“Beyond the Known Universe” | |||||||
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV Series) episode | |||||||
Title screen | |||||||
Season Code: | 401 | ||||||
Episode: | 79 | ||||||
Original airdate | October 25, 2015 | ||||||
Written by | Brandon Auman | ||||||
Producers: | Brandon Auman | ||||||
Directed by | Alan Wan | ||||||
Voice Direction | Andrea Romano | ||||||
Supervising Director | Ciro Nieli | ||||||
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"Beyond The Known Universe" is the first episode of the fourth season of the 2012 TV series, and is the seventy-ninth episode overall in the series. It first aired on October 25th, 2015.
Synopsis
The Turtles, April and Casey are rescued and meet a strange alien robot called the Fugitoid, who takes the team on an all-new adventure out in space.
Characters
Major characters
- April O'Neil (Mae Whitman)
- Casey Jones (Josh Peck)
- Donatello (Rob Paulsen)
- Fugitoid (David Tennant)
- Hornetron (debut)
- Leonardo (Seth Green)
- Lord Dregg (Peter Stormare) (debut)
- Michelangelo (Greg Cipes)
- Raphael (Sean Astin)
- Vreen Robugs (debut)
Minor characters
- Alien Merchant #1 (Kevin Michael Richardson) (debut)
- Alien Merchant #2 (Seth Green) (debut)
- Bebop (flashback only)
- Chupo (Kevin Michael Richardson) (debut)
- The Kraang (flashback only)
- Kraang Prime (flashback only)
- The Mighty Mutanimals (flashback only)
- Dr. Tyler Rockwell (flashback only)
- Leatherhead (flashback only)
- Mondo Gecko (flashback only)
- Pigeon Pete (flashback only)
- Slash (flashback only)
- Rahzar (flashback only)
- Robot Vendor (Kevin Michael Richardson) (debut)
- Rocksteady (flashback only)
- Shredder (flashback only)
- Splinter (flashback only)
- Tiger Claw (flashback only)
- Triceratons
- Valaxina (Mae Whitman) (debut)
Plot
After Leonardo recaps on the events of the "Annihilation: Earth!" arc with the loss of their families, friends, allies and Master Splinter, along with the Earth as well, the Fugitoid has them try to hang on to something as he activates the Ulixes' time travel ability and takes the Turtles, April, and Casey, back in time to six months before the Triceratons invaded and destroyed Earth. Though the Turtles are relieved to know that Splinter and everyone is alive again, the Fugitoid reminds them that it is only for six months, then the Earth is doomed again. Worse, because of the effects of black holes on the fabric of space and time, they cannot go back in time repeatedly to prevent the Earth's destruction over and over again. They only have this one chance to stop the Triceratons, before they can collect the pieces to the Heart of Darkness Black Hole Generator and complete it, or the Earth is lost, forever.
With that out of the way, the Fugitoid properly introduces himself as Professor Zaytan Honeycutt, sent by the Turtles' Utrom ally Bishop to aid them, his human brain resting safely inside his android body, and then has everyone hang on as he transports them light years away from the Earth to begin their search for the three pieces of the Heart of Darkness. Once out of warp, the Turtles, April, and Casey take in the splendor of the unknown around them, before a loud bang causes them to realize that the Ulixes has been damaged and is leaking hydrogen and needs repairs. The Fugitoid shows them to the ship's armory, where they strap up on new, Utrom designed spacesuits and weapons, before heading out to enjoy the beauty of space. Unfortunately, their joy in floating through space is brought to an abrupt end when they find themselves besieged by asteroids, forcing them all back into the ship and having to find a spaceport to set down for repairs and refueling.
They soon find one on the nearby planet of Varanon (which is not in the jurisdiction of the Federation), and while the Fugitoid stays behind to repair and refuel the Ulixes, the others head out into the spaceport to explore. It is not long before the Turtles, April, and Casey get on the bad side of several alien merchants and locals, who chase after them until they run into the dreaded Lord Vringath Dregg, who's well-known reputation sends the aliens that were chasing the gang running for their lives to avoid Dregg's wrath. When Dregg attempts to eat Casey, April and the Turtles' rescue of him causes Dregg's latest purchase to be destroyed, much to his fury and in retaliation, sicks his Vreen bodyguards on the gang. After the Vreen are defeated, Dregg shows that the Turtles are greatly outmatched as he easily overpowers them personally before capturing April, curious as to if she was of the human race, or Terrans, as he put it. When April reveals that on Earth, her kind squash bugs, furious at April killing what he considers family, Dregg tries to eat her, only for April to blast him in the mouth with her blaster, freeing her, after which the gang flee back to the Ulixes.
They make it back aboard and leave before Dregg can catch them, but Dregg summons his own starship, Hornitron, to chase after them. Once in range, he sends several more of his Vreen drones to attack the Ulixes. The gang are able to fight off all of them but one, which makes it inside, before the Turtles, April, and Casey work together to destroy it, allowing the Fugitoid to activate the warp drive and transport them away from Dregg, who swears vengeance and vows to hunt them down until he terminates their lives.
When the Ulixes emerges from warp, the Turtles, April, and Casey celebrate their victory, but it is quickly cut short when the Fugitoid reveals that they've run smack into the Triceraton armada, and the Ulixes is surrounded by Triceraton fighters.
Quotes
Dregg: I am Lord Vringath Dregg, ruler of Planet Sectoid, lord of all insect life in the universe, and bringer of your deaths! |
Leonardo: Uh, let me guess, Capricorn right? |
Michelangelo: Dudes, I think we just hit a level 9 Booyakasha! |
Fugitoid: Astrosuits: Equipped with Oxygen Converters, Grav Boosters and even Alien Language Translators. |
Trivia
- Leonardo opens the episode with a "captain's log" detailing the destruction of Earth as a reference to both the Star Trek franchise and his favorite TV show, Space Heroes.
- This episode marks the sixth new opening sequence of the series:
- The Channel 6 building is seen during the new opening sequence.
- A Triceraton Flying Harness can also be seen in the opening being blown up by Fugitoid's ship.
- This new opening also marks the first on-screen appearance of Armaggon and Lord Dregg.
- Oddly, at the end of the opening sequence the turtles still feature their regular weapons, instead of the new space ones.
- The Fugitoid brings the Turtles six months back in time and is voiced by David Tennant, better known for his role as the Tenth Doctor on Doctor Who.
- The time traveling effect also resembles some of the Doctor Who opening sequences.
- When April is seen wearing a yellow space suit with white boots and belts, it is a reference to her 80's Counterpart as it was her normal attire while her laser gun resembles a camera. She is also seen standing in the exact same pose as her counterpart.
- The spaceport on the planet Varanon is inspired on the Mos Eisley spaceport on the planet Tatooine from the Star Wars franchise.
- Both spaceports are known for being filled with all kinds of criminals.
- Mikey uses the phrase "space bucks", the currency used in the film Spaceballs.
- When leaving the Fugitoid's ship, Casey says "We're out like Vanilla Ice, peace!" in a reference to the rapper Vanilla Ice, who made a special participation in the film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze.
- The episode is dedicated in memory of McKaylee Belle Grampp, the 3-year-old daughter of Eddie Grampp (a computer animator at Nickelodeon) who had died in a car accident on August 12, 2015.
- Raph used the phrase, "I don't give a flying [expletive]," a common vulgar expression which means, "I don't care." But his phrase was cut short right before the expletive when Donnie interrupted him. In United States television, even when such profanities are cut short, the mere fact that they are clearly implied in dialogue usually mandates that a show's TV Parental Guidelines rating be higher than this series' usual TV-Y7 (such as TV-PG or TV-14), but not as high as when the expletive is actually heard in full (TV-MA). Nevertheless, this episode carried the usual TV-Y7 rating.