TURTLES ON TRIAL

01PLOT

Leonardo, Donatello and Raphael are enjoying an episode of professional wrestling when Michelangelo enters the room and turns the channel to "ON TRIAL," hosted by Clayton Kellerman, a rabble rouser who suggests that a clear and present danger is lurking in the sewers: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The Turtles are aghast and can't understand why Kellerman would be turning people against them. April dismisses the idea that there's anything to worry about, and reveals that she had her wardrobe department make human masks so the Turtles can move more freely in the streets. Despite their initial horror, the Turtles accept the gifts.

Meanwhile, Shredder is sweating from the heat, as Krang chews him out for his failure to retrieve the necessary components to repair the refrigeration units. Shredder has had enough and suggests that Krang go up on the Earth's surface and get what he needs and eliminate the Turtles himself. Krang considers this a good idea.

Back on the surface, April and the Turtles are enjoying pizza when an alarm sounds at a jewelry store nearby. The Turtles tear off their masks, chase and apprehend the thieves but then they are chased into the sewers by an angry mob. The Turtles decide that this is Clayton Kellerman's fault, and Leonardo asks April to help them get on the "ON TRIAL" show so that they can present their side of the story.

April manages to get the Turtles airtime, mainly because Burne Thompson anticipates massive ratings. However, Kellerman makes it clear that he plans to treat them badly.

Back inside the Technodrome, Krang, Rocksteady and Bebop see a promo for "ON TRIAL" advertising the TMNT. Krang is ecstatic; now all he needs is the perfect weapon to kill them with. Shredder has second thoughts, and decides that he wishes to go too. Krang reluctantly agrees, but only on the condition that Shredder act as a decoy while he breaks into the military warehouse containing the Solar Benite.

Shredder's module arrives in the Natural Museum of History. On the way to the television studio, Splinter contacts the Turtles via his Turtlecom, and alerts them to a break-in at the Natural Museum of History. The Turtles postpone their "15 minutes of fame" and arrive at the museum only to encounter Shredder, Rocksteady and Bebop.

Meanwhile, Krang and two Rock Soldiers obtain the Solar Benite and the prototype for a weapons-laden robot, which he plans to use against the Turtles.

Back at the museum, a crowd has gathered. The sight of the Turtles incites the crowd to riot as Clayton Kellerman predicts huge ratings. Shredder captures April to keep the Turtles from attacking, and they reluctantly lay down their arms. Just then, Krang contacts Shredder and orders him to let them all go - he plans to destroy them on national TV with his new robot. Shredder is enraged, but Krang threatens him into agreeing.

With Shredder temporarily out of the picture, the Turtles realize that they still have time to appear on the "ON TRIAL" show. They get a bad case of stage fright as Clayton Kellerman makes "mincemeat" out of them, trash-talking them with a barrage of questions and jumping to conclusions, suggesting that they are cowards. Leonardo tries to explain about Krang and threats from Dimension X, but it all falls upon deaf ears of both host and audience members.

Krang appears outside the studio, challenging the Turtles to "come out and play" as he fires upon the building. Clayton Kellerman is undaunted by Krang, that is, until he is fired upon, and then rescued by Michelangelo. Krang is easily defeated when the Turtles disable the robot. Shredder helps Krang slither back into the Transport Module and they disappear back to the bowels of the Earth.

Clayton Kellerman thanks the Turtles, but, being the ungrateful jerk that he is, promises to continue "badmouthing" them in order to protect his reputation. The Turtles are depressed by this news, especially made worse since April lost her footage of their battle.

02CAST & APPEARANCES

03OBJECTS, VEHICLES & PLACES

04SCREEN GRABS

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

05MEMORABLE QUOTES

Michelangelo: "We fight for truth, justice and a bigger slice of the pizza pie!"

Raphael: Don't worry, April...."trouble" is our middle name!

Donatello: ...I didn't know we had middle names.

Donatello: It's all that Clayton Kellerman's fault. We should do something about him!

Leonardo: April! Can you get us airtime on "On Trial", to present our side?

April: Oh, I'm sure I could. Burne Thompson would okay _anything_ that would deliver big ratings.

06TRIVIA

• The premise of this episode (namely, somebody on TV saying the Turtles are evil and turning the public against them) is later used in the Red Sky seasons.
• In production order, this was the second episode of the third season.
• Curiously, Krang's "Atomic Destabiliser" looks like a modified fighter jet, while his "Freeze Ray" appears like a modified tank.
• This is the first appearance of Krang's Bubble Walker, which he would occasionally use for covert missions.
• It is revealed in this episode that Michelangelo has stage fright.
• Starting from this episode, Irma is shown to wear white bloomers under her skirt. You can tell when she falls over during Krang's attack.
• Bebop using a spinning mace as a weapon would be revisited in the video game _Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project_, albeit using it on his head.
• First appearance of the Turtles' human rubber face masks.
• The Channel 6 building now has a new permanent design which will last until its final appearance in "Get Shredder!".
• The part of the fight with Michelangelo wearing knight armour and twirling his nunchakus as well as the shot of him nervously fumbling with the weapons when April was filming him were removed from the UK broadcast of this episode.
• Clayton Kellerman resembles infamous talk show host Morton Downey, Jr., in terms of his personality. While the show _On Trial_ also features a similar format to Downey's self-titled late night talk show that was broadcasting at the time that this episode was produced. Both shows were considered "trashy" and known to have a rowdy audience that would easily get riled up.
• Bebop's favorite show is _The Slurps_ cartoon, which is a reference to the _Smurfs_ TV series.
• Rocksteady says, "It's taps for you, Turtles!", referencing the famous tune played on a horn at the funeral of a soldier.
• The robot stolen by Krang resembles ED-209 from the movie _RoboCop_.

07HOME MEDIA

08FAN REVIEW

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