Remember that random throw-away line in the last episode when the Turtles were looking for Mutagen where Leo said he hoped 'it wasn't another trap'? A lot of TMNT fans sure do, including our very own Venka and Dansleforet. This episode is basically what that one line was all about. The episodes were switched around to fit in with Halloween weekend, so technically this should be episode 2 of Season 2 instead of episode 3. Let's check it out.
This episode starts out with the Turtles searching for more Mutagen bottles. Don is still surprised that April acted the way she did and Raph tells him to get it over it for now. Looking through the garbage of an alley, Mikey finds a stuffed iguana and plays with it until Raph reminds him it might be a distant cousin for all they know. Mikey does eventually find one of the Mutagen bottles and Don says there's a lot more left to find. Karai is watching them and realizes that they're after the Mutagen bottles.
Later on the Turtles are tired of looking for the Mutagen bottles all the time and Leo suggests a break. However his idea of a break is more training. He will defend a restaurant called the Dragon Gate, like King of the Hill, and the other have to get past him. Mikey cranks up his tunes and dances his way past Leo. Don does some calculations and tosses shuriken that distract him so he can also get past him. Raph charges at him and tosses his sai at him, which Leo avoids. He says a true ninja never throws his weapon (which is funny since Raph's main form of attack was throwing his sai, especially in the Red Sky seasons) but Raph still gets past him. As Leo gets up he sees they somehow carved 'Lam-e-nardo' on his sword. He tells the others they were supposed to take him down in close quarters combat, but Raph says the main point was to get past him, no matter how they did it.
Leo talks to Splinter about being the leader might not be for him since the Turtles aren't showing him respect. Splinter reminds him it's always easy to be the leader and that sometimes one has to nurture and care for one's followers.
Karai is relaxing at home when she is attacked by Foot Ninja. However these Foot Ninja seem to be better skilled and resistant than the usual wimps we've seen so far. Shredder mentions that they are robot Foot Ninja created by the Kraang. Shredder is leaving town and will leave Karai in charge, but he threatens her to not go after the Turtles until his return, or else she'll suffer the consequences, daughter or not.
The Turtles continue searching for Mutagen bottles and head into the basement of a building. Leo tells the others to wait but they already went inside. Mikey finds another Mutagen bottle but Leo sees something suspicious and tells the to wait. Mikey grabs the bottle which signals an ambush and Karai reveals herself with the Foot Ninja. She's angry over the fact that Leo betrayed her during the 'Enemy of my Enemy' episode (although he was the one that didn't want to go along with it).
Raph is not worried about the Foot Ninja, but are surprised at how powerful and well skilled they seem to be. They soon find out that they're actually robots. Leo calls for a tactical retreat and Raph refuses to run from the Foot. However, he is soon humbled by the Foot and has to run with the others. However, during the escape Leonardo is captured and the Turtles have no choice but to escape without him.
The Turtles tell Splinter what happened to Leo, and now they have to figure out how to rescue him without his leadership. Splinter tells them that Karai thinks he hurt someone close to her.
Leo is stuck in a net and Karai pokes fun at him and saying she could get rich selling him to a scientists. Karai then explains the robot Foot Ninjas are well trained and highly obedient to her. They can also adapt the more they fight. She's angry since she thinks Splinter took her mother from her and now she wants to make him pay. She lets Leo free and sends the Foot Ninja after him, as she enjoys the show.
Don finds out that Leo was taken to Bradford's dojo. Raph wants to lead the team but Don argues that he should since he's the smartest. Raph says they don't time to ague and should rescue Leo the way he wanted them to fight before.
They lurk around the rooftops of the Bradford Dojo as Raph sets loose a pigeon to cover the security cameras with help of his other birdie buddies. As they sneak inside, they manage to find Leo and set him free. However he tells them that this was also part of Karai's trap. As the Foot Ninja surround them Karai reveals her plans to get revenge on Splinter, and if she captures the Turtles sooner or later he will track them there. The Turtles tell her Shredder is lying and Splinter would never hurt anyone. She doesn't believe them and the fight continues. This time the Turtles do follow's Leo's tactical retreat but Karai won't let them get away.
Leo considers that the Foot Ninja are trained to fight seriously, so he tells the others to fight in their unique ways like they did before at the Dragon Gate. For a while their random unpredictable techniques work, but soon the Foot Ninja adapt and keep fighting. Leo continues to fight with Karai, trying to convince her that Shredder lied to her. In the end, Leo tosses his sword at her, which she avoids and yells out that true ninjas never throw their weapons. Leo takes this chance to take her down. On the ground and defeated, Leo tells Karai that her grudge is with him, and she should leave her brothers and their sensei alone since he would never hurt anyone.
At home the Turtles celebrate their victory and take turns playing the pinball machine they own. Raph and Leo talk a bit and make sure it's all good between them. Leo wants to talk to Splinter about Karai, and he tries to avoid the subject. Leo asks if he doesn't trust them with the truth. Splinter finally confesses that Karai is his daughter.
My Opinions:
This is a great episode that dives right into the bombshell Shredder dropped on Splinter at the end of the first season... that Karai is actually Miwa and she's been led to believe that Splinter killed her mother. Now she personally wants revenge on Splinter to avenge her mother, as well as on Leo for his betrayal.
As for Leo... poor guy. This wasn't the first time the others chose to ignore his orders or show lack of respect for his leadership, but the Lam-e-nardo on the sword thing, that really hurt. It's nice to see Raph make peace with him, but we have to see how long this lasts before they start disrespecting him again. I'm surprised no one took the lead when it came time to rescue Leo. Don and Raph argued for half a second, but then realized it doesn't matter who the leader was. It was just time to head out and get their leader back.
The Foot Ninja robots were entertaining, and there were some good fights because of them, however geez... this is how they should have fought from the start. The Foot Ninja (and especially the Purple Dragons) have been such cakewalks in this show, it's nice to see them actually pose a threat. I do hope they return and not fall for the old cartoon trope of 'it didn't work this time so let's like never use them ever again' trick because well... they DID work and it took a lot of effort for the Turtles to finally defeat them.
As for Karai herself, it's gonna hit her hard when she realizes that Splinter is her father and Shredder was lying all this time. I do wonder what will happen if Shredder finds out she did exactly what he didn't want her to do. I assume he was afraid the Turtles or Splinter will tell her the truth.
And about that... wow... talk about the worse case of 'plot amnesia' ever. April's dad was captured by the Kraang last season and they only brought it up a few times whenever it was convenient to the plot. Now Splinter just tells Leo that Karai is his daughter... and we go from that to chasing mutant squirrels. I assume this won't be touched upon ever again unless Karai herself is in the episode. We'll have to see what happens.
Oh and how could I forget... Mikey actually said 'go ninja, go ninja go!' like that classic movie Secret of the Ooze. And Raph made a comment about a trenchcoat on a Turtle, which is of course seen used in most TMNT media. Epic Easter eggs guys.
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