When the Turtles learn that Shredder has built a ray that can undo mutations, the Turtles decide to steal it in the hopes of turning their Master Splinter human. What they don't know is that Shredder has finally built the warlord Krang a new body- and Krang intends on summoning his armies to Earth!
Tropes
- Always Need What You Gave Up: The Turtles let April use their Turtle Van, intending to use the car the Neutrinos left behind to reach the Technodrome. Unfortunately, they only get a few feet away before it stalls, with Donatello unable to recharge it due to it using a foreign power source.
- Back for the Fauxnale: The old lady from the first episode appears on the news, condemning the Turtles."They're smelly and disgusting! I say hang them all!"
- Big "NO!": Shredder screams this when Splinter destroys the raygun. And again, when he finds himself trapped in Dimension X.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Krang's body could make noises on its own and is seen visibly grunting and groaning when it first awakens. It is silent in all future episodes save one, for a justified in-story reason.
- Dimension X is depicted differently in this episode than it is for the rest of the series. Here Dimension X looks like a hellish limbo; from the next season onward, it is shown to be much more like the Earth Dimension with planets and galaxies of its own.
- Friend-or-Idol Decision: Shredder's retro-Mutagen gun would be able to turn Splinter back into a human. But when Shredder prepares to use it on the Turtles, Splinter gives up the chance by destroying the gun rather than let them be turned back into regular turtles.
- Implied Death Threat: When Shredder arrives with the de-mutation gun, they think it will be bad enough that they'll be helpless turtles again. Shredder promised it'll be far worse than that if Splinter didn't catch up to save them, delivering what would become one of the series's trademark catchphrases for the first time.Raphael: Well gang, looks like it's back to the old pet shop for us!
Shredder: Far from it. Tonight, I dine on turtle soup. - Make My Monster Grow: Krang had a Molecular Amplification Unit added to his body, giving it the ability to grow to giant size. It loses this ability when Donatello destroys the circuit.
- Mid-Season Upgrade: This is the first time Krang is seen with a new mobile android body, allowing him to face the Turtles himself. To counter this, Donatello builds the Turtle Blimp to help the others.
- Mythology Gag: The Turtles' visual representation on the news has them all have Irisless Eye Mask Of Mystery, like in the original comics.
- Oh, Crap!: As Shredder approaches the Turtles with the de-mutation gun.
- Series Fauxnale: Believe it not, this episode was meant to be the finale for this intended mini-series, hence Shredder and Krang being sent to Dimension X. Due to the show's rapid success, it continued for 9 more seasons.
- The Only One: Splinter invokes this because the device Shredder shows on TV is a means of turning him back into a human. The Turtles are more at risk if they're involved, as Shredder can de-mutate them into regular ones.
- Shout-Out:
- When Shredder is activating Krang's new body, he cries "It's alive!".
- "And now, wretched reptiles, you will face... the wrath of Krang!"
Michelangelo: Wasn't that the name of a movie? - Surprisingly Realistic Outcome:
- The destruction caused in the previous episodes, which culminated in Manhattan's near destruction, has put the turtles in the military's cross-hairs. Raphael even states that April has to reveal them to the world to keep the authorities from interfering in the final battle. Even in the aftermath, April comments in her news broadcast that public opinion is divided.
- The turtles try and use a car the Neutrinos left behind in the previous episode, which runs out of fuel seconds after take-off. Not even Donatello can figure out what's wrong with the flying machine from another dimension.Donatello: Look's like we're out of fuel.
Michelangelo: Well, what sort of juice does this crate take?
Donatello: Uh, plutonium, I think.
Raphael: Ah, terrific! Maybe we can just tow it at the nearest plutonium station.
- Unishment: Despite being sent back to Dimension X, Krang has no issue getting comfortable with ruling closer to home, even though he wanted to bring his army to Earth. Shredder, who is trapped with him, is less than pleased.
- Weapon for Intimidation: April attempts this when her boss almost fires her for collaborating with the Turtles in the past week. She shows a Turtle Communicator but, after seeing him mistaken it for a weapon, she instead threatens to use it to destroy the Channel 6 Station if she doesn't gather a news crew. Luckily for her, it works.April: The things I have to do to get a story.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The other gang members who were turned into mutants.
- Your Television Hates You: At the end of the episode, the TV is showing a classic movie called The Evil Brain from Dimension X. The Turtles are completely unamused.Raphael: (complaining) Let's change the TV to a cartoon!
