Missed Connection

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"Hello, Peter."
"Missed Connection"
Season	1
No. in season	13
Production company	Entertainment One Nickelodeon
Airdate	March 3,2023(Paramount+) June 14,2023(Nickelodeon)
Writer	Mae Catt
Director	Matthew Humphreys
Animation studio	Icon Creative Studio
Watch this episode on Paramount+

Nightshade's more isolated nature leads them to make an unexpected new friend.

Synopsis

On a day of no school with most of the whole Malto family enjoying some time out in the sun,Dotwonders whereNightshadeis. Her question is soon answered with an explosion originating from thedugoutbeneath the family barn. All rush inside to see one of Nightshade's inventions, the "Smart Trainer 5007",going haywire and shooting everything in sight. FollowingBumblebeetaking it out, Nightshade gets to work on a new one and inquires if any of their siblings would like to assist them. With most just going back outside, Dot andAlextry to talk to Nightshade, assuring them their siblings do care for them even if they don't share Nightshade's interests. Seeing Nightshade could use some other interests, Alex offers the young Terran a favorite childhood book of his:Winged Sentinel,by localWitwickyauthorD.E. O'Neil.Enraptured with the fantasy novel about daring heroes, Nightshade sets out to find O'Neil as they feel they have someone they can finally relate to.

Getting O'Neil's last known address thanks toHashtag,Nightshade soon finds themself in a desolate graveyard, where it turns out the last known address was O'Neil's burial site. Nightshade's attention is soon taken by an odd lone human in the graveyard telling them to leave. Seeing the human is in fact a hologram, Nightshade follows it into what seems to be a secret laboratory hidden beneath the cemetery filled with Cybertronian andG.H.O.S.T..tech. Nightshade is soon attacked by a giant mechanical spider ordering them to stay away from their work. Transforming to his bot mode and revealed to be a Decepticon, they soon realize Nightshade is still in theirprotoformbody, and thus unaffiliated, and orders the young Terran to leave. Realizing this is rather un-Decepticon-like behavior, Nightshade introduces themself, and the Decepticon returns the favor by introducing himself asTarantulas.Seeing that Tarantulas is working on some sort of human holographic projector, Nightshade points out that while it was good at projecting an image of a human it lacked the behavioral pattern in order to properly fit in. Nightshade deduces this was because Tarantulas was working from a purely Cybertronian perspective, rather than trying to integrate it with Earth technology. Amazed and pleased with this info, Tarantulas says he'll soon be able to complete his invention and successfully go into hiding to avoid capture by G.H.O.S.T.

Nightshade hurries back to the Malto farm to get the remains of the Smart Trainer and presents it to Tarantulas as something he can use to finish his holographic projector. Wondering what the catch is, Nightshade only asks if they could provide assistance with working on it. Reluctantly agreeing, Nightshade eagerly rushes back into Tarantulas' lab. When asked by Nightshade why he would want to hide as a human, Tarantulas explains he'll be able to use the holographic projector to finally leave the Autobot/Decepticon war behind him. Comparing to it using analternate mode,Tarantulas also opens up the young Terran's eyes about the concept of alternate modes; saying they're as much about expressing who you are than "completing yourself". Taken in by these words, Nightshade boasts they'll use theirs to be a scientist and protector. Tarantulas can't help but admire Nightshade's strong sense of self at such a young age.

Completing the mobile holographic projector after a day's work, Tarantulas offers Nightshade the chance to come with him, believing the war between the Autobots and Decepticons will soon erupt again. Thanking him, Nightshade declines, saying they still have obligations in Witwicky. Back at the Malto farm, Nightshade asks Dot about how the world came to accept Megatron's change of heart. Dot says everyone deserves a second chance, though when Nightshades inquires about "Decepticons hiding in the shadows", Dot begins to wonder if Nightshade has been secretly meeting other Decepticons. All the while Tarantulas, in the form of his human avatar, observes them from a distance. Later that night, after misinterpreting a conversation between Dot and Alex, Tarantulas abducts the pair and takes them back to his lair. With the other Terrans and Malto children scrambling, Nightshade sneaks off, having correctly realized it was Taranutlas.

Nightshade, BEAST MODE!

Back at Tarantulas' lair, he prevents an escape attempt by Dot and Alex, threatening them with a modified G.H.O.S.T. device capable of wiping the memories of organics. Nightshade soon arrives on the scene, taking their parents and making a break for it. Tarantulas, doing this because he believes Nightshade is the Malto's prisoner, rushes after Nightshade, imploring them to stay, before webbing up Nightshade and preparing to erase the Malto's memories, Nightshade scans the statue of a Sentinel Owl and upgrades their form with a new owl alt-mode. Engaging in a battle with Tarantulas, their newfound power of flight quickly gives them the advantage over the more experienced Tarantulas. Bumblebee and the other Terrans arrive on the scene. Bumblebee attempts to arrest Tarantulas but Nightshade explains this was all one big misunderstanding and asks everyone to give Tarantulas a second chance. Hashtag alerts everyone that a G.H.O.S.T. unit is being dispatched to the area and they need to make a break for it. Seeing that Nightshade and their siblings are in hiding as much as he is, Tarantulas offers to lure G.H.O.S.T. away so the Maltos can escape undetected, saying he wants to make good on the second chance Nightshade is offering him.

Seeing that Tarantulas left behind the holographic projector, Nightshade departs with Alex as Tarantulas races through the forests trying to outpace G.H.O.S.T.'s helicopters.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Then behold the Smart Trainer 5007!"
"Why 5007?"
"The first 5,006 tried to destroy me."

—Nightshadedoes their bestWheeljackimpression when answeringTwitch'squestion.

"You are a Transformer. Another mode is your birthright."
"I see no need for one. Aren't I sufficient as I am?"
"Young one, alt-forms aren't meant to complete you as though you have a missing part. They further express who you already are."

—TarantulasteachesNightshadethere's more to alt-modes than just changing forms.

"You've made an interesting choice for an alt-mode. But you're still just the lost protoform I first met."
"You've just proven you don't really know me, because I was never lost!"

—TarantulaswitnessesNightshade'sresolve.

Notes

Continuity notes

• Nightshade's alt-mode being an owl was first, obliquely, hinted at in "Age of Evolution, Part 2"where they excitedly asked if they could be the owl bobblehead when planning" Operation: Terran Horse ".

Transformers references

• Tarantulas being portrayed as an ultimately sympathetic character was inspired by his depiction inSins of the Wreckers.^[1]

Real-world references

• Alex and Bumblebee's note that days off are made for teachers is actually averysly reference to an infamous line from theDexter's Laboratoryepisode "A Dad Cartoon", in which Dexter's dad declares "Ah, yes! Saturdays are made for dads! And dad's car!"^[2]
• Nightshade's Smart Trainer 5007 bears a strong resemblance to the lightsaber training drone fromStar Wars.
• D.E. O'Neil is named in reference toDenny O'Neil.^[3]The novelWinged Sentinel,about a hero themed around a nocturnal flying animal, may be a reference to O'Neil'sBatmanwork.

Errors

• Nightshade is seen holding theWinged Sentinelbook when they follow the mobile holographic projector into Taratulas's secret laboratory, but the book suddenly disappears when they enter.

Trivia

Foreign localization

Brazilian Portuguese

• Title:"Conexão perdida"(" Lost connection ")
• Original airdate:March 4,2023

German

• Title:"Fehlende Verbindung"
• Original airdate:March 4, 2023

French

• Title:"Connexion impossible"(" Connection failed ")
• Original airdate:April 26,2023

Hungarian

• Title:"Küldetés összefüggés"(" Mission Correlation ")
• Original airdate:April 26, 2023

Home video releases

DVD

2024 —Transformers: EarthSpark- Season 1: Episodes 11-26 (Paramount)

References