The Five Faces of Darkness, part 3

Although the Autobots escape before the planet completely explodes, a missile does manage to hit their shuttle and total it, flinging them harmlessly into space where Rodimus just believes they should enjoy this relaxing trip through the intergalactic reaches of the galaxy even though they nearly died. Meanwhile, Galvatron is alerted of the Earth Defence Command space platform and hops through a warp gate to give it a mocking.
 

Blurr and Wheelie, meanwhile are attempting to dock at said space platform and have some assistance in bringing the transformation cog to Autobot City, but the people aboard warn him of something passing through a nearby warp gate, so they just tell him to dash for Earth and they'll send help shortly. Before they can do that, Galvatron and his lackeys attack, completely totalling the space platform!
 

While Galvatron enjoys himself blowing up every fleeing ship there is, he manages to miss the one that Wheelie and Blurr are using, who attempt to radio for help but are blasted down by Jupiter and sent hurtling down towards it's non-gas moon, Io. Despite being blasted two or three times already, their ship is still intact so the Sweeps are ordered to follow after and take them out for good.

Over on Earth, Blaster receives the distress signal and calls Marissa Faireborn of the EDC to head out there and save his homies. Wheelie believes that bailing ship is an intelligent thing to do, so takes hold of the cog while ejecting his seat through the roof with Blurr following after, just in time to avoid Galvatron exploding their shuttle. However, they begin falling through space clouds, which is apparently worth a commercial break.

While freefalling, the Decepticons attempt to kill them, but Wheelie actually manages to apparently kill one of the Sweeps, which is about the only good thing he does, ever. Galvatron then fires a huge laser below his prey, causing... something to happen. It involves deafening sound (apparently), electricity (or something) and big blue streaks wrapping around impact lines (that's a certainty). I think it's meant to be one of those wacky space science threats.

While the Quintessons chuckle over their victory over the Autobots by destroying the Matrix, they find out that they merely just left them drifting towards a planet in space, so to be certain about destroying them, they feel that they must form an alliance with the Decepticons!

Meanwhile, Rodimus and company land on the planet Goo, and spent a minute to get the point across that yes, it's very sticky.

After the task of making note of the planet's gimmick is done, the group notice a huge flying contraption flying around, sucking up the junk embedded in the slop of the planet, and since Silverbolt can't even get out of the goo to fly over and get a closer look, they've got a feeling that they'll probably be dead if a miracle doesn't occur.

Meanwhile, Blurr and Wheelie aren't dead from whatever happened earlier, sadly, and manage to land on Io, knocking themselves unconscious in the process. Galvatron gives up on chasing them, presuming they'll be dead on that planet and takes the opportunity to slug Cyclonus in the face before ordering that they head to Chaar.

On Goo, Rodimus suggests they try shooting the garbage absorber, since it's not like they can move anywhere fast, though Springer attempts to fly them out of there in helicopter mode. This movement only attracts the attention of a tractor beam from the machine, drawing him in to...
 

Gross.

(that's actually what Rodimus says)

"Rodimus, it's coming for you!"
 

With those two shockers, we pop over to Chaar where the Quintessons have arrived, bringing a handful of energon cubes to appease the hiding Decepticons' hunger. They're all hiding underground, fearing that the intruders will just kill them, but Dead End comes up and is offered a proposition by them.

He tastes one of the cubes to confirm they're not tainted with, and they're not, so everyone starts tucking in, leaving the Quintessons to quietly utter that they will be under their control again.

Back on Goo, Rodimus gets sucked up by the machine, but not without collecting a stream on his hand and jamming it into a vital turbine, causing the whole thing to collapse.

While the Quintesson with them claims that Autobots were never programmed for self-sacrifice, we pop back to Chaar where the Quintessons explain their offer: Destroy the Autobots forever, and they'll supply them with energon forever, though they find this to be ridiculous, even if it isn't a direct attack upon them. Blitzwing doesn't like their offer at all, claiming they'll be wanting more afterwards, though the others feel they have nothing to lose and go along anyway.

Galvatron and his minions arrive after the Quintessons leave, disappointed that his loyal forces are inhabiting such a crappy landscape, and also that his loyal forces are nowhere to be seen. After some searching, he meets with Blitzwing and the two are happy to see each other, though Galvatron is a bit pissed that his forces have left to fight Autobots without him leading them, so they head off to intercept them.

Meanwhile, Marissa Faireborn gets a signal of Wheelie and Blurr landing on Io so heads off to find them, while the two are oblivious to the big red things that eat guns for breakfast creeping up behind them. And over on Goo, the lot of them are heading in search of the force field disabler that will make the slop brittle and easy to smash out of, but...

Decepticon ambush!

The Quintessons state that when the Decepticons vanquish the Autobots, that will only bring them closer to their only demise, so yeah, Blitzwing was right. Good ol' Blitzwing.

This and the last part of the story arc use a new, unique intro that's used in no other episode, which is a shame because I like it more than the usual. It also features a discoloured Shockwave for a few seconds, one of many posthumous appearances in this story arc.

The Aerialbots just vanish when they land on Goo, except for Silverbolt who only disappears occasionally, but they certainly don't die. Silverbolt's also seen landing twice on Goo, probably as an apology for the disappearance of everyone else.

The Sweeps are coloured rather wackily when Galvatron arrives on Chaar, mimicking the colours of not-Sweep Decepticons.

1) Soundwave and two other guys that I can't really identify. Probably combiner members.

2) Dirge.

3) Soundwave and the first two again, plus one with a white body and red head, reminding me of a rooster. Hurf.

Shockwave lives!

As a Constructicon? And Bombshell is alive too, so that's pretty cool too.

Dead End's mouth plate is his mouth, like an Allicon's.

That's kind of gross.

Fireflight is either a traitor...

Or just escaped Goo to get in on that free energon deal.