortunately Arcee trips a silent alarm, and they're interrupted by thugs driving their old bodies. Magnus threatens them with a grenade, giving Arcee time to escape on a stolen motorcycle, but he is captured by Dutch a short time later.
Rodimus shares breakfast with Michelle, who confides that she knows who he is, but will help him get into Drath's house. Arcee makes it to Autobot City, but the human security guards don't believe her story and instead place her in detention. Rodimus and Michelle enter Drath's home... only for Drath's men to spring the trap which Michelle has lured him into. Drath tells Rodimus that Snake has come up with a new plan — load the Autobots' robot bodies with explosives and use them to blow up Autobot City. Springer discovers the plan as well, when he drives his robot body to pick up the explosives. He and Ultra Magnus liberate his old body, though it is damaged in the escape. The three remaining Autobot forms are dispatched for Autobot City.
Rodimus manages to get free of the goons and take down Drath himself. Drath gloats that Autobot City is still doomed. Indeed, Drath's thugs are nearing the city in the three purloined Autobot forms. Springer and Ultra Magnus fly Springer's robot form to catch up with the other three Autobots en route to Metroplex. Knowing that the Autobots in the city won't realize three Trojan horses are coming until it's too late, Ultra Magnus tells Springer to attack the city himself. Their firing on Metroplex alerts the inhabitants, and Blaster has time to activate the city’s defenses and waylay the oncoming Autobots.
Later, after the Autobots have put together the pieces, Perceptor rigs the equipment at Drath's former hideout and transfers Rodimus Prime and the others' minds back to their rightful place. When asked about their adventure, Rodimus gives extra consideration to Michelle as she's led away along with Drath's other men. Meanwhile, safely away, Old Snake muses to himself how they just don't make terrorists like they used to. He also tries to yell out the rallying cry of his former organization but breaks down into coughing, so it's absolutely impossible to tell what group he used to run.
—Victor Drath and Dutch talk business
—Often from toy companies!
—Street proselytizer and humanized Springer
—Springer gets a lift from his own body.
—Even humanized, Ultra Magnus is a badass.
- In general, this episode is really rushed, storywise. Scenes are raced through at a pretty breakneck pace, and on the whole, there's a tremendous sense of the episode having to hold back from actually doing anything with the potential-laden concept of the Autobots becoming human. Many of the ideas in the episode only seem half-developed, and what few subtleties do manage to break through the constant hurtle towards the final scene are often blunted by the complete lack of even just a reflective second or two to let them sink in; the final few minutes of the episode in particular are a collection of brief, perfunctory, checklist-ticking scenes surrounded by noisy scene transitions that don't even last 30 seconds each. The episode really cries out to be a two-parter, which is a real shame, since the annotations for the episode included amongst the original documentation featured on Metrodome's DVDs suggest that the production staff were really excited and enthusiastic about it.
- While not an error, since the reason for it is clear enough, it is a fun coincidence that once human, our four heroes find overalls to wear that perfectly match their former bodies' color schemes. It was also convenient for the new synthoid bodies to form complete with tee shirts and pants. This is a children’s show, you know.
- The humanized Autobots' synthoid bodies are much stronger than humans are. For example, during their escape from the junkyard, synthoid Rodimus is able to break through padlocked metal doors, an impossible feat for a human. In another example, humanized Ultra Magnus and Arcee push a container which is taller and heavier than they are and jump on it to penetrate into Drath's warehouse.
- For some reason, human Arcee doesn't look like Princess Leia. Even her hair is different.
- Human Rodimus and Human Springer look a lot like their respective voice actors, Dick Gautier and Neil Ross. Seriously, go look at the actors' pictures and compare.
- Human Arcee rides a motorcycle in this episode. She turns into one in several other continuity families.
Screencaps via TFWiki (Teletraan I), used under fan-archive fair use.