Mazes & Mutants

Mazes & Mutants is the forty-first episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV series).

Synopsis
The Turtles try to relax by playing a role-playing game called "Mazes & Mutants," but the game becomes real when Sir Malachi sends the Turtles into the game in order to make it through the maze, defeat the dragon, and save Princess April.

Major Characters

 * Donatello
 * Leonardo
 * Michelangelo
 * Raphael
 * Sir Malachi

Minor Characters

 * April O'Neil
 * Ice Cream Kitty
 * Leatherhead - as a dragon
 * Dr. Tyler Rockwell - as monkey goblins
 * Splinter
 * Super Robo Mecha Force Five!
 * Captain Dash Coolstar
 * Dr. Blip
 * Lunk
 * Mind Master
 * Princess
 * Squeakums

Cast

 * Sean Astin as Raphael
 * Jason Biggs as Leonardo
 * Greg Cipes as Michelangelo
 * Rob Paulsen as Donatello
 * Hoon Lee as Splinter
 * Mae Whitman as April O'Neil
 * Paul Reubens as Sir Malachi
 * Brian Bloom as Captain Dash Coolstar
 * Nolan North as Lunk and Mind Master

Plot
Tired after the recent events of Wormquake!, the turtle brothers take time to relax and play a new RPG game that they discovered in the sewers; Mazes and Mutants. While Raph is bored, and the other three are having fun. Splinter sense something wicked. Little do they know they are being watched by a mysterious wizard who says their real game is about to begin. Obsessed, Leo creates a live version of the Mazes and Mutants game, and everyone except Raph, who is reluctant to agree, dresses up in costumes and gets ready to play. Leonardo is the brave Knight, Donatello is the magical Wizard, Michelangelo is the cunning Elf (with a precious magic ring),and Raphael is the Dwarf Barbarian! Raph finds dressing up very stupid.

However, when they face and slay an "ogre" (thats just the foot ninja practice dummy with a monster mask), Leo is shocked to discover that the clue he had written has changed. The tunnels turn into real, live version of LARP gameplay, and the turtles meet the mutated sparrow wizard: Sir Malachi. He challenges the turtles to solve the puzzles and complete the quest, rescue Princess April O'Neil, and kill the fierce dragon guarding her. Monkey goblins (that look like Dr. Tyler Rockwell), lava pitfalls, and flaming boulders all stand in their path, which makes them all frustrated. While Leo tries to keep a cool head and figure out Sir Malachi's riddles, Raphael ends up upsetting the sparrow wizard and gets his head turned into a turkey as a result. Raph is very angry and starts gobbling.

Finally,  all obstacles passed, the turtles find themselves with the captive April, and forced to fight a monsterous fire breathing version of their friend Leatherhead. While fighting, Leo finally unravels the clues, and reveals to his brothers that everything they have seen has been just one big illusion. If they refuse to believe that anything is real, then Sir Malachi's powers will be gone. Unwilling to let the turtles go free, Sir Malachi attacks all their minds at once, and Leo, Don, and Mikey quickly break the hold. Raphael however, is harder to convince, and he struggles to disbelieve everything around him. He finally does, and all the illusions Sir Malachi created shatters, including Raph's turkey head.

Surrounded now by angry turtles, Sir Malachi explians that his real name is Martin Miltin, and he is a huge Mazes and Mutants fan. One night, mutagen rained down from the sky while he was feeding some birds on the roof, and he changed and transformed to become Sir Malachi, sparrow wizard. Going to the sewers to play a solo LARP, the newly named Sir Malachi, decided to secretly gift the turtles with Mazes and Mutants game, and became very pleased when they liked it. Having others to enjoy it with, Sir Malachi made the game come alive so he could no longer be a solo LARP-er. Feeling sorry for the the poor sparrow, the turtles allow him to walk away with the promise to never force anyone to play the game again. Sir Malachi agrees, fist bumps Leo,and walks, his illusions following behind him. The turtles leave with Mikey trying to catch up, dropping his +1 Ring of Awesome.

Trivia

 * The title is a reference to the RPG movie "Mazes and Monsters", which is a reference to D&D.
 * The episode is similar to the movies Jumanji  and Zathura: A Space Adventure,  where everything in the board game comes to life.
 * The Episode has references from The Lord of the Rings, a 3 volume book series written by J. R. R. Tolkien, which include:
 * Mikey's creepy obsession towards the +1 Ring of Awesome has the same characteristic as Gollum who was obsessed with the One Ring.
 * Donnie's final words, "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!" was said by the wizard Gandalf who faced the Balrog at the Bridge of Khazad-dûm and broke the Bridge, but was dragged down by the Balrog.
 * The location, where the turtles fight Leatherheard who possesses dragon powers, is very smiliar to Smaugs lair in The Hobbit, where the protagonist encounters a dragon as well.
 * Malachi's quote "Live long and LARP" is a reference to the Vulcan's salute, which is "Live Long and Prosper".
 * Princess April's bubble prison and her crown are references to princess Daphne from the game Dragon's Lair. Also, the game's final boss is a non-flying dragon, just like Leatherhead was in the episode.
 * The shape of leo's helmet is the shape of Galactus's helmet from the Marvel universe.

Errors

 * When Leo was about to strike Leatherhead with his "Magical" sword, the belt and straps around his body were gone.

Gallery
Mazes & Mutants/Gallery

Quotes
Michelangelo: "NO! YOU CAN'T! NO.. NO! NO!" [Die Clatters]

Michelangelo: "My +1 ring of awesome didn't save me." [Groans hoarsely] "Avenge me.. Ahh, avenge the beloved elf." [leans up against raph, then get's pushed off] "Guh!"

Leonardo: "Relax, Mikey your elf is fine... For now..."

Raphael: [Groans in annoyance]

Leonardo: "But suddenly. Your party is attacked by evil, vicious monkey goblins."

Donatello & Michelangelo: "Huh!?"

Leonardo: [Looking at his brothers] "You have to roll a 2 or higher to avoid being bitten."

Donatello & Michelangelo:[roll the dices] "20!"

Raphael: [Rolls the die]  "1?"

Michelangelo: "CRI-TI-CAL FAIL, DUDE!"

Leonardo: "The monkey goblin bites. Raph loses... 11 hit points!"

Raphael: "11?! Give me that! I'm gonna use my magic sword +3 to strike."

Splinter walks in opening the refrigerate revealing icecream kitty as she offers him a cheesesicle

Ice crem kitty: "Meow."

Splinter: "Hmm, what is all of this?"

Leonardo: "It's called Mazes & Mutants. We found it in the trash up top."

Donatello: Hey, I found something! *lifts up a scroll* Soon you will find yourself in a haze. Solve the riddles to beat the maze.

Leonardo: *takes the clue from Donnie* That's not the clue I wrote down. (A thick haze suddenly surrounds them)

Michelangelo: The haze! Just like the rubber tree troll said.

Raphael: *cough* It smells. You've been eating asparagus again Mikey?

Leonardo: "Are we really in medieval times?"

Michelangelo: "Dude, I don't want to be stuck in the 1980s" 'Donatello:' "Uh Raph. You.... Uh. You have the head of a turkey."

Michelangelo: [laughing] "That is awsome. Gobble gobble son. Like a turkey do!"

Raphael: [gobbling] What?!

Michelangelo: +1 Ring of Awesome, so shiny and beautiful, my magical source of power... My awesome... (creepy voice)

Donatello: "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"