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Recap / Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003 S 1 E 16 The King

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With the Foot Clan scouring the sewers, the Turtles move in with April. When the water heater breaks down, Donatello goes down to the basement to fix it. Here Don meets April's tenant, Kirby, an artist whose mysterious power opens an adventure to another dimension.


This episode provides examples of:

  • Accessory-Wearing Cartoon Animal: Lampshaded when Raphael comes out of the shower wearing a towel around his waist, despite the fact that the turtles are normally almost completely clothes-less in everyday life.
  • Adaptational Alternate Ending: The original story has Donatello bump into Raphael, still wondering where the hot water is. Don then glares at Raph and walks away, leaving Raph wondering what his issue is. And then reads the message at April’s apartment, with the note also saying, “Take care of yourself” as the last sentence of the message. Here, Don reads the message as soon as he gets the paper airplane out of the dimension with the last sentence of the message saying, “see ya around pal!” Thankfully, an extended ending for this episode does exist.
  • Adaptational Name Change: In the comics, the device Kirby drew for Don was called "The Gravitic Equalizer". Here, it is called "The Gravity Equilizer" instead.
  • Adaptational Origin Connection: The "magic crystal" Kirby found is the same kind the Turtles encountered in the underground city from the "Notes from the Underground" 3-parter.
  • Animated Adaptation: Of the Mirage comic issue Donatello #1.
  • Art Initiates Life: The crystal tied to the pencil that Kirby uses acts in this way.
  • Badass Boast:
    Red-haired Warrior: You are welcome here. We few are all that stand against the darkness. The creatures which you helped us defeat. We owe you our gratitude. But we must prepare. They will return.
    Don: They can bring it on. I was just getting warmed up.
  • Bittersweet Ending: Donatello enters another world created by a Jack Kirby Expy. At the end, the portal they used to enter the world begins to shrink. Don makes it back to the real world in time, but Kirby doesn't. Just before the portal disappears, a paper airplane flies out where Kirby gives Don the message "Don, life at best is bittersweet. Take care of yourself, Kirby."
  • Blame Game: When April asks which one of them ordered the Chinese takeout, Don and Mike both point at each other and say "He did it!" at the same time.
  • Continuity Nod: At the start of the episode April is watching the same movie on television that Mikey was watching in "Notes from the Underground Part 1".
  • A Day in the Limelight: The first episode to primarily focus on Donatello.
  • Death Glare: In the alternate, Truer to the Text ending, Raph, who is unaware of what Don has been through, continues to pester him about the status of the hot water. Don just glares at him, that shuts him up. Once Don is gone, Raph just wonders what is wrong with him.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: In the end of the episode, the portal starts to close. Kirby, who has just met and befriended Don, asks him to go first, knowing fully well that it might completely close before he can get out. He does manage to send a message for Don in the end telling him "Life at best is bittersweet". At least he will probably get to do what he wanted, spend more time investigating the marvelous world.
  • Homage: To Jack Kirby.
  • Improvised Weapon: After the gravity equalizer overheats due to overuse, Don uses it as a club instead.
  • In Memoriam: Again, to Jack Kirby.
  • Kirby Dots: The background of the alternate dimension. In honor of Jack Kirby.
  • Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Kirby makes this comment on Don's moves:
    Kirby: Wow, Don, you got some moves! I've never seen anything like that. Except maybe in the comics.
  • Mythology Gag: When the delivery man does a double take on the chair Mikey was just sitting and sees a teddy bear instead. The same thing happens in the first TMNT movie.
    • Don's characterization in the beginning of the episode (sitting on the sidelines snarking and snacking with Mikey) seems out of place for him here, but is perfectly in line with his role in the 1990 film.
  • Seen It All: Kirby is a little surprised by Don's sudden appearance but that's because he thought he was there for the magic crystal. Once Don explains he means no harm, Kirby very easily accepts him. He even befriends him.
    Don: Say, doesn't my appearance freak you out a little?
    Kirby: Fella, since my sketches started leaping off the page, I've seen freakier, believe me.
  • Shout-Out: One of the warriors Kirby created says "You shall not pass" to the monsters as they attempt to attack the rainbow bridge to the city.
  • Smoking Barrel Blowout: Don blows the smoke off the gravity equalizer gun on his wrist after removing a half-dozen more from the fight.
  • Truer to the Text: Two versions of the episode exists. One version ends right after Don receives Kirby's note, which reads "Don, life at best is bittersweet. See ya around, pal. -Kirby". The other version is much closer to the comic, that continues after Don returns, briefly meets up with Raph who continues to pester him about the status of the hot water. Don glares at him shutting him up and making Raph wonder what happened and Don finally reads the note which says: "Don, life at best is bittersweet. Take care of yourself. -Kirby."

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