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★ RISE SERIES · S01 · E38 · SEASON ONE

MANY UNHAPPY RETURNS

Episode 38 of 39 in the Rise of the TMNT series. First aired November 23, 2019.

Many Unhappy Returns title card
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01PLOT

With the third part starting, the Shredder had been brought back to life. Baron Draxum realizes that the Foot Clan used him and wondered why. Foot Lieutenant tells him that they need an alchemist to build him and give the Shredder life. And when Draxum wore the armor, his life essence was drained. The Turtles are no match for the Shredder as the demon disappeared. Leo started to think they have to go head, but Splinter can't take it easy that quickly. But Leo says that they have to go ahead, although that annoys Raph because Leo thinks he is always serious.

The Turtles find Shredder at Albearto's pizzeria and the museum but the demon kept running away. Splinter suggests that they talk to Big Mama. Raph, Donnie, Mikey, and April go after the Shredder while Leo forcibly teleports Splinter to the Grand Nexus Hotel.

At the hotel, Splinter tells Leo that Big Mama was his ex. Back then, during the production of the Lou Jitsu film _Crouching Shrimp Hidden Tiger Prawn,_ Splinter met Big Mama who worked as a truck driver tasked to drive his trailer and he started to fall in love with her. One night when Splinter asked Big Mama to marry him at Dinner on the Green, she kidnapped him to her Battle Nexus, forcing him to fight. They encountered Big Mama who takes them to a ring like bracelet. Leo tells her that Splinter will fight, much to Splinter's misery.

With Splinter inside the nexus was about to fight the monsters who was till annoyed to Leo, Big Mama says that she can alter things and took Leo's sword and dropped him in the Battle Nexus with Splinter. Leo took one of the mini teleporter coins and grabs his sword and helps his dad to fight the monsters.

They return to New York to meet the other Turtles who are worried but Leo says that they got this. Just in time, Shredder appears and Leo was about to put the collar on the Shredder, but Raph grabbed Leo's arm asking him that if he's sure he can put the collar on. Leo smiles and trusts him.

With their attacks down, Leo puts the collar on Shredder as the dark armor breaks. Big Mama vanquished the Shredder. And because of all this, the turtles and April fell asleep after all fighting for three days. Splinter has a task to take them home and let them sleep after everything had happen. Splinter tells her that they won't able to see each other.

After they left, Big Mama can still change now that she have the Shredder to do her evil deeds as the episode ends.

02CAST & APPEARANCES

Kat Graham
Lena Headey
Josh Brener
Ben Schwartz
Brandon Mychal Smith
Omar Benson Miller
Eric Bauza
ALSO APPEARING

03OBJECTS, VEHICLES & PLACES

OBJECTS & VEHICLESCrane _(debut)_Kuroi YōroiKusari-fundōLou Jitsu's trailer _(debut)_ _(flashback only)_Mystic Collar _(debut)_Mystic ŌdachiTech-BōTonfā
LOCATIONSNew York CityBaseball stadiumAlbearto'sMuseum of Art and FramingGrand Nexus HotelDinner on the Green _(debut)_ _(flashback only)_Hidden CityShredder's shrine _(flashback only)_Battle Nexus
SPECIESDemonHumanAltered humanMutant ratMutant turtleRobotAnimatronic bearAnimatronic cherry tomatoAnimatronic pepperoni sausageYōkai

05NOTES & GOOFS

  • When Big Mama dips Lou Jitsu while dancing in Splinter's flashback, her hair is nearly floor length, but in the previous nightclub shot and in the following shot at Dinner on the Green, her hair is only mid-back length.
  • Lou Jitsu is missing his sunglasses in Splinter's flashback when Big Mama shapeshifts after his proposal.
  • When Raph grabs Leo, Leo's glasses are also missing
  • During Big Mama's line, "All those scrumptious victories," her teal arms have three claws instead of two claws.

06TRIVIA

  • This episode was first revealed 10 months prior to its air date in January 2019 on Lena Headey's Instagram.[[1]](#cite_note-1)
  • The episode takes place directly after the events of "End Game".
  • Donnie breaks the fourth wall when he says "It’s one season later and I still have full battery."
  • Mikey also breaks the fourth wall by poking Donnie and Raph when they were in different cutaways.
  • Starting with this episode, Roger Craig Smith provides the voice of Draxum, rather than John Cena.
  • Splinter is revealed to have dated Big Mama when he was human, and even proposed to her, though they did not get engaged.
  • Their romantic connection is hinted at in the final shot of "The Ancient Art of Ninja Hide and Seek", when Splinter sneaks into the Grand Nexus Hotel to retrieve a photograph of himself (as Lou Jitsu) and Big Mama (in her human disguise).
  • In the scene in Splinter's Battle Nexus dressing room, Leo is drinking tea politely with his pinky finger sticking out; no previous tea-drinking scene in _Rise of the TMNT_ had shown this particular custom. It is reminiscent of how the 2012 TV series version of Leonardo was taught this by the little girl he had befriended in the episode "Slash and Destroy", and later in "Buried Secrets" when the Turtles were all drinking tea together, Leo was still holding his pinky out even as none of his brothers were doing the same.
  • It was revealed in November 2019 by _Rise of the TMNT_ executive producer Ant Ward in a Tweet that because Leo's shell covers his own, Leo had foam buttocks sewn into his Lou Jitsu jumpsuit by his Battle Nexus tailor to replicate Lou Jitsu's look.[[2]](#cite_note-2)[[3]](#cite_note-3)
  • The storyboards for the cut scenes of this episode were created by _Rise of the TMNT_ story artists Jake Castorena[[4]](#cite_note-4), Alicia Chan[[5]](#cite_note-:0-5)[[6]](#cite_note-6)[[7]](#cite_note-7), and Ashe Jacobson respectively.[[8]](#cite_note-8)
  • Hamato Sho's name was to be revealed by Splinter in this episode in an alternate version of his dialogue, his original line being, "And maybe paid attention to Grandpa Sho's stories about how to defeat the Shredder."[[5]](#cite_note-:0-5) However, his name would instead be revealed later on in "E-Turtle Sunshine of the Spotless Mind".
  • In this episode, Donnie said the phrase SAD FACE EMOJI. This is the catchphrase of Piper Willowbrook from _Mysticons_.
  • The Kelb tal-Fenek Yōkai gladiator that loses to Kraken Tom debuted earlier in "Bug Busters".
  • !"Bug Busters" appearance.")
  • "Bug Busters" appearance.
  • The _Crouching Shrimp Hidden Tiger Prawn_ clapperboard is dated with the year 1984, a reference to the year the Mirage _TMNT_ comics were first published.

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Episode data adapted from Turtlepedia / Wikipedia under CC BY-SA. Spot an error? Fix it in the forum.

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