New Girl in Town

"New Girl in Town" is the fourteenth episode of the 2012 TV series. It aired on February 1st, 2013.

Plot Synopsis
The episode starts off with the brothers chasing down Snakeweed, who is running amok in the city. He grabs a pizza delivery man, and runs into an alley with him. Leo tells his brothers that they should tie him up with some nearby clotheslines, but Raphael suggests that they attack him head on. This results in him and Leo arguing - and Snakeweed escaping. Then Leo decides to let his brother try his hand at leadership for a while. While on another roof, an angered Leo encounters some Foot Clan soldiers. Leo defeats every single one of them in a matter or seconds, but then a female Foot Ninja shows up, and sarcastically compliments Leo's skills. She then takes out some blinding powder and throws it in his face, which allows her to gain the upper hand, and she pins him to the ground, holding a sword to his head. She then reveals her name (which is Karai), spares Leonardo's life, and then runs away without revealing any other information.

Back in the lair, Donnie is trying to locate Snakeweed's hideout, when Leo walks in. He asks Donnie what they're doing, but Raph refuses to keep him informed. When the others are out and about, Leo watches an episode of Space Heroes when Splinter walks in on him. He tells Leo that he shouldn't just let Raph be leader - and to go find his brothers.

While back in the city, Leo encounters Karai in an alley again and they begin fighting, both worthy opponents for eachother. They engage in a seemingly playful conversation about The Shredder and New York's appeal, until Karai holds a sword to Leo's throat. She tells him that she thinks that he's tired of being the good guy. He then breaks free from her grasp and holds his own swords on her. Karai then tells him that she wants him to meet her on top of a high-rise (The Byerly Building) at midnight so 'she can show him something'.

Not sure what to do, Leo goes to April's apartment for advice on the situation. At first, April is all for his interest in her, but then slaps him when she's told Karai is in the Foot Clan. She tries to convince him to not see her, but Leo stubbornly goes anyway.

While that's going on, Karai meets the The Shredder in his throne room. He tells her that he knows she purposely let Leonardo live. Karai tries to lie about it, but he holds a blade on her. Shredder warns Karai to dispatch Leonardo or else...Karai agrees, addressing The Shredder as her 'father'.

Meanwhile, Raph and the others follow the path in the sewers to Snakeweed's lair. They discover that he has set up plant-like tubes throughout the area. And it turns out that he's been using the people he's been kidnapping as fertilizer! They set a few of the people free, but then Snakeweed attacks them out of nowhere. Raph begins panicking when Mikey is knocked unconscious by the pugnacious mutant - but Donnie then tells him that the best option at this point is to retreat. They grab Mikey and quickly leave, however, Snakeweed secretly attaches some type of pods on their backs before they are able to. After bringing Mikey back to the lair, Raph admits that he does not like the burden of being leader, and now realizes what Leo has to deal with all the time...

Back in the city, Leo meets Karai on the top of the building and finds out exactly why she asked him to come there (or, at least, apparently) - She wants him to steal a valuable katana (used by one of the greatest swords man in the history of Japan), for himself, mysteriously telling him that he deserves it. He bluntly refuses - and so Karai tells him that whether or not he'll go, she's taking it. Leo says that he won't let her, which upsets her. Leo then tells her that he believes she has some good inside her. Karai then grabs Leo and flips him over, just when Raph arrives there, finds the two,and demands an explanation, but before Leo can explain, Snakeweed appears there as well (having managed to follow Raph with the pod he attached to him earlier). The two turtle brothers are attacked, and Leo desperately asks Karai for help. Karai throws a knife near Leo's head and leaves, which Leo uses to fight Snakeweed. Raph and Leo then defeat Snakeweed by getting him trapped in antifreeze. Snakeweed is frozen solid and smashed to pieces, but after Leo and Raph leave, his heart, which is still intact, begins to beat once again.

Back in the Lair, the brothers are able to wake up Mikey with the scent of Pizza. Raph and Leo step away from the others so that Raph can inquire who 'the girl that tried to kill him' is. Leo thinks that she helped them, however, and it is soon revealed that he kept the knife she threw at his head as a memento of her...

Gallery
See: New Girl in Town/Gallery

Trivia

 * According to Kenny Byerly, the original episode production order was "New Girl in Town", "I, Monster (2012 TV series episode)", "The Alien Agenda"; US Nick chose to air them out of order and placed "I, Monster" before "New Girl in Town".
 * An early summary for this episode from Wikipedia, posted on December 28, 2012. It was incorrectly listed as the description for "I, Monster".
 * This episode was originally going to air on Saturday morning on February 2, but was moved to Friday night on February 1.
 * The high-rise where Karai arranges to meet with Leo is called the Byerly Building, named after show writer Kenny Byerly.
 * The sword Karai wants to steal is said to have belonged to Miyamoto Musashi, a real Japanese swordsman and rōnin. He became a legendary figure for his excellent swordsmanship and remains very popular to this day. He is the founder of the Niten-ryū style of swordsmanship, which Leonardo specializes in, as well as the inspiration for the character Miyamoto Usagi.

Quotes
"NO! Not the pizza guy! Take Donnie!"

- Michelangeo

"Snakeweed's getting away!"

- Donatello

"I can't believe he's gone!"

- Michelangelo

"It's okay, Mikey. Leo, well, he just needs some space... You meant the pizza guy, didn't you?"

- Donatello

"Yeah..."

- Michelangelo

"Then work faster!!"

- Raphael

"Do you really think yelling is going to help?"

- Donatello

"No. I think hitting is going to help!"

- Raphael

"I´ll work faster."

- Donatello

"That's the spirit!"

- Raphael

"I'm...sorry."

- Raphael

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

- Leonardo

"I said I'm SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

- Raphael

"April texted me. APRIL TEXTED ME?! OH THIS IS THE BEST DAY!! ... I mean, it's had it's ups and downs..."

- Donatello

"So what's with the girl who tried to kill you?"

- Raphael

"She didn't try to kill me, she saved me."

- Leonardo

"She threw a knife at your head."

- Raphael

"She threw a knife near my head."

- Leonardo

"She's in the Foot Clan."

- Raphael

"Nobody's perfect."

- Leonardo

"(smells pizza, gains consciousness) Mmmmmmmm........ Pepperoni."

- Michelangelo

"Works every time."

- Leonardo

"And the award for the worst leader goes to-"

- Raphael

"How am I the worst leader?"

- Leonardo

"If we did this my way, Snakeweed would be toast by now."

- Raphael

"Man, that sounds like nasty toast."

- Michaelangelo

"Stop second guessing my orders!"

- Leonardo

"Well, don't make bad orders and I won't second guess them!"

- Raphael

"You know what, Raph. You think you can lead the team better than me, well go ahead."

- Leonardo

"First good idea you've had all day!"

- Raphael

"We'll compromise. I'll lead."

- Michelangelo