#also ugh ugh the idea of donnie begging to be let out if he has a flashback in the dark hurtssssss

[qoldenskies]

Horse throat, bloodied nails, claw marks on his skin, vomit, blood, piss (and poop maybe? 😭), no showers, no water, no food, and very little circulation for FOUR DAYS

Even WITHOUT severe sensory issues, that's a fucking nightmare

not to mention this came right after weeks of him not sleeping or eating properly/spiraling into paranoia (due to pretty severe psychological abuse), and he was already panicking when he was PUT in there. and it was nearly pitch-black with only a tiny sliver of light under the door. 8 feet of space at the very most. like that is torture. that is actually torture.

i genuinely think the really intense night terrors he's been having make perfect sense. even after raph and leo cleaned it up i dont think they have any way of it properly being put into perspective for them just how horrible and traumatic that was. there is genuinely no way to describe an experience like that without living it. and then they pulled him into the family meeting two days later.

[yanteetle]

Based on this post right here: https://www.tumblr.com/yanteetle/711072918350823424/ugh-idk-how-to-ask-this-but-you-seem-like-the-one

I like the idea of yandere Donnie x Kendra, but now I give you…

Yandere Purple Dragons (yes, all of them) x Donnie

It doesn’t have to be them all being romantic, Jason and Jeremy could be pretty cool Platonic Yanderes (maybe they act sort of like Kendra’s wingmen?)

I’d like to imagine that their crush originally formed during their introduction episode, a little bit after Donnie throws the jacket at Kendra to knock her down. I’d see them as being in denial for the most part, but eventually giving in after the events of the episode. Poor Donnie would have no idea what he had coming…

They would 100% cyberstalk Donnie, and maybe even try to send out a bot to keep an eye out on him. I’d imagine them being unable to manipulate Donnie into being close to them… at least, that is if Donnie knows it is them. Who is to say that those weird new online friends Donnie has made isn’t them? They do seem to ask a lot of personal questions here and there, but that’s nothing too suspicious… right??? (I’d imagine Jason and Jeremy to be more for manipulating than Kendra. She seems more like the kind of yandere to just kidnap off the bat)

Soon, the Purple Dragons are going to want more. I imagine them to be very possessive. They would try to kidnap Donnie earlier than other yanderes would, especially with all three of them having these thoughts and giving each other these ideas.

Kendra would be the head of the operation. Jeremy would hack into Donnie’s devices and trick him into coming to a specific location. Then, Jason would have a robot set up to tranquilize Donnie. It doesn’t matter if the robot has to use force on him, they WILL have what they want.

Next thing Donnie knows, he is tied up in the Purple Dragons’ lair. All his tech is compromised, even his battle shell, and he has absolutely no way of contacting his brothers. He would have no choice but to endure whatever the purple dragons do to him…

My headcannoned types of Yanderes:

Kendra- Possessive, manipulative, impulsive (probably the most violent yandere, but not towards Donnie. She HATES April and Donnie’s family with a passion. Probably fantasizes killing them. She is that person who acts like she HATES Donnie anywhere public, but as soon as she is alone (or with other purple dragons) with Donnie, she acts all caring and sweet. She probably even started a list of pet names for Donnie Jason and Jeremy totally copy it too)

Jason: Obsessive, worship(maybe? not like religious worship, more just body and personality worship. He would be very touchy and affectionate. He is the least violent of the three, but still has a hatred for Donnie’s family and April. He would probably use tech to hurt others if he has to, but he is skittish at the thought of hurting others. You know those drawings of Yanderes with the lovesick faces? Yeah, that’s Jason, but most likely without blood)

Jeremy: Obsessive, manipulative (he doesn’t seem like the type to hurt others. If he has to, he will let his tech do it. He also tends to be very affectionate, trying to be seen as more of a comfort zone for Donnie than a threat)

(Sorry if this seems sudden, but I got a rush of inspiration and I NEEDED to share it with someone. Remember to drink water and sleep properly, or else yandere Mikey is coming for you with a 10 hour presentation about the importance of self care and hygiene. Have a nice day)

SCREAMS SO LOUDLY. SCREAMS SO LOUDLY AT YOUR HCS. I will now be writhing on the floor, thank you for your service <3 And the 10 hour presentation with MIKEY?? SPARE ME PLEASE IM BEGGING YOU-

Okay but real talk: this? This is positively AMAZING and I'm honoured that you shared this with me! I didn't think I'd even like concepts like this, but with the way you wrote it and handed the headcannons?? I'm in love and I'm not even kidding AAAAHHH- Personally, I know such a kidnapping arrangement wouldn't last too long with the turtles... being the amazing turtles they are, but a girl can dream <3

[rottmntquotes]

The Newest Problem

*In this “AU” Draxum has already been incorporated into the family. Obviously, things have played out differently in this universe in terms of dealing with the Shredder and such, but I don���t feel like going into those specifics just yet. That’s for another time entirely.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Draxum and April walked into the lair with a giant egg, claiming to have found it drifting in the Hudson River, no one was sure of what to think. Almost immediately, the egg had been dried off and placed in a beanbag chair in order to keep it- and the creature in it -from suffering. Frantic questions from Splinter, Raph, and Donnie nearly made Draxum’s head spin, and he started shouting back at them, leaving Mikey and April to watch the large egg together.

“What do you think is in it?” Mikey asked, tilting his head and trying to determine whether or not it would be safe to touch the vulnerable object.

“I dunno, but it looks kinda familiar.” April responded, pulling out her phone and searching up different types of eggs. While April was occupied, Mikey hummed quietly, allowing a calming tune to drift into the air. As if responding to the sound, the egg twitched, a small crack forming at the top. Mikey’s humming stopped, and his eyes widened.

“Uhh... guys...?” Mikey muttered, not nearly loud enough to be heard over the shouting coming from the others. Noticing this, Mikey elbowed April, drawing her attention just in time for another crack to form, conjoining with the first and beginning to descend towards the middle of the egg. This time, Mikey spoke louder. “Guys?”

The egg shook violently, more cracks forming and spreading around the center. In a few seconds, parts of the shell were beginning to be pushed out, and Mikey and April started to freak out. A loud barrage of “Guys! Guys! Guys!” was spewed as the duo was forced to watch the activity continue, and when nothing happened, Mikey was forced to let Dr. Delicate Touch take over.

“HEY! PAY ATTENTION YOU MORONS!”

The rest of the group turned their attention to Mikey, preparing to scold him, and stopping at the sight of the hatching egg. After about a minute, a claw popped out of the egg, thick in width, but short in length. This claw was used to further push the egg apart, and a hand just a little bigger than a human baby’s popped out. When this happened, the first thing the group noticed was that-

“Hey! That hand looks like ours!” Mikey gasped. The statement was, indeed, true. Three green fingers moved around awkwardly before attempting to push more of the shell away. “Aww... should we help it?”

“No.” Donnie replied bluntly. “It’s dangerous to try and help any animal hatching from an egg. We could injure it.”

Immediately after Donnie spoke, a frustrated wail came from the egg, and the hand disappeared into the oval sanctuary. It was then that the group assumed the creature wasn’t going to try anymore. Much to their surprise, a tiny, green, reptilian beak poked out of the hole, and the creature used what could only be described as an egg tooth to chomp its way out of the egg. It only took a few chomps for the creature to create a hole big enough to slip out of, and it squeaked as it plopped onto the ground.

“It’s a... a...” Donnie was at a loss for words, and he stared down at the baby in astonishment.

“It’s a BABY TURTLE!” Mikey cheered, getting onto his knees and wiping a bit of amniotic fluid off the baby’s face. The baby sneezed, shaking its head before taking a peek at Mikey. Two pairs of bright blue eyes made contact, and Mikey squealed, startling the baby enough to start crying. “Oh no! I’m so sorry!”

“He’s fine, Michael.” Donnie huffed, having gotten over his previous shock. In one swift movement, Donnie reached down and grabbed the crying baby, looking it over with a firm grip, only serving to agitate the baby’s sensitive skin. The baby cried louder at the touch, kicking at Donnie’s plastron weakly. Before Donnie could scold the baby for crying, April took it upon herself to grab the baby, glaring at Donnie as she cradled it soothingly.

“Shh... it’s okay little one.” April whispered, keeping the baby close. “Those big mean turtles don’t know how to handle babies, do they? No offense, Mike.”

“None taken.” Mikey chuckled, blushing lightly as he stood. Donnie merely scoffed, turning on his heel and requesting Raph and Splinter to follow. Draxum stayed with Mikey and April, not knowing what to do or say. “Well, Barry? Are you proud?”

“Proud? Of what?” Draxum found himself nearly cringing at the lack of a condescending tone.

“Saving the egg! Because of your actions, even with April’s help, you were able to save the life of this adorable little angel!” Mikey praised Draxum openly, gesturing to the baby, who had stopped crying. “You’re getting so close to a true reformation!”

“Oh, I highly doubt-”

“WE ARE NOT KEEPING THAT THING HERE WITH US!” Draxum, Mikey, and April all turned their attention to the kitchen, where Donnie, Raph, and Splinter had gone into. The scream was enough to shock even Draxum, and he looked at the young teens as if asking for an answer. All he was able to receive was uncertain shrugs, and he caught himself nearly stepping in front of April to protect the baby as Donnie came storming into the living room. “Get it out.”

“What? Donnie, what are you-”

“GET IT OUT!” Donnie roared, standing straight and baring his teeth in an attempt to look threatening. Needless to say that it worked. “We already have enough to worry about without that creature coming in and drawing our attention! Taking care of a hatchling takes time, effort, and consistent attention, none of which we have right now!”

“Donatello! That is ENOUGH!” Splinter silenced his gifted son with one stomp, and all that remained afterwards was the sound of labored breathing. A tense standstill occurred between the group for a short time, and then Splinter chose to speak again. “You know that your outburst has nothing to do with what we agreed upon, Donatello. Just because you are not fond of the decision does not mean that you are allowed to force your opinion on others!”

“But father-”

“NO!” Donnie said nothing more, backing up and leaning against a nearby wall in anger. Splinter sighed, taking a moment to breathe before addressing the others. “Now, what the three of us had agreed on, was that this young one will be allowed to stay here in the lair. We will keep a close and constant eye on him, and we will make sure he is safe.”

“Yes! Thank you pops!” Mikey cheered, preparing to give Splinter a hug. Unfortunately, Raph decided that this was his time to cut in.

“That is, until we can find another family to take him in.”

“Hold on, what now?” April asked, tightening her grip on the baby slightly. An annoyed sound came from the baby, but it was brief, and it disappeared as soon as it arrived. “He’s just a baby! You can’t just give a baby away like that!”

“Oh, yes we can. And we’re going to.” Donnie rebuffed, shutting his mouth once more as Splinter glared at him.

“Listen, I understand that it is not the best sounding idea, but we truly have no other choice.” Splinter paused, looking towards Draxum. “That is, unless you are willing to house him.”

“Me, take care of a baby Yokai? I think not.” Draxum scoffed, grunting at the sharp jab to the side he earned. Mikey and April looked up at Draxum pleadingly, silently begging him to at least try the idea. “Ugh... fine. I will attempt to make my home “Baby Friendly,” but do not expect it to be a paradise. There is barely enough room for me in that place.”

“Maybe It’ll help us get rid of him faster.” Donnie muttered, hissing as he was shoved towards his room.

“If you can’t say anything productive or nice about this situation, then go to your room and stay there.” Raph ordered, watching the genius of the family walk off. “I can’t believe him. He’s never acted like this!”

“Do not dwell on your brother’s behavior, Raphael. For now, we must focus on the baby.” Splinter advised, running a hand along the baby’s head. A happy coo made everyone’s hearts skip a beat, and they all were easily able to come to one conclusion:

This baby is definitely going to change our lives.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Yeah, I’m splitting this into 2 or 3 chapters. It just saves time and makes for great cliffhangers! :D

**Who’da thunk that Donnie started off hating baby Leo? Why do you think that is? Why do you think Leo’s egg was in the Hudson River? Do you think any villains have anything to do with it?

You’ll just have to wait and see!

Also, this is dedicated to @ash-the-sparrow-queen who requested this to be written! Hope you like it! I know this is a different premise from Leo being turned into a baby, but I felt this would be a bit more creative and easier to flow with. Forgive me. :’)

[2k18leo]

TMNT 2007 talk

Okie dokie since we’ve been on hiatus for a long long time, but I still want to talk turtles, I figured I’d talk about the TMNT 2007 film again. If you’ve been with my account for a while you may know what a huge fan I am of this particular movie (of course I love the other films and may talk about them at a later date, but this one just hits differently for me mainly because it’s what got me into the Ninja Turtles in the first place) 

So, I have already briefly covered my take on the 2007 film as a whole.  Aaaand, @my-sai-and-i _and_i wrote a post that goes in depth about the emotional scarring that the fight had on Leo and Raph. It’s a wonderful post and you should def check it out 👌🏼

I am currently watching the 2007 film (yet again (HA what is my count up to now? Can’t keep track. Lol moving on—)) and once again I am breathless at the climactic fight BATTLE that Leo and Raph have. Every single time I watch it, my love for the franchise grows even more. I think this may be because I’m actually such a fan of the TMNT trope that is the constant butting heads of the two oldest brothers (oof sorry not sorry 🤭). I’m also going to talk mainly about this fight scene because it’s literally the EXACT scene that I started watching when I was first introduced to tmnt. That is already talked about in another post, however 😂

Okaaay, let’s get into this thing. First off, the score for this chase scene is already making you very anxious for some sort of confrontation between the two boys. It gives you chills right off the back. Whenever Nightwatcher accidentally cornered himself I got to thinking what it would have been like if we had seen Leo and his trip out into the city instead of the diner scene with the 12th monster. Like, was he just out looking for Raph and heard police scanners saying there was an issue with the diner? Then he headed over to possibly help, but ran into the vigilante Nightwatcher. I can only assume he was already looking for Raph since Splinter right beforehand advised Leo that he needed to get off his high horse and work things out with Raph. Since April and Casey were in the lair, I’m sure Leo didn’t expect Raph to go back to their apartment. He probably went around to their old hangout places in the city (before Leo was sent to South America) but since he had been gone so long, maybe he figured his brothers didn’t hang out anymore since it wasn’t all four of them. Sure, Casey’s a great friend, but never a replacement for one of the turtles. Leo could have also gone back to the construction site that they had partly demolished with that first monster a couple nights prior. Raph did make a point in saying that they needed to find out who was responsible for the sudden burst of creatures in New York. Don’t get me wrong, learning where the 12th monster was when Raph fought it was important I guess? I mean, it made the stone generals stationed in the area, but still not THAT close to where Raph and Leo ended up (they ran quite a ways. A mile at least.)

Okay, back to the rooftop scene. The setting was beautiful and I just— *chef’s kiss* love it. The rain. The red glow of the Red Eye Club sign. Which, I’m just now thinking about this but if an English teacher was asking you what the red sign symbolized I do believe that that could be some sort of symbol/foreshadow that Raph will be the one who comes out victorious in the upcoming brawl. In case I’m not completely giving that a whole-ass stretch, I looked up the Red Eye Club to see if it was a real place but all I got were a bunch of pictures of marijuana so I’m gonna assume NOPE. It could be a minor detail or it could just be a coincidence 🤷🏽‍♀️ I mean the neon sign did not have to be red specifically. Lol don’t @ me 😂

Anyway, I love the way the rain falls on the metal of Raph’s armor. I can only imagine how much of a BITCH that rain was to animate. 

Leo starting off with the good cop persona is very in touch with his character and I like. He’s still the “talk first, shoot later” wise character we LOVE, while Raph is so much the opposite (which we LOVE JUST AS MUCH (ugh sorry im gushing again)). I like how Raph stayed silent. He didn’t give his identity up. He didn’t try to stop Leo from starting a fight. He WANTED to fight Leo. And this was the perfect opportunity without Leo holding back by being aware of his own brother under the suit. It’s sort of like a Red Hood/Batman type scene. And, it’s hardly audible but, Leo then continues to try and calm down the vigilante by saying “The road you’re on is a dead-end. Believe me, I’ve tried it.” He has no idea who is behind the mask. For all he knows, he’s talking to a complete stranger, yet he is still trying to be the voice of reason. The Nightwatcher could be a deranged murderer for all he knows. He is only aware of what the News has been recently saying. You can tell he doesn’t know everything about this vigilante (which, side note but, this all seems a bit hypocritical if I’m honest. Up until Donnie and Mikey got jobs, all the turtles/Casey/possibly April did was vigilantism. I mean, does Leo think that the Nightwatcher is correlated with the monster sightings? Is that his main reason for being a vigilante to stop a vigilante??) ALSO when Leo said “…believe me, I’ve tried it” is that referencing his time in South America? I know he “got caught up in his own world” and “forgot about everyone else” but does that necessarily correlate with what he’s talking about? Did something really bad happen in South America that we didn’t see? Did he become like Hawkeye (cough* Ronin) in Endgame? 

This also makes me wonder what would have happened if Donnie and Mikey had gone out to help Leo search for Raph. It could have been like a Teen Titans scene where Robin was posing as Red X and the rest of the titans unknowingly fought their ally because he was seemingly just another villain. If things played out that way, I’m not even sure that Raph would have put up much of a fight. He didn’t have any major beef with his younger brothers. The scene would have probably been way less emotional as well. Plus, Leo probs wouldn’t have been captured. 

Whenever Raph first wields his weapons, signifying he’s ready to fight, Leo gives a very small smirk. He wants to fight as much as Raph does. But for different reasons. Raph knows his opponent and is angry with him— furious even. Leo… I think deep down he loves to fight. He knows he’s good at it. He knows he’s going to win. But it’s probably been a long time since he’s actually felt that great adrenaline rush of a fight (yes, I’m aware he was in the fight with the first monster but that’s not a one-on-one duel) Which is why when he says “Trust me when I tell you. You don’t want to do this” he says it in a way that he’s still trying to be the voice of reason… BUT it’s also very much a threat. He’s been wanting a proper fight for a while. There’s a certain thrill I’m sure he gets when he’s faced with someone who is probably an even match for him. Even with the threat he gives, he’s fully aware that his opponent will strike. 

COCKY LEO. 

I’m not going to even try to get into the subject as to why on earth Leo cannot recognize his own brother under the suit because @my-sai-and-i already explained that WAY better. 

I mean, Leo is chuckling as the Nightwatcher does his second swing. It’s funny to him because he still knows he’s going to win this fight. There is no doubt in his mind that he will defeat this amateur clown in a costume. But this is the way, I’m absolutely positive, Leo acted as a teenager to common criminals on the streets.  He’s always known how good he was at fighting, so I can bet money he was cocky growing up. And yeah, it’s way different than how he was fighting the raiders in the beginning of the film. Back in South America he acted all dark and silent, more than likely trying to keep up the persona of the Ghost of the Jungle. If he acted all cocky and obnoxious to the raiders, I’m sure word would get out, which might frighten the villagers even more. Being his sneaky stealthy self, he was less likely to scare the villagers, and probably able to keep up the thought that he was just a peaceful legend (kind of like Katara as the Painted Lady in Avatar (I’m referencing soooo many other things, but it makes sense to me 😂)) So, now that Leo’s back in the place where he grew up, of course, his old cocky tendencies would come back. It’s almost nostalgic for him. 

Another thing. Leo is completely defensive for the majority of this fight. He hardly ever throws an actual blow. He jumps back out of the way when the Nightwatcher swings his chain at him again. Which is a completely smart move. Another reason to note that he KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING. He’s fought for about 20 years (we don’t actually know their ages in this movie (or do we ?) but I would guess around 18-20 ??) so he’s fully aware of the fact that one of the best fighting techniques is letting your opponent tire themselves out so you can then finish them off and become victorious. But Raph’s temper has always led him to go guns blazing. Shoot first, questions later. 

Leo continues to mock the Nightwatcher because he knows he’s going to get a rouse out of him. He spent a good enough time sparring with Raph to figure out how to egg on that temper. A temper that would then make Raph angry and thoughtless, thus becoming rash with his fighting technique. Ultimately becoming careless and in total defeat. Again, don’t get me started on how Leo has NOT recognized his brother yet. Even after Leo has eluded yet another strike from the chains and the Nightwatcher turns around, Leo still gives a CHUCKLE to his face. He’s begging for that temper to be released. He’s ready for a real fight. And Raph’s more than ready to finally kick his big brother’s ass. 

Raph absolutely takes on the offense with a full charge to Leo as he does three heavy swings. Leo eludes all three until coming back with a counter-attack on the third. Leo does a fair job of holding his defense until Raph throws a huge right hook to the side of Leo’s head. I mean, it’s enough to knock him back a few paces and shake it off. This is when his face really goes completely serious. He’s just been caught off guard. There’s something in him that’s telling him to quit the wise-guy act. I mean, it was a simple punch, something I’m sure he is mentally beating himself up for misreading. Yet, he doesn’t charge back. He stands his ground while Raph is still the offender. 

Then Leo tries to continue to coach this dude by telling him how anger is destructive. This is probably something Splinter did as they were growing up. Also, Leo never once unsheathes his weapons on the Nightwatcher (yes, he ultimately does with Raph, but that’s later on. Hold tight, my dude). Even when the Nightwatcher drew out his chains, Leo didn’t react by drawing his own blades. I feel like being able to hold your own during hand-to-hand shows power/strength, while fighting with weapons shows skill. Which is another reason why I think Leo teased him at the beginning of the fight; he didn’t really expect this vigilante to have had any actual training with these weapons. He’s probably just some punk who thinks it’s cool. Another Casey Jones or Purple Dragon that could probably be knocked on his ass in 3 hits max. 

Leo’s uppercut is powerful as hell. He shot Raph like 6 feet in the air. And that can’t be easy. I can’t imagine how much these boys weigh. They’ve got the mass of a typical bodybuilder + the weight of their shell + the weight of their weapons PLUS Raph’s entire armor. That’s heavy as hell. 

Okay. The “Goodnight, Dark Prince” line. I don’t like it. It doesn’t seem to fit. When has this character ever been referred to as the Dark Prince? The only other thing Leo has referred to this vigilante is Nightwatchmen. Though, I get that it would be kinda redundant to say “Goodnight, Nightwatcher.” 

That’s another thing. Leo never meant to kill this dude. Just knock him out to drop him off at the police station later. Leo doesn’t kill. I mean, the very beginning of the film where he had his one-on-one with the raider leader almost implied that he killed him. Because the shot changed as soon as Leo made contact with the guy and all you hear is a loud scream making a flock of birds fly away in fright. If he was dark enough to kill these types of men (because IF he killed him, that probably wasn’t the first guy he had killed) in South America, that’s most likely the “dark path” / “dead-end” that he was referring to earlier. But I guess being back in the city does make him revert back to his old tendencies (but it shouldn’t completely disregard whatever messed up shit he had done in South America. That stuff should still be carried with him). Not even Raph is low enough to kill criminals. In his first scene in the film all Raph does is knock out some burglars and chain them up for the cops to find later on. It makes me wonder what would it have been like if Raph had gone to South America instead of Leo, while Leo stayed in the city. Would Leo have taken on his role of his own Nightwatcher? In the 2012 series, we see him become some sort of vigilante but he’s got Karai and Shinigami with him. It doesn’t seem very in character for Leo to go solo like Raph did. Of course, Leo would still miss the fight, but I’m sure he’d wise up and get a job just like his younger brothers. 

Okay, here we go. Here’s that brother angst we’ve been waiting for. When Leo first realizes who’s actually behind the mask, he’s not angry. He’s not mad. Not even disappointed. He’s really just shocked out of his mind. Complete disbelief. He just walks closer to Raph in hopes to talk to him. Perhaps apologize for fighting him just moments before, that he truly had no idea. But Raph doesn’t even turn to face his brother before doing a powerful back kick to Leo’s chest. Which, of course, takes Leo by surprise. Sure they had had a couple arguments since he’s been back but honestly that’s how Leo remembered things being with Raph. He remembered small quarrels. Nothing serious. They had always butted heads. Even though Splinter warned Leo that Raph had taken Leo’s absence pretty hard, he didn’t really know what that meant until now. He didn’t understand why his brother had so much pent up rage toward him. 

And Raph is throwing all these words at Leo. Calling him out by saying that he believes the world revolves around him. That they couldn’t possibly survive without him. I’m sure these words sting a bit to Leo but that’s not what he’s focused on. He’s starting to register everything. THIS is why Raph has always had an issue with him. THIS is the reason for his younger brother’s constant attitude. And when Raph says that they got along just fine without Leo, for a split second, you can totally see the pain that causes Leo. Like, that shit hurted. But he raises his voice and retaliates by calling him out on his bullshit. He’s telling Raph how immature it is that he’s taken up this new persona (*cough* still a tad hypocritical since he did basically the same thing as Ghost of the Jungle) because it’s causing danger to their family. I mean, at least the villagers were never truly afraid of Ghost, but the citizens of New York are terrified at what the Nightwatcher is and his motives. It’s all they’re talking about on the News lately. Raph has been causing a panic without even realizing it because he’s been too blinded by his own good intentions. 

But Raph doesn’t want to hear it. Leo hasn’t been around. He left. He wasn’t there when the turtles were just sitting by without a leader while criminals still ran amok. I mean, Raph has been angry at the thought “why does Leo get to go?” “What are we supposed to do now?” And with Donnie and Mikey being too passive to stop Raph, there really isn’t anyone around to keep Raph from straying from this road. How can Leo honestly expect things to go back to normal?? How can this big shot waltz back into our lives after he’s missed the last year and a half? And how the hell does he think he’s still the boss of me? 

And now Leo is trying to explain to him that the reason for being gone so long was to better himself for Raph and the boys. It wasn’t up to him to go to South America and be gone for so long. He didn’t ask for it. Just like Raph never asked to be second best. He didn’t want someone to lead him. This is just how things turned out. Neither of them can help what they went through in the past. It’s just a recipe for disaster when one party is trying to be the best they can be for the other party and positively beats themselves up if they let the second party down. Aaand when the second party is completely resentful of the first party because they were chosen for the role the second party wanted. Leo can’t get over the fact that no matter what he does to better himself for Raph, Raph will still disregard it. And Raph can’t get over the thought of the living embodiment of perfection that is his older brother, so he’s angry with himself for not being as perfect and takes it out on Leo. 

And Raph has become his own leader. He’s become a lone-wolf that doesn’t need a leader anymore. He has good intentions (even though they are not being followed through quite right) and Leo is just coming back and messing everything up. Things have changed and Leo needs to realize this. But Raph also needs to take into consideration that Leo is trying to realize this. He’s been trying to reconnect with his brother. But Raph has put up such a strong wall around everyone that he thinks talking isn’t going to help.

Leo telling Raph that he isn’t ready to become his own leader is a tiny bit selfish in my opinion? I mean, I agree, but still. Like Leo sees that Raph never went on a hardcore training period off in some jungle halfway across the world. So, he thinks, how CAN Raph be ready if he hasn’t done that? But that’s the thing. Leo and Raph have their own way of doing things. Leo, in multiple iterations, tries so hard to have his brothers be exactly like him. If he achieves something a certain way, he expects his brothers to reach their achievements by doing it the exact same way. But Raph is fully capable of reaching his achievements his own way (same with Donnie and Mikey). That’s something that Leo has had a difficult time wrapping his head around. 

I also don’t feel like Leo outwardly staying that he’s better than Raph is true to his character. There’s no doubt in my mind that Leo believes that and has thought it on SEVERAL occasions. But with his “gotta be the bigger man” personality, it’s hard to believe he would stoop so low as to actually say it to Raph’s face. 

Now Raph laughs at this. And I feel like most of it is a fake laugh, but there’s still a part of it that’s real because he’s finally ready to show Leo that he’s better than him. This is the real fight that RAPH has been waiting for. The perfect match. The leader and the lone wolf. The Ghost of the Jungle and the Nightwatcher. Leo and Raph. 

Leo still tries to have him call off this fight. He’s confident in himself that he will win. Both parties are, in fact. They’ve both developed such different fighting styles since the time they’ve sparred together, that they’re basically strangers to each other now. They both know this isn’t going to end well. That things will be different after the dust (rain?) settles. Leo has a negative outlook on it. He doesn’t think that Raph will ever be happy towards him again. If anything, Raph will probably shun him. This defeat could push Raph over the edge. This could make Raph leave for real. He doesn’t want that. It pains him that he has to fight his little brother. But Raph? Raph has a positive outlook. He believes that after he defeats Leo, Leo will then see Raph’s true potential. He’ll be recognized as the best, no longer second-best. He finally gets to prove to Leo that things are different. 

Leo visibly sighs and shakes his head knowing there’s no getting out of this fight. His stubborn little brother won’t back down. It wouldn’t be honorable for Leo to stand down and admit defeat. It also wouldn’t be honorable to disgrace Raph by completely disregarding that he’s his brother and just going for the kill. He’s at a complete crossroads here. So, ultimately, he draws his swords. 

The shot of the two boys staring at each other from across the roof — I want that as a poster !! It’s so gorgeous. I’m just noticing this now but it’s split JUST down the middle in terms of color. It gives a very yin and yang type picture. Leo is on the side where the red neon sign is glowing bright, thus making him glow a faint red color. Raph, on the opposite end, is on the side where the shine of the moon is hitting down, making his armor almost glow a pale blue. Ugh so much symbolism I may cry.  Right off the bat you can tell the differences in the two boys. Raph has been in his ready-stance for a while. He’s been waiting for this. Leo stands tall with blades in hand but not in an attack stance. There’s still that sliver of hope that Raph will back down. It’s still early enough to put this behind them, but that window is fading fast. As the rain beats down around them, Leo realizes that the window is closed. Nothing will stop this fight. It’s happening. There is no going back. 

Per the theme this rainy evening, Raph is the first one to charge. He runs like the brute he has become, fists clenched around his sai so he’s ready to stab or punch. Leo charges in a very graceful samurai run. Also the music. The thundering drums that beat so deep and so fast. It’s such a powerful scene. 

The shot of the tip of Leo’s blade grazing the water on the roof is STUNNING. Honestly, who thinks of these details because I hope they got a RAISE back in 2007 😂 it’s beautiful 

I also love how they both jumped toward each other as their first move. This shows that they are now both on the offense. Something snapped inside Leo to make him change up his tactics a bit. Almost to throw off Raph, who has never been the best at a defensive position. His strong suit is in the offense. 

Still the differences between their fighting styles after the jump. Leo did a beautiful forward shoulder roll, which is a proper technique of coming out of a forward jump. It keeps your momentum going into your next attack. Raph landed on his feet which, may not be ideal, but gave him a split-second advantage to be on the offense for the next attack. Leo then had to block with his sword. This fight goes FAST. I’m watching it so carefully and I’m sure there are things that I’m missing. I love how Leo does a roll over Raph’s shell, and up until now I figured he had made contact with his shell, but he actually didn’t because just as Leo started his roll, Raph ducked forward out of the way. Then Raph does a couple kicks towards Leo’s head, which cause water to sprinkle EVERYWHERE and it’s gorgeous. Raph is just going ham and not letting up on Leo as he’s still going for those strikes. (Lol I took a stage combat course over the summer so I know a little bit of the lingo (but good god I am no expert so please call me out if you know I’m using improper terms)) Watching this scene makes me want to do a move chart with a list of moves they are doing and in the order they’re doing it haha. Finally, Leo is able to squeeze in two strikes towards Raph, both of which he ducks and then blocks. 

The camera angles are wonderful. Have I talked about that yet? I mean the shot of the two of them squaring off. The little shot of the two of them fighting between the E and the D in the neon sign. And even the upcoming shot from below when they’ve got their weapons locked together. So beautiful. 

This scene also really shows the details of the Nightwatcher suit. 

And when Leo is able to do an X cross block with his swords at the downward blow Raph is throwing with his sai, and the camera angles are just moving with the characters. UGH. Here you can see that Leo really is mad. The fury of the fight is showing through his eyes as he watches his brother with a predator-like stare. *frantically looks up synonyms for furious* and boy oh boy, Raph is just seething as he twirls his blades. This small segment of them circling each other (sort of like a Spaghetti western style) is a fighting trope that I really dig. Sais are actually a lot larger than I gave them credit for. Those sharp boys are HUGE. 

The way they have their teeth bared as they circle each other reminds me so much of two very dominate male animals fighting. Like two lions fighting for the pride. When Leo finally comes to a stop his eyebrows furrow just a tad bit more, almost impatiently waiting for Raph to make another offending move. Or possibly giving thought as if the fight was coming to its end. And Raph’s pupils are crazy dilated as he charges yet again. It’s like a sickness that has infested his mind, this constant need to one-up his older brother. It’s making him crazy. And the heaviness of that armor is making Raph charge like a rhino or something. And the shot of Leo tightening his grip on his blade gives the implication that there may have been a split second where he believed Raph was ready to be done with the fight. 

Their eye contact hardly ever breaks during this scene. Raph is wanting to see that split second of worry in his brother’s eyes. He’s wanting to see that hesitation. 

Now Leo charges and he has taken full offense. He strikes at Raph many times, closing him into the wall under one of the two signs. He throws seven blows before doing a jumping spin kick to Raph’s abdomen. You can tell that blow sent Raph back a ways, maybe even farther if that wall wasn’t there to stop him. He probably has some form of whiplash. And even as he’s starting to lock eyes with his opponent again, Leo’s sword comes RIGHT BY HIS NECK. Leo literally got so close to making a fatal would for Raph. And no, Leo had no intention of killing Raph. He was probably aiming to give Raph a nasty slash on his cheek. Just a warning. Something that would remind Raph to stay in his place. 

Now here it is. The locking of their weapons. The climax of the fight. Raph is enraged and is gritting his teeth so hard that he’s shaking. In the shot from below, you can see the absolute force that they are using to one-up the strength of the other as their muscles are just quivering. And Raph tries to make himself become larger to push Leo back. Leo gives a quick glance down to his weapon in fear that the thin blade will give out. Swords aren’t meant to withstand this kind of pressure. 

And when they do break. b o i. The shock and pain that sweeps through Leo is heartbreaking. He just lost. Even before Raph throws the final blow. Leo’s swords are finished, just as he is. His swords. The weapons he’s most likely had since he became leader all those years ago. A literal extension of his body. Taken away from him in an unforgivable instant. And right as Leo is taking a glance back up to Raph, Raph is already coming up to powerfully kick him straight through the jaw. Through his kick, Raph is still in his jump twirling around to deliver the fatal blow to his brother’s head. The spear of his sai is centimeters away from Leo’s head as he falls back and hits the concrete behind him. As soon as his eyes open after being knocked back, he registers how close that blade was to piercing his skull. He’s been around long enough to recognize a deadly shot. You can tell his mind is racing in that fraction of a second as he sees the blade and looks back up to Raph to question why on earth he would throw such a potentially devastating blow. And just like that, Raph standing above with Leo pinned to the ground, he has won. He has defeated Leo. Even still, you can see their expressions change numerous times as they process what has just happened. Raph still bares his teeth in anger/triumph. He’s finally showing Leo what he thinks of his “place”. Finally showing him that he is a worthy opponent to Leo. 

Again, Leo is in shock. All he’s thinking is “why” and “what” and many other synonyms for said terms. You can see his eyes flit between Raph’s own as he continuously tries to read what his brother is thinking. Then his brows furrow once more as it finally sinks in. Raph hated Leo for so long. Up until the point where he came close enough to kill him. It didn’t matter how much Leo trained to be better for Raph. Raph still hated him. Every fiber of his being. He’s confused and frightened still as to why. Just because they fought doesn’t mean there was any resolution. Leo is still left in the dark as to WHY his brother actually despises him. 

Raph, still seething, is beginning to shake all the way up to his face. Then it hits him. What he’s done. His pupils widen as his eyebrows slowly shift up. That’s Leo. That’s his older brother. That’s his family. That’s who he’s got pinned down. Who he nearly sent a sharp blade through the skull. Who he nearly murdered. Leo is still staring up at him, I’m sure wondering how someone could be filled with so much hate. Maybe for a split second, if the Ghost of the Jungle actually did kill those raiders in South America, Leo saw himself in Raph. Perhaps that scared him. This could have been the path Leo was headed down if it wasn’t for April coming and pleading for Leo to return home. No one was able to help Raph. No one tried to stop him from going too far down this path. Was it because he had been absent? Was this all because he left? This is what Raph really thinks of Leo, huh? 

I love how no words are spoken here, yet again. It’s brilliant what can be said without any actual words. There’s so much emotion between the boys after what just happened. 

And here’s Raph again. Still processing. He tries to shake it away as if it’s just a bad thought or a nightmare. He’s in disbelief of his own actions. He then starts to shy away from Leo as if in apology but honestly what’s to be said after that that will make everything better? He also looks a little to the right of Leo, but we don’t get to see what he’s looking at. Up until this point, I’ve always just figured he was just looking away in thought, not on anything in particular. But now, I feel like he could possibly be looking at the rain falling on the concrete roof as if to help him figure out that this is reality. That he’s actually here in this moment. And so is Leo. OR, he could be looking at Leo’s broken swords, which is also bringing him back to reality. He destroyed a part of his brother. He could have done so much more destruction. He gets up ever so gently as if Leo is a paper doll that will break under his weight or a sudden shift of movement. 

Leo still clutching onto his sword handles is probably subconscious instinct, like when something suddenly scares you and your muscles clench up and you hold tighter onto whatever. And here you can see that he’s actually showing that he’s in pain. His adrenaline is wearing off so the blows from just moments before are actually beginning to enflame his body. I’m sure there’s a part of him that’s scared of Raph now. Like there’s no more teasing or mocking. If he were to try it again, I’m sure he believes things could spiral out of control again. Something neither of them wanted anytime soon. His face is a little hard to read when he stands up, but mostly because he’s in pain and is showing that in his gestures and expression. Knowing Leo, he’s probably mentally asking so many questions. I’m sure he wants to talk. I’m sure he wants Raph to talk. But what on earth are either of them to say? 

They’re exhausted from the fight. Leo is visibly heaving his body. Raph is still stunned as ever as his eyes are fixed on his brother who is SOMEHOW ALIVE ?? He shakes his head slightly as the thought creeps through his mind again. As the more devastating idea enters. He doesn’t even want to consider what the aftermath would have been like. What if it actually happened. What if Leo wasn’t standing right in front of him? What if he was still on the concrete ground, covered in rain pellets, immovable. Just… still. With a single sai protruding from his head. No. He messed up. How could things ever be the same again? How could he move on from this? How could he go home and face his family? His brothers? Splinter? He feels like such a little kid. A scared child who’s worried about the consequences of his actions. He would be disowned. He would be shunned. He would be hated. What was he to do? He glances down at his weapons, still in hand, and gives a tiny gasp. These were almost murder weapons. Of his own brother’s death. So, he runs. Any specific destination, probably not. He just needed to be away from Leo. He has no idea if he’ll ever see him again. Or his family. He just messed up way too horribly. How would anyone be able to forgive him? How could Leo even be facing him?

As he turns away to disappear into the night, Leo inaudibly tries to call him back. Even after all that, Leo’s still trying to reach out to him. He doesn’t want Raph to leave. This is something they NEED to discuss. He’s not mad or angry at his brother. He’s confused. He could see it in Raph’s eyes that Raph was guilty about what he almost did. I’m sure he doesn’t audibly call out to Raph because he’s partially too exhausted to do so. Plus, I’m sure there’s still a bit of fear right on the surface. 

As Raph runs, he is most definitely ugly crying. But we can’t see that because of the pouring rain :’D so. And then Leo gets captured and yadayada. Wow. I think I may be FINALLY done talking about this 😂 I’m exhausted. If you read this much I’m honestly super proud of you and I appreciate you haha you’re amazing. If you have anything you want to talk about concerning the ninja turtles (preferably the 2007 film because it’s fresh on my mind, but I’m also down to talk about the other movies or the tv shows) don’t even hesitate to ask. I love talking about the turtles. We can debate certain topics, gush about OTPs, talk about issues we had with certain things. I love all that. 

[shirtlesssammy]

14x12: Prophet and Loss

Then:

Drama llama Dean spent an entire afternoon in a workshop surrounded by half naked men, and now he’s gonna bury himself at the bottom of the sea.

Now:

We open with Dean in the ma’lak box at the bottom on the ocean.

It is uncomfortable to watch. I’ve had a lot of thoughts about Dean dreaming about being in the box. It’s a huge call back to 3x16/4x01 and him yelling for Sam and waking from Hell in his own coffin --the coffin Sam insisted he be buried in --the coffin that Cas, the naive angel that lacked the people skills to know not to just reconstitute him and leave him six feet under. This is as bad, if not worse, than Hell for Dean. Dean’s been very low in the past, but to listen to Death and admit that he doesn’t have free will over this situation? Gah.

It is just a dream though, albeit one that was so visceral, he woke to bloody fingernails and scratches on the motel wall. Sam, who’s also awake, tries talking to Dean about his plan.

For This is a Beautiful Shot Science:

Sam insists that there has to be another way. Dean sees no other option than to lock himself away with Michael for eternity. (Sidenote: I just saw this post come across my dash about Swan Song, and I’M DYING.)

Aaaaaand, it wouldn’t be Buckleming without some torture porn! A man has a woman tied up. He’s dumping salt in a vat of water. Oooh, maybe super crazy demon torture? J/K, just a regular girl who doesn’t deserve to die tortured. Sigh. He carves something into her arm and sends her into the water to drown. Positive Note: She’s fully clothed.

Nick’s in the hospital and and as soon as his leg heals, he’ll be spending a lot of time in jail. Nick’s playing the “devil made me do it” card. And he’s also crying silent tears. NOT BUYING WHAT YOU’RE SELLING, EUGENIE.

On the road, the brothers take a moment to further dissect Dean’s plan. Both Sam and Mary hate it. Cas and Jack don’t even know about it. Sam calls Cas --who clearly gets the newsletter Sam sends out to everyone. He knows.

Rowena and Cas have been on the case to extract Michael, but both have come up empty. Cas offers to speak with Dean. Sam doesn’t think that’ll matter.

Torture Man has a new victim! This time it’s a dude that he’s trussed and laid out on a plastic sheet. Torture Man utters warped Bible quotes while he slits the man’s throat. He then carves something into his chest. Oh man, I have a high capacity for violence on TV, but this WAS NOT COOL TO WATCH. Do. Not. Like. After carving up his victim, he hears whispers and says, “I am the Lord.”

On the road, Michael continues to scream and pound on the inside of Dean’s mind. And, guh, Dean pulls himself together and side-eyes Sam to see if he noticed. He didn’t. SAM. I mean, I get it, he’s doing what he can to stop Dean’s plan. And if Dean really wants to convince his brother this is the best idea, why worry if he sees you struggle?

Anyway, Dean jumps into talking about their childhood, and how he “wasn’t always the greatest brother” to Sam. Sam’s baffled as to where this is going. Dean was his constant family when they were kids. Sam recognizes that Dean was not just there for him as a brother, but he raised Sam. Dean continues, apologizing for siding with their dad, for trying to keep the peace. I AM LIVING FOR THIS CONVERSATION. Dean admits that John would send Dean away when he would get mad at Dean. And, like we know this, and I’m still crying? Sometimes I feel like while every episode adds to the story of Sam and Dean, they’re often forgotten or never mentioned again, so did they really happen? If I ended up in an alternate world where I was rich and famous, I’d think back and rehash the fun in that on occasion. In any event, 9x7 did happen, and it happened on multiple occasions. Sam makes it clear to Dean that he let all that go a long time ago, also please stop with the deathbed apologies. Kthxbye.

Nick outsmarts the cop guarding him and escapes from the hospital.

Sam’s found a case! A nice distraction from their Road Trip of Bad Decisions. They head to investigate.

They arrive at the home of the brother of the last victim.

I found this shot SO weird, but didn’t really think about it again until I saw @neven-ebrez post, and was glad someone put some thought into it. :D We’re kind of hit over the head with brother parallels here. Dean gets to hear what it might feel like for Sam when he’s gone. Sam explains that the graffiti carvings were really Enochian. 

The brother talks about a friend, Tony Alvarez, who was more into Bible quotes than the average Millenial.

A Story in Three Parts:

I mean, really. REALLY? Cas has no chill. He also has no filter and spills that he knows about Dean’s plan. At first I was like “oh Cas bby, no” but now I’m ok with it. It’s almost more painful to know that Cas knows about Dean’s plan when Dean doesn’t know about Cas’s deal. (And equally painful to think that Cas doesn’t think about his deal because he doesn’t see himself ever being happy.) (Natasha: curls up into an unhappy knot on the floor.)

Anyway, Dean doesn’t want to talk to Cas about his plan and jumps right into why he called. Does Cas recognise the name Tony Alvarez? Cas says that he’s in line to be a prophet. Dean cuts him off, awkwardly tells him it’s good to hear his voice, and hangs up. He instantly chastises Sam for spilling his secret. “Dean, it’s Cas. I had to tell him.” Sam and Cas are the best brothers-in-law. HUGS.

And if Tony is now a killer prophet, is Donatello dead? Dean checks in with Donatello’s doctor. He’s still around (brain dead and all, but not dead dead.)

Dean and Sam break into Tony’s home, which looks perfectly normal EXCEPT for a creepy office covered with Enochian writing and pinned up photos of victims. They realize that the killer is cycling through different biblical deaths.

Cut to the Sphinx Machine Shop, where a deranged Tony has strung up his next victim. He gets ready to burn him (and I’m just cringing in horror please stop). Fortunately, the Winchesters rush in just in time. Sam tackles Tony while Dean puts out the fire and saves the victim. Tony babbles that God was telling him to kill those people. He manages to get a hold of Dean’s gun and kills himself.

U G H

Anyway, just like that, the whole case is over.

They go over the case with Cas, who speculates that Donatello’s not-dead-yet status has somehow triggered a malformed line of prophets. The answer seems clear...they’ve got to kill off Donatello.

Nick breaks into his old house and flashes back to the trauma of his family’s deaths. (Somehow there’s still electrical service? I’m going to chalk that up to an overzealous realtor, perhaps.) The room ices over as the ghost of his dead wife, Sarah, manifests. He addresses her as...“Lucifer?” AWKWARD. Sarah, played by a jarringly different actress, tells Nick that she’s been a ghost...the whole damn time. She saw him get possessed by Lucifer and that is part of the unfinished business that keeps her tethered to Earth. There are some major you’re-cheating-on-me vibes coming from her.

“You wanted him,” she accuses him. “You still do,” she says, surprising absolutely nobody. Nick tells Sarah that he’s gonna go find Lucifer and he leaves her behind to be a super grumpy ghost for all eternity. Thanks, man.

At the Happy Daze nursing home (rly?) a doctor tells the Winchesters that pulling the plug on Donnie is the right choice. Dean practically smirks at Sam like, “SEE? The nice doctor is telling you to let me be tortured for all of eternity.” Cas meets them in the guise of a doctor.

Doctor Sexy: A visual story in three parts:

Sam heads off with the (real) doctor to see what sort of babbled “nonsense” Donnie’s been dealing. (I take a break to pedantically google the difference between brain death and vegetative states.) Dean gives Cas some serious side-eye and sass about checking up on Donatello, but Cas pulls him back. He explains that what he did to Donatello was necessary at the time, but he still regrets it. Dean attempts to commiserate and Cas spits out, “Please don’t compare this with your suicidal plan. Just STOP.” 

Dean pleads with Cas to support his decision. “This is goodbye?” Cas demands in response, and then SAM BURSTS IN. God DAMN it, Interrupting!Sam.

Ugh. MAN. Give Dean and Cas five freakin’ minutes to talk through their issues 2k19. (You know I love it AND I hate it, bbys.)

Anyway, the footage of Donatello shows him speaking Enochian. He’s muttering about striking down the first born of Egypt...he’s just spewing out the Word of God. Cas thinks Donatello’s mind is rebuilding itself and stumbling through old prophecies. (Me: passive-aggressively googles vegetative states again.)

They head into Donatello’s room where Cas, bless him, continues to show an utter lack of an appropriately scaled cover persona. He orders the real doctor out of the room with a cursory “Get out.”

While Sam and Dean wait for Cas to try his healing mojo, Dean flinches as he continues to struggle with Michael. Oh, Dean Bean.

They reunite with Cas just in time for Cas to have his breakthrough healing moment.

For Science

They turn off the life support machines and, after a brief jolt, Donatello pulls through. It’s a miracle! He’s probably not evil, right? I mean, the lack of soul will almost certainly steer him well. (Lord, we’re going to be stuck with this chicken-addicted prophet forever, aren’t we?) 

Donatello wants to know what happened and Dean slaps Cas on the shoulder and somewhat snarkily leaves the job to him. Dean. Bean.

Sam greets Dean back at the Impala with beer and misery. After the “win” of getting Donatello back, it’s time for them to head on home so Dean can lock himself into his torture box. Sam delivers an emotional speech about their shared experiences and accuses Dean that he’s checking out of the world too soon. “If you quit on us today, there will be no tomorrow.” Sam rails at Dean, begging him to give them all a chance to save him. “I believe in us,” Sam shouts and punches Dean in rage and pain. 

Reluctantly, Dean promises to go home with Sam and hold out for another option for as long as he can. Dean offers a contingency agreement: if they have no other choice in the future, then Sam and Cas have to let him go.

“Let’s go home,” Dean says to them both. Hooray! And...that should get to me but what really quietly wrecked me was Dean telling Sam quietly, “Don’t hit me again, okay?” before they all climbed into the car. Welcome, hello, my heart is now in a coffin at the bottom of the ocean.

After they all depart, the title card fades ominously to white. 

Everybody knows what makes Doctor Sexy sexy is his Quotes:

Well, the woman has a remarkable command of profanity.

If we could not have conversations that sound like deathbed apologies, I would really appreciate it.

Dean, it’s so good to hear from you.

Thank you, and it’s good to hear your voice.

“Doctor.” “Doctor.” “Doctor.”

Dean. If there’s a spark, a hope, then I have to try. You taught me that.

No rest for the self-destructive.

Want to read more? Check out our Recap Archive! 

[all-things-tmnt]

Thoughts on “Tokka Vs. The World”:

Remember that one time when Raph adopted a turtle from space after its mother (Tokka) was seemingly killed and we all were like “well, at least Raph gets a happy ending?” ...Remember that one time months later when it turns out that Tokka survived and came to earth to get her baby back? We’re rolling back into things with a huge opening in our final stretch to the end of season three. When a monster from their past threatens to destroy their whole world, the turtles must team up with Chompy to save the earth from Tokka’s wrath. Will they succeed? Probably, but let’s see!  This post is so ALIVE with spoilers, so if you want to avoid them from burning you up, don’t keep reading.  If you haven’t seen this comeback episode, now would be a great time to click here and watch it!

There’s some kind of pun to be found here along the lines of, “you can take the baby turtle out of space but you can’t take the space out of the baby turtle without its mother coming to absolutely murder you...” I’m sure it’ll come to me at some point in writing this, and I’ll let you guys know when I got it.  Interesting things:       - “Hey guys, remember how we gave Raph a space pet and never did anything with him ever again? Well we should make him a major plot device for reasons.” - The TMNT Writers, probably.       - As a person who was never a fan of Chompy and/or didn’t care about his existence since he was introduced.....he is really cute.       - Also, I appreciate the Godzilla reference.      - There are many reasons Chompy shouldn’t play with Ice Cream Kitty, one being that he could literally murder the cat because HE BREATHES FIRE.       - He apparently farts fire as well.       - “Dude, you ever think about how big Chompy will get one day?” I have literally thought about that since they decided to take him Michelangelo.      - “I feel bad about Chompy’s mom.” LOL REALLY DO YOU NOW?????      - “Donnie said there’s probably nothing that could survive a super nova.” LOL REALLY NOW?????????????????      - Someone please try to explain to me how Tokka knew where Chompy was. Don’t tell me she followed his scent or whatever because there is no oxygen in space and no smell. This is going to be a filler to the highest degree, isn’t it?      - Am I the only person who still waits for the Triceraton foot to stomp down on the manhole cover in the theme song...? I swear that gave me PTSD.       - Donnie and Casey getting along is my aesthetic.       - So I guess we’re not done with this crystal business?       - THIS JUST IN: NASA AND THE EPF WORK TOGETHER.       - STAY CLASSY NEW YORK. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAA. NICE.       - How on earth did Splinter instantly know that it was coming straight for Chompy? I mean come on.      - OH COME ON LEO, YOU HAVE SEEN TOKKA, YOU ALREADY KNOW YOU CAN’T JUST SPEAK TO THAT MASSIVE THING AND OFFER HER BABY BACK. CAN YOU EVEN IMAGINE HOW THAT CONVERSATION WOULD GO WERE IT POSSIBLE? “HEY LOL SORRY WE STOLE YOUR CHILD THANKS BYE.”      - I typed that in all CAPS because it mattered that much to me.       - You know Casey’s been poorly written for too long if even he’s surprised when he’s right.      - ALL. HAIL. BISHOP.       - Dear God I don’t even understand what this pep talk is.      - Casey being so useful in this episode and the writers are literally MOCKING HIM because he’d finally being written the way he should be. STOP. BEING. AWFUL. TO. CASEY.      - “And not semi-idiotic.” My new favorite line of the series.      - I appreciated the fun running towards TCRI montage.       - That guy was watching cat videos.       - I’m sorry but there is no way they got into that elevator like that. I don’t even understand what just happened.       - LOLOLOLOLOL @ THAT TMNT MOVIE REFERENCE!!!!!!!!!      - Casey had a weapon that could have sent those grenades back. He did not use it. Ugh.      - “We gotta get to that other ship!” There are literally 20 other ships. Which one is “that other” one?      - “Destroy what you don’t understand.” DONATELLO, YOU ARE MY HERO. I feel like that was an underlying political message.       - ALL. HAIL. BISHOP. !!!!!!!!!!!.       - “I have become ambassador to earth.” That I’m not entirely thrilled about but I mean whatever. this whole season has just screwed with logic so much.       - That awkward moment when Raph goes against Bishop and I am literally forced to side wth Bishop.       - “He’s my sidekick in my mission to cleanse the city of evil.” WHAT? WHAT????? NO. I’M NOT OKAY WITH THAT.       - Raph and Bishop’s “fight” was just added to the list of things this series didn’t need.      - Not to be a downer but those pilots just exploded.       - So after ALL THAT TALK AND ALMOST FIGHTING, Bishop just lets them go. REALLY.       - THOSE TWO SOLDIERS JUST STOOD THERE WHILE BISHOP TOOK OUT THE FIRST ONE AND THEN DID NOTHING TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST HIM.       - Casey is the best thing about this episode.       - Pretty sure Tokka just set New York City on fire.       - “YAAAAAAAS Mom YAAAAAASSSSSSS.” - Chompy, probably.       - People are definitely dying in New York City right now. Tokka and the EPF are literally killing thousands of people.       - Leo, please don’t fall back into your self-missions-of-definite-suicides again. That’s been our trope in season four and it hasn’t worked out.       - I love watching Leo fight. Even though I told him not to do this last bullet point...he’s always choreographed so well and I love itttt.      - Raph’s sense of balance is impossibly amazing.       - Donnie is the only one who’s logically looking at any of this begging for Tokka not to eat them.      - Can Tokka even understand Raph? Or hear him for the matter???      - As a person who is almost constantly way too emotionally invested in this series, I gotta say, I am not moved by this episode at all...especially this scene with Raph talking to Tokka and saying goodbye to Chompy. Sorry not sorry I guess.       - YOU’VE. GOT. TO. BE. KIDDING. ME.       - I AM SO ANGRY RIGHT NOW WITH THIS “RESOLUTION” THAT IT’S NOT EVEN FUNNY.       - Casey can add “tasering a general” to his rap sheet.       - That was the best high three of the series.       - Tokka launching and flying away is still as stupid as it was the first time we saw it.       - Leo cheering for his brother from the sidelines gave me feels.       - Chompy will leave earth some day confirmed. Not through the duration of this series, though.  Well...I guess I have to do breakdowns? There’s really not much serious depth to this episode. Not any that affects the overall plot, anyway. But the best thing about this episode is Casey. ...I know, I thought I’d never get to say that in a review, either. But seriously! This is the first episode where I was consistently rooting for Casey the entire time. Seeing him do so many things right for once was so great. What wasn’t great was that even the writers point out the dialogue that Casey has never been this useful before. And it’s frustrating because we know Casey is capable of great things if he’s given the chance to be! From the first moment we see him when he points out he’s concerned, to the awesome ideas he has, to the fighting he does, he’s solid from start to finish in this episode and I genuinely hope this is a turning point for his character. Here’s to hoping we get more of this Casey and less of “beginning of season four Casey.” Another thing I wanted to point out that happened in this episode was Casey pointing out Mikey is his sidekick. Mikey. Not Raph. I’ve definitely complained about it before, but Casey and Raph have always had a bromance in TMNT. I haven’t seen it nearly enough in this series yet, and it’s been bothering me. When Casey first met Raph, we were instantly given the promise that they were going to be bros, and there haven’t been enough episodes showing us their friendship in depth like other incarnations have shown us. This episode feels like it teased us with the things Casey should and can be, and I hope like hell we’ll get a Raph-Casey episode soon.  Bishop just randomly popping up was great, because I’ve missed seeing him. Bishop randomly popping up as ambassador to earth was kind of weird. I mean, how could we have not gotten any forewarning about that? I would assume he’d contact the turtles about it, especially seeing as they fought together and he (along with the other Utroms) had entrusted them with the Black Hole Generator pieces. Him popping up and being so relevant kind of fit the theme of this whole episode, which was... SHOVING IRRELEVANT THINGS DOWN OUR THROATS! These are my final thoughts: this episode is basically pointless. Or at least, I feel like everything in this episode is pointless. I mean, considering I’ve been waiting so long for new episodes to come back, on top of the fact that we are literally closing in on what has promised to be an INCREDIBLE finale episode, seeing this episode that in no way enhances the plot was a bit frustrating. 2012 has done fillers before, but there’s always one or two moments in those fillers that play a huge role in the main story. This episode has nothing; it reminds us that Raph had a turtle, tries to put us through some moments that end up not mattering at all. Seriously, you expect me to believe that giant space turtle flew all the way to earth and just decided NOT to take her baby back because it seemed attached to Raph? I can’t deal. And like I said; we’re so close to the finale. I want to see us building towards that. Not wasting time on a pointless filler. I mean I didn’t hate the episode, but I hated that it gave me nothing to prepare me for the next step in our story. So honestly, I gotta give this one a 6/10, and that’s me being nice.  So now that we’ve gotten this little one-shot out of the way...The Tale of Tiger Claw is coming up next. We’re finally going to get to look at the back story of one of our biggest enemies. So that’s exciting.  But, before we’re meeting Alopex and talking TC, let’s talk about Tokka. Let me know what you guys liked and didn’t like  here. Previous review for The Power Inside Her here. All season four reviews here. All episode reviews index here. Podcast review here.