"I am happy about it," he protests. And he is - Tarn got what was his and was humiliated by the experience. Rodimus couldn't ask for more. Except he feels helpless and not in the way he did after Overlord where he wanted to be the one to defeat the phase sixer. No, this has more to do with his inability to protect them, the way that he continually comes second to Megatron in everything. Why should Megatron get a second chance to prove that he's on the level while Rodimus gets everything stripped away? He can't-- he can't make a difference, prove that he's learned, redeem himself, if he's never given the chance.

He can't even keep his crew safe here.

"Rewind should have been here to capture footage of it for you." Because showing Drift his tormenter getting beat up is absolutely the best option out of everything he could have done to make Drift feel better.