Review: TMNT 3.09 - Return to New York

Hell yeah, this new incarnation of the Turtles is quickly over-whelming my love for the classic versions. After last week’s episode 'Vision Quest' I was impressed with the new gear the turtles were sporting. Seems like we'll only be seeing these cool battle duds in the new intro. Speaking of which, Is that Bebop and Rocksteady in the new intro? I'm so *insert swear word* excited. I'm so pumped for the rest of this season now. (Who’s the skating gecko kid? I'm sure we'll find out soon) Let's get into this week’s ep then. I don't know about you, but I got the same feeling I did at the end of 'The walking dead' season 2. Thank god, they finally left the farm. There were a few good episodes here, I just prefer New York. Some of the episodes felt like anime filler. Though it did give us time to get used to Seth Green as Leo.

So they’ve decided to leave the farm and go take back New York from the Kraang. But first they need a new vehicle, enter Donnie's blueprints for 'Shellraiser 2'. Which gets dubbed the 'Party Wagon' with licence plate 'LUVDCTR'. I dig that Raph is the artistic turtle (seems like something they'd of assigned to Mikey in the classic cartoon). Raph's painting of Venus looks like a sexy female version of himself given the red bandanna she's sporting.

TMNT-S3-9-2

Once the 'Party Wagon' is built they pack they stuff and go. Which includes Mikey packing Ice-Cream Kitty (every episode is better with Ice-cream kitty). Donnie says goodbye to Dr. Cluckingsworth (which is a bit sad, why couldn't he go to New York? Won't Donnie need his help?)

They arrive at New York, which is now walled off and patrolled by Kraang controlled humans. Casey drives straight through them and they start exploring the empty city. April uses her mind powers to scan for people and says she can only feel about a hundred. Not much later they bump into some Kraang bots, which they dispose of using the Party Wagons weapons, one of which uses Soda and Mentos.

They escape into the underground tracks via one of their many secret entrances. Once back underground they decide to go check their old home, which is being patrolled by a floating sphere Kraang droid. April uses her mind powers to sense Splinter and the team races off to find the Father/Master. F*** Yeah Splinters back (well not quite yet, His mind is all messed up and now he's more rat than human). Splinter attacks everything in sight including Casey. One of Baxter Stockman's mouser-bots reboots and sends out a call which brings in the foot-clan. Shredder races off but is captured and taken to Shredder.

Shredder commands Baxter Stockman to fix Splinters mind, So that he will know who he is before he finishes him (very James Bond evil genius kind of a plan, I like it).

The turtles track down Splinter finding the entrance to Baxter's lair. On the way they bump into a mini-tentacled Shredder, which prompts a big laugh from the gang before they climb down he hatch and lock it out.

The turtles infiltrate Baxter's lair and open Splinters cage (which has a very large Mouse-wheel inside, looks like they planned to capture Splinter for a long time). They fight with Baxter to prevent him from setting off an alarm. Realizing he can't fight all four turtles he calls in his mutant shredders. Three off them all crustacean like versions of Shred-head, complete with helmets and armour of their original. The turtles have a tough time dealing with these new foes. Raph comments that 'This guy is like fighting a four-armed dump truck'

Mikey takes out Baxter with one of his disappearing-smoke eggs, and celebrates with a slow Booya-Kasha. You know something bad is about to happen when Mikey shows off. Sure enough he leans on the alarm button he was just preventing Baxter from using (you're so dumb Mikey. Cute but dumb)

Meanwhile April once again uses her mind powers to snap Splinters mind back into focus. He sees his boys in trouble and proceeds to open a can of whoop-ass on those mutant Shredders. Okay, now he's back. Shredder and Tiger Claw arrive with some foot-clan, but our boys are done with fighting and decide to scarper.

Back in the Party Wagon they lament not having a home any more (who guessed what was coming up next? I know I did). Mikey figures out a great place for their new home or at least temporary base (any guesses?). You bet he picked the now empty Antoino's Pizza-rama restaurant. Genius.

The episode ends with April sensing her father close by. Unfortunately it seems like he's in a parallel dimension (or something).

This is the episode I've been waiting for. It had everything I wanted and more. What did you guys think?

If you didn't see it tune in next week as hopefully we'll see Bebop and Rocksteady


Score: 4/5


Check out Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on Nickelodeon