The 20th episode of Transformers Prime aired on Saturday 23rd July 2011 on The Hub. The episode was titled Partners and followed on from the previous two episodes.
The story starts on the Decepticon ship with Starscream talking to Soundwave telling the Decepticon communications officer that he has changed and see the error of his ways and now knows that he is happy to be 2nd in command and loyal to Megatron. The Decepticon seeker then makes his way onto the bridge where Megatron is talking to Airachnid about a Decepticon transport that crash on Earth a long time ago. It turns out that Starscream was aware of the ship but had not recorded its location into the Decepticon database. Megatron is not very happy about it and orders Starscream, who has memorised the location of the craft, to lead Airachnid there to retrieve a prototype weapon. The open sequence then rolls
The scene shifts to the Autobot HQ, where Arcee is standing next to Cliffjumpers grave talking to her former partner. She is still after revenge on the Decepticon that killed him, only she does not realise who it actually was.
We jump back to the Decepticons where Airachnid and Starscream have now arrived at the location of the ship. Some arguing breaks out between the two Decepticons before they enter the craft. Even once inside the bickering continues as Airachnid activates the main computer which Starscream warns her could draw the Autobots attention. He is right, as we jump back to the Autobot base where Ratchet has indeed picked up on the old Decepticon signature.
Back onboard "The Harbinger", Airachnid discovers that the device she is after, which has not been named upto this point, can be located within Section 23 of the ship. She starts to make her way towards that part of the craft only to find soild rock. Starscream points out that the ship was shot down by the Autobots and was split in two. This does not please Airchnid, who becomes more irrate when she finds out that Starscream knows where the other half of the ship crashed but will not tell her. She traps him within her webbing which leads the cowardly Decepticon reveals the location of the device. Just as Airachnid is about to leave, the Autobot's arrive and chase her off. Arcee follows the Decepticon arachnid through a tunnel she makes whilst the other Autobots can not fit. A small fight breaks out between the two female robots with Airachnid gaining the upper hand before Optimus Prime arrives for the save. With Airachnid gone the Autobots are left Starscream who announces that he wishes to change sides. He explains that he has had enough of the Decepticons, that Megatron is only going to try to kill him and that he is constantly belitted and demoted by the Decepticons, so why should he stay with them. Bulkhead laughs this off and throws in a reference to The Fallen, which is a nice easter egg for longtime fans. The Autobots agree to work with Starscream this time.
The scene jumps and we see Airachnid locating the weapon which turns out to be called the Immobilizer.
Meanwhile the Autobots have arrived with Starscream secured within Optimus Prime's trailer. Prime orders Arcee to guard Starscream whilst he, Bumblebee and Bulkhead go after Airachnid. Arcee wants to go with them as, during her last fight with the 'Con, she was being taunted by reminders of Airachnid killing her former partner Tailgate. Prime wants Arcee to stay behind for that very reason.
No sooner have the Autobot's found Airachnid than a fight breaks out between them. Bulkhead is soon immobilised as the scene shifts back to Arcee and Starscream. The pair are talking about Airachnid and it slips out that it was Starscream who killed Cliffjumper, another one of Arcee's partners. Arcee wants revenge and hands Starscream the key to his restraints so that he will have a fighting chance. Starscream begs for mercy whilst luring in the Autobot and eventually he tricks her and is able to land a heavy wound before releasing himself.
Two fights are now underway with Airachnid soon immobilising Optimus Prime and then focussing on Bumblebee whilst Starscream and Arcee battle it out else where with the Decepticon also coming out on top in that fight.
Bumblebee manages to trick Airachnid into believing that he has been immobilised before he disarms her and breaks the weapon. This is turns leads to the Decepticon fleeing and the action switches back to Arcee and Starscream. Just as Starscream prepares to finish off the Autobot, Arcee manages to reverse the flow of the battle and starts beating on the Decepticon. She is about to finish him off when, out of the corner of her optic, she spots Bumblebee appearing and looking on. She stops and withdraws her weapons which allow Starscream to flee.
We shift back to the Decepticon base where Megatron is extremely angry at Airachnid. Not only did she loose the weapon, not that he is that bothered about that, but she allowed his 2nd in command to be captued by the Autobots!! Megatron is extremely angry about this as Starscream has knowledge of some key Decepticon intelligence. We jump back to the Autobot base wher Ratchet has rebuilt the Immobilizer and has freed up Bulkhead and Optimus Prime. He has also repaired the injured Arcee who realises that she has been too obsessed with seeking revenge for her fallen partners.
Finally the episode ends with Starscream who is finally freeing himself from the last of his bonds and gives a speach about how he has come to learn more about himself and how he will now look out for only himself and will not align himself with either the Autobots nor the Decepticons.
Overall it was another reasonably solid episode of Transformers Prime. There was less action that recent weeks but the ongoing story was once again continued and a new dynamic between Airachnid and Starscream was introduced. The episode also highlight that, as much as he does not care for Starscream, Megatron realise the importance that his 2nd in command could be to the Autobots. For the fans, there is anothre flashback for Arcee and mentions of both The Fallen and Starscream being the Commander of the Seekers in the past on Cybertron.
There are also no humans within this episode so overall all I would rate it as a 7/10 episode