Sh'Okanabo offers Darius Dun an alliance, and the latter accepts when he hears that the alien has a plan to get rid of the Turtles. Setting up a trap, Dun leads the Turtles downtown, where they're ambushed by four uncannily familiar creatures...
First appearance of the Dark Turtles
This episode provides examples of
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: After the Dark Turtles get clobbered, Dark Mikey asks for a time out.
- Back-to-Back Badasses: Splinter and Serling.
- Bar Brawl: Splinter and Serling accidentally initiate one.
- Berserk Button: Mikey becomes enraged when Dark Mikey says that the Justice Force comics "suck eggs."
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Darius Dun and Sh'Okanabo strike a partnership; the latter provides the former with the Dark Turtles to test their performance against the original Turtles. When Dun decides the clones are useful despite their failure, he provides Sh'Okanabo with Cody's Time Window plans to create a working time machine with the alien's technology.
- Bluff the Eavesdropper: Darius tricks the Turtles into following his vehicle by deliberately pretending to have a suspicious phone call while they're within earshot.
- Borrowed Catchphrase: Dark Mikey borrows "It's ninja time!" in his first appearance.
- Call-Back:
- Sh'Okanabo mentions that he previously obtained the DNA samples to make the dark clones of the Turtles. This was in "Night of Sh'Okanabo."
- As his fee for the Dark Turtles, Sh'Okanabo demands from Darius Cody's Time Window plans which Dun stole from Cody in "Fly Me to the Moon."
- Color-Coded for Your Convenience: If the voices weren't enough of a give away, the Dark Turtles each have the skin color of their respective doubles' theme colors: all except for Dark Mikey, who has yellow skin instead of orange.
- Continuity Nod: The Dark Turtles' lair bears a strong resemblance to The Turtle's second lair from the first 3 and a half seasons, albeit corrupted to resemble its dark inhabitants
- Curb-Stomp Battle: The Dark Turtles after the originals lose their weapons. The Turtles during the climax.
- Mad Scientist: Dark Don is implied to be one. When the Dark Turtles discuss what they'll do with the original Turtles, Dark Don states with sick glee that "Donatello's body is going to science."
- Mood Whiplash: As Sh'Okanabo boasts to Darius that his Dark Turtles can eliminate the real ones:Dark Mikey: It's ninja time, dude! [laughs maniacally]
[Sh'Okanabo casually smacks Dark Mikey's tube] - No One Gets Left Behind: As the group flees, Dark Don grabs an unconscious Dark Leo and carries him away.
- Not So Similar: Leonardo tries to reason with his clone by stating that the latter has to possess the former's adherence to Bushido. Dark Leo replies that while the two turtle teams have many things in common, honorableness isn't one of them.
- Pet the Dog: Dunn bailed Splinter and Serling out of jail as part of his cover.
- The Psycho Rangers: The Dark Turtles.
- Quirky Miniboss Squad: The Dark Turtles.
- Swallowed Whole: Cody gets devoured by the frog alien, but turns out okay as he gets freed a bit later.
- Villain: Exit, Stage Left: How the Dark Turtles get away. Somewhat justified since they're split off from the Turtles by the collapsing lair.
