Turtles on Trial

=Plot= SYNOPSIS:

Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael are enjoying an episode of professional wrestling when Michaelangelo enters the room and turns the channel to "ON TRIAL," hosted by Clayton Kellerman, a rabble rouser who suggests that a clear and present danger is lurking in the sewers: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles are aghast and can't understand why people would hate them. April has her make-up department make human masks so the Turtles can move more freely in the streets.

Meanwhile, Shredder is sweating from the heat, as Krang chews him out for his failure to retrieve the necessary components to repair the refrigeration units. Shredder has had enough and suggests that Krang go up on the Earth's surface and get what he needs and eliminate the Turtles himself. Krang considers this a good idea.

Back on the surface, April and the Turtles are enjoying pizza when an alarm sounds at a jewelry store nearby. The TMNT tear off their masks, chase and apprehend the thieves but then they are chased into the sewers by an angry mob. The Turtles decide that this is Clayton Kellerman's doing and ask April to help them get on the "ON TRIAL" show so that they can present their side of the story.

Back inside the Technodrome, Krang, Rocksteady and Bebop see a promo for "ON TRIAL" advertising the TMNT. Krang is ecstatic, now all he needs is the perfect weapon. Shredder is now having second thoughts, he wants to go, too. Krang reluctantly agrees, but only on the condition that Shredder act as a decoy while he breaks into the military warehouse containing the Solar Benite.

On their way to the television studio, Splinter contacts the Turtles via his Turtle Com, and alerts them to a break-in at the Natural Museum of History. The Turtles cancel their "15 minutes of fame" and arrive at the museum only to encounter Shredder, Rocksteady and Bebop.

Meanwhile, Krang and two Stone Warriors obtain the Solar Benite and the prototype for a weapons-laden robot that looks like ED-209 from the movie ROBOCOP.

Back at the museum, a crowd has gathered. The sight of the Turtles incites the crowd as Clayton Kellerman predicts huge ratings. Shredder has captured April. Krang contacts Shredder and orders him to let go - he plans to destroy them on national TV with his new robot.

With Shredder temporarily out of the picture, the Turtles realize that they still have time to appear on the "ON TRIAL" show. They get a bad case of stage fright as Clayton Kellerman makes "mincemeat" out of them, suggesting that they are cowards. The Turtles try to explain about Krang and Dimension X, but it all falls upon deaf ears.

Krang is outside the studio, challenging the Turtles to "come out and play" as he fires upon the building. Clayton Kellerman is undaunted by Krang until he is fired upon and then rescued by the Turtles. Krang is easily defeated when the Turtles disable the robot. Shredder helps Krang slither back into the Pneumatic Module and they disappear back to the bowels of the earth.

Clayton Kellerman thanks the Turtles, but promises to continue "badmouthing" them in order to protect his reputation. =Quotes=

April: Uh-oh....trouble!

Raphael: Don't worry, April...."trouble" is our middle name!

Donatello: ...I didn't know we had middle names.


 * - Raph's quips tend to fly over Don's head sometimes.

Donatello: It's all that Clayton Kellerman's fault. We should do something about him!

Leonardo: April! Can you get us airtime on "On Trial", to present our side?

April: Oh, I'm sure I could. Burne Thompson would okay anything that would deliver big ratings.


 * - I wouldn't be so sure of that, April.

Splinter: A wise man has nothing to fear from laughter, Michelangelo.


 * - After all, Splinter's pretty sure they're laughing at Shredder's antics enough already.

Shredder: It's not fair! I deserve to have a part in this! The Turtles are my enemies, too!


 * - The master of the dreaded Foot Clan tends to act like a four-year old when he's not invited to play.

Donatello: Hey! They just trashed the amphibian exhibit! That's it...no more Mr. Nice Turtle!


 * - Don't ever mess with the Amphibian Exhibit in Don's presence. Ever.

Bebop: YEOOOOOW!!! Look out!! A monster!!


 * - Bebop, on seeing his own reflection.

(April gets captured by Shredder)

Donatello: He's got April!

Raphael: (sarcastically) I've always admired your quick grasp of the situation.


 * - Raphael says what we're all thinking.

(interviewing Turtles)

Clayton: And if you're such nice guys, how come you carry weapons?


 * - Clayton, who has apparently never encountered a security guard, police officer or soldier before in his life. Naturally, the audience eats it up.

=Notes=

Animation Errors

 * The TV set changes colour between shots at the beginning of the episode.


 * Not so much an error as it is....animator laziness, but the animation of Clayton lambasting April for the Turtles "no showing" is taken from his initial appearance on TV at the start of the episode, frame for frame. This wouldn't be a bad idea since most studios do this to meet deadlines and save time, but keep in mind he's supposed to be rather angry here, which makes him smiling throughout the thing...rather unusual.


 * The perspective on Shredder is a bit screwed up when Leo and Mike trip him over...he's supposed to be smaller, to show that he's more in the background.

Continuity Errors

 * The name of the show Michelangelo tunes into is called 'On Trial with Clayton Kellerman', but the title card only says 'Trial'.


 * The Technodrome is seen wedged between some rock formations at the start of the episode, but is in an entirely different location when it's seen again.


 * Rocksteady's machete was shown to be made of wood in an earlier episode, but it's made of metal here. Which...actually makes more sense when you think about it.


 * The Turtles toss their weapons neatly in front of them as they surrender, but as the episode cuts back, the weapons are scattered all over the floor.

Logic Errors

 * Why did the Turtles discard their human disguises in full view of everybody in the restaurant when they were going after the robbers? Wasn't the basic idea to not draw attention to themselves? You know...like ninjas?


 * The Turtles are basically lambasted by the crowd as being "No good!" after stopping a pair of robbers. Are people blind?


 * Krang makes a pretty good point...how is the Technodrome getting such good TV reception from five miles underground? You can dismiss is as being the result of advanced alien technology, but the overall signal strength is bound to be a lot weaker at that depth.


 * The warehouse that Krang keeps talking about in the episode looks like a castle when it's finally seen. On top of that, it's guarded by two unarmed soldiers that are easily taken out by hanging them by their collars on some pipes. What's more, upon being intruded, the wall panel hiding Krang's desired super weapon conveniently opens up, complete with the cockpit sliding open for Krang to pilot it. You'd almost think they wanted somebody to steal it.


 * Has April learned not to get caught up in dangerous situations that might result in her getting used as a hostage, or even killed? Nope, not by a longshot, as she stands right behind the pillar where the standoff takes place, ripe for Shredder to seize. Even worse, when Shredder lets go of April as he's arguing with Krang, she just stands there instead of running away.


 * Krang's super-weapon causes explosions and even destroys concrete on impact, but it merely stuns Michelangelo when it hits him in the chest at point-blank range. Yes, you read that right.


 * What's more, when Shredder uses the Tunneler to escape, magma appears immediately after.

Real Life/Cultural References

 * "On Trial" resembles Jerry Springer, in terms of being considered "trashy" and having a rowdy crowd that's easily riled up. The Turtles even call it "the worst show on television", which was used as a tongue-in-cheek tagline for Jerry Springer.


 * Bebop's favorite show is "The Slurps". Does that sound familiar?


 * Rocksteady says, "It's Taps for you, Turtles!" referencing the famous tune played on a horn at the funeral of a soldier.

Trivia

 * The premise of this episode (namely, somebody on TV saying the Turtles are evil and turning the public against them) is a concept that will be explored over and over and over again, up until the very last episode. Apparently, this either says people would believe anything they see on TV, or the good people of New York are really, really gullible.
 * Curiously, Krang's "Atomic Destabiliser" looks like a modified fighter jet, while his "Freeze Ray" appears like a modified tank.
 * This is the first appearance of Krang's Bubble Walker, which he would occasionally use for covert missions.
 * Is Irma...swooning over the Turtles?
 * Michelangelo has stage fright, oddly enough.
 * Irma wears white bloomers under her skirt. You can tell when she falls over during Krang's attack.
 * Bebop using a spinning mace as a weapon would be revisited in the video game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project, albeit using it on his head.
 * First appearance of the Turtles' human rubber face masks.