Holy flippersnots it's been a long time since I did one of these reviews!  Using my metric calendar, it's been at least a parsec!  So let's waste no time getting to this particularly inane episode.

The Decepticons all brainstorm to come up with a sure-fire winner of a plan.  Instead, they decide to clone Optimus Prime so that he can be used to lead the Autobots into a ravine containing the horrible corlonium crystals, which, when touched, immediately cause terrible side effects such as death or hearing Led Zeppelin music.  Megatron then kidnaps Spike because he figures since he's done it in every other episode he may as well this time too.  When the clone would rather investigate the crystals than save Spike, the Autobots destroy the clone and rescue that wacky little brown shirted human.

"Yes, Spike.  This time I am definitely me.  Err, I... myself.  Oh, whoever I am" - Optimus, confirming his true identity.

There's a particularly well animated sequence when Optimus stands after being knocked out by Lazerbeak.  As he stands, the background is also animated, making it look like the camera pulls back and pivots around Prime.

• So the Decepticons discover this big crevice filled with corlonium crystals.  How come no one else has ever happened on these things before?
• After discovering the "somehow never noticed before" crystals, Soundwave dispatches an autoscout to investigate.  Of course, it grabs a crystal and explodes.  Then Megatron decides to inform Soundwave that maybe he shouldn't let the autoscout touch them.
• Again, Megatron brings in his huge, elaborate base which is only temporary.  Why waste the energy to build the thing?  Also, it's a good idea he decided to install that brand new cloning machine in this one, it really helped the episode along!
• Right near the beginning, the Autobots all stand right on the edge of the crevice containing the "kill anything they touch" crystals.  Luckily, when the Decepticons show up, they don't think to just push the Autobots into the crevice and kill them once and for all.
• Soundwave stands next to Megatron as he explains that he's going to clone Optimus.  Then when he does, Soundwave acts scared that Prime has somehow gotten into the base.  Maybe he was petting Ravage and didn't pay attention to what Megatron said.
• Megatron somehow confuses Ironhide and Bumblebee.  Given how many damn times Megatron has kidnapped Bumblebee, this isn't too likely.
• As is standard in every TV show containing the "look, it's an impostor" story (read: every TV show ever), no one thinks to just ask the two Primes questions only Prime would know, like who piloted the ship from Cybertron.  Or for that matter, what all their names are, since the clone can't seem to get that right.
• And naturally, it's a lucky thing the movie hadn't come out yet or they could have just checked to see which one had The Matrix.  Of course, that hadn't been invented yet.
• Many times throughout the episode, Megatron talks to Starscream or to himself but the words aren't also said by his clone.  Lucky for him, or his whole plan would be given away.
• Why'd Ironhide take command instead of Prowl or Jazz?  Maybe because he and Prime have the same voice?
• It's pretty hard to believe that Lazerbeak could beat Starscream.
• And naturally, Spike is brought along again, unarmed, just to get captured.  At least this time his capture serves a purpose!
• The Autobots arrive at the crevice and begin fighting the Decepticons.  We then go into the Decepticons super cool base while Megatron and Starscream argue, fight, capture Spike, create a duplicate Starscream, and even write a script (too bad no one making this show ever tried doing that).  I gots ta wonder, what's the "only moves and speaks when Megatron commands him" Prime clone doing all this time?
• Windcharger is saved from the corlonium crystals because his rubber tires insulated him.  Rubber fucking tires insulated him?!  Why not just say he had on his seat belt?!
• At the end, Spike falls 9,000 feet and is rescued by slamming headlong into some mysterious Autobot (see "Changed Premises").  I can't see how that would be any more safe than slamming into the rock face.
• It's a good thing Megatron never attempts to use his perfectly intact cloning machine ever again, since it worked so well and all.

CHANGED PREMISES

• Soundwave has an "autoscout?"  Where the hell's he been hiding this contraption all this time?
• In "The Ultimate Doom," Megatron creates a clone of Optimus Prime which Sparkplug trashes using his amazing powers of Laws of Physics Defiance.  In this episode he needs a special machine and holograms from Lazerbeak to make a clone of Prime.
• So who's this red jet that shows up at the end to save Spike?  He sure isn't Skyfire, the only jet we've seen up until this point.  None of the Autobots seem to notice that he's never been there before though.  OK, so the creators wanted to put Powerglide in the show, why not give him some sort of introduction?  They even give him a few lines but don't in any way explain where the hell he came from.

ANIMATION FLUBS

• Megatron's ridiculous base lands as a generic purple ship, then instantly turns brown, like it's supposed to look like a mountain.
• During the initial fight with the Decepticons, Optimus picks up Thundercracker, throws down Starscream, then faces a fallen Thundercracker.
• Lazerbeak knocks Prime into a ravine.  Prime lands on his back, but in the next shot he's on his stomach.
• Then Lazerbeak takes his holographic images.  Megatron tells him to get every possible angle, but he only gets one.
• As Megatron creates the clone of Prime, Soundwave stands next to him, not paying attention.  Then he's also outside fighting the Autobots.
• Teletran I loses his "talking through a telephone" voice effect when he announces that the two Primes are identical.
• As Lazerbeak chases Starscream out of the idiotic base, Windcharger decides he's going to defect and wears a Decepticon symbol.
• Warpath, who probably should have also been mentioned in "Changed Premises" but I sure as shit ain't going back up to add it now, shows up for one quick shot at the final battle just to get POW! BLAM! shot down instantly BOOM!
• The Prime clone tells Jazz to hit the deck so he can get a clear shot at the clone Starscream.  As Jazz does, you can see that he was standing about two feet from the clone, yet somehow wasn't able to hit him with any of his shots.
• When Starscream clone and Prime clone begin their phony fight, Thundercracker--who's even still holding Gears--switches sides with Skywarp.
• After Prime blasts him into four million pieces with one shot, Starscream still stands in the crowd that was watching the fight.
• As the Autobots head for the crevice, the real Optimus Prime tries to warn them not to, and in the process calls Trailbreaker "Trailblazer."
• Thank PizzleWig Optimus gets new transformations every time in the episode.  Now they can reuse those over and over and over...

- Danimal