SLEUTH ON THE LOOSE

01PLOT

While the Ninja Turtles are watching their favorite TV show, _Sleuth on the Loose_, which stars April's Aunt Agatha making a bet as to who was right about whose the culprit of the missing Guppy. April interrupts the broadcast with a special bulletin about a break-in at Dynamatic Science Labs. The Turtles rush over there and agree to guard the remaining objects, which have not been stolen - yet. But somehow, while the Turtles were just outside the room that housed these objects another one disappeared - yet no one had entered the room from outside and the surveillance cameras picked up no one from inside the room. They seemed to have literally disappeared.

The Turtles agree that maybe they should take the one remaining object back to their lair, where no one knows where it is. Dr. Webb, director of Dynamatic Science Labs, reluctantly agrees, warning them that if it should fall into the thief's hands he could construct something of unspeakable horror. But while the other Turtles are out "beating the bushes" looking for clues, Michelangelo is responsible for guarding the object. Suddenly the TV set picture scrambles and a light beam emanates from the set, enveloping the object and sucking it back into the TV set.

When the other three Turtles return, Michelangelo has to explain that it is gone and to make matters worse, April contacts them and tells them that she has discovered that all the stolen objects put together could make a doomsday device but without the one piece that the Turtles are guarding it is worthless. Without trying to panic, the Turtles try to solve the disappearance in the same way their favorite TV detective Agatha would. Donatello deduces that the thieves used a Molecular Disintegrator beam to teleport the objects across the airwaves (using the cameras from the Dynamic Science Labs to steal the other two). Donatello builds a device that will transport them along the same signal to whoever it was that stole the objects. Only it does not work. In fact, it had the exact opposite result and transported Agatha from _Sleuth on the Loose_ television show into the Turtles' lair. After explaining the premise of this week's episode, Agatha agrees to lend her services and chooses Raphael to be her assistant.

Meanwhile, Professor Vilmutt von Volt, the man responsible for the thefts from Dynamatic Science Labs, is aware that someone is trying to home in on his Molecular Disintegrator beam and tracks the energy surge back to the Turtles' lair. He decides to send his two henchmen, Knuckles and Garth to take care of the interlopers. But along the way, they see Agatha and Raphael enter the Public Library (they went to the library to find info on who might have that sort of technology). Being the big fans that they are, they delay their mission in an effort to get Agatha's autograph only to discover that she is already onto their boss. While Agatha and Raphael head over to Channel 6 to see April so she can, Knuckles and Garth return back to Professor Von Volt's lab to warn him.

Using her keen detective skills, Agatha is able to lead the Turtles to Professor Von Volt's hide-out, only to find themselves battling a Destroyer Robot and an Octo-creature (an advanced robot with many robotic limbs). Agatha got the idea of using the robot just prior to Professor Von Volt activating the Doomsday Device (And getting rid of the key to turn it off). When it looks like it's curtains for everyone, Agatha pulls a nail file from her purse to manipulate the key lock and successfully deactivates the "death machine".

After the episode is over, the Turtles thank Agatha with her saying it was quite a stimulating experience. When they ask who the culprit was, Agatha is taken by the TV crew to finish an episode with the Turtles moaning that they have to wait for summer reruns to get to see who is right.

02CAST & APPEARANCES

03OBJECTS, VEHICLES & PLACES

04SCREEN GRABS

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

05MEMORABLE QUOTES

Agatha: Ah, I remember you. You're my niece April's friends, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Tortoises.

06NOTES & GOOFS

• When the Turtles meet with April and Dr. Webb, the outlines of their masks are visible.
• As Raphael and Agatha leave Channel 6, a street sign on the left can be seen mysteriously moving all by itself.
• When Agatha steps onto the skateboard, she is standing on one of Raphael's feet.
• As Leonardo, Donatello and Michelangelo distract the second robot, Donatello's mouth can be seen moving but no voice is coming out.

07TRIVIA

• Raphael mentions the _Star Trek_ franchise by saying that Donatello has been watching too many episodes.

08HOME MEDIA

09FAN REVIEW

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