Never Say Xever

"Never Say Xever" is the eighth episode of the animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series). It aired on November 10, 2012.

Major Characters
Leonardo, Xever, Donatello, Michelangelo, Raphael, Master Splinter and April O'Neil

Secondary Characters
Foot Clan, Shredder, Chris Bradford, Foot Ninja, Purple Dragons, Fong, Mr. Murakami

Plot Synopsis
The episode begins with The Shredder disappointed with Xever and Bradford due to their failure to their mission to kill Splinter and the Turtles. Bradford begs the Shredder to give him one last chance so he could not fail his master once more. Xever reveals that he has the word on the street to look for the Turtles hinting the Purple Dragons.

April and the turtles are out of the sewer on their way to a noodle place April found. When she asks them to hurry up, Mikey is personally offended by the back talk Donnie made "Are you saying turtles are slow?" and takes it as a hurtful stereotype. April says that they will be fine even if they look scary to the locals because the chef Mr. Murakami won't care or know what anyone looks like because he's blind. But when they arrive to Murakami's shop they discover that the Purple Dragons, a group of street thugs led by Xever are wrecking up the restaurant. The turtles engage the Dragons in a fight so that April can get Murakami out of the place. Leo is about to deliver a final blow on Fong, but does not, due to his act of mercy. Raph is outraged at Leo for showing mercy to a criminal who was beating up Murakami. Murakami shows his debt of gratitude to the Turtles by making a dish called " pizza gyoza" that is a dumpling with pizza ingredients in it. He then reveals that the reason the Dragons rough him up is because their demand for protection money from him.

Later at the lair, Raph teases Leo for his act of mercy. Splinter corrects that to show mercy is a sign of true strength not being "soft" and uses Raph as an example. April asks a local in Chinatown where the Dragons are by stating that she is an "undercover cop" and that she can protect him. She is asked to show a badge, but she denies stating that would blow her "cover". The Turtles are on top of the Tattoo company. They follow Fong to a place called the Fortune Cookie factory where he tells Xever and Bradford where the Turtles were at just as they pop in and engage in a fight which soon they retreat from due to the arrival of some member of the Foot ninja clan.

Later April notices that Murakami was taken and a note was left stating that Murakami is being held hostage at the top of the Fortune Cookie Factory. Leo then decides it's "No more Mr. Nice Turtle" time. They trap Bradford into a garbage can and take him to where Xever and the Dragons hold Murakami hostage hanging on a rope. They are engaged in another fight, and at the end, Fong throws down one of Leo's katana blades and Leo slices a water front, washing away the bad guy just in time to rescue Murakami. He gives them a supply of Pizza gyoza. He reveals that he knows who saved him implying due to his sense of smell because of Mikey's smelly armpits. The episode ends when Shredder decides to find the Turtles himself.

Trivia

 * This episode is the first of the 2012 Series to have a Battle Royale
 * When Mikey says he wants a tatoo of himself so he can wear it as a mask his face of the 1987 series appears.
 * The episode's title is a pun on "Never say Never".
 * The three Purple Dragons are named Fong, Tsoi and Sid.
 * This is the Purple Dragons first apperance
 * When Murakami implies that the dragons demand protection money from him, it is similar to Casey Jones' father in the 2003 tv series.