The Lesson (2003 TV series)

"The Lesson" is the sixty-fifth episode of the animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), which originally aired on December 18, 2004.

Major Characters

 * Donatello (Sam Regal)
 * Leonardo (Michael Sinterniklaas)
 * Michelangelo (Wayne Grayson)
 * Raphael (Frank Frankson)

Secondary Characters

 * Casey Jones (Marc Thompson)
 * Stevie
 * Neighborhood Bullies
 * Splinter (Darren Dunstan)
 * April O'Neil (Veronica Taylor)

Voice-Over Introduction
Leonardo : The city has a life all its own, especially at night. Sometimes it's quiet &mdash; too quiet. But you don't notice. Maybe you should. Because in the darkness, when you're all alone, you never know what could be lurking around the next corner, or even at your own backdoor! And you always think nothing bad is ever gonna happen to you, so you have to ask yourself "Are you ready?" Well, are you?

Plot Synopsis
In April's antique shop and over hot chocolate, April tells the Turtles she's disappointed her martial arts training isn't going well because Casey Jones caught her by surprise. She asks the Turtles if they can train her but they immediately turn her down — not for lack of faith in her — but because they've already tried training someone not realizing the damage they were causing. They then tell April a story of when they were very young. Having been forbidden to go topside by Splinter, they do so one day in secret and see a gang of street hockey players teasing a young boy named Arnie. They decide to teach Arnie how to defend himself and do – one Turtle at a time – by putting on the same clothes and appear as the same person to Arnie.

The Turtles' differences in personality, preferred fighting method and ideology, however, cause them to feed Arnie contradictory information that makes it very confusing for him. For example, while Leonardo promotes finding inner strength through meditation, Michelangelo tells him to "forget all that boloney." Donatello tells Arnie to always be strategic, while Raphael tells him to never think, to only act and react. Leonardo, then, puts Arnie to the final test: face his enemy "using everything you've learned." Arnie gets beaten up. While he's gone the Turtles realize none of them had taught him anything useful, each one thinking the other Turtles would teach him fighting skills. They decide to re-train him but just then they are found out by Splinter. He forbids them from teaching any longer and tells them Arnie has to find his own path, as they must.

April asks the Turtles whatever became of their student. Because they never finished his training, they don't know. The scene cuts away to Arnie thinking of telling "the kid in the red hat" his training isn't working. Just then the gang of bullies begin to harass Arnie's friend. Angered, Arnie faces the bullies and beats them all up with their own hockey equipment. As they run away he yells they better watch themselves because "Arnold Casey Jones ain't letting you push nobody around no more!"

Quotes

 * April: Maybe you guys can help with my ninja training. Raphael : No way. (Other Turtles shake their head) April: Why not? I'm a quick learner.  Donatello : No, April, it's not you. It's us. Leonardo : Last time we tried to play sensei, well, let's just say it didn't work out too well. Raphael : Yeah, we thought we could teach this kid, and we were just kids ourselves.


 * Leonardo : You have to be serious about wanting to change things. You have to feel the power. Connect with the power. Find your inner core. Your honor. Your true heart. [...] Stay focused and breathe and you'll find your true strength.


 * Michelangelo : The first and most important lesson is this: you need the right attitude!


 *  Donatello : It's important to really think your actions through. It's all like a game of chess. You have to be thinking three to four moves ahead of your adversary – planning, knowing what's coming.


 * Raphael : Listen, pal, the first and most important lesson is: Never think. Never! Just act and react, and always attack! What you need is a weapon. It's all about the weapons.

Trivia

 * Second flashback episode to the younger Turtles.
 * The book Casey Jones' friend is reading is The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.