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This article is about the episode "Rebel Without a Fin". For the VHS, go to Rebel Without a Fin (home video).
Rebel Without a Fin
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 Cartoon) episode
Rebel Without a Fin Title Card
Season Code: 04
Episode: 25
Original airdate October 12, 1990
Written by Michael Reaves
Supervising Producer Fred Wolf
Producers: Walt Kubiak
Supervising Director  Bill Wolf
Episode chronology
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"Farewell, Lotus Blossom" "Rhino-Man"
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1990 Season
September 10, 1990 - December 8, 1990
List of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes
Tmnt1987logosmall

Episodes:

  • Syndication
  1. "Plan Six From Outer Space"
  2. "Turtles of the Jungle"
  3. "Michelangelo Toys Around"
  4. "Peking Turtle"
  5. "Shredder's Mom"
  6. "Four Turtles and a Baby"
  7. "Turtlemaniac"
  8. "Rondo in New York"
  9. "Planet of the Turtles"
  10. "Name That Toon"
  11. "Menace Maestro, Please"
  12. "Superhero for a Day"
  13. "Back to the Egg"
  • Saturday Mornings
  1. "Son of Return of the Fly II"
  2. "Raphael Knocks 'em Dead"
  3. "Bebop and Rocksteady Conquer the Universe"
  4. "Raphael Meets His Match"
  5. "Slash - The Evil Turtle from Dimension X"
  6. "Leonardo Lightens Up"
  7. "Were-Rats from Channel 6"
  8. "Funny, They Shrunk Michelangelo"
  9. "The Big Zipp Attack"
  10. "Donatello Makes Time"
  11. "Farewell, Lotus Blossom"
  12. "Rebel Without a Fin"
  13. "Rhino-Man"
  14. "Michelangelo Meets Bugman"
  15. "Poor Little Rich Turtle"
  16. "What's Michelangelo Good For?"
  17. "The Dimension X Story"
  18. "Donatello's Degree"
  19. "The Big Cufflink Caper!"
  20. "Leonardo Versus Tempestra"
  21. "Splinter Vanishes"
  22. "Raphael Drives 'Em Wild"
  23. "Beyond the Donatello Nebula"
  24. "Big Bug Blunder"
  25. "The Foot Soldiers are Revolting"
  26. "Unidentified Flying Leonardo"

1987 Season1988 Season1989 Season1990 Season1991 Season1992 Season1992-1993 Vacation in Europe sideseason1993 Season1994 Season1995 Season1996 Season

"Rebel Without a Fin" is an episode of the 1987-1996 animated series.

Appearing in Rebel Without a Fin[]

Major characters[]

Minor characters[]

Species[]

Objects and vehicles[]

Locations[]

Plot[]

The Turtles are lurking around their living room while Splinter prepares a trayful of sushi for himself. As he steps into the room, the Turtles spring out and engage each other in fights, which ultimately leads to Splinter slipping and spilling his entire lunch all over. Their newly irritable sensei orders them to expend their energy outside the lair somewhere, and with this agreement, the Turtles raced outside.

At a mad scientist's laboratory inside the Unbridled Technology building, Dr. Polidorius has used his Evolution Accelerator to create a mutant fish named Ray, who possesses several abilities of different marine species. He's planning to create a new race of fish-people, and to sink the city by planting explosives in the sewers. Despite Ray's apathy, he reluctantly agrees to help after Polidorus pressures him.

April O'Neil is covering the opening of a new Donald J. Lofty condo building when she spots a green face peeking out of the sewer, but much to her shock, it turns out to not be the Turtles. She follows the fish-man and ends up kidnapped by him. The Turtles follow, with no idea of the explosive charges that Ray is leaving behind.

Ray deposits April at Dr. Polidorius' lab, and Polidorius decides to turn her into another fish mutant who is to be Ray's mate.

As the Turtles search for April, they stumble across Ray, but he turns out to be a formidable opponent, with electric eel powers, scorpionfish spines, squid ink, a prehensile octopus tail, and considerable strength. They chase him down into the water, where they are unable to keep up.

Polidorius has to do some repairs to the Evolution Accelerator, which gives April a brief moment to try to contact the Turtles with a two-way radio. Donatello gets the signal on his Turtlecom, and they rush to get to Polidorius' lab. Unfortunately, Ray electrocutes them and Polidorius traps them in an energy cage, and they can only watch as April is mutated into a fish-person. When she emerges, she's green, webbed and covered in scales.

Raphael manages to release them from their cage, and Polidorius manages to escape from the lab. They discern that the explosives are going to be set off at noon, and race through the sewers to disarm as many of the bombs as they can. The only remaining bomb is under the Lofty condos, which sink under the ground as the entire street floods. 

April now has sonar powers, which allows her to detect the location of Polidorius and Ray. She accidentally floods Polidorius' lab at the same time, and she and the Turtles rescue Lofty and Vernon from drowning. They drag Polidorius along, and force him to turn April back to normal.

Ray, meanwhile, has escaped into the sea, expressing his happiness at being free of Polidorius. When he asks some regular fish for directions, they flee, afraid of him. But, he reflects, "it's home."

See also[]

Notes and errors[]

  • When Splinter places the salt on the counter, the salt moves on its own.
  • When Michelangelo says "MY PIZZA!!" his mouth stops moving.
  • After Splinter falls Donatello's mouth does not move when he says "Uh oh!".
  • When Michelangelo says "Aw, come on Master Splinter!" Leonardo, and Donatello are facing the wall, instead of Michelangelo.
  • In the scene where the turtles, except for Michelangelo, draw their weapons, Leonardo shakes back and fourth, except for his beak.
  • Leonardo speaks in Michelangelo's voice when he says he's one tired turtle.
  • When April screams after turning into a fish, her mouth does not move.

Trivia[]

  • The episode title takes its name from "Rebel Without a Cause".
  • A running gag is that the Turtles kept mispronouncing Dr. Polidorius' name.
  • Ray was initially supposed to be the character of Ray Fillet, but creator Ryan Brown, as well as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures writer Stephen Murphy, objected to this character being used as a villain. A fish mutant sharing the name of Ray was conceived in his stead.
  • Ray pointing out his issues with the unethical implications of Polidorus's plans may have been added to the script to appease Ryan Brown.
  • When Leonardo was finished talking to April on the Turtlecom the piece of footage of him, Donatello and Michelangelo walking through the sewers from "Raphael Knocks 'em Dead" was played, this footage was also seen later in the episode when Leonardo said "Let's fan out and search for her!" when they were scouring the sewers for April just before another piece of footage of the water flowing on the sewer floor from the same episode was seen.

Home media releases[]

VHS[]

DVD[]

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