The episode opens up with the Autobots driving through New Detroit during the night. Bumblebee says to Optimus that they're wasting their time, but Optimus replies that an Allspark shard was detected in the area and fears the Decepticons might also trace it. Just then, 5 cars blow right past the Autobots. As Ratchet asks what their hurry is, 4 helicopters stream overhead. Bulkhead seems to know the cars as Street Demons, as he watches them on TV with Sari. Bumblee seems unimpressed and ready to show off.

The Mysterious Racer

Streaking ahead, he overtakes all the racers (including one with an uncanny resemblence to the Stunticon Breakdown). Behind this race, another car peels away towards them. As the racers and Bumblebee continue down the highway, the newly arrived car forces it's way through the pack, causing 2 to crash into the concrete medians. Optimus and the other Autobots approach one of the wrecked cars and assume robot mode. Meanwhile, the aggressive car has now caught up to Bumblebee.

As the car pulls away from Bumblebee, he gets set to pursue. However, Optimus chimes in and tells Bumblebee to help them with the injured. Bumblebee seems bent on catching up to the car, but at that moment the car kicks it into high gear and leaves Bumblebee behind and dumbfounded. Back at the accident scene, Optimus snuffs the flames while Prowl uses his shurikens as Jaws of Life to free one of the drivers. Bulkhead frees the other driver then asks for his autograph. The driver seems too incoherent to oblige. Bulkhead mentions to Optimus that the driver needs a repair shop, to which Optimus corrects him with the correct building... a hospital.

Underground Racing

The police, with Capt Fanzone, are now on scene. He in turn corrects Optimus and says they need a prison ward. Fanzone then places both drivers under arrest. As the remainder of the squad leaves, Fanzone tells the Autobots that they are part of an underground racing circuit and he's been trying to catch them for weeks. Bulkhead takes Fanzone too literal and asks him if they race in tunnels. Fanzone corrects him and tells him that underground means illegal. This confuses Bulkhead, because Sari didn't mention this to him.

Optimus asks the purpose of underground racing. Fanzone tells him it's strictly for money and viewership on pirated broadcasts. About this time, Bumblebee pulls up. He transforms into robot mode, then instantly collapses. Fanzone instantly asks Bumblebee if he 'tried to nail the guy in the blue car'. In between wheezing, and in a very weak voice, Bumblebee asks how he knew.

Bumblebee's Dilemna

Back at Autobot HQ, Bumblebee opens up a case containing his rocket pack (see Nanosec) and seems determined to find the blue racer. Ratchet strikes Bumblebee down, noting that his last use of the rockets was at the price of almost flattening Prime and Sari. Bumblebee then slips and lets his true feelings out, showing jealousy that an earth car beat him. He then slowly comes around and tries to convince the others that the blue car might actually be a Decepticon. Prowl isn't convinced, however, since the blue car made no attempt to attack the Autobots and went straight for the 'organics'. Optimus gives the final say and tells Bumblebee that he can't use the boosters.

Meanwhile, Bulkhead confronts Sari about the "Speed Demons" program and her knowledge of it being illegal. Sari seems smug and tells Bulkhead that it's not costing them anything. When Bulkhead asks her how Pay-Per-View is free, she lets out that she's pirating a signal. This makes Bulkhead more upset that Sari seems to be justifying a wrong with another wrong. Just then, Bumblebee walks in and tells Bulkhead to lighten up because "we're supposed to be the funbots!". Bulkhead says that shouldn't stop them from making a good example since Sari looks up to them. Bumblebee wastes no time replying with "She can't help it, she looks up to everyone". The short joke obviously gets Sari riled.

Another Broadcast

Bumblebee promises to set Sari straight. Without saying anything back, Bulkhead leaves. Once Bulkhead is out of the room, Bumblebee quickly asks Sari to find the races. When Sari questions his promise to Bulkhead, Bee tells her to keep the volume down so he doesn't hear. As they turn the TV on, they are greeted by a human in a red suit referring to himself as Master Disaster. He greets the viewers with the beginning of another broadcast, Bumblebee spots the blue car. He asks Sari if that car has been in all the races. Sari tells him "I guess" and he then asks if she can find the location of the broadcast. Sari goes for her key to merge it with the remote, telling Bumblebee that it's a piece of cake. Bumblebee then asks her if the broadcast came from a piece of cake, obviously not getting the metaphor.

After awhile, we find Bumblebee in a water viaduct somewhere in New Detroit, with his rocket pack attached. He is sure this is where Sari told him the broadcasts were coming from, but he finds nothing. Just then, he hears engines followed by headlights emerging from a tunnel. He hides out of sight and as they pass, he goes into car mode and tails behind them. He uses the embankment to slingshot past the 2 rear cars.

Showdown With The Blue Racer

In his broadcast trailer, Master Disaster notices Bumblebee and wonders where he came from. He then presses a button under the console, revealing a secret compartment with a remote control inside. Outside, the trailer door comes down and the blue racer emerges. As Master Disaster states that he'll shut down Bumblebee, he fine tunes the remote and the blue car launches off. Back at the race, Bumblebee is running neck in neck with the others and seems quite proud that he's mastered the rocket pack. At that moment, the other cars come to a stop. As Bumblebee spins around to find out why they stopped, he spots the blue car.

As the blue car lunges forward, Bumblebee is inclined to play Chicken. However, he stopped in a puddle and thus can't get traction. As the blue car closes in on him, he spins his rockets around and launches backwards. The blue car pursues Bumblebee, never giving him the chance to spin around and go forward. As the blue car plays bump and grind with Bee, Master Disaster watches from his broadcast trailer. He seems pleased with the progress and states "Best day of my life when I found this baby", referring to the remote. We then spy an antenna on the car, confirming that Master Disaster is controlling the blue car via remote.

Master Disaster Meets Bumblebee

Bumblebee is tired of playing rough and assumes his robot mode. This surprises Master Disaster. Bumblebee prepares to smash in the hood of the blue car, but it stops just short of his fist. Bumblebee pans to his right and spots Master Disaster with his broadcast rig. MD tells him to not move a muscle, or piston or whatever he has. Bee recognizes MD right away, and MD recognizes Bee as a loyal paying customer, which seems to make Bee a bit bashful. Bumblebee asks MD about the blue car. MD tells Bee that the car is his star attraction, and makes a comment that the 'driver' doesn't make a move without him.

Bumblebee questions if MD knows the driver, if there is on at all. MD balks and says there can't be a car without a driver, with present company excepted. MD then tells Bumblebee that the next race will be under the elevated roadways in the Dixon/Vernon area at 2am. MD then formally gives Bee an invitation to join. Bee asks if the blue car will be there, and MD asks back if Bee will join if the blue car is there. The reply? "Slag yeah".

As Bumblebee transforms and drives away, MD tunes his remote and brings the blue car back to him. He revels in the fact that having an Autobot in the race will triple his audience. More deviously, if he can wreck the Autobot, he'll gain exponential viewers. Back at Autobot HQ, Bulkhead brings Sari some hot chocolate. Her phone begins going off but she tries to ignore it. Bulkhead seems suspicious that she would ignore it. She tries to bluff Bulkhead by telling him about cel phone plans, but as she tries to shut it off it accidentally answers the call from Bumblebee.

As Bee goes off telling Sari about how he couldn't beat the blue car with his rocket pack, Bulkhead gets noticeably furious. As Bee tries to get a response from Sari, he sees Blitzwing flying overhead. Blitzwing doesn't seen to notice him. He flies down to the viaduct and assumes his 'cold' robot mode. As Bee catches up and stays out of sight, Blitzwing makes contact with Megatron via commlink. He tells Megatron that he lost track of the Allspark fragment again and thinks it has disappeared. Megatron dismisses that as rubbish and orders Blitzwing to keep searching. Bee thinks the blue racer has something to do with it and rushes off in car mode.

The Confrontation with Bulkhead

Bee returns back to Autobot HQ and rushes to where Sari is sitting. He blurts out that he is going to be in the next race and begins to tell Sari to keep Bulkhead distracted. But it's too late, as he notices Bulkhead lumbering over him. Bulkhead expresses his disappointment in both Sari and Bee. Bee tries to convince Bulkhead that the blue car is a Decepticon and that Blitzwing is tailing the races trying to find an Allspark fragment. He draws Bulkhead closer and tells him that he can only expose all this if he runs in the next race and makes Bulkhead promise to not let the others know.

Bulkhead agrees, but only if Bumblebee doesn't go off on a 'wild grease chase' without him. Bee promises, while keeping his fingers crossed behind his back. As Bulkhead walks away, Sari asks Bee where he learned that from, to which he replies "From you". Down at the police station, Fanzone is trying to interrogate one of the drivers he arrested. The suspect is initially resistent, but when Fanzone tells him the charges levied will ensure his next race is him using a walker, he lets out that the next race is at 2am in the Dixon/Vernon area, confident Fanzone won't make it in time. Fanzone tells him that he knows shortcuts, while sliding his badge into the card reader. However, the door won't open and Fanzone walks smack into it. This results in the Fanzone mantra.

Race Preparations

As Bee prepares to leave for the race, Sari demands to tag along. Bee tries to get her to stay behind, but she throws back on him every hypocrite thing he's said thus far. He begrudgingly takes her along, but Bulkhead was listening in the whole time. At the starting line, Master Disaster reviews the entrants and states that there's many new entrants tonight, including Bee. As Sari comments about how much uglier MD is in person, Bee points out that the blue car just arrived. As the blue car pulls up next to Bumblebee, Sari's key lights up. She notes that the Allspark fragment is nearby, but it's not coming from the blue car.

As she goes to investigate, the key leads her to the broadcast trailer, and to MD's hidden console. As she grabs MD's remote, she notices a shadow approaching and ducks to hide. He approaches his console as Sari ducks back out. Announcing the race will start in 2min, he activates the hidden console to find it already open... and his remote missing. Sari gets back to Bee, but not before MD spots her with the remote and calls her a thief. Bee asks if she stole the remote, and she retorts that he hasn't been a shining example himself.

The Big Race

Bumblebee makes his escape, and the other drivers see it as a sign that the race began. They tear off, much to Master Disaster's anger. As MD runs back in the trailer, we see Bulkhead hiding behind a pillar. He is still critical of Bumblebee's actions. However, as he starts to go after him he is frozen in place. Seems Blitzwing caught sight of him. Back with Bumblebee, Sari opens the remote to find an Allspark shard embedded within it. She remarks that the shard is why Blitzwing was hanging around. Bee is quick to change her past tense to present, as Blitzwing fires his ice cannons in jet mode.

Blitzwing fires an ice cannon shot at one of the underpasses, sealing the rest of the drivers off. He then goes after Bee. Bumblebee manages to dodge the barrage of fire from Blitzwing. However, Blitzwing won't give up and fires an ice missile. Passing Bee, the missile lands on the floor and instantly freezes the whole viaduct. At first Bumblebee spirals out of control. He then transforms into robot mode and begins skating on the ice with Sari on his neck. He spins around and fires stinger shots at Blitzwing, but misses. Once back on dry land, Bee transforms back into car mode. Sari, seemingly unfazed by the battle, asks to do it again.

Blitzwing Versus Bumblebee

Bee continues to try and elude Blitzwing. BW fires off 2 more ice missiles. Bee outruns the first one as it seals off one end of the tunnel that Bee drives into. The other lands directly behind Bee, but he manages to keep ahead of it and exits the tunnel before the other entrance is sealed. BW is still on Bee's tail, but now the viaduct narrows down. As BW's wings scrape against the embankment, he transforms into tank mode and curses the concrete.

Blitzwing fires off 2 shots from his turret, aiming at a support pillar for an underpass. Bee manages to dodge the falling debris. BW gloats that he will crush anything in his way, but the crumbling underpass manages to crush him instead. Meanwhile, Fanzone is getting annoyed with the onboard navigation in his car. Bee notices Fanzone driving in the opposite direction above him and does an about face. Bee manages to catch up to Fanzone and uses a ramp to get alongside him.

The Battle Continues

Blitzwing, meanwhile, emerges from the rubble. Although he is in his cold mode, he is visibly perturbed. He switches to his random mode and notices Fanzone and Bee racing side by side. Remarks on how cute the twins look, then reverts to his cool mode. An eyepiece telescopes from his left optic and he notices the varied energy readings from the 2 cars. He remarks on how one of them has the Allspark fragment, and as he switches to his rage mode, he decides to destroy both cars.

Bee opens Fanzone's car door as Sari shouts as Fanzone to jump in. As Fanzone questions Sari's judgement, he notices BW closing in and firing missiles. He jumps into Bee just before his car explodes. He laments that the car will come out of his paycheck. BW then fires a volley of missiles, which Bee manages to dodge while drifting back into the viaduct.

Blitzwing The Puppet

Fanzone notes that BW is still on their tail, but Sari gets an idea. She opens up a window and points the remote at BW. BW transforms into robot mode and, in his rage mode, seems lost that he cant' control himself. Shifting to random mode, he then confesses that he never could. Sari tells Fanzone that the remote is how Master Disaster fixed the races using the blue car. She continues to control Blitzwing and brags that the remote makes it easy to bend the rules. Then she drops the remote, and Fanzone is quick to reply that bending rules will sometimes have them snapping back in your face.

Blitzwing now seems to have regained control and in his cold mood decides to finish things. He transforms back into jet mode and closes in on Bee. At that moment, the blue car smashes thru the underpass above and launches straight towards BW. Blitzwing responds (cold mood)"Never give up"(rage mood)"Never surrender"(random mode) "NEVER MIND!" shortly before crashing into a nearby building. As Bee deposits Sari and Fanzone on the ground, he states he is going after Blitzwing. Blitzwing, meanwhile, has suffered damage and crashes straight into MD's rig.

More Puppetry

As Blitzwing gets up from the wreckage (and in random mood shows how glad he is that he 'landed on something soft'), he assumes cold mood as he sees Bumblebee approaching. Bee transforms into robot mode and tells BW to put his hands up. Never mind that Blitzwing is roughly 4x his size. Blitzwing obliges, then in rage mood (with a big grin on his face), fires his turrets at the underpass above Bee. As Bee is caught in the rubble, Bulkhead (still frozen) is knocked over and freed from his icy prison. Blitzwing, again in cold mood, approaches Bee and prepares to finish him.

Sari shows up with the remote and assumes control of Blitzwing again. Unfortunately, the remote has the same effect on Bee. As Bulkhead comes to and tries to warn the others about Blitzwing, he's toppled over by Bee. Sari finally transforms BW into jet mode and sends him rocketing out of sight. As Bee, Sari and Bulkhead argue with one another, MD sees chance to make his escape. Unlucky for him, he runs straight into Fanzone, who throws him into handcuffs.

Back at Autobot HQ, Optimus proclaims that the remote and the Allspark shard inside are best kept in a safe place. Sari announces her end to bending the rules. Bee adds to that by cutting off her pirated satellite feed. She asks why he did that, and he replies that it's time he starts setting an example. She tells him to be careful or she might not recognize him. However, his attention is drawn to the road, where the blue car drives past. He thanks the car out loud for it's help... but then can't help to wonder who or what that car really is.

For a filler episode, I suppose it was decent. Throwing Blitzwing into it certainly helped things. However the episode showed no progress in the overall arc other than retrieving another Allspark shard. One can only hope the filler episodes don't follow this lead or else interest might wane.

Reviewer	Blitzwing
Date	May 10th 2008
Score	(6 out of 10)
Reads	22111