This is a transcript for Things Change, the first episode of season 1 of TMNT (2003 series).
| VOICE-OVER INTRO | |
| Leonardo | My name is Leonardo and right now my brothers and I are in a mess of trouble. Our backs are up against a wall in some trash strewn alley, cornered by the toughest street gang on the east side. [Cut to gang members] [Gang 1: Look at the freaks.] [Two-Ton: What's with the dweebie costumes?] [Gang 2: This ain't Halloween.] [Gang leader: You're going down freaks. Nobody messes with the Purple Dragons, especially wearing stupid turtle costumes.] He's wrong, we're not wearing costumes. |
{Opening sequence; title song}
| The episode opens with a view of the city, then pans down to the street and into the sewers. Then it moves to the lair, with Master Splinter in the center of the room. | |
| Splinter | Remember, to be a true ninja you must become one with the shadows. Darkness gives the ninja power, while light reveals the ninja's presence. Now, can you extinguish this flame without revealing yourselves? |
| Holds up candle. Donatello attacks. Splinter pulls candle away and Don grunts as he slams into the wall. | |
| Splinter | Too noisy, Donatello. |
| Michelangelo attacks and Splinter jumps to feet and dodges him. Mike slams into Don. | |
| Michelangelo | Whoa . . . ow! |
| Splinter | Too clumsy, Michelangelo. |
| Splinter again on his knees ducks as Raphael leaps over him. Bounding to a stop, Raph turns and sees Splinter has risen to take several steps back. Raph rushes his father, who drops to his knees and trips Raph with his stick. Raph slides into the other two turtles. | |
| Raphael | Haa . . . ahh! |
| Splinter stands up, facing the group. | |
| Splinter | Poor choice, Raphael. |
| Scene pans up above Splinter's head. Leonardo clings to pipes and then jumps down, swinging his swords. He slices the candle in half and catches the top part on his katana. Leo blows out the candle. | |
| Splinter | [Splinter switches the lights on.] Well done, Leonardo. |
| Raphael | Teacher's pet. |
| Leonardo | Ninja drop out. [Tosses the candle at Raph who catches it.] |
| Raph squishes the candle. Don and Mikey lean towards each other, making provocative noises as Raph rushes angrily at Leo. | |
| Splinter | My sons. [Puts stick between Leo and Raph to stop them.] Ah, my sons. If you are to become true ninja, you must work harder. [Turtles all kneel in front of him.] Your path in life will not be an easy one. The outside world will not be a friendly place for you. You four are different in ways the surface dwellers would never understand. To survive you must master these skills I teach you. [Fly buzzing Mikey and he starts grabbing at it.] Ninjitsu powers of stealth and secrecy. You must become kage; shadow warriors, and you must never be discovered by the outside world. |
| Mikey slaps hands together over fly. | |
| Michelangelo | [Master Splinter gives him stern look.] Hmm? [Loud rumbling nearby.] |
| Splinter | Huh? What is that noise? [Room shakes, stones fall from ceiling.] |
| Michelangelo | Whoa! Earthquake! |
| Donatello | In New York? Possible but not likely. [Large stone slab falls at his feet.] |
| Mechanical creatures burst through the walls and march towards Turtles. | |
| Leonardo | What are those things? |
| Michelangelo | New York City cockroaches? |
| Raphael | Whatever they are, they picked the wrong party to crash. |
| Turtles begin fighting Mousers. Mikey tosses one at Leo. | |
| Michelangelo | Hey, Leo! Think fast! |
| Leo slices it in half. Sees Splinter separated from the, battling Mousers. | |
| Leonardo | We have to help Master Splinter. Come on! |
| Turtles fight Mousers as they run towards Splinter. Mousers eating support beams. Raph jumps out in front and destroys Mouser as ceiling begins to break apart then collapses. | |
| Leonardo | Look out! [Pulls Raph back as ceiling falls in.] Oh, no. |
| Turtles run to where Splinter was. A large pile of impassable rubble is in their way. | |
| Raphael | Master Splinter! |
| Leonardo | Master Splinter. Master Splinter! No~o~ |
| Scene opens with Raph stomping on the head of a Mouser and crushing it. | |
| Michelangelo | What the shell are those things? |
| Raphael | Whatever they were [kicks Mouser that Mikey was looking at] they're junk now. |
| Don and Leo trying to find way through debris pile. | |
| Leonardo | Guys, Splinter. We've got to find Splinter. Master Splinter, can you hear me? Donatello, any way to . . . ? [Looks over at Don] What are you doing? |
| Donatello | Shell cell. I'm calling Master Splinter. I hope. |
| Scene shifts to other side of debris wall where Splinter is lying on the ground. He rises at ringing sound and opens his shell cell. | |
| Splinter | Hmm, which button do you press to answer this thing? Hello? |
| Leonardo | [Leo takes shell cell from Don.] Master Splinter, are you all right? |
| Splinter | Hello? |
| Leonardo | Master Splinter . . . . |
| Splinter | Stupid device. |
| Leonardo | You don't have to press any buttons, you already answered it. |
| Splinter | [Scene back to Splinter.] Ahh. Leonardo, whatever those mechanical menaces are, they have managed to eat through the support structure of our home. [Swings back to turtles.] We must leave right away. Meet me at the old drainage junction at the south point. [Raph shoves Mikey aside.] |
| Donatello | [Don takes map from duffel bag.] If we take the south conduit, it'll intersect with the old drainage tunnel. |
| Leonardo | We'll meet you there, Sensei. |
| Michelangelo | [Mikey runs up to brothers.] What'd he say, what'd he say? Did he mention me? [Raph shoves him again.] |
| Scene opens with view of destroyed lair and Mikey talking to the lair. | |
| Michelangelo | Goodbye broken pipe, goodbye grungy pay phone, goodbye dented manhole cover, goodbye home sweet home. |
| Raphael | Hello cruel world. Come on. [Grabs Mikey's mask tails and yanks him off his feet.] |
| Turtles walk through tunnels, see broken rocks, walls, pipes, and footprints. | |
| Leonardo | Looks like those things have been through here. |
| Donatello | These walls are seriously compromised. It's lucky this roof hasn't caved in. |
| Raphael | You were saying? [Impassible collapsed tunnel.] |
| Leonardo | Can't go forward, can't go back. |
| Raphael | Looks like we go up. [Walks to ladder.] |
| Leonardo | Hitting the surface is a bad idea. |
| Donatello | We've got no other way to go, Leo. |
| Leonardo | All right, but we're only going up to go down the next manhole? Got it? No fooling around. Remember what Sensei said, it’s dangerous for us to be seen, let alone captured. We need to stay out of sight. |
| Raphael | We got it the first thousand times, Leo. Just follow my lead. [Climbs ladder, opens manhole cover and jumps out.] |
| Michelangelo | [Leo pauses at top of ladder to look around at street.] Come on Leo, move it. I don’t wanna be staring at your butt any longer than I have to. |
| Leonardo | Shh! Guys! [Ducks back into sewer at sound of approaching vehicle.] |
| Raphael | [Jumps onto light post to avoid people, surveys street.] Ahh, manhole cover, twelve o’clock. [Leaps down, crosses street, hears vehicle and hides behind car.] Now what? |
| Raph starts to come out but truck sends him back into hiding. Truck backs into alley that Raph was headed for. Truck parks and three people get out and go into building. Raph runs over and discovers truck parked on top of manhole. | |
| Raphael | Great, just great. The old turtle luck working true to form. [Kicks truck in frustration.] Argh! |
| Leonardo | Way to be stealthy, Raph. |
| Michelangelo | Yeah, I don’t think they heard you over in Jersey. |
| Raphael | Give me a hand. |
| Mikey starts to clap. Raph wags a finger at him. | |
| Raphael | Don’t even think about it, Mikey. Ah, forget you guys, I’ll push it myself. |
| Starts trying to push truck from the back. Garbled voices approaching from inside building startle him. | |
| Leonardo | Hide, Raph! Come on, hurry! |
| Raph looks around and then leaps into the back of the armored truck. | |
| Michelangelo | Oh, poor choice, Raphael. |
| Gang 1 | Did you see the way that guy squirmed when we took his cash? |
| Gang Leader | Sheep man. Sheep to be fleeced by us wolves. [Gang throw duffels into back of truck. We see Raph holding on to ceiling of inside of truck. Gang closes and locks back end.] |
| Michelangelo | [Truck pulls out of alley, passes other three turtles who are hiding.] Aww man, imagine their surprise when they open the back of that truck. |
| Leonardo | This is exactly what Master Splinter was talking about. We’ve got to get him out of there. |
| Donatello | Last one to the roof hatched from a rotten egg. [Pole vaults to rooftop.] |
| Leonardo | [On rooftop overlooking street. See truck go by.] We can cut them off at third and first. |
| Donatello | If we run like crazy. |
| Michelangelo | Is there any other way to run? |
| Turtles begin running over rooftops, leaping from roof to roof. | |
| Michelangelo | Ha, ha, yeah! You guys are too slow! [Brothers leap over his head and pass him.] Hey! |
| Michelangelo | [Leaps off roof, grabs clothesline, spins around, head gets caught in sheet and he lands on roof on his butt.] Ah, ah, whoa! [Sniffs sheet] Mm, springtime fresh. Woohoo! [Runs to edge of roof and leaps off.] |
| Cut to Master Splinter entering meeting point. | |
| Splinter | Ahh, the old drainage junction. Now, where are my sons? |
| Splinter hears noise, backs away as floor starts to crack open. Mousers jump out and trap him. Cut to truck pulling into alley behind buildings. Truck backs in and parks. Raph is scene at window in back of truck. Hides when gang members get out. | |
| Gang leader | Hey, Two-Ton, watch the truck. We wouldn’t want somebody to steal our stolen money. |
| Two-ton marching back and forth. Turtles look down at him from rooftop. Hears a can and looks to see if someone there. Mikey taps him on the shoulder from behind. | |
| Michelangelo | Hey, this is a no parking zone. Here’s your ticket [holds up paper] . . . and here’s your fine! [Kicks Two-ton and knocks him out.] |
| Leonardo | Nice work, Mikey. |
| Michelangelo | It's a ninja thing. |
| Leonardo | Now, let’s get Raph out of there. [Raph banging on glass.] |
| Michelangelo | Man, whatever happened to good old fashioned padlocks? |
| Donatello | Where’s the fun in that? This one’s all mine. [Takes screwdrivers from duffel.] |
| Raphael | [Voice muffled] Get me outta here. Open up I say. |
| Michelangelo | What’s that, Raphael? You’re gonna have to speak up dude. I can’t hear you. |
| Raphael | Argh! [Shakes fists and then kicks the door.] |
| Michelangelo | Okay, I heard that. |
| Donatello | [Turns to look at brothers, is wearing glasses.] I’m trying to work here. |
| Cut to Splinter surrounded by Mousers. They attack and he fights them. Back to Turtles in alley. Don gets truck door open. | |
| Michelangelo | He~eey Raph! Welcome back bro’. |
| Raphael | [Leaps out of truck onto Mikey.] Argh! |
| Leonardo | What a hot head. |
| Michelangelo | Ow! Ow, ow! |
| Donatello | Uh, Raph. |
| Leonardo | We don't have time for this. |
| Raphael | And why not? |
| Michelangelo | Because we're not alone. |
| Gang 1 | Look at the freaks. |
| Two-Ton | What’s with the dweebie costumes? |
| Gang 2 | This ain't Halloween. |
| Gang Leader | You’re going down, freaks. [Pan around to alley full of Purple Dragons with weapons.] Nobody messes with the Purple Dragons, especially wearing stupid turtle costumes. |
| Scene where each Turtle showcased with his weapon. Turtles leap at gang. Various fighting noises and grunts. Gang members flying through air one at a time to land in heap atop each other. | |
| Gang Leader | Let’s get out of here! [Runs away.] |
| Gang 2 | I’m with you! [Rest of gang follows.] |
| Michelangelo | Gimme some green! [High three with Raph.] |
| Donatello | Well, that was easier than expected. |
| Raphael | I hope there are more of those guys, I’m just getting warmed up. |
| Michelangelo | [Shadows from above draws Mikey’s attention.] Uh, well, looks like you got your wish, Raphie boy. |
| Leonardo | Are those guys . . . ninjas? [Ninjas leap from roof and surround Turtles.] |
| Michelangelo | Well, they’re certainly ninja-esque. |
| Leonardo | Be ready for anything. |
| Raphael | I am so gonna enjoy this. |
| Fighting sounds. Each Turtle battling Foot ninja who are much tougher than gang. | |
| Raphael | Nice dragon kick. Yeah, sweet double phoenix punch. Hey, ya’ know this one? [Kicks away all three Foot who were surrounding him.] |
| Leo battles Foot, leaps onto overhang, engages two ninjas in sword fight. Mikey battles two ninjas, one takes him by surprise. Foot kicks Don who hits driver door of truck. Mikey slams into door next to him. | |
| Michelangelo | Don, are we beating them, or are they beating us? |
| Donatello | [Don pulls open door, jumps into truck, grabs Mikey and yanks him inside as multiple shuriken hit door. Turtles open door to see shuriken embedded in it.] Ask me again when we’re winning, Mikey. |
| Michelangelo | Yeah, that's what I thought. |
| Cut to Splinter who destroys three remaining Mousers. He starts to walk away when ground shakes and floor opens up under him. He falls through into tunnel and slides down to bottom. Gets up and brushes himself off. Looks around and starts walking. Bright light ahead draws his attention. Back to Turtles fighting Foot. | |
| Raphael | How many of these goons do we have to bap before they get the hint? |
| Michelangelo | Really. They just keep coming. |
| Leonardo | Time to switch to plan B. Donatello? |
| Donatello | [Under steering wheel, hot wiring truck.] Almost there, Leo. [Starts engine, jumps into driver’s seat.] This bus now leaving for anywhere but here! |
| Leonardo | Come on, we're going! |
| Other three Turtles jump into back of truck. Foot jump aside as Don barrels out of alley. | |
| Michelangelo | Oof! Nice driving Don, for a turtle with no license. |
| Donatello | Hey, you want pretty, or you want effective? [Swerves around on street.] |
| Michelangelo | I gotta tell you, this has been one mondo bizzaro day. First all those metal robot things underground and . . . what’s with all those ninjas? Ninjas in New York City, besides us? It’s just not right. |
| Raphael | Talk about not right, check this out. [Opens and dumps cash out of one of the gang’s duffel bags.] |
| Michelangelo | [Mikey picks up wads of money.] Show me the money baby! Woohoo! |
| Leonardo | This isn’t finders’ keepers, Mikey. [Snatches cash from Mikey’s hand.] |
| Close up on two police officers sitting in car. Armored truck pulls up alongside them. | |
| Leonardo | Take care of this money, will you guys? [Tosses duffel bags onto hood of police car and Turtles drive off.] |
| Eastman cop | Did you see that? Some little green men in an armored car just threw a bunch of money at us! |
| Laird cop | Tch, rookie. |
| Armored car blasts through grate into tunnel, parks near where Splinter waits. Brothers climb out and all shout at once upon seeing Splinter. | |
| Splinter | Well, I’m glad to see
you too my sons. |
| Leonardo | Master Splinter, so much has happened today. |
| Splinter | Yes, yes, there will be time to tell me all about it later, Leonardo. But first, I wish to take you all home. |
| Michelangelo | Home? |
| Raphael | We got no home. Those robots trashed our pad, remember, Sensei? |
| Splinter | Do not worry. I think I have found a solution to our current housing problem. Follow me my sons. [Jumps into hole in ground.] |
| Leo jumps in after him, followed by Donatello. | |
| Michelangelo | [Poised at edge of hole.] Cowabu [Raph shoves him and he falls into hole] . . . ahh! Not funny Raph! |
| Raphael | Oh yes it is. [Jumps in.] |
| All four Turtles shout as they go down tunnel slide and land atop one another. | |
| Michelangelo | Wicked slide! [Joins Splinter who is walking down tunnel.] No offense Master Splinter, but this place doesn’t seem so great. |
| Splinter | Look with your heart Michelangelo, and not your eyes. |
| Michelangelo | Um, okay. |
| Splinter | And walk this way. |
| Splinter walks ahead and Mikey bends over, pretending to walk like him. Don baps Mikey on the head with his bō staff. They enter new lair. | |
| Michelangelo | This is beyond awesome! |
| Donatello | I could really tune this space up. |
| Michelangelo | [Climbs pillar to second floor.] This room here, mine. [Jumps to where Don is standing.] And where you’re standing, also mine. |
| Splinter | You see my sons, change is good. |
| Leonardo | We couldn’t agree more, Master Splinter. |
| Splinter | Good, so let’s see you boys clean up for a change. This chamber is filthy. |
| Cut to Shredder’s stronghold. Shredder kneeling at table, pours green liquid into cup and drinks. Gang leader kneeling on floor a step below him. | |
| Gang Leader | Sir, I . . . I uh, my men, we uh, we lost the armored car with the money. But we were attacked . . . by some sort of karate frog creatures or something. They took us by surprise. It – it wasn’t my fault. |
| Shredder | Enough! |
| Gang leader | I promise sir, I won’t fail you again. |
| Shredder | I know, you won’t fail me again. [Shredder rises.] Ever. |
| Gang leader | [Eyes wide with fear.] No sir, please! [Doors closed. John screams, indicating that Shredder killed him. Fade out to exterior of building.] |
| Shredder | [Maniacal laughter] |
{Roll end credits}