RETURN OF THE TECHNODROME

01PLOT

At Channel 6, Irma asks her friend April when April will meet the Ninja Turtles. April says they are not the most exciting thing in her life. Burne Thompson tells April it is a slow news day and to go out and make news.

Meanwhile in the sewer system under New York City, Splinter leaves the Turtles for his tri-annual three-day-long fast and meditation. April comes by, hoping for a story; Raphael says it is a big city so something is bound to happen.

Krang declares that "the invasion can wait no longer!" and that he's bringing the Technodrome back to Earth, after which he will be destroying the Turtles himself. He sends Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady to put a polarity deflector at the Niagara Falls hydroelectric power station, which will allow him to transport the entire war machine to Earth.

Shredder takes over the Niagara Falls power plant and shuts off power to New York City, rerouting the energy to the Technodrome instead. Fed from both sides, a portal opens and the Technodrome begins to activate. Krang also sends through a small contingent of Foot Soldiers and Rock Soldiers.

The Turtles conclude that the blackout is probably Shredder's doing, and Donatello manages to tune his Turtlecom in order to listen to Krang and Shredder's transmissions.

Leonardo is determined not to disturb Splinter's meditations. But while Splinter is meditating in the woods, he senses something dangerous approaching.

When the Turtle Blimp approaches Niagara Falls, the glider is shot down by Bebop and Rocksteady, and they nearly go over the falls. When they make it to dry land, Splinter is waiting there for them.

The Technodrome is lifted by antigravity plates towards the portal, even as the Turtles attempt to distract their enemies and stop the river's flow. But it is all in vain, as the Technodrome arrives on Earth once more, and a small army of Foot Solders and Rock Soldiers appear around them. Krang stops them from attacking, however, as he wants to kill the Turtles himself. However, the Technodrome's weapons have been depowered because of the dimensional portal, and the Turtles escape with the use of the blimp.

Shredder reactivates the hydroelectric plant, which recharges the Technodrome. Krang burrows the Technodrome underground, causing an earthquake in New York City. Krang then takes over the TVs in the city, and demands that the inhabitants leave the city within 24 hours, or else Krang will cause a bigger earthquake, destroying the city. Krang plans to make the evacuated city their base of operations and from there they will use the Technodrome's capabilities to conquer the planet.

The Turtles, who had heard Krang's message, discover the Technodrome underground, and break inside using a bomb. While Splinter fights Shredder in their "final confrontation" on a bridge inside the Technodrome, the Turtles fight Bebop, Rocksteady and the Foot Soldiers in the control room (after telling them not to use their weapons as it will damage the circuitry). Donatello rewires part of the Technodrome, which alters the seismic polarities.

As a result, Krang's attempt to trigger another earthquake instead drills the Technodrome deeper underground, until it falls into the Earth's core and sinks in magma. Krang blames Shredder, whom is last seen dangling by his cape at the end of the broken bridge where he fought Splinter. The Turtles are at first afraid that Splinter is trapped in the Technodrome, but their sensei escapes at the last second.

In the New York City sewer system, the Turtles celebrate their victory with pizza and April comments that it was a great story.

02CAST & APPEARANCES

03OBJECTS, VEHICLES & PLACES

04SCREEN GRABS

9 frames. Screencaps via Turtlepedia (CC BY-SA).

05MEMORABLE QUOTES

Donatello: I hate to say it, but with the Technodrome in Krang's control, we've got our shells to the wall!!

Leonardo: _(to Splinter)_ Master, we must make plans to defeat Krang and Shredder!

Splinter: Unfortunately we can do little until we learn _their_ plan, and by then it might be too late!!

Shredder: So Hamato Yoshi, It appears it is time for our final confrontation!

Splinter: Hamato Yoshi is no longer. There is only Splinter Shredder: And soon _he_ will be gone as well!! Leonardo: Had enough? Rocksteady: Me? _(growls)_ You're about to get plasmarised!!

06TRIVIA

• Throughout the episode, Krang's suit appears to be smirking.
• First appearance of Donatello's "exploding throwing stars".
• The fight between Shredder and Splinter does feature a nice bit of continuity with "Splinter No More", in that Splinter says that he no longer considers himself to be Hamato Yoshi, and now sees himself only as the Turtles' mentor, Splinter.
• The part where Michelangelo tried to attack the Foot and Rock Soldiers with his nunchakus was omitted from all UK broadcastings of this episode due to censorship reasons.
• The part where Donatello uses the exploding shuriken to blast a way into the Technodrome was deleted from the UK video releases of the episode for censorship reasons.
• First time April enters the Technodrome.
• Leonardo, Michelangelo and Donatello are missing their weapon sheaths throughout most of the episode.
• The way Splinter and Shredder can sense each other's presence is similar to Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in the original _Star Wars_ movie.

07FAN REVIEW

No fan review for Return of the Technodrome yet. Got a take on this one? Write the first review in the forum and we'll feature it here.