This is a transcript for Adventures in Turtle Sitting (2003 TV series), the twenty-third episode of season four of TMNT (2003 series).
VOICE-OVER INTRO | |
Leonardo | Things are not good, and they're getting worse by the second. We could really use good old Donny right about now. Ever since Bishop's mutant outbreak began, Don's been the one guiding us through this whole mess. Coming up with all the answers. [Raphael: Mikey!] There have been hundreds of times we’d have been turtle waxed if Don's brains hadn't bailed us out. [Leonardo in scene: Raph!] It's too bad Don's not here now, because this is definitely one of those times. |
{Opening sequence; title song}
The episode begins in April O’Neil’s apartment at 2nd Time Around. As April puts the finishing touches on her makeup, there is a knock at the door. | |
April O'Neil | Coming! |
She opens the door in tattered jeans, t-shirt, jacket, and with a kerchief wrapped around her head. On the other hand, Casey Jones is wearing a suit and tie, has his hair pulled back, and is carrying a bouquet of flowers. | |
April | Casey, look at you. |
Casey Jones | Goon-gala! |
He presents the bouquet. | |
April | I’ll take that as a compliment. |
The both step into the apartment. | |
Casey | Sheesh, April, that’s a great look for ya and all, but, uh, well, aren’t you, you know, gonna get ready? |
April | I’ve been getting ready all afternoon. My hair took me two hours. |
Casey | And it’s unbelievably awesome. But, I got us reservations at that swank joint you’re always talking about, Chez Bonne. |
April | I- well, I thought you wanted to go on a romantic motorcycle ride and maybe hit a few biker clubs. |
They start speaking at the same time. | |
Casey | Uh, yeah, I— |
April | I though you would— |
Casey | I figured we’d, uh, — |
April | Of course, how about— [They both start laughing. There is a knock at the door.] Now who could that be? [She opens the doors to find the turtles standing there.] Guys! Hey, this is...unexpected. |
Leonardo | Sorry, April, but we’re on our way to a possible mutant outbreak at the power plant and— |
He’s interrupted when Donatello sneezes. Donatello leans against the doorframe, looking weak and with dark bags under his eyes. | |
April | Whoa. Don, you look greener than usual. A lot greener than usual. |
She steps back so that Donatello can enter. | |
Donatello | I know, I-- [Blows his nose.] I picked up this little bug and I haven’t been able to shake it. [Blows his nose.] I was feeling all right, but I just can’t handle mutants right now. |
Michelangelo | Did you figure that out before or after you barfed in the Battle Shell. |
Raphael | Mikey! |
He baps Michelangelo on the back of the head. | |
Michelangelo | Ow! |
Raphael | Adults are talking. April, can you keep an eye on Donny for us? |
Donatello | Achoo! |
April | Of course Don can stay here. I mean, we weren’t going anywhere anyway. |
Casey | Bro’, you are seriously cramping my style here. |
April leads Donatello to the couch. | |
Donatello | Sorry. |
April | You guys have been on monster patrol for weeks. What’s the plan, clean up all the mutants in Manhattan? |
Leonardo | Well, no. This outbreak is way more than four turtles can handle. We’re just trying to keep it from spreading. |
April | Well, go get ‘em guys. We’ll watch Don. |
Leonardo | Donny, take it easy bro’. |
The other turtles depart. | |
Donatello | Good lu-uh-uh-achoo! Achoo! |
Casey | Uh! [He slaps his forehead as Donatello groans.] Come on, sickly mutant ninja turtle, you better lie down before you fall down. [He helps Donatello lie down on the couch and then covers him with a blanket.] There. Comfy? |
Cut to the power plant where several mutated creatures are attacking the building as well as terrorizing the workers. The new Battle Shell arrives, and screeches to a stop. The three turtles jump out, all wearing their monster trapping gear. | |
Leonardo | Okay, Mikey, you take the left. Don, you cover me on— |
Michelangelo | Uh, Don’s home sick from school today, Leo. |
Leonardo | Right. Raph, you cover me on the right. And remember guys, just contain them. Do not splatter them. |
Raphael | We know the drill. Can’t have their cream filling spilling out, infecting other creatures with their freako DNA. Last thing we need is more genetic rejects. I mean, we already got Mikey. |
Michelangelo sticks his tongue out at his brother and blows a raspberry. The three turtles race towards the creatures, who appear to be mutated crabs. As Leonardo dodges blows from one of the mutants, Raphael manages to get leg shackles on another. However, it uses one of its claws to snap the bar on the shackle in half and then grabs Raphael between its claw. It then lifts Raphael towards its teeth filled mouth. | |
Michelangelo | Hey, don’t eat Raph! You don’t know where he’s been! |
Michelangelo kicks the mutant in the face, causing it to drop Raphael. The mutant staggers backwards and smashes into a large power cell, which explodes. The two turtles hit the ground along with parts of the mutant. Then the lights at the plant go out. Michelangelo gives an awkward chuckle. | |
Michelangelo | Oops. |
The lights in the city go out as well. | |
Raphael | Mikey, you blacked out the city! |
April is sitting next to Donatello on the couch when the lights in the apartment go out. | |
April | Casey, grab the flashlight. My room, on the dresser. [Donatello sits partway up and cries out in pain. April places her hand on his forehead.] Donny, you’re burning up. |
Donatello | The cut on my leg, ah, it hurts like shell all of a sudden... burning. |
There’s a crash from April’s bedroom. | |
Casey | Oops. My bad. Wait, I got it. [Crash.] Uh, no, don’t got it. |
April | Sit tight, Don, be right back. |
She heads towards the bedroom. Donatello groans in pain and then the skin on his injured leg starts crawling and bulging. The bandage tears and both legs start to bulge. Donatello sits all the way up, crying out in pain as his entire body changes, grows larger. His knee and elbow pads tear and fall off, and his eyes glow red. Inside April’s bedroom, she has found the flashlight and shines it on Casey, who’s kneeling next to a broken lamp. | |
Casey | Sorry, April. |
Donatello | Casey. April. |
Casey drops the broken vase and he and April run towards the living room. April’s flashlight shows the remains of Donatello’s gear strewn across the couch and on the floor. | |
April | Don? |
Donatello answers in a deeper, more gravelly tone. | |
Donatello | Help... me. |
The light finds him. Donatello has transformed. | |
April | Don, is that you? |
Donatello | Stay... stay away from me! |
He darts forward, pushing past them to get to the door, which he pulls off its hinges. Casey and April run to the door. | |
April | What’s happening to Don? |
Cut to a desert compound surrounded by razor wire. A sign reads “Warning. Restricted Area.” Across the bottom of the screen it says “Area 51 Location Classified”. Inside, a group of scientists gather around a table in a sophisticated, high-tech laboratory. Standing to one side is Agent John Bishop. The scientists are at work on a body of sorts. One of the scientists throws a switch and electricity shoots through the body. One of the metal hands moves, and then the single eye opens and extends from the ‘head’. The table is tilted up and Bishop approaches the subject lying on it. | |
Agent Bishop | Welcome back to the living, Dr. Stockman. |
Pan from foot to head. The body is part robot and part human sinew. Stockman’s brain is encased in a clear glass. | |
Baxter Stockman | Uh. Where... uh... Dr. Stockman? |
Back at April’s, she and Casey go down into the basement. | |
April | Donatello? |
Casey | Donny? |
April | Don? |
Casey | Donny! |
April | Are you all right? |
Casey | We just wanna help you, bro’. |
They enter the basement bedroom which was once occupied by April’s renter, Kirby. See “The King”. The flashlight pans around the room and finally finds Donatello standing in a corner. | |
Casey | Donny? |
Donatello has fully double mutated into a beast-like version of himself. | |
April | Don? |
Casey | Don, what the... [Donatello growls, showing rows of sharp teeth.] Wow. |
April flees and then so does Casey, slamming the door behind him. As the pair flee, Donatello bashes through the door and gives chase. | |
Casey | Run, April, run! Go, go, go, go! [They race up the stairs. April makes it through the doorway, but Donatello catches Casey’s ankle.] Ah! He’s got me! |
April grabs a broom and runs back. Casey is clinging to the stairs as Donatello pulls on his leg. | |
April | Let him go! |
She swings the broom and baps Donatello on the head. He loses his grip on Casey and slides down the stairs. Casey pulls himself to the top of the stairs. | |
Casey | Uh! |
April | This is crazy! |
Casey | What do we do? |
April | It’s Don right? Try talking to him. |
Casey | Talk to him! Are you nuts? He’s a freaking savage monster and you just whacked him in the face with a broom! |
April | Uh... I’ll call the guys. They’ll know what to do. I hope. |
She hands the broom to Casey and runs into her apartment. Donatello comes up the stairs and Casey runs into the apartment, and then turns to face Donatello as he enters. | |
Casey | Okay, Donny, easy pal. We’re still buds, right? [Donatello lifts his head and then lunges, grabbing the broom and flinging Casey into the dining room table.] All right. Goongala! |
He leaps to his feet and rushes at the charging beast. Cut to the power plant. The turtles are surrounded by the mutated creatures. Each turtle races towards the nearest creature and attacks. Leonardo slashes the chest of one of the creatures and it falls on its back, but the slash in its chest opens and a duplicate creature rises from the disintegrating body. The communicator on Leonardo’s chest strap begins to beep. | |
Leonardo | This is not the time for a phone call. [The creature pounces on him. Leonardo pushes against it with one hand, and uses the other to answer the call.] Kinda got my hands full here, April. Make it fast. |
April | Leo, help! A monster! Don... ah! |
She screams as Donatello bears down on her. Back to Leonardo, who stares at his cell phone. | |
Leonardo | Hello, April? Are you there? April! No, the lines gone dead. [The creature knocks the phone from his hand and tries to stab his head with a claw.] We’ve got to get back to April. There’s trouble. |
He kicks the creature and then shoots two tranquilizer darts into the creature’s body. It stumbles back and then collapses. | |
Leonardo | Guys, their undersides are weaker! Hit them there! |
Michelangelo slides between the outstretched legs of a creature and then turns to fling several tranquilizer darts into its belly. | |
Michelangelo | Say goodnight, crabby! |
Foam spills from its mouth and then it falls on its face. A creature grabs at Raphael with its claw, but he dodges and the claw snaps shut on a metal post. Raphael uses his trapping gear claw to clamp onto its neck and push it over onto its back. He leaps on the creatures chest and jams a trio of tranquilizer darts into it. He leaps off as the darts deliver a shock and the creature passes out. | |
Michelangelo | Let’s move it! We’ve gotta get to April’s place and save Donny and April. |
Leonardo | And Casey! |
Leonardo stares and him and Michelangelo looks sheepish. | |
Michelangelo | Oh yeah, and Casey too. |
In April’s apartment, Casey is on the floor and Donatello is moving towards a frightened April. Casey stands up and rubs his head. | |
April | Casey! |
Casey | Huh? Dude, that’s my girlfriend! [He snatches up the vacuum cleaner.] And you can’t have her! [He bashes Donatello over the head with the vacuum. Dust billows out in a cloud and when it clears, Casey has hold of April’s arm.] Come on! |
Casey pulls her out of the apartment and the pair race down the stairs. Donatello darts out of the apartment, hits the wall, and then on all fours, follows them down the staircase. He leaps over the railing, landing right behind them. They back towards the basement wall and Donatello rises to his full height. | |
Casey | April, stand behind me. When he goes for me, you make a break for it. Run. Run and don’t look back. |
He charges into Donatello and grabs him. | |
April | No, Casey, I... |
Casey | Now, April, run! |
Cut to the E.P.F. desert compound. | |
Stockman | I-- I don’t understand. What’s happened? What have you done to me? |
Bishop | I had your brain recovered from the bottom of New York’s East River after your misguided sabbatical. While I could do without your personality, I do need your brain. The outbreak is getting worse by the minute, and I expect you to use that powerful mind of yours to clean it up. |
Stockman | I-- I-- I can’t believe... oh. I can’t believe you brought me back this. Why? Why? [He gets off the table and stands on shaky legs before falling.] Why couldn’t you let me finally rest in peace? Why?! |
Return to 2nd Time Around. Casey is struggling as he tries to hold Donatello. | |
Casey | April, I told you to go! Uhh. I can’t hold him. Donny, no! |
Donatello lifts Casey and slams him against the wall. April runs over and pulls at Casey arm. | |
April | Donatello, let him go! |
The other turtles come in through the hidden basement entrance. | |
Raphael | Whoa! More freaky monsters? Did you hear what the lady said? |
He leaps and slams feet first into Donatello, making him drop Casey as he falls back. | |
Michelangelo | These guys all right? |
Donatello sits up and growls. | |
Raphael | What the shell is that? |
Donatello leaps at Raphael and bowls him over. He then lifts Raphael, but Leonardo jumps and kicks Donatello in the back. He drops Raphael and turns to face the other turtles. Then he looks back, sees the opening into the sewers, and runs out of the basement. The other turtles run to the opening and look inside. They don’t see Donatello, but they hear his growl. | |
Leonardo | What was that thing? |
Raphael | And where’s Don? |
Michelangelo | Did that monster get Don? |
April | Guys, that monster is Don. |
Michelangelo | Say what? |
April | That thing you just fought is Don. |
The turtles react in surprise. Cut to Leatherhead’s abode in the abandoned subway station. | |
Leonardo | So, anything you can tell us, Leatherhead? |
Leatherhead is at his lab table, looking through a microscope. | |
Leatherhead | Fascinating. The tissue sample from Donatello’s bandage contains that same alien DNA found in the strange mutated creatures you’ve been battling of late. |
Leonardo | You mean Don’s been infected by the outbreak mutagen? |
Leatherhead | Yes. In Donatello’s case, it’s triggered a secondary mutation in Donatello’s already mutated DNA. What I can’t understand is how this agent was introduced into Donatello’s bloodstream. |
Leonardo | I think I know. [Flashback to scenes from “Outbreak”.] Remember when we were fighting mutants when the outbreak first occurred? |
Flashback: Donatello shoves Michelangelo out of Todd’s way. | |
Donatello | Watch it! |
Raphael | You okay, bro’? |
Michelangelo | Don, Raph, watch out! |
Raphael | Move! |
Donatello’s leg is sliced by Todd. | |
Donatello | My leg. |
Raphael | You okay? |
Donatello | Yeah. Just a nick. |
Return to the present. | |
Leonardo | That’s it! Don got a nasty gash when we were fighting those mutated roaches, remember? |
Leatherhead | I regret to say, I-I-I cannot cure him. |
Michelangelo | What? No! |
Raphael | Man, I am gonna take Bishop and ram my foot so far. . . |
Leonardo | Easy, Raph. We’ll find a cure, but first we’ve got to capture Don before he hurts himself or anyone else. |
Raphael | And just how are we gonna capture a three-hundred pound killer turtle? |
Leatherhead pulls the covering off of a containment unit. | |
Leatherhead | As you know, Donatello and I have been working together, developing ways to neutralize Bishop’s mutant threat. We engineered this containment unit to incarcerate and study larger mutations. [He sets a hand on the unit.] I made this with Donatello. I never imagined we would be using it on Donatello. |
The turtles and Leatherhead head into the sewers. Leatherhead carries the containment unit strapped to his back. Leonardo answers his beeping shell cell. On the streets above them, April is driving the Battle Shell, with Casey in the passenger seat. He is watching a signal on a monitor in front of him. | |
April | Leo, it’s April. The motion tracker is picking up an underground signal. It’s the right size to be Donatello and it’s headed towards Central Park. It looks like he’s making his way to your new home. |
Leonardo | Don’s headed for the lair. Come on. [They run for a ways. Slowing, they turn a corner into another tunnel.] We’re coming up on the lair and Don is close, real close. [He looks at the monitor on a tracking device.] Someone will need to lure him to us while we set up the containment unit. |
They all look at Michelangelo who swallows loudly. Walking out into the tunnels alone, Michelangelo begins calling out to draw attention to himself. | |
Michelangelo | Oh ugly mutated version of my beloved brother Donatello! Where are you? [He hears growling.] Donny? [Donatello rounds a turn, sees Michelangelo, and charges.] Like, zoinks! |
Michelangelo dodges a swing, leaps over Donatello’s head, and runs. Donatello chases him. Michelangelo catches onto a hole in the ceiling of the tunnel and one handed swings through into the tunnel above. He turns and looks back, but sees no Donatello. Arming his weapon, he walks back towards the hole. Suddenly Donatello bursts through and Michelangelo screams and runs. | |
Michelangelo | Oh, hummina, hummina, hummina, hummina. |
Donatello slams into him, knocking Michelangelo to the ground. He slides across to where the containment unit has been set up, its door open. Michelangelo leaps and grabs the top rail of the unit as Donatello charges him. Swinging from side to side, Michelangelo avoids being slashed by his mutated brother. | |
Michelangelo | Now I know how a pinata feels. Uh. And I don’t like it. Whoa, Don! Come on, quit it! [The other turtles arrive.] A little help here, guys? |
Raphael | Whoa, mama! Don’s been taking his vitamins. [Donatello punches Michelangelo and flings him down at the feet of his brothers.] I’m really sorry about this, Donny! |
He jumps down in front of Donatello and swings at him with his capture claw weapon. | |
Leonardo | Remember, this is Don. Do not hurt him! |
Raphael hops around as Donatello tries to slash him. | |
Raphael | That’s not gonna be a problem, Leo! |
Donatello straightens and roars. Leonardo kicks his carapace and when Donatello turns, Raphael kicks him. Donatello falls forward onto his hands and knees. | |
Leonardo | Leatherhead, you’re on. |
Leatherhead leaps out of hiding and runs towards Donatello, who has risen to his feet. Leatherhead plows into him, grabs and lifts him off his feet. Donatello tries to snap at him. Leatherhead shoves him into the containment unit and Michelangelo and Leonardo slam the door shut. Donatello pounds on the glass as his brothers and Leatherhead look on. Cut to Leatherhead’s home, where they have moved the containment unit. Splinter stands in front of it, watching Donatello. Off to the side, April and Casey watch as well. Splinter places his hand on the glass. | |
Splinter | My son. |
Leatherhead | I can sympathize. I know what it’s like to be a monster. |
Raphael places his hand on Splinter’s shoulder. | |
Raphael | Poor Donny. |
Michelangelo | What are we gonna do, Leo? |
Leonardo | Do? This is Donatello. This is our brother. [He flattens a palm on the glass.] We’re going to hunt down a cure for him, no matter what it takes. No matter what it takes. |
{Roll end credits}