Big Wheels

« Transformers: Rescue Bots Academy ep 80 »
Looks like everything is not, in fact, fine.
"Big Wheels"
Production code	228
Season	2
No. in season	28
Production company	Allspark Animation
Airdate	June 27, 2020
Writer	Jodi Reynolds
Director	Pete Slattery
Animation studio	Boulder Media Studio

As the recruits face some big decisions about their new Mul-T-Cog vehicle forms, Hot Shot must decide what's really important to his rescue work. And unexpectedly, it's his mentor, Heatwave, who's the one who inspires him.

Synopsis

The recruits are sitting around discussing the fact that they need to decide on new vehicle modes when Whirl roars up having already picked hers: a police car. This inspires Wedge who asks the others to meet him outside. Medix meanwhile has carefully calculated what his new mode will be. A few minutes later, Wedge and Medix show their new (respective) sports car and helicopter modes off to the other recruits. Hoist, still unable to decide, heads off to consult Grimlock, which spurs Hot Shot to go talk to Heatwave. Heatwave doesn't contribute much to the conversation, but Hot Shot comes up with the idea of scanning a rocket.

Hot Shot GroundBridges to an abandoned rocket base, where he immediately has to avoid being spotted by the lone guard on duty. He successfully sneaks into the hangar where the rocket is being kept, but as he's trying to take a photo, he knocks over barrels of rocket fuel, which leak fuel everywhere, which catches fire after a barrel rolls causes a spark. His first attempt at putting it out fails, so he calls in Heatwave who arrives via GroundBridge. Heatwave extinguishes the fires, but the wind causes the guard tower to catch alight. Hot Shot extracts the sleeping guard before Heatwave puts the fire out, however now a brush fire has sprung up just outside the base. Hot Shot is ready to spring into action again, but Heatwave stops to check wind direction. As it turns out, they need to make a fire break so the embers from the blaze don't reach the nearby forest. Their attempt at a trench is not going to be done fast enough, so Heatwave uses his vehicle mode to cover the fire with dirt and safely extinguish it.

With the emergency dealt with, Heatwave goes to make a final check of the base while Hot Shot scans the rocket, however Hot Shot's been so impressed by his mentor's prowess with a fire engine alternate mode that he decides to become a fire engine instead. Later, the recruits gather in Hero Hall where they discuss their new choices. Wedge notes that Hoist is still missing, but their team mate picks that moment to arrive in his new alternate mode, having picked a T-rex.

Featured characters

(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Quotes

"Allow me to introduce you to some of my new features: sirens, two settings, emergency and really big emergency; projectile spike strips; and six cupholders."
"You have cupholders?!"

—Whirl and Hoist

"I assume you want me to talk you through my decision process. It all began with some complex geometry and- sigh Yes, Hot Shot, my helicopter has got cupholders."

—Medix

"Maybe I should talk my choice over with Grimlock. He is my mentor, and he's huge, which means his brain must be enormous."

—Hoist

"When we're telling everyone at the academy about this rescue, can we leave out the bit where I look like a giant marshmallow?"

—Hot Shot

Notes

Continuity notes

• Apparently, Cybertronians can scan the alternate modes of other Cybertronians, evidenced by Hot Shot scanning Heatwave's alternate form. Nightra previously did the same in Robots in Disguise, though in her case it was off-screen.

Transformers references

• TBA

Real-world references

• TBA

Animation and technical errors

• TBA

Trivia

• Heatwave uses "roll out" instead of his usual "roll to the rescue".
• With this episode, the recruits have each assumed an additional mode similar to the respective alternate modes of their mentors: Whirl is a police car like Chase, Medix is a helicopter like Blades, Wedge is a sports car like Bumblebee, Hoist is a Dinobot like Grimlock, and Hot Shot is a fire truck like Heatwave.

Foreign localization

• TBA

Home video releases