Donnie is more outgoing than we give him credit.

I'm so soft for any and all shy, socially awkward Donatello headcanons.

But to me, Bayverse Donnie doesn't seem like the type to be shy? Awkward, yes, but he's like, second to Mikey when being outgoing.

Like how he talked when he hacked April's computer. Or when both Mikey and Donnie were excited to talk about the Lair while April was blindfolded.

Donnie is the one who has April's phone # and is the one she goes to if she needs stuff.

Donnie annoys Raph for fun, leads chants, throws baseballs around, does whatever the fuck that head whip was when Mikey introduced him, lmfao.

And he's just as athletic! He plays sports, and he kicks ass all the time in the movies. But he's definitely written as a complete dork about it, lol

Idk like a lot of stuff.

He's definitely awkward, but he's so fucking sweet and expressive and April and Donnie definitely had crime buddy energy going on in the second movie.

under the mistletoe🎄

❤️bayverse! x GN reader💚

still on my writing hiatus, but i thought i would pop in for a quick, short christmas post with my favorite boys

tw: v mild cursing, none— all fluffy! ☁️

merry christmas, and happy holidays! <3

🎄💙Leonardo💙🎄

Oh, how Leonardo loved watching the excitement in your body language and emotions after he had agreed to helping you set up your christmas decorations around your home.

He didn’t mind doing anything for you, you were his partner after all and you definitely put up with a lot from him and his brothers— this was the utter least he could do for you.

So, while sipping on homemade hot chocolate, you and Leo spent the cold day together setting up your christmas tree, stringing the lights around it, and hanging ornaments off of the dark green branches.

You didn’t have many ornaments, as you had rather collect the cooler, more personal ornaments such as a hallmark oogey boogey from ‘the nightmare before christmas’ or a book to describe your various hobbies, over the glass or plastic bulbs that were really only used for the aesthetic…

unless the glass/plastic bulbs are your thing, then go off babe~

Both you and Leonardo enjoyed the quiet time off the moment, listening to the low sounds of christmas music or whatever you would rather play in the background on your TV.

“Thank you for helping me, Leo,” You speak as the two of you hang some garland over the top of your fireplace, followed by two stockings— one for you and one for Leonardo.

“Of course, love,” He responded, a warm and endearing smile on his features as you two finish and meet in the middle of your living room.

You wrapped your arms around his torso, around his shell as best you could as he returned the gesture.

“There is something that’s missing,” Leonardo muttered, causing you to look up at him.

“What?”

In an instant, you spot the mistletoe bundle above both of your heads, trying to figure out how Leonardo pinned it up there without you realizing.

Of course, the answer was that he was a ninja.

Without giving enough time to react, Leonardo tightened his hugging grip with one arm as the other slide to your neck, his hand coddling the back of your head as he pulled you into a longing kiss.

“A mistletoe kiss,” he states as the two of you pull away. “Merry Christmas, my dearest.”

“I don’t think I can love you anymore than I do.”

🎄💜Donatello💜🎄

The turtle genius had been hearing nonstop about Christmas lights from you, April, and Casey— about wanting to visit the biggest Christmas light display and drive-thru around their area.

Annnnd since April is a reporter, she and Casey had the benefit of going in before they opened to the public one night while April ran a story on the on the festive and flashy display.

Leaving you all alone.

Now— Donatello had never been one to celebrate Christmas, the whole ordeal stemmed from something that went against the science that he could prove, yet, after the two of you started dating, he most definitely put in a lot more effort for minor things like holidays and such just to make you happy.

So, since the turtle couldn’t bring you to the lights himself, why not bring the lights to you?

Thus, he banned you from the lair for roughly a week as he put his plan into action. He spent a lot of money for April to buy lights, while he would tinker and toy with the rest, ultimately creating an entire display of assorted lights that he and another could walk through.

And when it was time, he brought you back to the lair with a blindfold over your eyes.

“This is kinky,” you tease.

“Stop it.” Donatello replied, guiding you to the entrance of the lair before removing the blindfold.

You paused in awe, seeing the array of lights that was carefully manipulated into different christmas objected and scenes.

Candy canes, Santa, his reindeer, gingerbread houses, etc…

“Oh my… did you do all of this for me?” You asked softly, gazing up at Donatello, who watched you with a faint smile.

“Of course I did, you deserve it.”

You couldn’t help but hug him for a moment before the two of you walked through his creation.

Eventually, he led you through a multicolored tunnel that ended with an tinsel arch, white lights strung through it to resemble snowflakes. In the very middle, hanging off of the arch was a mistletoe.

Of course Donatello ended the walk with you both underneath it, and in the moment, he swept you off of your feet and bent forward over you, pressing his lips to yours.

“Merry Christmas, my love.”

🎄❤️Raphael❤️🎄

“Sorry we had to wait for everyone to clear outta here,” Raphael murmured, slipping around on the ice of the ice hockey rink that doubled as a ice skating rink in the winter time.

You had been talking about wanting to go ice skating, whether you were good at it or not, yet you had struggled to find the time to go by yourself… or at all— period.

So, since Raphael “knows a guy who knows a guy”… Casey Jones… he decided to ask for a favor from the male in exchange for some free pizza.

“Raph, this is so much better than being around others! We’re all alone, I’m with my favorite person, this seriously couldn’t get any better!” You exclaimed as you slid along the ice in your skates, remaining close to Raphael.

Raphael smirked as you proclaimed your total excitement for the night activity, making him feel better about, well, the situation at hand. He always felt bad when he couldn’t take you out in public with others around, yet you always found a way to reassure him that it was always okay with you.

So, he continued to try and pick up the simplest of moves— skating forward, in the ice skates that Donatello had made specifically for him.

“Dang, I feel real bad about calling myself a ninja and not being able to do this,” he grumbled, though you didn’t mind reaching out and guiding him along.

“It takes time to learn, just like how you had to practice ninjitsu to be good at it. Right?” You asked with a smile.

“Yeah… and I’m damn good at it,” he grins.

“You sure are, love.”

Slowly, but surely, Raphael continued to pick up on the way of ice skating, being able to move forward and slightly be able to spin around in a circle.

Finally, as you two were doing one more lap around the rink, Raphael looked over at you.

“You know how ya’ said this night couldn’t get better?”

You paused, watching him as he maneuvered back in front of you.

“Yeaaah?”

He pulled out a small mistletoe bushel from his pocket, holding it over both of your heads while moving close. He leaned down in your direction and smiled.

“Merry Christmas, hot stuff,” he grinned before pressing his lips against yours, both lingering for an extra moment before pulling away.

“Couldn’t get better than that.” You grinned, pulling him back into a greedy kiss, causing the two of you to fall onto the ice and proceed to laugh it off.

🎄🧡Michelangelo🧡🎄

The turtles had been planning this holiday party for weeks, now that they had a collective group of people that they now considered apart of the family and wanted to spend part of their holiday season with.

Making the most out of it, you had decided to spend the late morning and midday to help your turtle partner in cooking delicious sweets while the others set up for the party.

Plenty of giggles and goofing around erupted between you and Michelangelo as you two measured ingredients, throwing some of the flour at your partner with the turtle retaliating against you by smacking a palm-full of whipped cream into your face.

You also couldn’t resist taking your finger and dragging it across the surface of the cake bowl, licking the ingredients off while earning a whine from Mikey.

“Oh, no fair! I was gonna do that!”

“Guess you were a little too slow then, huh?”

He simply rolled his eyes with a cheeky grin, catching you off guard with a quick cheeky kiss and quickly copying your actions with the remainder of the leftover batter. He pulled his finger out, creating a loud ‘pop’ sound with his mouth as you narrow your eyes.

“Oop! Guess you were a little too slow, sweet cheeks.”

“You are a total asshole for that,” you pouted, sticking the empty bowl into the sink to wash, along with the rest of the dirty dishes.

As you two cleaned up the disaster in the kitchen and laid the finished desserts of cookies, brownies, fudge, and whatever else came to mind, out onto the bar— you started to plate the desserts onto Christmas themed plates rather than leaving them on the pans.

The boys had finished setting up for the party, leaving the rest of the job for you and Mikey to bring the plates of sweets out and settling them up on a table in the main area where the party would be, alongside the drinks and small finger foods that Casey and April had brought.

One by one, you brought the dessert to the entrance separating the kitchen and the living space, where Michelangelo would meet you and take the plate, moving to the table and setting it down— until it came down to the last dessert.

As you walked to the entrance, Mikey swiftly took the plate from your hands and moved it to one hand, snaking the other around your waist and pulling you close to him.

Without so much as a warning, the orange clad turtle pressed his lips against yours in a short yet passionate kiss before pulling away, leaving you momentarily dazed. From there, he grinned and winked at you.

“Merry Christmas, sexy.” He states before walking back to the food table, leaving you there to stare up at the mistletoe berry and leaf that hung in the doorway above your head.

“That was pretty smooth…” You mutter with a blushing smile.

Ok idea

The technodrome evil (cause y’all keep making kids-) but instead of like basic evil it like compliments Donnie and treats him well but slowly separates him from his brothers by saying that they don’t care for his tech and by proxy him and he starts gaining an ego with the technodrome lending him some of its knowledge and “strength” while its really slowly gaining control of his body and thoughts planning to fear krang prime but it will start with the sister cause it’s easier to get her and yada yada BUT you don’t figure this out until like chapter 10 so the entire time your like “wow I mean that’s kinda weird how he’s being a little stuck up towards his brothers but eh that’s Donnie” than there’s this really short chapter of the technodromes thoughts and it’s all the thoughts it had during big scenes in the last few chapters and it’s true motivations after that it convinces Donnie that he doesn’t belong in the sewers and she deserves a more luxurious life fitting his talent and because of the knowledge and “strength” he’s been given he easily leaves and starts planning shit like freeing the sister krang going back for the krang key and than freeing krang prime but now we go into raph Leo and Mikey povs and their reactions to the big scenes like the technodrome but without the context so like dramatic irony and them slowly getting more worried until Donnie up and runs away but as he runs away he hasn’t been out his lab in a while so they check the cameras (they weren’t turned off because the technodrome *wanted* them to see him run away) and they see Donnie but everything’s *wrong* he looks exhausted and due to the technodrome lending “strength” he actually looks like shit his tail is blue at the end his eyes are yellow as fuck he’s not wearing a battle shell so they can see his shell is now tinted pink with all injuries sustained from the movie filled with a weird goopy substance and they start searching around his lab only to find fucked up shut like plans to create krang ships some self experiment sheets and records of the experiments and basically they have to find him before he frees the krang but in reality he has to come back for the key so it’s him half controlled by the technodrome nearing the end of his sanity with a strong hatred for Leo and some body modifications cause duh the krang sister and some krang zombies and he breaks in while they’re planning to look for him so when they see him they try and fail to keep him from the key but when he gets the key after beating the ever loving shit out of them he just turns to all of them and looks with such fucking disgust they never thought they could see on his face and everyone’s guilty for different reasons cause they’re stupid like raphs guilty for not knowing sooner cause he was also under krang control and out of all of them should know what it looks like Leo is guilty cause he made the plan of Donnie flying the space ship Mikey’s guilty for allowing him to go in splinter is guilty because he couldn’t spot his son acting different Aprils guilty that she couldn’t be here to help before hand and spot it and Casey’s guilty for not telling them the side effects of piloting the technodrome and Donnie thinks he feels amazing and feels a bit of guilt but then is like scolded for feeling it or something and that’s about all I go so far I’ve been rotating this in my head for like a month so yeah

Can you please post the scene from Aftershocks where Casey and Mikey go grocery shopping like you did the drawing scene? It's one of my favorites

Yeah, I got you bud.

[Context: Post-invasion, the fam is low on food and Mikey and Casey head up to the surface to get some. The only open place is a crowded Trader Joes; Casey, who has suffered some emotional missteps when it comes to talking to the boys, wants to have a heart-to-heart with Mikey, but Mikey is focused on getting in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible.]

Read Aftershocks on ao3.

Also the aforementioned drawing scene.

--

Over an hour later, Mikey stood in the line for checkout with his hands wrapped around the push bar of the cart. The sleeves of his hoodie were long enough to cover his fingers, and he kept his head down to avoid any wandering eyes. Casey stood a little in front of him, fingers wrapped around the side of the cart like a child, staring ahead with steadfast determination. Around them, people peered at Casey, recognizing him from the photos that were cycling around social media, and then at Mikey, trying to discern if the small orange blob was anyone of note. Mikey stayed the course, head bowed, and ignored the whispers that flared up anytime someone got a good look at him.

Usually, large, crowded places like this were friendly territory. It was a lot easier to blend into a crowd, especially in the middle of New York City, where a group of teen boys in strange turtle outfits weren’t worth commenting on or were overlooked entirely as everyone on the street went selectively face-blind, but, today, everyone was on high alert, looking for aliens or turtle-boys. It was a testament to Casey’s hard expression and Mikey’s long stare at his feet that no one had approached yet.

The grocery run had been a large success otherwise. Despite the overcrowded state of the place, the necessities that Mikey was after were all available. Normally, he went to the farmer’s market in Union Square every Friday for perishables and ordered delivery for the rest (or bribed April into picking it up), so he found himself as lost as Casey as he stared at the stacks of bright yellow and blue Styrofoam egg cartons and the sweaty milk jugs, slid forward on their tilted tracks. Casey, for his part, was handling all the newness around him like a champ, and he listened intently as Mikey explained things to him: how to locate expiration dates, the difference between sell by and use by, how to check eggs for cracks, the different uses for canola and olive oils, how to identify if cheese was real or not, how to select the best bunch of grapes. By the end, Mikey was confident enough in his newfound knowledge to let him order cold cuts and cheese from the deli counter—turkey, ham, prosciutto, pastrami, salami, provolone, pepper jack, a half-pound of American cheese because that was what Leo preferred—and watched him accept the small, wrapped bundles with his five-fingered hands.

In the end, their cart was stacked to bursting, and Mikey was satisfied that they would survive for a week or two without issue. He’d mentally prepared himself to make small, versatile meals—omelets, paninis, quesadillas, soups, tacos, fried rice, pasta—and their haul was a perfect picture of this plan. Seven dozen eggs, four boxes of pancake mix, three gallons of milk, eight pounds of cold cuts, five boxes of Raph’s favorite cereal (or the closest Trader Joes approximation), four loaves of bread, three baguettes (to be frozen), a large jar of peanut butter, three packages of chicken breasts, two things of chicken thighs, eight pounds of hamburger meat, five pounds of pasta, six big cans of tomato sauce, three bags of spinach, seven heads of romaine, three large containers of pre-cut pineapple (for their anti-inflammatory properties), and two bags of grapes (because Donnie liked to snack on them frozen while he worked in the lab). Plus the snacks that his brothers had been requesting over text throughout the trip, causing multiple backtracks through the store—Leo really wanted sour gummy worms—and other fruits and vegetables that he had vague plans for.

Casey mouthed the names of the foods to himself as Mikey handed them to him to place in the cart, glancing over the text on the packaging with wide eyes. He stacked everything prudently, taking extra care to keep the cold stuff together after Mikey asked him to, with militant exactness. It all fit, despite the overabundance of food, and Mikey felt something small and sad twang in his chest at the sight of Casey shifting everything around. He was so careful, as if every item had infinite value, and he kept everything in order. It made Mikey wonder about the future he’d come from, where everything was so chaotic that Casey had probably had to find order wherever he could, had to value objects in ways Mikey couldn’t fathom, even living as he did below the city, where supplies could be sparse and precious.

Eventually, after walking every aisle, Mikey declared that they’d gotten everything worth getting, and paced to the front, where the check-out line snaked long. He paused, trepidatious, and steeled himself. They would have to stand there, stuck in one place, vulnerable, with their full cart and familiar faces, and there was nothing he could do about it.

And that was how the world found Casey Jones (Junior? The second? Still a little foggy on that one.) and Michelangelo Hamato waiting to check out in a Trader Joes. The line moved quickly, despite its length, which meant they went shuffling forward every couple seconds, and Casey kept glancing at Mikey, wired tight like a charged lightning rod. He had a look on his face that said that he was thinking about something dangerous, something he wanted to talk about, and Mikey felt his hands tighten around the push bar.

“Mikey,” Casey began, mouth forming strange around the word, as if it was unfamiliar to him. “I’m sor—”

“Casey, I need you to do something for me,” Mikey cut in. This wasn’t the time to be having a heart to heart. “When we get up there, you need to step forward and start loading everything onto the conveyor belt. Take this.” Mikey pulled the credit card out of the pocket of his jeans and forced it into Casey’s hand. “When everything is scanned and they tell you to the total, stick the card into the little slot on the bottom of the machine. See that little silver square on the front?” He waited for Casey to identify the chip on the card and nod. “That side goes in first. Got it?”

“I— I guess? I’ve never—”

“I know.” Mikey gave him a small, patient smile. “But you’re human, so I need you to do all the human stuff. I’ll be right behind you, okay?”

Casey swallowed once, heavy, and it was the first time Mikey had seen him this nervous. Even when facing down the end of the world, he’d been terrified, angry, determined, but never nervous—not like this. “Okay.”

“Good.” Mikey winked at him. “Today, you’re the face-man. Wait until we tell Leo.”

Casey stiffened a little at the wink, but Mikey didn’t get a chance to ask because a checker opened up and motioned them over. Casey shook himself, squared his shoulders, and marched forward.

Mikey helped Casey line everything up and watched the screen as the middle-aged man ran their purchases over the scanner. Casey fidgeted next to him, and Mikey directed him to load the bagged groceries back into the cart, which he jumped on. He followed directions promptly—another oddity that Mikey filed away to deal with later.

Eventually, the man mumbled the total toward them, barely glancing up from the screen, and Casey fumbled the card. The reader beeped angrily at him, giving a chip read error, and the checker took the card from him with a sigh, turning the reader toward himself.

He paused as he read the name on the card and glanced up at Casey, trying to draw a line between the Japanese name and the young man standing in front of him, and Mikey felt his heart sink when he asked, “Whose card is this?”

Mikey stepped in front of Casey. He wanted to avoid a scene, but Casey was already sputtering, trying to put together a sentence involving the words Splinter, Master, aliens. “My dad’s,” Mikey muttered, peering up from under his hood.

The man started, almost dropped the card, as he took in the greenness of Mikey’s face, the curve of his jaw, the shape of his eyes. Mikey saw the exact moment when he connected the green mutant in an orange hoodie standing in front of him with the green mutant in an orange mask flying through the air above Metro Tower from the photos.

He nodded once and carefully slid the card through the machine. It beeped angrily at him again and he turned to the main computer and pressed a few buttons.

“Have a nice day,” he said, with genuine care, as he handed Mikey the receipt.

“Thanks,” Mikey said, and guided Casey away. When he glanced down at the short piece of paper in his hands, he was shocked to see that the man had only charged one dollar to the card. “Whoa…”

Casey didn’t hear. Instead, he pushed the cart toward the doors, and Mikey had to rush to catch up. “How are we getting all this back?” Casey looked at him. “Can we take this cart?”

Mikey shook his head and directed Casey to the side. Together, they gathered the bags, slinging them on their arms up to their elbows, and they staggered out the doors. “Normally, we’d have to carry it,” Mikey said, listing to the right because he had two gallons of milk on that side, “but Donnie gave me something to help.”

They found a secluded alley, and Mikey let the bags hit the ground so he could fish around in the front pocket of his hoodie. The compact, cell phone-sized gadget that Donnie had slid into his hands while they waited for Casey to change into something a little less conspicuous was still there, and Mikey pressed firmly on the small, turtle shell-shaped symbol that was embossed on the front.

It had been a short, technobabble infused conversation, but Donnie had explained that he had a new prototype of the escape pods ready for testing and requested that Mikey take it with him and give it a whirl. He’d even said please. It was a new version that could be activated and then would wait for input from the user before it took off to the lair, a small modification that would ensure that Leo’s situation never happened again.

The one that he’d passed Mikey was red, and, when it formed, there in front of Mikey and Casey, it was Raph-sized. Big enough for the two of them, but Mikey wasn’t very keen on getting back into one of these just yet, so instead he began stowing the groceries inside. Donnie had promised him that the ride would be smooth and even eggs would survive the trip, but Mikey wasn’t taking any chances. He kept the bags of eggs, all seven dozen of them, and let Casey help him organize the rest in the foot of the pod. When it was loaded, he reached inside, located the red button that Donnie had promised would be there, clicked it, and jerked free as the pod snapped shut with a solid hiss. Then, it was gone.

They watched it speed away, shading their eyes against the sun, before Mikey sighed, grabbed the eggs, and pointed himself back toward the subway. Next to him, Casey watched with a faraway look on his face, and Mikey forged ahead of him, trying to avoid the conversation that was brewing between them for as long as possible.

Okokok here this: april, reader and casey try to prank the boys. How does it go. With who does it fails/success, what was the prank, do they get caught? Do the boys get revenge, and if so, how?

Also, splinter sees it all unfolds, does he just gets himself a snack and watch, or does he tries to subtly join in without getting caught? (We all know hes got a playful side cmon)

Bonus: they try to prank vern too, maybe the boys join in to prank him? What do they do? Does he retaliate?

Okay so I admit I let my brain go nuts on this one, so it's a little long but I was cackling the entire time I was writing it.

TMNT Headcanons

Prank Wars

Leonardo

In your complete and utter defence, Leo had 100% started this

And also in your defence, you did tell him not to

Twice

But he tricked you into watching a horror movie and ended up dying your hair green

This meant war

You'd even wrapped up April and Casey into it

Their problems were your problems

Which meant that April was the one who convinced Splinter not to say anything to his sons

He was perfectly happy to oblige

Casey was just there to help set things up

And you liked the way his mind worked

The objective wasn't to go unnoticed, there would be no point in doing it and having no proof

You were doing this to prove that you could

Leo had emphasized that he couldn't be distracted

That you were to obvious and clumsy to prank him without him noticing

Challenge fucking accepted

And that's how you ended up at the kitchen table eating lunch with April and Casey when the boys were coming back from meditating with Splinter

April kept having to shove food in her mouth to hide her laughter

Casey just decided to wear sunglasses

And you kept overpowering the urge to smirk

"Hey guys, good to see you. Y/n have you seen my katanas?"

With the obstruction of water in your mouth you just nodded at him, pointing to the other room

He sauntered off, none the wiser to your victorious grin

When he came back in only a moment later his expression had done a complete 180

Leo made direct eye contact with you and you held that stare like a wolf cornered in its den

"does someone want to explain why my katanas are encased in blueberry jello?"

You raised your hand like a child in class

"hate to break it to you, but it's actually berry blue you uncultured bitch"

Raphael

Ohhhh you were so undeniably dead

A whole other level of six feet under

It wasn't a surprise that April and Casey had backed out on this one

It also wasn't a surprise that Splinter had offered to stand up for you if things went sideways

Donnie even gave you a sheet of paper with a list of hiding spots before hand

All of this went completely unnoticed by Raph, the target of your latest scheme.

And that was fine, you had only one objective here-

Make it out alive

But it was amazing what 1 person could do with some extra cash and internet access

So that's what led you to your current position.

Cross legged on the bench, watching the large red terrapin get ready for his first set, that in itself wasn't unusual, you always watched him lift just in case you needed to run and grab someone if something went wrong

Raph was none the wiser to your plan

At least that's what you thought

Your book was in your lap and you were calmly scanning your pages, somewhat comprehending the words but keeping a very close eye on the turtle across from you

"Hey y/n?"

You peeked over the edge of your book to meet his eyes

And your heart sank to your stomach

"Yeah Raph?"

He smirked at you, taking a lumbering step forward

"You ever seen that episode of the Office where Jim fills Dwight's phone with nickels so when he takes 'em out Dwight punches himself in the face?"

Shit shit shit shit shit shit-

"Uh... No, can't say that I have, why do you ask?"

That damn smile got even wider and all of your muscles tensed, you were ready to bolt

"I'm giving you a fifteen second headstart. Starting right now."

You flew to your feet and sprinted out of the weight room

"DONNIE WE GOTTA CODE RED!"

Your lungs were ready to burst by the time you made it to your decided hiding spot. Heavy footsteps went right underneath you and you held your breath, you wouldn't dare move.

You didn't come down until hours later when Splinter came and coaxed to you out of hiding

But deep down you knew you'd started something you couldn't finish.

Vern Fenwick

You didn't even have to convince the guys to partake in this

You didn't even get the chance to tell them what you were planning

They were already brainstorming

None of you let a word of it slip to April, she would've shut you down faster than you could blink

A complete buzz kill

But fake blood was relatively cheap and all of Vern's flooring was tile (meaning extremely easy to clean and bleach)

Donnie had really been the mastermind behind the execution, none of you had any idea how he'd rigged the apartment plumbing

But he'd assured you it would only affect Vern's suite and no one else's so you didn't concern yourself with it further

And after the fact you had to wonder what exactly the former cameraman was planning on the date he'd been in the middle of

All you knew was that you got a very frantic call from the falcon himself yelling about blood coming out of his tap and the sink wouldn't shut off and it was everywhere and what the fuck was happening?

You all knew that Splinter thought it was hilarious, he'd never been particularly fond of Vern

But he did make his sons assist in the clean up and bleaching of the victims apartment floor

You went too and offered moral support

Vern had hit on you one too many times, so there was no way you'd feel bad about this

Michaelangelo

As far as pranking went, you and Mikey were partners in crime

He always had great ideas and you always came up with the best ways to execute those ideas without getting caught

But when you separated those two chaos was guaranteed

You weren't entirely sure how you had been pitted against each other but you weren't entirely mad about it

You couldn't say the same for anyone else though, the others had been on edge all week.

Pranking Mikey was a challenge, he knew how you worked and vice versa

You'd been brainstorming with April for weeks now, maybe a new perspective would help

That's what the two of you told yourselves anyways

Much to your dismay, Mikey and Casey had been plotting against you as well, the traitor.

And perhaps even more unfortunate was the fact that both of your pranks somehow overlapped and backfired on the rest of the family

Because Mikey and Casey may have replaced the family tea set with a edible sugar replica that looked identical to the original

So that when you were asked to make tea for Splinter and Leo it would dissolve the second you poured the hot tea

But they didn't tell anyone else so Leo was left with an impromptu anxiety attack when he made his own tea before sitting down to meditate and it melted into sugary leaf water

And you and April had planned the 'cutting off your finger in the kitchen' with the knife, fake finger, and fake blood

Which in theory should've worked because Mikey was in the kitchen the most, that was his territory

However once you'd started your plan you couldn't stop it

so when you 'cut your finger off' and screamed for Mikey you didn't have time to yell "wait it's a prank!" before Donnie caught a glimpse of the scene and fainted

In your defence you didn't know the purple turtle could move that fast

And to Mikey's relief he was going to throw that cutting board out anyways

Splinter explicitly banned the two of you from pranking each other after that incident

Donatello

Per your own common sense you had come to the conclusion that pranking the families resident genius was a horribly stupid idea

So for once, you'd practiced some self control and refrained from any pranks involving Donnie

Now that's not to say that the turtle vowed from aiming any pranks towards you

He had morals but messing with you walked the line separating adorable from batshit crazy

And he was all for it

April advised against it severely and even Splinter seemed to think it wasn't the best idea, but that was a lesson his son had to learn on his own

On the flip side, the second Casey heard about Donnie's plan he was all for it

So when you came over for dinner they both had to hide their excited smiles as Casey passed you your spaghetti

He knew it was your favorite

Everyone else was oblivious, which looking back on it was a very bad thing

April had her suspicions that Donnie was pulling something this evening, but she couldn't put her finger on it

That wasn't until you swirled a mouthful of noodles around your fork and shoved it into your mouth, you were starving

Here lies your predicament-

You swallowed thickly and blinked like you were in pain, your hand went to your throat and you reached for your water, ending up chugging almost the entire bottle.

Your eyes met Donnie's in a serious type of concern

"Is there hot sauce in this?"

April choked on her breadstick and quickly covered her mouth

Casey hadn't picked up on it yet

"Awh yeah- how'd you figure it out so quickly?"

You erupted in a coughing fit that sent April rushing to your side before you could tumble to the floor

"You fucking assholes! Y/N has a capsaicin allergy! Casey go start the car we need to get them to the hospital!"

On the bright side you were fine after you were rushed to the ER

But you didn't speak to Donnie or Casey for two weeks following the accident

You eventually forgave them for it and they haven't targeted you since

Sorry if it got a little dark at the end, but I felt like it was more realistic. Also that has actually happened to me but it was a nut allergy (and that's how I found out I was allergic to cashews) But I feel like the ending was a good example of how pranking someone can go horribly wrong, you should always consider the possibilities before doing something that could cause harm to a person. (Unless they really really deserve it)

I really enjoyed writing this one and I hope you guys like it as much as I do! 😁🧡👍

-Mars 🌠

Donatello’s (and my own) reasoning for each pair:

April and Casey (and karai) - Placed together simply for being human. Them being together would make it easier to keep track of the most vulnerable while putting them closest to an exit for them to flee if things turn nasty. So theyd basically be the get-away crew

Splinter and Draxum - one reason is so we could potentially still do the Yoshi/Draxum plot, except with Draxum and Splinter instead. Plus, those two together would be a good defensive unit, with Splinter guiding and Draxum using his vines to aid the brothers and thwart attacks.

Donatello and Leo - Donatello placed himself with leo as a type of ‘grounding’ if that makes sense, for both of them. Donatello knows when to retreat, being naturally inclined to take less risks, while Leo is more likely to try to stay and fight longer even if he knows they should retreat. So they’d Kinda balance each other out, and also if Leo need to think of an escape, Donatello is there to supply him with all the information needed to figure out the plan.

Leonardo and Raph - Similar to Leo and Donatello, this is formed on balance. Raph is more fight, Leonardo is more flight, and Raph is so much bigger and more noticeable than leonardo that Raph could potentially be a distraction while Leonardo speeds in and does quick attacks. Plus, similarly to before, Leonardo would know when to call it quits and be able to pull Raph out of the fight.

Raphael and Mikey - Another balance! Raphael is strong and is able to protect Mikey if he has a flare up during the fight, and Mikey is there to sooth and guide Raphael so he doesn’t flip and freak out. Raphael is the only Hamato that would be strong enough to physically pick Mikey up and carry him out of harms way if he collapses, and if Raphael starts to have flashbacks during the fight then Mikey can ground and sooth.

Donnie with Shelldon - Honestly, this was mostly because Donatello couldn’t trust anyone else with the safety of his beloved Shell-son. He knows Donnie will know the limits and integrity of Shelldon and will be able to recognize if he is getting too damaged in the fight. This also opens up the possibility of intense guilt for Donnie after he feels he broke Donatello’s trust by failing to protect Shelldon

I love the entire thing, I think it's all perfect, I'll absolutely weave that into my dialogue, especially because Bay Leo will find himself relying more on Rise Don than expected.

Also, the last one made me cry out loud. Bay Donnie won't be the same, oh gods. The potential level of angst and the depths we could take this make me really hope they wind up rebuilding and recreating ShellDon together. Co-parents!

(Also, I remember the nanobots you had in Rise Donna's lab. That's a Chekov's Gun. Did we put that scene in the AO3 fic yet?)

Manner minded or double trouble? Both SO matty? Maybe Christie looking after him?

double trouble: [character] is sick and injured.

I will be writing the manner minded one separately :) I hope you enjoy this (somewhat more detailed than I'd originally planned) ficlet.

Send prompts to my inbox.

+ + +

If you were to ask Matt Casey if he thought he was lucky, for the most part he would answer with 'no'. Yes, he's lucky enough to have Sylvie Brett as a girlfriend, lucky to have gone to the fire academy, lucky to have been promoted to a lieutenant and then captain. But he also had an emotionally abusive father as a teenager, a murderer for a mother, his girlfriend of eight years was killed, his wife left him. For every good thing, it feels like there are three bad things in his life.

So he can't even really say it's a surprise when, while on scene helping squad rescue two victims in a car that's balancing precariously close to the frozen Chicago River, Matt loses his balance, slips from the hood of the car, and falls almost twelve feet onto the ice that then suddenly cracks underneath him, submerging him in below forty degree water. Nothing in his life is ever easy. Intense pain radiates from his chest, his body feels like it's on fire, and then nothing.

From there, the scene is absolute chaos. Sylvie and Violet are both off shift, spending the entire week in Joliet helping teach at a conference. The two paramedics that are on scene are instantly calling for backup, while both Severide and Tony frantically suit up in scuba gear for precaution. Boden's yelling orders, but the three other members of truck are all frozen, staring at the large hole in the ice, from which their Captain is currently very much not getting out of.

+ + +

"Christie, you really don't have to do this, Severi-"

"I know what Severide said, but I'd feel more comfortable if you stayed with me." Christie Casey frowns, looking at her younger brother. He's at least four shades paler than he should be, cheeks flushed and eyes dull. Stubble consumes the lower half of his face, and the firefighter looks exhausted. She can't say that she blames him, not with the hell that he's gone through the past thirty six hours.

She'd gotten the call from Stella Kidd yesterday, a kind but shaky voice telling her that Casey, Matt, had fallen into an icy river, and was at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center being treated for two broken ribs and mild hypothermia. Arriving half an hour later, she'd been taken into Matt's room, where they had him on enough pain medication he was basically incoherent. One of the doctors had explained to her that the next few hours were important for any person who'd almost drowned- inhalation of the river water had occurred, and aspiration pneumonia was a large possibility. For a naive moment, Christie was certain that Matt would be fine.

Matt's never that lucky.

It's how she finds herself now, half glaring at her brother, who's been given instructions to stay with someone for the next forty eight hours, while his body wars with itself. The red haired doctor had explained that unless the mans fever reaches over 102, or his breathing deteriorates, he's allowed to stay out of the hospital. Severide's offered to let him stay at the loft, to take next shift off and watch over his best friend, but she tells her brothers best friend no. She needs to be able to watch over her little brother, if his paramedic girlfriend can't.

She's already talked to Sylvie, had called her only an hour after getting the call herself. They'd come to the conclusion that as long as someone was there to watch Matt, she needed to finish up the week for the CFD and CEMS.

"You ready to leave? I'm bringing you back to my place. Violet's got the guest room all ready for you."

Matt blinks and then nods, shoulders curved in slightly, one arm wrapped around his side. He looks a little woozy, though that could be from the pain pills being pumped through his body. That, or the fever he's sporting. April wheels him to the front of the hospital while Christie grabs her car and pulls it up to the curb.

Half an hour later, Matt's being helped into the guest room, where, sure enough, the bed has fresh sheets and a few extra pillows have been added for the man who isn't supposed to lay flat on his back. She gets him under the covers, thankful he's cooperating, and by the time she's back with the meds in a little plastic cup, as well as a glass of water, Matt's asleep.

"Matt, hey, you have to wake up and take your medicine, then you can go back to sleep, okay?" She shakes him as gently as possible, not wanting to hurt his ribs any more than they already are. She must knock something loose though, because not a second later he starts coughing, low and harsh, and his eyes flutter open. Gasping for air, they wait for his chest to stop spasming. His arm is cradling his side and she feels terrible, wishing she could help.

"I just need you to take this medicine, then you can sleep again," she promises, holding the cup out for him. When he nods, the woman lets the small pills tumble onto his open palm, and soon he's swallowing them tiredly.

"C-Can you stay?" The words are quiet and hang in the air as she turns to leave. Pausing, Christie turns back and is struck by just how young Matt looks, laying there with fever flushed cheeks and sallow skin.

Moving slowly, the woman gets into the other side of the bed, carefully shifting to get comfortable.

"Just like old times huh?"

She knows he's referring to their childhood. Christie can't help but smirk a little at the memories.

"Are you talking about when you would come crying to me because you were afraid of the dark?" Her tone is teasing, and instinctively she lets her fingers find his hair, running them through it just like she did when they were young teens and their father had been yelling at them.

A laugh bubbles out of Matt's throat, but it quickly changes to coughing, and it takes a moment for Matt to calm down, sipping water before replying.

"I was actually talking about when I was eight and caught whatever that punk across the street had after he coughed on me. I remember I was out of school for a week, and you stayed with me as much as you could."

She remembers it well.

+ + +

Matt never gets sick, not when he was a baby, and not now. She's always been the one to come down with colds or strep throat, and Matt always manages to avoid germs. He had been sick once when he was a toddler, once, but other than that, she can't remember him ever even getting a runny nose. And then Michael Jeffries goes and coughs all over him on the bus when she's in fifth grade and he's in third, and Matt's record of not getting sick goes down the drain.

It had been on a Monday. That following Thursday afternoon, Christie's waiting for Matt to get on the bus when their bus driver tells her that her brother has apparently gone home early. The whole ride home, the eleven year old is upset, not for her brother, but at the fact she wasn't taken out early either. Why did Matt get to go home and play when she didn't? By the time she's walking into their small home, the blonde is stomping her feet and slamming the door behind her, ready to ask why her stupid brother gets such special treatment.

Instantly though, she realizes something is wrong. Mommy isn't downstairs like she normally is, but instead of being worried, the girl let sher anger build. Running up the stairs, her ponytail swaying behind her, Christie's ready to yell and throw a tantrum, but she freezes when she sees her mom sitting on Matt's small twin bed. She's holding their big blue bowl that she always gets out when Christie's stomach is sick, and Matt is throwing up, coughing and spluttering after, while she rubs his back. Cautiously, Christie walks into the doorway.

"Mommy...what wrong with Matt?"

Nancy and Matt look up, the older woman rubbing her sons back.

"Matt's just not feeling well honey, he'll be alright."

Christie frowns and looks at her brother, whose cheeks are a startling bright pink, his skin pale.

"He looks really sick..." Suddenly she's not mad at all anymore, instead she's worried, no, scared. Matt doesn't get sick. That's his superpower, just like hers is liking vegetables.

Before any more words are spoken, Matt coughs and lets out a strangled little whine. "M-Mommy..."

Christie turns her face away as Matt gets sick this time, not wanting to watch anyone throw up. Instead, she goes and busies herself with finding paper and her crayons. Sitting down on her bedroom floor, the eleven year old goes to town with making her brother a get well soon card, the only thing she knows she can do in this moment.

That night, while she and mommy eat downstairs, Christie can hear Matt crying with Daddy. The second she finishes her food and washes her plate off, the blonde runs upstairs, wanting to make sure the younger boy is okay. She stops in front of his room, but no one's there, the twin sized bed with dark green sheets is empty, even his beloved stuffed bear is gone. Walking further down the hall, she sees the two she's been looking for in her parents king sized bed.

Matt's laying against Daddy, Bear clutched in his hand, his ear against the boys lip. Daddy smiles at her and puts a finger to his lips, telling her to be quiet. Nodding, Christie tiptoes in and peers at them both, before climbing in putting a delicate hand on Matt's shoulder, hoping he'll be ok.

+ + +

Brought back to the present, Christie feels Matt's forehead and sighs. "just try and sleep okay? I'll be here if you need me, okay? I won't let anything bad happen to you Matt."

It's as if it's all he's been waiting to hear. It takes him all of two minutes to fall back asleep, head resting against his sisters shoulder. She supposes that this can be the start of all the years she'd missed taking care of him after she'd left for college. He deserves it.

TMNT #1-4 DECEMBER 2001 - JUNE 2002 BY PETER LAIRD, JIM LAWSON AND ERIC TALBOT

SYNOPSIS (FROM TURTLEPEDIA AND COMIC VINE)

A Fugitoid makes its way across the moon in leaps, passing by Tranquility Base and marveling at how it has stood the test of time. It meets up with an Utrom, and the two discuss their plans to finish completing a large craft and bring these "guests" that they have with them.

In a New York City alley, the Ninja Turtles face an all too familiar scene - carapaces against an alley wall while a street gang - this time, the Madhattan Maulitia - have them cornered. While the four of them are more of a match for the fifteen dullards in the Maulitia, the Turtles decide to take the rooftops as soon as possible to gain some distance between them and their foes. After a moment of reflection, they head on their way, only to find they are less safe than they had hoped, as the Maulitia has somehow followed them up with snowmobiles. After trouncing the Maulitia up on the rooftops and heading back down, Donatello comes across a snowmobile all on its lonesome and steals it. Michelangelo tries to get Don's attention for a ride in the treacherous snow, but his brother doesn't hear him and Mike slips and falls in the street. Moments later, he's hit by a bus, and a costumed character named Magnrok finds him, carrying him into an alley calling someone in to pick him up.

Meanwhile, Don rides the snowmobile into a subway and loses control, crashing it through a wall, where he finds an old, abandoned armored truck.

April and Casey head out to a fertility doctor, while Shadow trains with Metal Head. After their sparring session, Shadow worries about the outcome of the appointment. Splinter dismisses it as the impatience of a teenager, but Shadow has a premonition that big things are in store for the entire world.

Michelangelo wakes up in an ambulance to find paramedics working on him. He freaks out and tries to escape, but the paramedics warn him not to open the door. Mike pays no heed to them and does so anyway, instantly falling out and finding that the ambulance is flying. Michelangelo holds on to a handle to prevent himself from falling, but he is still dizzy and injured and loses his grip. Fortunately, a flying superhero, Raptarr, happens to be in the area and catches Mikey as he passes back out. Raptarr returns him to the ambulance.

Leonardo and Raphael return to the lair, with Raph complaining about how cold he is. Leo turns up the heat and offers to make Raph some hot chocolate, and discuss The Jones' decision to try for a child of their own. Leo then asks if they should look for their brothers, they haven't seen since the scuffle with the Madhattan Maulitia. Raph declines due to the weather and suggests Mikey's having the time of his life in the snow anyway.

Mikey wakes up again, this time strapped to a hospital bed. A woman on a video screen insists he stay put, but Mike just wants to get out of there. The woman says he's free to leave as long as he checks out at the front desk, and that his effects are in a nearby closet. He wonders aloud why the staff hasn't freaked out due to him being a mutant turtle. It is at this moment that Mikey sees that the patients at this hospital are a little out of the ordinary, consisting of various costumed adventurers and non-humans.

A Doctor Singh approaches Michelangelo with some orderlies and tells him he needs to return to his room. Mikey refuses and begins to fight with the orderlies, before they are interrupted by a man approaching in a wheelchair - the Turtles' old friend Pat, aka Zippy Lad of the Justice Force. Pat takes charge of Mikey and lets Singh and the orderlies be on their way, explaining to the turtle that he is in Kurtzburg Memorial Hospital, a special hospital for aliens, heroes, mutants, and other oddities, and one of only three places like it in the world. Pat happens to be on the hospital's board of directors and saw Mike come in while he was at a budget meeting, and vouched for him. Pat convinces Mike to get back in bed and rest up.

Back at the lair, Donatello rushes in, excited, and coaxes Casey and Raph to follow him to a discovery he's made. Leo stays behind so he can watch Junkyard Wars in peace. Don leads Raph and Casey to the abandoned armored truck he'd found, and the three of them examine the vehicle, taking notes of what would need to be cleaned and fixed to get it running again, and finding the moldy corpses of some apparent robbers inside, including a skeleton in the back wearing 1970s garb and still holding onto a gun. Don and Casey leave to get some batteries and cleaning supplies, leaving Raph to bemoan being stuck there with the "dead guys".

Shadow leaves for a clandestine rendezvous with her boyfriend Jay, while Splinter worries for her safety in the snow. When she meets up with Jay, she suggests that they go to the Jones Farm and warm up by the fireplace, but he reminds her that it's supposed to be abandoned and the last time they were there, someone called the police on them. Instead, he pesters her about going back to her place and meeting her "famously reclusive grandfather", which she turns down.

Meanwhile, on the moon, the Utroms accomplish another phase on their mysterious plan.

In the jungles of Venezuela, a research team discovers a strange life form. Meanwhile, in the Big Apple, Casey, Raph and Don get the abandoned armored car running, much to the dismay of the local New Yorkers. Master Splinter and Shadow are enraptured by the television coverage of an invasion of Unidentified Flying Objects.

The Utroms finally reveal themselves to the word in a very public display. Karai fantasizes facing the turtles in battle while her aid keeps her updated on the news about the alien arrival. After watching the tv coverage of the Utroms Michelangelo and Raphael decide to get a closer look when the stumble on a mysterious robot in the sewers.

REVIEW

As I mentioned before, the Archie TMNT comic was my gateway to the world of comic-books. But because of the indie nature of the Turtles, their comics were really hard to get from outside of the US.

As a result, collecting them was frustrating, and in any case, getting all of them was futile. It wasn’t until around 2005, that I started getting TMNT comics for real.

At the time I started with colored collected editions (First), and eventually this and Tales came up, as those were being published at the time. As a result, I got almost all of the issues for both series. I was really impressed, not only by the story, but also by the interaction of Peter Laird with the fans, and how he would keep us up to date with his life. Eventually I started watching the 2003 cartoon (also, not something I had access to at the time it was broadcasted) which was heavily influenced by Peter Laird, and some of its concepts would appear in Tales.

This is a very long story, that as far as I know, it’s incomplete and there is little hope for it to be ever finished. I do hope at some point Peter Laird takes advantage of that “18 issues a year” deal he made with Viacom and make it happen.

While both, Eastman and Laird were fans of Jack Kirby, it is very obvious in this run that Laird may have been even more. Case in point, the “Kurtzberg” hospital sequence. It’s not gonna be the last time we see Kirby inspired things in the book.

When the book starts, we get the idea that there was a time jump since the last time we saw these characters (1995), but when I saw Shadow so grown up, I realized how much time really passed. I mean, the turtles are technically still teenagers, compared to how much turtles live. But they are kind... 30 now?

Perhaps the most significant thing about this run is the Utrom non-invasion of Earth. Whenever I think of Laird’s writing, my mind goes back to this story. The way he looks at sci-fi is very positive (especially considering that the Alien visit happens right after 9-11). In a way, his writing is very similar to that of Jack Kirby, who would often dedicate pages to concepts and ideas that would make life cooler.

Jim Lawson is back, and luck us, he is being inked (and toned) by Laird and Talbot.

Perhaps the main problem with this title is the pacing of the story. As the book is bi-monthly, it takes forever for a ship to land on Earth (7 months). This is not unusual in indie comics, but it makes the first issue a bit uneventful.

I give these issues a score of 8.

Rise of the TMNT initial review

I gave my first thoughts on the visuals, creative choices, and general backlash from the community for Rise of the TMNT, the latest cartoon for the Heroes in a Half Shell back when they were first unveiled. As some may remember, I generally was positive and supportive of the new direction. There were some changes I was a bit unsure about, but generally I was fine with it. 

Now, five episodes have been released to the public, and I’ve watched a bit. So, I feel, since I’ve been a hardcore TMNT fan for about 29 years, it only makes sense that I share my thoughts for any who may care.

Before I get to my overall opinion of the show, though, I would like to go over each aspect individually. Let’s start with one of the most controversial topics - the art style and animation. I feel the need to once again highlight that they’re different things, as people always seem to forget this when talking about these topics. Animation is the movement exclusively. So, as for the art style, I like it. It’s very sharp, loud, and energetic. There is so much expression in the faces and bodies of every character. The action poses are wonderful. I especially love the expressions of Don. His eyebrows really add to his look, and his cocky, judgmental expressions add a lot of comedy to the character.

The designs are certainly different. Raph is ginormous, Leo has a fannypack, and so on. Honestly, I got over the designs very quickly. Again, the designs of the four turtles are extremely expressive, and it is nice to see so much variety between them for a change. As for other returning characters, Splinter will take some getting used to. Maybe if he didn’t look so much like a hamster I’d be fine with his design. I don’t really have a problem with his build, I just think that Splinter’s identifying long snout should have been in the design. But April, holy crap, I love this April design. She is so adorable. I was on the fence about her design originally, but once I saw her in action, it quickly became my favorite Rise design, only tied with Don’s.

As for the new characters, I have mixed feelings. A handful of the mutants have really cool designs, like Repo Mantis (my favorite), Hypnopotomus, and Meat Sweats. But then there’s other new characters like the lead villain, voiced by John Cena, who I just feel has a very generic modern cartoon villain design. He looks like a throw away villain in a comedy sketch parodying Saturday morning cartoons. I’m also not a fan of that catdog thingy April has. It looks like a Pokemon. Doesn’t belong in TMNT in my opinion.

But the animation is pretty gorgeous. It does get very choppy sometimes, which I honestly do find a bit disorienting since at other times, the animation is beautifully fluent and alive. I do wish the animation almost always stayed that fluent, but I understand how extremely time consuming animation can be, especially when working with such highly detailed characters, and considering that when the animation is fluent, it’s REALLY good, so I cut them a break. The action scenes are truly amazing to watch. The backgrounds are also very stylish, colorful, and just nice to look at.

While I do think the 2012 show was an amazing TMNT series, I did always find it a bit visually lacking. So I’m glad to see this one do the visuals so well.

Now, I guess I’ll talk about the writing, plot, and characters. As all of you likely know by now, we do not see the origin of the turtles or how they met April. While I can definitely understand why they would leave this out from a marketing standpoint (no reason to make a new TMNT show with limited episodes for preview and just go through the same story we’ve seen 100 times and give us nothing new to look forward to) I do hope we see it eventually. It is a pivotal part of the TMNT world, and is especially necessary now that this is a brand new TMNT for a whole new generation, and is reinventing the lore in many ways.

The show, obviously, is geared more towards smaller children, which I’m totally cool with. Not only did TMNT bring me a lot of happiness at that age, but I also like to see more franchises for kids. There seems to be a big push for cartoons to be more “adult” these days, but I still feel lots of them should be for kids. We live in an age where toys and cartoons are being primarily made for adults. Kids need media too, and TMNT has proved extremely popular with little kids for 30 years. The show still manages to be legitimately funny more than I expected, and, honestly, has a lot of wit and sarcasm that will likely only tickle the older audiences.

The story-telling is a bit all over the place and ultra-fast-paced, but it’s pretty good, again, with the child’s perspective in mind. It has a lot more action than I think most of us thought, and that is done really well. The characters, however, seem to be another huge point of controversy among the fans. My personal favorites so far are Don and April (yes, same two favorites as physical designs). Don’s such a smug brainiac and April’s so feisty and spunky, it’s adorable. But many things like Raph being the leader, Leo being the cool hot shot, and Splinter being seemingly a lazy couch potato, have a lot of fans in a frenzy. I will admit, Leo being a hot shot smart ass is still taking me time to warm up to, and Raph does feel odd as a leader. There doesn’t really seem to be any reason for the Turtles to have him as the leader other than the fact that he’s the biggest. 

However, it does seem obvious that they are working up to something. The turtles, quite amusingly, are terrible ninja at the start of the show. They’re clumsy, inexperienced, and just horrible at making plans. There does seem to be a running theme of Raph’s plans being awful and Leo’s working. It does in fact seem like they are starting off more fresh, then evolving towards a more familiar setup. Even the presence of Foot soldiers implies the coming of Shredder possibly. And that brings me to my only real concern.

While I know this show is not being made for 87 shellheads like myself, I do kind of wish there was more TMNT material in the show. It seems to be trying as hard as it can to stray from traditional TMNT series that it could end up straying too far to the point of it being irrelevant to the franchise. I’m all for changes, all for new art direction, all for new characters, all for character re-imaginings, and so on, but it would be nice to see some returning aspects, like Shredder, Baxter Stockman, Rat King, Casey Jones, the Technodrome or some of the Turtles’ famous vehicles. I would absolutely love to see how Rocksteady and Bebop would look in this style too.

I’m a bit iffy about the episodes. I don’t think they’re bad, but the pacing in some is a bit all over the place, and one episode in particular seemed like a tired premise. The episode I’m referring to has the Turtles in a Chuck E. Cheese’s type locale with an evil animatronic bear coming to life and battling them. If this sounds familiar, you’ve either played Five Nights at Freddy’s, or, more specifically for my argument here, have seen the episode of Gravity Falls, “Soos and the Real Girl”. It was one of the most popular and funny episodes of the Disney XD cartoon, but it seems to be a premise that is continually done in modern cartoons. Just last year, the 2017 Duck Tales (which, although pretty good, I feel pulls a little too much inspiration from Gravity Falls) did a story involving a Chuck E. Cheese setting, and now Rise is doing it as well, with pretty much the same twist Gravity Falls did. While it is a funny premise, I do wish cartoonists would avoid doing it so often as it’s already been done successfully before.

So let’s get to the bottom of this. How do I feel all around? I think it’s pretty good. Like I said, it’s not my turtles, but my turtles had the entire late 80s and early to mid 90s already. It had its time, made me and thousands of other kids happy beyond reason, and made the franchise as big as it is today. It did everything it needed to do. I’m happy to see new generations get their own new forms of TMNT. I’m just glad that my favorite franchise ever is not only still relevant, but still a quality product, too. Simply put - I support Rise of the TMNT.

Still hoping we see some more classic characters and tech show up, though.

And pretty soon, yes, I’ll address a certain Netflix reboot of a series near and dear to me that has been making A LOT of noise on the internet lately. Until then, check out the available episodes of Rise if you haven’t already and decide how you feel about it.

I recently saw a post about someone asking why some of us find the TMNT characters attractive. I’m sorry, I can’t remember who it was.

For me it’s Raphael. 99% holy fucking shit he floats my boat. Sure, he’s a mutant, he’s a turtle, and yes he has green skin. Don’t forget that he’s absolutely fucking huge. Swoon.

The reason I say 99% is because there is a part of me that is drawn to Leo. The control he exudes, those blue eyes, how each of his movements seem perfectly executed, and that strut! He looks like he is as almost as strong as Raph, just in a more compact form. And talk about kinky vibe, yum. The submissive part of me screams “YES!” to his persona. The scene in the first movie when he yells “Enough!” Leo flips in the air and tells Raph to back off after landing on the buildings edge, Katana singing and dust and rubble exploding away from his impact (Woah). April is backing up, hell, I would too with that gaze focussed on me. But part of me would be tempted to not move. Anyways…

I found myself wondering why I was attracted to fictional characters that weren’t even human (I eluded to this in my first post “Why?”) I’ll expand on that post. I’ve always been drawn to the big, strong and or burly type. The ones that you know could pick you up and carry you away. Vin Diesel makes my heart pound and I really wouldn’t mind ending up in a dark corner with him. I am not afraid of the dark. *grin*

So, here’s my explanation as to why my body sings at the thought of Raphael. Leo, I summed up above because this is going to already be a long enough post.

Raphael:

1. His size. I’m pretty tall for a woman and I am not delicate. Being 5’11 and not small statured (have a curvy figure and a little bit of extra weight that I am working my ass off trying to lose), I have a 36” inseam (impossible to find jeans at a reasonable price) I have always, ALWAYS felt like the “big” girl. I tower over all of my girlfriends, have been called an Amazon by friends and boyfriends (hence the idea for my OC Immogene) and have found that the majority of my relationships have been with guys that were shorter than me. I have confidence in myself most of the time, I just feel awkward in certain situations. I would be rich if I’d gotten a dollar for every time a guy would come up to me, compliment me, and then walk away. There were a few guys that I was with that I felt like that if I went on top, there was a small chance that I could crush them (yes I know, probably not gonna happen, but my head would go there) I love doggy style, but if the guys a little short, I’d have to kneel on the edge of the bed while more time is spent adjusting the height that my ass is at, than the actual fucking (“Shit, hun lower your ass, I can’t stand on my tip toes this long.”) Meanwhile, I’m waiting to be pounded into the mattress… I’m pretty strong. I lift weights a few times a week and do not shy away from heavy work.

I’m the one in the grocery store with the little old lady beside me who looks at me and then looks at the top shelf. I know she wants to ask me to grab something up there, but she’s afraid. Sighing, I will turn and gently ask “Is there something I can grab for you mam?” Crisis averted, she realizes I won’t pounce and I finally get a smile “O yes dear, could you grab me the olive oil? Thank you. Wow, such a tall girl, pretty though.” I’m the girl that guys get intimidated by. Have you read my fanfic “Two Shades of Green”? Immogene resembles me in so many ways and Brian’s character is actually based upon a few guys that I dated.

With Raphael, well lol, there would be NO worries about me crushing him. In fact, it would be the opposite. I would love the feeling of being utterly surrounded by his massive form. Don’t get me started on his thick fingers. Mmmm. Not many people can manhandle me (one guy I dated was 6’5” and could lift me with one arm…for the first time in my life, my mouth actually went dry. Too bad I found out he already had a fiancee *rolls eyes*…asshole) and the thought of being swept up and held by those gorgeous biceps draws an interesting tingle. For me to have to reach up to kiss him, for him to be able to put me where he wanted me to be? Bring. It. On.

2. His personality. Raph is so passionate. He has an internal fire. He has an attitude. He’s full of testosterone. He’s protective of April. He love’s his brothers. Raph and Leo may fight (a lot) but there are scenes in the where you can see the brotherly love. Like most Raph fans out there, I feel he is the type that is hard as nails on the exterior, but on the interior he’s a big pile of goo. I would love to be the one that could cool his jets (and then heat them up in different ways ;)). I get the feeling that if Raph’s character found someone, she would be his entire world (yes I know I am a romantic and a sap, but I try to let slowly ooze out, not flow over you like Niagara Falls).

Raphael speaks from the heart. The expressions on his face convey such raw emotion (thank you movie magic!). He’s a rebel. One of my favourite lines in the 2016 movie was “Normal, what fun is that?” Total high three for that one. I went to University and did two degrees at the same time. I target shoot, I can rough it in the bush for a few days (as long as there is a nearby water source), I fish, I can throw a baseball further than most guys I know, I love getting my hands dirty and am not afraid to open up a DIY book when my fridge stops working. I also love star gazing, wearing makeup occasionally to make my eyes pop and wearing skirts. Don’t get me wrong I know there are other woman that do these things…it just seems to be rare where I come from. Or, at least I’ve been told it’s rare. In the past those hobbies, skills and habits made me intimidating. I actually had one guy take me camping and who broke up with me shortly after (I found out the reason why from a mutual friend) because I could actually do what I said I could - start a fire, paddle a canoe for hours (I actually dragged him and that damn canoe over a beaver dam because he was scared), set up a tent, etc. He didn’t believe me when I told him I was ok to go camping a little off the beaten path (yes, I know, good riddance). I was raised by my father. He brought me up to believe that a woman could do anything she wanted to (my dad was actually a mentor for young woman in his field who were just starting their careers. He helped so many gain confidence and be proud in a male dominated career choice) I feel that Raph’s (and have personal experience with “Raph” types) personality would be drawn to someone who was sweet, caring and kind, but had a backbone. He would be the type to encourage you to be who you were (girlfriend or not). Reading a fair number of blogs I am not the only one that feels this way about this characters personality. I can see him really shy and afraid of rejection at first but not being able to resist testing the waters with an occasional dirty comment just to see the reaction. When he finds out that she’s interested. There would be no going back.

Referring to the quote about “Normal” again, Raph himself realizes he likes who he is at the end of the movie. Love that ending.

A violent teddy bear suits Raph to the T. Yes he can crush you, yes he would enjoy it (if you were the bad guy), but if you were someone he loved…those same actions would be expressed in an ENTIRELY different way. He would crush you to him and enjoy it just as much. Even though I don’t think he would admit it, Raph wants acceptance. Most of the time he expects the worst from someone. I often ended up in a not so great relationship because the guy accepted most of me (that didn’t take long to piss me off. I would move on to try again). I still struggle some days, but most of the time I am good with who I am now.

3. His voice. The timbre of it, the batman voice, the accent, and that chuckle. He can convey so much emotion in that voice. Good choice on the actor they chose to play him! One Raph Imagine even mentioned him singing to you! I can totally see that. I could listen to that voice for hours.

4. How he moves. Raph has a rolling walk. Shoulders moving with each step. It’s predatory. It’s fucking delicious. Combine how he moves with his never failing focus on his target makes me want to run and hide, but, in a place I know he will find me. The sit-ups on the pipes in the 2016 TMNT movie. His Sai piercing the metal in front of Casey’s face, when Raph doesn’t want him getting any closer to April. The motorcycle scene. I could go on. He moves instinctively. He doesn’t have to plan his next move, his body just does it. Imagining him doing that rolling walk, with me as his target. Hella yes.

For these reasons and a few more I haven’t listed here are why I found myself thinking of a mutant turtle as a partner to bump in the night with. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you or me for feeling this way. We each have things that turn us on, grind our gears, lift us up or put us down. The creators of TMNT just happened to be very good in making Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello and Michelangelo each exhibit a typical male stereotype. We are bound to find one (or more than one, or even bits and pieces of each) of those personalities striking a chord with our own.

There are so many fandoms out there. If you find one that rubs you the right way. Close your eyes and let your imagination run wild. Your thoughts are yours and yours alone.

Thanks for reading.

Grey’s Anatomy 14x14 Final Thoughts

My brain is split into two right now: “I hate Grey’s and how DARE they do this I’m never watching again” and “that episode!”

Let’s ignore the first half for now, and we’ll get back to it later. I have a LOT to say, don’t worry. 

The episode opens with Amelia feeling really horny. Kind of random and out-of-the-blue, but unlike other unexpected decisions from this show recently, I didn’t mind this one. I loved seeing this cute, spunky side of Amelia, one we really haven’t seen since…Derek died, really. Aside from this new side of her, Amelia was also really dishing out the sass today, from telling Bello to get her head out of her ass (and hopefully leaving Deluca/Sam out of the picture for a while) to putting Koracick in her place, and I liked it :) Overall, it was a much-needed upward trend for this girl, and I really hope it continues.

Over to Owen, this dude was also dishing out sass. Thank goodness he put those boys in their places before they took out someone’s nose or something. It’s been a while since we saw “Major Hunt” being all commandeering and such, and it’s nice to see that side of him again. 

Apparently, being sassy together translates to being sexy together as well (sorry, that was bad phrasing, but idc).I just knew something would happen from the opening elevator scene, and was almost certain it would be in this episode from the ER conversation (“I like a man with authority”/“me too”). And her blurting out her feelings as soon as she saw Owen is classic Amelia. Her “sex speech” followed by Owen’s ““I want you to use me in any way you can think of” will forever have a place in my heart <3 <3 <3 Omelia Will Rise Again! Maybe a double wedding with Jolex at the end of the season?

Aside from the Bello situation, Deluca was not really as intolerable as he was the last episode. This was the first time since Carina’s introduction that we really saw the two of them act like siblings, and I really want more of them interacting!!

But Koracick. Oh my god. This guy got even more sleazy, if that’s even possible. I’m not going to say much more on that subject, except that he’s apparently going to help April next episode and I really hope he doesn’t screw up. April’s leaving, but it better be on terms true to her character, not because some ass screwed her up for good.

Speaking of April. Grey’s anatomy told the entire Domestic Abuse storyline in 2 episodes, but they’re taking their own sweet time solving this Crisis of hers. I was initially glad Hunt sent her home early, because even though the Ear thing was not her fault, this girl really needs to get her act together. But, I said initially happy because apparently, she decided to go home and get drunk instead. Which, y’know, wouldn’t have happened if Arizona (or literally anyone) was paying the slightest attention to her.

Instead, her best friend was off trying to solve the issue of maternal mortality rates (granted, a super important study) but not really making any headway except to accuse her friend of being a bad doctor. great move. On a side note, did anyone else catch that chemistry between Arizona and the OB? Or am I just making it up? 

And onto the second (and “ugh”-est) huge development of this episode. Jaggie. WHY SHONDA WHY? Both of them were sooo awkward at Game Night that I wanted to throw my phone at the TV. Okay, I admit Jackson being protective of Maggie was cute, but in a more brotherly way (like Meredith and Alex, except obviously not as deep). But even when they kissed, I just couldn’t see it. No chemistry whatsoever. They’re better as friends. BUT I was super surprised that “perfect” Clive turned out to be married (”you must be the woman who’s been screwing my husband” flashbacks, anyone?). Maggie doesn’t need Jackson, but she certainly deserves much better than a pathological liar. But anyway, apparently these two are canon now, so I’ll be fast-forwarding a lot of scenes in the future :/

And finally, Meredith and Jo’s story. I’m going to ignore the fact that these two have been getting wayy more screen time for their project than any other doctor so far, and just talk about their current positions. It turned out that the old guy died, and the polymer now belongs to - surprise! - Meredith’s family friend! Who, unfortunately, refuses to sell Mer the patent until she saw proof that it worked, which was a risky move on the doctor’s parts, especially with later developments: Marie was not Ellis’s best friend, and they apparently had a huge feud over something. So Meredith just admitted to stealing, to the person she stole from, and gave away her ground-breaking surgical plans, and I just feel really bad for her and Jo. The one good thing about this, though, is that she interrupted Jaggie in her quest for her mother’s journals. I really, really hope that whatever caused Ellis’s and Marie’s fight won’t impact the project, although knowing Grey’s, it probably will. 

Okay, onto some smaller plot points. 

First of all, how stupid can interns be? They were never formally invited to anything and they still showed up? I’m glad Casey had nothing to do with it, and it was just the two most idiotic, Glasses and Hellmouth. But still. Instead of firing April and Arizona, get rid of these two instead. Also, uh, what the heck is going on with Jolex? I mean, Paul died and all of a sudden there’s a standstill. They didn’t even talk this episode, all we got was Jo smiling in a doorframe. Alex and Kimmy, on the other hand, were adorable and I’m so glad Alex advocated for her while addressing her Grandmother’s fears. Medical Marijuana can do so much good, and it’s a pity most states don’t allow it.  Also, addressing what was, I’m assuming, supposed to be the “central theme” of this episode, what is going on with the lawsuit and everything? It just seemed really random and interjected in there just to get Kepner drunk. Which honestly, served no purpose except to make me fast-forward everytime April spoke. And speaking of “central themes,” that might have been the lamest Game Night ever. And Maggie’s sisters didn’t even show! wth grey’s, wth.

In all, this episode was so good at some points (Omelia! Ellis Grey Plot-Twist!) and so bad at others (Jaggie & the entire Game Night tbh). The promo for next week does confirm two things, one of which makes me (kinda) happy, and the other which makes me want to throw up: 1, Koracick and April (probably) didn’t sleep together; 2, we’re in for a lot more Jaggie, and Maggie is apparently spending more time with her boyfriend’s kid instead of her 2 nieces and nephew (seriously, did Zola, Bailey, and Ellis just…dissappear? Brief glimpses of them are not enough, people). 

--

Alright. To today’s news. 

I was talking it over with some friends before tonight’s episode, and we realized that both April and AZ have no real storylines, but both are in a position where there is real potential for some amazing plots. However, the writers needed to fire someone apparently, and since these two haven’t really had any development in forever, they were the first to go. Now, I love Maggie (like, a lot more than most people), but if they needed to shorten the main cast, she would be my first pick. Or, just promote Casey to attending (I mean, Jo’s residency is apparently 7 years long, so this won’t be that bad) and fire the rest of the interns. But don’t get rid of two phenomenal actresses who have been on the show, dedicated their lives to it, for more than a decade. And if they did it to get back at Pompeo for her pay rise, that’s just cruel. What’s even more cruel, though, is going after Ellen for somehow playing a part in this. Leave her alone! If ABC had said “Sorry, we can’t afford this, otherwise we’ll have to cut the main cast,” she probably would have reduced her price. I mean, she and JCap are super close. Just saying. 

As I was watching the episode, I just kept thinking how absolutely central these two are to the rest of Grey’s. regardless of their lack of stories, nothing would function on the show without them -- we wouldn’t have a Fetal Surgeon, nor a main-character OB anymore, and God knows what will happen to the ER without April around. 

I’m really going to miss these two. This was not fair to us, but it definitely wasn’t fair to Drew or JCap.

TMNT Mirage Comics Issues 10

Holy shit, this story dives right into the action and gives you NO fucking break. I honestly feel like I’ve missed something. Maybe a few side comics here or there that aren’t included. Since I’m just reading the main issues for the time being I ask you forgive me if I’ve lost something critical, and trust me when I say I already have.

Strap in kids.

Story

The comic starts immediately with Leonardo already on the ground in the apartment severely injured with everyone surrounding him. I don’t know what fucking happened. I can’t even find what issue or mini-comic I could have missed. Point is, shit starts dire.

The worst part is the foot has invaded their home, meaning Shredder must be back. But how is that possible?

Donatello is quick to take charge, telling Splinter and April to get Leo out of there while the three of them fend off the foot. After a bit of a scuffle, Splinter then tells Don and Mikey to help April while Raph stays behind in the dark to take out any incoming foot soldiers, a plan Raphael loves.

Leo, barely conscious, keeps insisting that he can walk. He also wants April to save herself, but she says he’s her family and she won’t leave him behind.

She goes to open the door, and Leo immediately tries to stop her, knowing the foot are out there. He blocks her, and Michelangelo is quick to rush over and take out the foot in the way. Mikey promises April that as long as they’re alive, she’ll be safe.

Mikey then takes the lead to scout out the area. He and Don take out a few foot along the way, and they eventually make their way to the antique shop, where Shredder and the foot are waiting for them.

Before a fight can begin, a hooded figure makes himself known to aid the turtles: Mother fucking Casey Jones.

Raphael already seems to know him, which is likely why he’s there now. With Casey there to help things go a bit more swimmingly. In the meantime Splinter is telling April they may have to leave through the front door, but April has a better plan: a cooler in the back. Apparently the antique store was connected to a grocery store, linked by a cooler entrance. Her father never properly sealed it up, so it made for an ideal escape route.

Eventually the chaos starts a fire, meaning the firefighters and cops are on their way. Shredder and the foot retreat, and the heroes make an exit in the back, having to leave April’s van behind.

They look upon the fire in the distance, and April is devastated knowing that her entire life has gone up in flames.

Casey decides to take the crew elsewhere to hide for a while, and our comic ends with them on the road to reach Casey’s dead grandma’s place.

Characters

Holy shit there’s a lot to talk about. Everyone had a big role to play in this issue in one way or another.

I think I’ll start with April this time. It’s really neat to see the behavior of the original April. From my exposure to other Turtle series, I’d say April is usually depicted the most differently in each one. Like the others she generally has the same personality, but usually has traits that make each April stand out, and I’m not just talking about their appearance. That said, the three things I remember most about her are her courage, stubbornness, and caring personality. How much each of these stand out varies from series to series, but they’re usually all there in some form.

This April is very brave. Not fearless, but her courage here stems from her big heart. She makes it perfectly clear that she loves her new family of mutants, refusing to run away and leave them in danger. Some could argue she usually causes more trouble by sticking around, but in this situation it’s quite the opposite. Without her, they probably wouldn’t have managed such a safe getaway after all.

Also I have to add that the scene where she watches her home burn down was incredibly distressing.

Splinter takes the role of the leader for the most part, which makes sense. After all he needs to get his sons and April out of danger, and as we’ve already established, he knows what he’s fucking doing. While (as usual) we don’t see much growth out of him, we do see him giving very well-organized commands. That was pretty awesome.

He also stopped an arrow mid-air. That was fucking badass.

This is another issue where Donatello stands out. He’s the first one to instruct the team when danger rears its ugly head, and as usual his quick thinking helps the team ward off trouble. He also works pretty well with Michelangelo as a back-up for taking out enemies on the way downstairs.

Speaking of, Mikey also gets a huge role in this one. He rescues April and is quick to tell her that they’ll protect her no matter what, proving that he (and his brothers) care about her very much. They really do consider her part of the family at this point, and it’s nice to see the feeling is mutual.

On top of that, he’s the one who leads the charge downstairs, and is very good at spotting and taking out enemies. This is probably the most we’ve ever seen him do, and I can say it didn’t disappoint me at all.

Leonardo may have been on death’s door for the most part, but it was pretty clear he was trying (and failing) to shake it off. Ever the determined leader, he insisted he could walk despite needing to be held up by April just to move around. Hell he even told her to abandon him and escape. Be it out of a (very small) bit of ego/pride, or because he sincerely cares about her, it’s still a pretty noble thing and in character for him.

When April tries to get him out the door, he can tell right away she’s about to be attacked and moves to ward off the foot. Had Mikey not spotted the situation who knows where that would have left Leo. Guy is as brave as they come.

Raphael mostly just fought in this issue, but he did so spectacularly. He was very eager to take out any foot he could in the dark, and probably has the highest body count this issue as a result. In contrast to Michelangelo’s usual role of the comic relief, Raph was the one with all the wittier lines, at least when Casey didn’t have them.

Lastly, there’s Casey, who I have been fucking pumped about meeting. Unfortunately this isn’t his debut issue, and what’s even more unfortunate is my inability to get a copy of said issue. If you’ve seen the first turtles movie, I imagine the debut shares similarities to that, but it’s no substitute for the real thing. I’d like to review it in the future, if only for the sake of completion.

Casey is a real show stealer though, through and through. How he knew to come to the antique shop I can’t say, but he’s there and he kicks ass. He gets almost all the witty lines in this issue, and coming in as a fifth ranger is what helps the turtles survive the ordeal and escape.

Lastly it’s Casey who helps find them a new homestead in the meantime and hide, so the guy’s clearly got a good heart. I think we all knew that, though.

I sadly can’t say a lot about the Shredder. I don’t know if it’s really him or someone filling in his role, but either way despite his presence being a threat he doesn’t actually do much this issue. Most of the combat involves his foot soldiers.

Writing

The writing in this issue is rightfully tense and there’s this constant sense of urgency, perfectly fitting for the situation. As usual Laird and Eastman use a small amount of words to tell you mountains about the characters, and everything feels perfectly natural. This issue has a lot more show, don’t tell than previous ones, and I’m glad they’re learning that’s the best method when making a comic.

I should say it seems like their team has gotten larger, but I didn’t see who did what. Either way I’ll just give credit to everyone for both writing and art. The point is I think a larger staff helped. It may have something to do with the improvements overall.

Art

Look at this. Just fucking look at it.

Do I even have to explain why this spread is amazing? It doesn’t overdo the shading, the attention to detail is impeccable, and it gives you the proper ‘oh shit’ feeling just be looking at it. The Shredder is there, waiting for the turtles while feeling no sense of dread. He knows they stand no chance in their current predicament.

Basically, imagine this, but it’s a bunch of panels in a comic. Every panel captures the mood its trying to. The things that need detail have it, and it’s not overdone. The art and design is at a point where the changes are minimal, so it’s as if I’m repeating myself each time. Hell I may just have to use this place to simply showcase panels in future updates.

Final Thoughts

This is the issue where the tone seemingly shifts dramatically, but as usual it doesn’t seem unnatural or even like a mood whiplash. I’ll admit it’s a shame that I’m missing a piece of the puzzle, but I promise to review it if I can locate it, even if it’s late.

Basically, I have a feeling things are gonna feel a little different from this point on, and I’m fucking excited about it.

Thoughts on “Requiem” and “Owari”:

It all has led up to this...not just this season, but this entire series so far has been inching us closer and closer to this ultimate battle. Super Shredder is stable, and taking no prisoners; not even Karai. With all reserves long forgotten, Shredder sets out to claim his ultimate revenge that he’s been after for so long, but now the turtles are out for revenge as well. This is it; the final battle, and there will be pain, struggle and loss. What’s going to happen? Let’s break down this season four finale. I don’t know if you want spoilers are not, but they can be found under the cut, so if you don’t want them, don’t keep reading. If you think you’re emotionally ready for "Requiem,” I promise you that you aren’t. If you still want to watch it, click here.  If you think you’re stable enough after “Requiem” to handle “Owari,” it’s here.

A requiem is a term used – mostly in the context by Catholics – to describe a mass celebrated to honor the dead. Hint, hint. Owari– Japanese for “close” or “end.”

Interesting things in “Requiem”:      - Shredder gets stabilized just in time for the finale. Greeeeeaaaaaaatttttttttt timing.      - Aren’t Footbots supposed to be adaptive? Shouldn’t they be better at fighting Shredder? I mean I get he’s more powerful now but these Footbots aren’t performing like that normally would.      - I wouldn’t say there was ‘no emotional reaction’ there. He did pause briefly to identify her...but I will say it’s unsettling to see him be able to kill her and not care now. That spelled trouble. The one advantages the good guys had is gone.      - The writers themselves are even openly acknowledging here that they parallel their parody shows on the finale. I’m dead.     - The stairs joke had me rolling.      - That awkward moment when Chris Bradford sticks his butt in your face.      - That even more awkward moment when after he sticks his butt in his face, the child still willingly accepts the piggyback ride.      - Okay...the fall thing was a little too in your face. (Mainly because this episode got spoiled for me and I already know what happens at the end but I mean even if I hadn’t, I would have figured it out from that alone.)     - This entire Leo-Splinter scene in the dojo hurts me and I’m not ready to talk about it here so we’ll just save it for the break downs.      - Super huge appreciation bullet for the fact that Karai and Shini went to hide with the Mutanimals because they knew their old lair wasn’t safe anymore. Karai has gotten so much wiser and Shini is just awesome so...     - That predictable moment when 10 seconds after you point out the place you’re staying is safe from your biggest enemy, the alarm indicating that your biggest enemy is there goes off.     - “Is anyone actually watching the monitors?” - Shini / me. Also, Shini’s sassy pose is my life.      - @ me *is upset we missed like half of what apparently has been the greatest battle ever.*     - Shredder: “I AM HERE TO KILL ALL OF YOU.” *Leaves without killing anyone.*     - Why does Raph say, “hurry, Leo!”? Why not “Hurry guys!” or even “hurry, Sensei!”? Why is it specifically Leo? Hahaaa.     - Splinter literally pulls Karai out by her arm. So you know how painful that would be assuming that even worked? Don’t ever tell me her arm was not disconnected by this action.       - The fact that Leo knows CPR appreciation bullet. (I want back story on how he got trained in that.)      - The fact that Leo was the only one who reacted in that way dis-appreciation bullet. (I think it should have been Donnie, personally.)     - LEO’S FACE WHEN HE SAVES KARAI IS MY FAVORITE MOMENT OF THIS EPISODE HANDS DOWN.     - Splinter having that vision telling him which enemies went which way only further fuels my theory that HE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN but also kinda kills it because if he knew then why would he send half the team after the wrong pair and I just don’t know what’s going on anymore.      - Not saying Splinter’s advice wasn’t good or anything but what on earth does “leading from your heard” have to do with this situation, exactly? If anything, Leo is using his heart to voice his concerns about this plan not being good at all.      - Four seasons in and Leonardo is still the worst driver I have ever seen. (Seriously, he’s lucky there were no people on that sidewalk.)     - Revisiting old areas for fight scenes makes me happy.      - #ThrowbackThursday #ThrowingItBackToTheLastThursdays     - The rocket-shooting horses are a bit much...     - I super appreciate going back to the Wolf Hotel for this battle, because I recognized it as the first place the turtles fought Shredder before Raph even said it, so I’m already both aead of the curve AND pumped.      - 2012 forever throwing that full moon in my face...but seriously, nice entrance.      - Um, Splinter’s back should definitely be broken– no, he’s fine? Okay. Moving on.      - Casey going to catch Raph warmed my heart...even though he fell off the building as a result. He was okay in the end...but seriously, Casey moving to save Raph like that. Best friend points.      - You’re gonna try to convince me that Splinter can take the beating he took and keep fighting, but April gets on little but and she’s useless? April is (arguably) more or less the most powerful being on that rooftop because of her powers and she only uses them when it’s convenient. (She could literally levitate Shredder off of that building and drop him if she wanted to.)     - It was so nice of Shredder to pause and wait for Splinter to get over there in front of April and Raph before he started shooting. He’s such a polite villain.      - I’m just sitting here wishing we could watch Donnie’s fight more because he’s all over that carousel showing off how adaptive he can be in a fight and we have to sit here and watch the Leo-Season-Four-Trope where he gets hurt/almost dies only to be saved by someone else at the last minute.      - Pretty sure Leatherhead just casually murdered Rahzar and we just kinda breeze through that so I mean...okay...     - YOU WANT ME TO SIT HERE WATCHING THIS AND BELIEVE THAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS BATTLE WITH SUPER SHREDDER, APRIL HAD TIME TO FACETIME DONATELLO AND ASK FOR HELP. I CAN TOTALLY BUY THAT SHE WOULD CALL, BUT SHE LITERALLY JUST SKYPED HIM FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE BATTLE.      - That awkward moment when Splinter pauses and it’s the typical moment of, “the good guy has the chance to end this now but stops for whatever reason, thus allowing the big dramatic thingy that’s about to happen to happen.”     - I think we all hate Shredder just a little more for calling Splinter, “brother” just now.     - Leo’s scream is so confusing. I mean it’s implied that he saw Splinter die, but Splinter was stabbed after Leo screamed? I don’t get the placement of that scream.     - Also, Seth Green’s scream is 11/10, would recommend, one of his best moments in this show if not his absolute best.      - Seth Green’s moment when he says “father...father.” is 151827367289128372891827284/10 definitely recommend, I want that on my tombstone when I die and I want the quote to be credited to Seth Green. Like, guys, I’ve heard that line too many times at this point and it still gives me chills.      - Also, look at Leo’s eyes. Look at how huge they are. I’ve sucked at pointing this out for a majority of the episode, but the eye animation has been so incredible.      - They really love giving April the super saiyan hair these days.     - SUPER APPRECIATION BULLET FOR CASEY AND THE 1990 REFERENCE. THEY EVEN DID THE “OOPS” LINE.     - Leo’s hand on Splinter’s torso is literally shaking while he’s holding Splinter’s body. Like, the animation in this episode and the attention to detail...I can’t. It’s so good.      - Seth Green’s line of, “no, please...” is 94875483920938478290938476718928374382938478912837891028374829128374678912387483923847678292394723985649024889342089429172095739874829462398794060/10, definitely would recommend and at this point, I’ll probably have “I survived Seth Green’s performance in Requiem” tattooed on my body at some point in my life being 100% serious. Guys, Seth has KILLED IT in this episode. I can’t even believe how great he’s doing.     - On a far less serious note, I know this is a children’s show and we can’t really see blood or anything totally graphic, but Splinter looks surprisingly well put together for someone who was just stabbed through the chest and thrown off a building to crash onto the ground and fall to his extremely untimely death.     - I lost it when Mikey said “poppa...” I lost it.     - I lost it again when they all carried his body away.     - I refuse to feel anything over Shredder still being alive because I knew that was the case but still slightly annoyed.      - This is probably not something I should point out considering the trauma we all just went through, but...Where is Slash? They literally left Slash on that rooftop.  Interesting things in “Owari”:     - I’m actually so glad they buried Splinter out at the farm house and that they had all of their friends and allies there to wish him goodbye, because Splinter really did touch so many lives.      - PIGEON PETE IS THERE. OH MY GOD THERE HE IS!!!     - KIRBY O’NEIL IS ALSO THERE. LOOK AT THIS GATHERING OF ALL OF 2012′S LEAST RESPECTED SIDE CHARACTERS!      - Seeing April in her old outfit threw me for a second. Hahaaa.      - They totally got me with that shot of all the turtles by his grave. I really thought Leo was going to be alone there. So when he faded and his brothers were still there, I was surprised. Good for you, 2012. You still have some surprises for me.      - Drugs are bad, Leonardo. No but seriously, if vision Splinter becomes a regular thing, I would be okay with that, because one; it showcases and highlights just how much Leo depends on his father and how lost he is without him (especially with that “I can’t go one without you, father...” line) and two; it keeps Hoon Lee in the series.      - Even in the hospital, Karai’s makeup is still fierce enough to kill a man. Slayyyyy.     - Seeing these five interact like siblings is the happiest thing I’ve seen in this series in ages and I feel like I’m alive again.      - Casey’s new mask appreciation bullet.      - Black outfits appreciation bullet.     - Okay, so...I gotta say the goofy dialogue bugs me a little bit. This is supposed to be a serious moment where they’re gearing up to end their greatest villain, and avenge literally every wrong thing he’s done against them...and we get dialogue about toes. Like, I know we have to throw in some light stuff for the children watching...but that’s the best they could do? It feels like they’re not taking this moment seriously; both the turtles and the writers.      - I guess Leo finally canonically said Booyakasha.      - Love the concept of having to battle our way through the woods.      - The arrows gave me flashbacks to season two’s finale. Feels.      - The lighting in this whole forest fight sequence is 10/10, would recommend.      - April’s powers confuse me more and more with every fight.      - I’m pretty sure Raph just murdered Fishface.      - Yes, because Super Shredder would be lying in bed chillin’ like a villain.      - NO 2012. DO NOT TRY TO CONVINCE ME BAXTER STOCKMAN WAS HAPPY AS A FLY. We have seen him complain numerous times about his mutated for and make multiple attempts to become a human again. I do not buy that whole monologue and refuse to believe that Stockman wanted to remain a fly.      - I cracked up when Donnie called him “Michael.” You guys, I seriously cracked up and I don’t even know why.      - 2k3 references all over the place in this funfest of an episode.      - We’re wasting a lot of episode time taking out enemies that are not the Super Shredder...     - Casey should have been dead. Casey should have definitely been dead by the time they finally shut down those traps. Although I will say I laughed at the emojis.      - SINCE WHEN CAN APRIL EVER DO THAT? SINCE WHEN CAN SHE MAKE A FORCEFIELD? WHAT EVEN ARE HER POWERS ANYMORE?      - Incase you guys had forgotten that Leo was now suffering from extreme amounts of pressure to be leader now, Tiger Claw was given a line to remind you of all of that.      - I’m sorry but Leo’s lines in his fight with Tiger Claw are so lame and I’m dead.     - TIGER CLAW KEEPS PET TIGERS AND I’M EVEN MORE DEAD.     - SINCE WHEN CAN APRIL JUST FLOAT ALL OF HER FRIENDS? I AM SO DONE AT THIS POINT. LOL.     - Oh, there’s Shredder. Nice. We have...five minutes to defeat him, if we want some sort of closure scene after this. If we don’t want that, we have seven minutes. Aaaaaaaaand, go.    - Aaaaaaaaand Casey and April don’t even get to do anything. Nice.     - It’s canon that Raphael’s best insult in the moment they all starred Shredder down was “freak nut.”    - It’s canon that Michelangelo’s best insult in the moment they all starred Shredder down was “cheese grater.”    - Serious appreciation bullet to the camera angels and choreography of this fight. It was so cool to watch all the turtles fighting in sync for a few moments and landing hits.     - Also absolutely LOVED watching them attempt to retromutate Shredder. Like seriously, A+ choreography for this entire fight sequence.     - At least April gets to be somewhat useful in this fight...    - GO MIKEY GO MIKEY GO!    - Super appreciating this Mirage-ending setup. I knew Ciro wanted to go this route to close this arc but seeing it actually happen with the 2012 spin on it is really cool.    - Watching Leo question Shredder while they were fighting one on one was really interesting, and even more so when Shredder paused and actually questioned what he was doing for a single second. But Leo didn’t even give him a chance to finish the thought, which absolutely raises so many questions. Where could that moment have gone had Leo not immediately stopped Shredder from contemplating his destiny? Like honestly, the curiosity is consuming me right now.    - I’m really glad Super Shredder paused long enough for Leo to have that vision of Splinter.    - THANK YOU 2012. OMG. THANK YOU FOR RECREATING THE CLASSIC MIRAGE ENDING. I WILL FOREVER WISH THAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN SPLINTER TO END IT ALL, BUT I’M ALSO MORE THAN PERFECTLY CONTENT IT WAS LEO. LIKE, GUYS, THAT’S THE CLASSIC ARC AND SEEING IT REINCARNATED IN WHAT HAS BEEN A GREAT SERIES SO FAR REALLY JUST DROVE IT HOME. I’M SO PUMPED RIGHT NOW. ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE WAS ALWAYS THE POSSIBILITY THAT NICK WASN’T GOING TO LET CIRO AND BRANDON DO THIS ENDING. LIKE SERIOUSLY, THE FIRST TIME HE PITCHED IT TO THEM, IT GOT SHUT DOWN SO HARDCORE. BUT THAT WAS SO LONG AGO AND I’M JUST SO HAPPY RIGHT NOW. GUYS. GUYS. SEND AN AMBULANCE.     - Well...that ended fairly quickly. I mean we don’t even get to see them celebrate or hug or anything.    - Yeah Leo delivered the final blow but it was actually a team effort to get there and everything else so...can we throw some recognition to the others, too? No? Okay...    - This ending scene feels really final. We still have season five and possibly other seasons beyond this, but as far as the main story goes, this does feel like an ending and I’m pretty grateful for that.     - Here’s to you, season four. You ended on a high note.  If you’re still alive (no pun intended there) after all of that, let’s try to keep hanging on for these break downs. I’ve already said this in the bullet points, but I’ll say it again; this finale was spoiled for me about a week ago on my dashboard because someone didn’t tag their spoilers...but I digress. The point of this breakdown is to talk about that little moment with Leo and Splinter in the dojo. I think it makes a lot of sense that Leo would be the one to confront Splinter about his “being distant.” See, the thing is, Splinter and Leo are so close, and to see how much the thought of eventually losing Splinter scares Leo in this opening scene is a reminder of that. It’s a pretty subdued moment from an emotional standpoint, as in there’s no snapping or lashing or anything. Just Leo trying to keep his composure as his father reminds him that one day, he’ll be on his own, and it was just a really sweet moment...but it begs the question, did Splinter know what was going to happen? I think he did. He seems very calm while telling Leo he’s going to be gone one day, and very adamant in reassuring Leo that when that day comes, Leo can handle it. The fact that Splinter had been meditating and “distant” prior to this scene strongly hints that maybe...just maybe, Splinter knew something like this was going to happen. And that makes everything totally heartbreaking. Also, side note: I super appreciate Splinter telling Leo that saying he was chosen “because he asked” at the time to temper his ego was a phenomenal explanation and as a person who has spent the last four seasons bitter over the fact that it was because Leo spoke up that one night in the dojo, I feel like I’m at peace. Hahaaa. The voice acting in "Requiem” was the best it has ever been, but there is one actor who so greatly out shined everyone else. Do NOT ever try to argue with me and say that "Requiem” wasn’t Seth Green’s absolute best performance as Leonardo in an episode. Don’t ever try to, because I will fight you until the day I die that Seth Green has never impressed me more than he did on this one. From the way he screams to the way his voice breaks when he’s calling his father, I had chills throughout this entire episode when Seth delivered lines. Since his first episode, I’ve always felt like Seth was trying to fit into the role. And it was especially difficult for me to see him as Leo, who is my favorite, because of his acting roles in the past, like Chris Griffin in Family Guy, or the evil son from the Austin Powers movies. In the beginning, you could tell he was new and awkward, and it made me miss Jason Biggs as Leo more than ever. But he slowly grew into his role as the leader and blue and I’ve slowly adapted to his voice. Now, with this episode under his belt, I can honestly tell you guys I love Seth as Leo, and I couldn’t even imagine this episode with anyone but him voicing the blue turtle. I just can’t even...I’m still so awestruck at how great he did, and I couldn’t ever praise him enough for this episode. Give him an Oscar or an Emmy for part one.  ...Which makes it weird to see how he kinda lacked a little in “Owari.” I don’t know what it was, but honestly, Seth fell short of the bar he set in that first one in the second half for me. Not saying he didn’t do okay...but after hearing his voice crack and break and just leak pure emotion in that first episode, I was honestly expecting the same level or greatness I’d seen in “Requiem” to be present in “Owari,” especially considering the big events that happen in that second part. Part of me believes it was mostly due to Seth not having as many like earth-shattering lines and screams like he did in part one. I mean, granted, we went from “no, please...” and “father...father” in “Requiem” to “you’ve used up your nine lives, pussy cat,” but still... Granted, he did have some good moments in “Owari,” too, like his conversation with Splinter and even his conversation with the Shredder, but for me, it was no where near “Requiem’s” level of awesome. So now that we’ve seen what Seth is capable of doing in this role, I hope we get more dramatic moments in season five, specifically so we can hear Seth’s talents come out again. It would be a crime not to. Alright, let’s talk about the big event of the first episode...Splinter’s death. This is tricky to explain, because there’s things I loved about this and things I don’t like about it, but overall, I think this death scene did more good things than bad. So let’s talk about the bad and end it with the good. And no, I’m not saying I’m glad Splinter’s dead or it’s great he’s gone.      - The thing is...this is about the fourth time we’ve watched Splinter die. Yes, fourth, if you think about it. First, in the season two finale, Shredder threw him into the drain thing and for a few minutes, we had to assume he was dead, even though it was immediately explained that he had survived at the very end of that same episode. Then, we have the death at the end of season three in “Annihilation Earth,” when he died to be brought back to life via time travel one episode later and ultimately saved from that death 15 episodes later. Finally, the third one came in “The Super Shredder” and/or “Darkest Plight,” where after their battle with Shredder, Splinter pulled both he and himself into the chasm near the underground city, and the turtles had to go searching for him an episode later (you might not consider that a death but some of us do, especially when April has the line, “I can’t sense him”). Anyway, the point is, we’ve seen this happen, three times before this instance, and it kind of pushes me to believe this isn’t anything new, which feels a little short for me. I always expect new and exciting things from season finales, and this wasn’t new and exciting for me. And, because I’ve seen this happen, it doesn’t emotionally phase me as much as I want it to...which sucks, because this should have so much of a bigger impact than it did.      - I think what’s most offensive to me about Splinter’s death is not that it’s been repeated so many times, but that of all the characters in this show, Splinter was the one who deserved to die the least. Not just because he was a good person and he did so many good things and he raised these four heroes and all of that...but honestly, the man never got any resolve. And I guess you can argue that that’s what makes this death so dramatic, but honestly, like I’ve already said a bunch times, we’ve seen this happen already. This is a man who’s lost everything so many times before, and was given fleeting moments of happiness to compensate for that. You know what we never got? A moment where Splinter and Miwa could be happy and honor Tang Shen together. A moment where this father and daughter, after being ripped apart for so many years and so many times by so many horrific circumstances, like kidnapping and death and mutations and etc., could truly just breathe and enjoy each other company for the sake of finally being done with all of the bad and work on building a future with their little family all reunited. Or many a moment when Splinter could have meditated and been at peace knowing that everything was truly past him and nothing like that would happen again. OR SPENT MORE TIME WITH HIS SONS (OTHER THAN LEO!) Because we’ve seen some good moments between Leo and Splinter in the series, but moments with the others were far and few. There was just so much Splinter needed in life that he never got, and so much that he deserved and we as viewers who watched him go through all of those terrible things in his life deserved to see. Splinter deserved true peace and happiness after all of this, but he’ll never get it. It makes me feel like the writers said, “Splinter dying would be a good big dramatic event to stick in this finale so let’s just got with it.” Honestly, I would have been happier if they’d like paralyzed him or made him lose a limb or something. As long as he was alive and got to exist knowing that everything was finally over and that he and his sons AND DAUGHTER could be happy together. Karai didn’t even get to say goodbye to the father she was just starting to know, and honestly, she is seriously just a victim in this show as well. But, because I’m not totally cynical, I can say that of all the times we’ve seen Splinter die, this was the best one in the worst possible ways. This was, without a doubt, the most violent death we saw Splinter experience, hands down. He was stabbed through the chest back in season three, but this time, he fell off a building. And he hit the ground. And his sons watched it (and definitely heard it, but that’s an entirely different thing, I’m sure; point it, it was beyond scarring.) And you know what they did right this time around? The writers made sure nothing else was going on when this happened. The Kraang weren’t invading, the world wasn’t ending, none of it. It was just stillness and silence as they Splinter is impaled and then thrown off the building to his death. You know what the best thing the writers did this time is? We get to see the emotion. We get to see the initial reactions. We get to witness the boys break down and hear them cry in agony as they come to terms with the fact that this time, there is no undoing this. We’ve never gotten to see the boys break like this before (aside from Raph freaking out in the season two finale), and it’s about time we got to see it happen. In fact, the emotions we see are so perfectly laid out and heartbreaking, that you can totally forgive the fact that this is not anything new. It’s almost like we can overlook Splinter’s previous deaths, because it’s finally the proper emotional response and it’s like we’re really seeing this for the first time. Watching these four boys break down at the loss of their father is the most beautiful thing this series has done so far, and the reactions are a part of what has solidified “Requiem” into my list of top favorite 2012 series episodes. These reactions are what I’ve been waiting for every time we’ve seen Master Splinter die, and I feel like all that waiting might have made it the more impactful. But seriously, props to the voice cast for their super deep cries of pain and the animation team for the mannerisms we see, like the shaking and the curling up and everything else. This death scene was hands down the best we’ve ever seen.   Next thing I want to break down is each character’s reactions to Splinter’s death, because each one was hella interesting and if I don’t break them down, the stress will kill me.      - We gotta start with Leo, because he absolutely had the most shown reactions, as in, this episode showcased him the most, and I know that upset some of you. I’ve had quite a few messages telling me that this episode was so painfully Leo-centric, that it almost wasn’t fair at all to the others that went through the exact same thing as he had been; the loss of their father. And to some extent, I agree with you and feel we should have seen a little bit more of the others...but I’m actually completely fine with the way this panned out and that we saw Leo so upfront. It’s not because I’m biased and because Leo is my favorite, but more so of how the way this episode has been structured and how the series overall has shown us how close they are. I’ve never seen Leo, or any of the turtles, refer to Splinter so much as their father in one single episode. It’s like Leo was reminding us the entire time that he’s more than just their teacher, but he is their dad, and hearing it so many times made watching them lose their father all the more unbearable when it happened. But looking at Leo specifically, can you imagine how scared he is? How that conversation he had with Splinter a few hours prior just had to be replaying in his head? How Leo realizes that he is truly and completely on his own now? Leo’s always had Splinter to guide him when he didn’t understand things, and he’s still so young. That safety net is gone, and Leo is all too aware of that. You can hear it in the way he begs for Splinter not to be dead. “No, please...” He’s saying, “please don’t leave us. Please don’t leave me; I can’t do this on my own. I’m not ready. I need you.” All of this mounting pressure and responsibility that has just fallen on Leo is why they showcased him the most here, and it’s evidence from expression and emotion that Leo has never been more lost in his life. And he can’t even speak, because he’s trying so hard to be strong, but even he can’t stop himself from crying. And the little moment he remembered, when Splinter gave him his katana...my heart hurts, because he was definitely remembering how Splinter had told him that he knew from an early age that Leo would be the leader some day. And look at him now. Dear God, my chest is ripped open and I am bleeding out.        - Donnie is so broken that he can’t even speak, which in itself is something we don’t see regularly. See, Donnie is always the one who has a way of explaining things. Donnie always knows what’s going on and how to process the events around him, because he’s the smartest being in the group and probably in all of existence. Here, he’s utterly silent. Here, he can’t understand what’s happening or why. All he knows is that he’s hurting beyond measure and he can’t for the life of him figure out how to make it stop. He can’t fix this. There’s no equation he can solve or no one thing he can invent that can undo what has been done. Nothing he can do can bring his father back. His father, who didn’t always understand his inventions but who always supported him in making them. His father who always had a way of teaching him the things he couldn’t figure out on his own and who raised him since day one. His father, who was his biggest support system in life and who never failed to be there for him no matter what was going on. It’s gone. It’s been ripped away from him in the worst way imaginable. And he’s faced this loss before, but there was always something else to focus on. Wether the Kraang were invading or the world was ending, Donnie always had to put his pain on hold to focus on something else. But now, there is nothing else. There’s just the death of his father, and Donnie has never known that one could hurt this badly. Nothing scares Donnie more than being unaccepted, and the one person who accepted him the most is gone. So all he can do is just cry.      - Casey is behind Donatello in the background and his response is pretty interesting to see. He just folds his arms and looks away like he’s too tough for this whole thing, but really, he’s so hurt to have lost Splinter. We never really saw them as close, but I’m sure they had their moments, and honestly, look at the timeline. Casey was scared beyond reason when he first met Splinter, because rats were Casey’s phobia in the beginning. But overtime, Splinter helped Casey conquer that fear, and I’m sure Splinter helped Casey in other areas as well. In the beginning, Casey couldn’t even look at Splinter because he was afraid of what he would see; now, it’s the exact same principle, but for entirely different reasons. And that in itself is tragic.       - If you didn’t feel like you were being stabbed repeatedly when we saw Mikey, you weren’t watching the right scene and I encourage you to go back and actually watch it. Michelangelo is the child of this group; he is the most innocent and the most pure. And he just lost his dad. Mikey can’t even breathe; seriously, when you listen to him before he’s able to say “poppa,” he’s struggling to breathe, and that’s exactly what I would expect from Mikey. As scatterbrained as Mikey can be, he’s not stupid, and Mikey definitely understands the gravity of this situation. He understands the finality of death, and how this time, there’s no bringing Splinter back. It’s a sharp contrast to how we saw Mikey handle this scenario the first time in the season two finale...when he was the one comforting Raph and telling Raph that “Splinter would be okay.” Now, he’d got no one to console him, because they’ve all lost the same thing, and Mikey knows this time, it’s not going to be okay. He can’t have his father back this time. And no one thing that anyone could say to him would make this okay. Nothing is going to take that pain away. Especially when you remember that Mikey actually saw Splinter hit the ground. He observed and heard Splinter’s body smash into the concrete as he and two of his brothers desperately tried to catch him and failed. He heard Leo, who he’s always known to be in charge and on top of things scream in recognition that they failed to do anything useful in this situation. We see Mikey collapse into sobs while still holding Splinter’s hand in the end, and my soul is totally crushed for him.       - We actually see Raph walk up to the group and it’s very evident that he’s still in complete and utter shock. It’s like mentally, he hasn’t fully processed what just occurred. And seeing it first hand hasn’t made it any easier to understand. But now everything’s slowed down and he’s forced to face this heart-wrenching reality that his father is gone. His father, who has always understood him when no one else did. Who always was quick to forgive and empathize with his temper issues because everyone else around him failed to get it. The one person who understood him better than anyone is gone. The one person who raised him to understand that his anger did not define him, and who taught him how to channel and control his rage. That support system is gone, and Raph must feel like he’ll never have that level of understanding in his life again. Splinter never failed to reassure Raphael that his anger issues were a part of who he was and that he could use it to bring about change and positivity rather than destruction. Can you imagine losing the one person who has never given up on you since day one, because he was once where you were in life. Raph can’t, and yet, there he was, suffering that exact loss. All he can do is cover his face with his hand and wipe the tears away, because even though he’s the tough guy in the group, even he isn’t strong enough to hold back the tears.       - We don’t see much of April’s reaction initially. Well, we know she was angry, because she shot Shredder off the roof with a psychic blast powerful enough to shatter a cement wall. But sadness-wise, we only get a quick glimpse. But because we’ve seen how close April and Splinter are over the series, that quick little shot of her and Casey walking behind the turtles sadly is all we need to know April feels like she’s lost her own father. In a lot of ways, Splinter did father her. Splinter was always there to help her, wether it was training, offering her a place to stay and protection or anything in between. And April cannot believe she lost that in the ways that she did. Splinter was April’s adopted father, and the two of them were so close since day one. They might not be related by blood, but the loss hurts her just as much as if they were.  You know what upsets me a lot in this finale? how little a role Karai got to play. I mean, seriously, the girl is one of the biggest aspects of this story, and she didn’t even help get to avenge her father. Or get some payback for all the hurt and suffering and lies she experienced in her lifetime. Karai deserved just as much a happy ending as Splinter did, and in a lot of ways, she is happy now, and I like to see that. But at the same time, I wish we could have gotten to see her take some of her own happiness for herself. Watching her fight for 30 seconds in part one and then lying in a hospital bed to be told her real father was dead and not get to see her kick some butt like we know she can hurt a little.  The pacing for “Owari” was all over the place, and not in a good way. I mean, I get that it was a nonstop battle episode, and I think it definitely had to be...but this episode would have been A LOT better if we could have spent two full episodes on breaking into Shredder’s evil fortress. Seriously, 2003 gave this arc like a full four episodes, and they took their time to really go through getting to the final battle with Shredder. In this episode, much like 2003, the turtles have to go through all of Shredder’s forces before they get to him, but they gave themselves four entire episodes to do just that, and a full episode to battle the Shredder. Here, we have literally 22 minutes to take out MULTIPLE henchmen AND THEN Super Shredder himself.  The ending of “Owari” is a decent wrap up for the main story. They did a pretty good job tying up the main plot, but there’s still a lot of unanswered questions and loose ends that worry me. What about Timothy and his story? If Rahzar and Fishface are still alive, will we see them again and will we retromutate them as well (honestly I was kind of hoping for that to happen)? Will Leo and the others still have visions of Splinter in the future (or is it just Leo since he’s considered the most spiritual in this series)? What about other mutant villains we’ve seen over the last four seasons, like Snakeweed or Spiderbytez? Those are just the tip of the ice burg; there’s still a lot left that I hope we get resolution for in the coming season or seasons, depending on how far they was to take it. This finale ties up our major story, but we need to address our other side stories as well. Don’t let me down, season five.  I guess I’ve ranted enough, so let’s get ready to close this out with final thoughts...but there’s just so much to say. Looking at season four as a whole, it had a lot of weak moments for me. I felt the space arc dragged at times and the resolution to “Annihilation Earth” wasn’t as strong as it should have been. I also felt a little cheated with April’s corruption arc and how all of the build up led to one episode and a resolution I wasn’t totally a fan of. Leo’s constant trope throughout the season – especially in the space arc – of almost constantly dying and getting hurt got super repetitive and annoying at times as well. There were moments of this season that drove me absolutely nuts and there are definitely rants of mine to prove that. However, season four wasn’t a total loss. For all the chaos and discord, they also had some really high points; I felt that some of the episodes we got were the best of the series overall.  When I compare these two episodes side-by-side, I think “Requiem” wins out. While I appreciated the Mirage-based ending and the brilliant filmography and choreography of “Owari,” it just didn’t hit the emotional levels “Requiem” did. “Owari’s” fast-pacing hurt the episode as a whole a little bit. I was really excited to see Leo deliver the final blow, but I think the other characters deserved to get more hits than they got. We had to go through so many other bad guys before we got to Shredder, and Shredder was the whole point of this episode. They did a great job in the time they were given, but they should have given themselves more time. Expand on Raph (maybe?) killing Fishface. Show us Leo’s reaction to Tiger Claw’s comments after they had a moment to stop and for him to process them. Let Donnie struggle to believe that his retromutagen really didn’t work for a few minutes. Give Mikey a few more epic shots as he swings his nunchucks in battle. It was all just so rushed. And the moment when Shredder was actually pondering what Leo had said to him about destiny...where could that moment had gone had we had more time for it? When you rush an episode, you lose the potential for those things, and you can argue that we already had so much emotion and grief to deal with from having to see Splinter’s death, but this episode called for even more expansion on that in so many moments, and we just didn’t have the time for it. We didn’t even get to see the boys run up to Leo and jut all process that their brother had both survived and ended the ultimate battle they’ve all been fighting for years. There’s no way they held those reactions in until they were all on the rooftop with Karai. So many things needed to happen that didn’t. "Owari” was a good episode, but for me, “Requiem” shined so much harder. It did an excellent job in setting us up for the final battle with the Shredder, which ended entirely too quickly. All of the little details and development that went into “Requiem” really showcased how wonderful this show can be. From little things like the animation of the eyes with the pupil shrinkage and expansion to how hardcore the cries and dark moments were, it was a phenomenal episode with very few flaws. I wish that “Requiem” could have been the episode to lead up to the two-part finale, and not have it as part one of the finale itself. So for “Requiem,” I’d give it a 9.5/10 and “Owari” gets a 8/10. We’re not through yet; season five is coming. Honestly, “Requiem” set a new standard of episodes for me in this series. I want to see those same emotional highs come out in the future of this series. We’ve already established that things can get insane in this show, but season four overall especially. We saw everything from more violent action to actual character deaths to so much more pain than we’ve ever seen, and I’m extremely optimistic that season five can keep this momentum going. Like Casey said at the very end, Tiger Claw is out there and he has a serious revenge complex now. On top of that threat, we have so many loose ends to go back to as well. There’s a lot I want to see in season five as well. I want to see Karai and the turtles team up more; maybe even live together. I want to see the turtles struggle to adjust to life without Splinter for a while; Leo learning how to be a leader truly on his own, Raph have outbursts and no one to empathize with him, Mikey try to cope without having a dad, and Donnie go through life without Splinter’s wisdom and guidance to reassure him. I want to see Alopex come back as the fight with Tiger Claw gets more sever. I want to see Casey continue to improve. I want to know just what the hell April’s powers are, because they keep changing. Hahaaa. So much. So many things. And I’m confident season five can take us there. If anything, they’ve already promised us more multi-episode arcs, which will be cool.  Season five will begin with “Scroll of the Demodragon,” in which the turtles meet new foes after they were sure they’d defeated all the old ones.  We have a bit of time in between now and the season five premiere, so let’s talk about this finale, and about season four as a whole. Send me all of your thoughts here. Previous review for The Tale of Tiger Claw here. All season four reviews here. All episode reviews index here. Podcast review here.

Secret of the Sewers: On the Run

In the wake of the Triceratons pulling out, Agent Bishop made a hasty exit from the U.N. building. Waiting for him was a large black trailer, unmarked save for an eagle on the side. The door slid open and he entered, greeted by the sight of several EPF techs monitoring a row of screens. Each screen showed a different view of New York, but their main focus was Time Square, and the alien wreck that lay smoking in the center of it.

"Status report." Bishop demanded.

"Air Force shot down a lone Triceraton ship that entered the atmosphere." an agent supplied. "Initial scans show multiple life forms aboard."

"Triceraton?" Bishop asked.

"No, sir." the agent answered. "Scans indicate four humanoids, and six non-humans."

Bishop stroked his chin in response.

"Must be the turtles." He deduced. "Any movement?"

"Not yet." Another agent answered. "Forces are moving in. Your orders?"

"Ensure that they are dealt with accordingly." Bishop replied. "No mistakes."

...

The scene of the wrecked spaceship was the center of everyone's attention. The army was moving in with weapons ready, helicopters coming in with bright spotlights shining down on the wreckage. Police cruisers cordoned off the area, people gathering at the barrier to try and get a glimpse inside.

Inside the ship, everyone was trying to pull themselves up from the crash.

"Alright, who's not dead?" Leo asked with a pained groan. "Sound off."

One by one, his brothers gave pained groans of their own. Splinter shifted some rubble off of himself, Leatherhead pushing his way through a mass as well, Hisako cradled in his arms. Mona Lisa slipped out from under the now crumbled dashboard, rubbing her face.

"We survived?" she questioned. "How?"

"My guess, by the skin of our shells." Raph chimed in.

They all convened, catching sight of their human allies. Casey and April were out cold, large gashes on their heads as they lay crumbled in a corner. Murakami was slumped over one of the seats on the ship, unmoving save for an occasion rise and fall of his chest. Hisako was still in Leatherhead's grasp, a state that greatly worried the crocodile.

"Why…. is she not… waking up?" He asked.

"She must have hit her head in the crash." Donny deduced.

"I guess we non-humanoids were tough enough to come out mostly unscathed." Mona Lisa remarked, wincing and holding her side. "Though I fear we are all in need of a medic."

"No time for that now." Leo replied. "We got company."

Spotlights shined through the broken windshield, everyone ducking down to avoid detection. Once it passed, everyone looked up again.

"We need to get out of here." Splinter insisted. "We have already lost our secret. I fear what the people of New York will do to us if we are caught."

"Then let's haul shell back to the lair." Mikey suggested.

"Uh, easier said than done." Donnie spoke up. "Four of us are down, all of us are injured, and there's an entire army out there ready to turn us into turtle soup!"

"Then our only hope is to separate." Splinter decided.

"Split up?" Raph let out. "Sensei, no offense, but there's no way we can take these guys on our own. Not the way we are now."

"And what about Casey, April, and Murakami?" Mikey asked.

"They should be alright." Splinter told them. "They are human and will be taken care of. As for us, we are too big a group to travel stealthily. We must disperse to reduce our chances of capture. We will reconvene back at the lair when our pursuers have been eluded."

"I will protect Oracle." Leatherhead promised. "I ran with her once… I will do it again."

"Wouldn't expect anything less." Leo replied.

"I'll stick with Lisa." Raph declared, taking the Salamandarian's arm. "She doesn't know this city like we do."

"Right." Leo agreed.

They all ducked down again as a spotlight flew over them.

"We cannot stay here any longer." Splinter realized. "We have to go now."

"Alright." Leo relented. "Good luck everyone."

Leatherhead pulled Hisako tighter in his grip, then ran through the windshield, shattering it to pieces. This opened a clear path into the dense wooded area before them. The croc took off into the trees, the turtles, Splinter and Lisa right behind him. Once they got a fair distance from the wreck, they all split off in opposite directions. Unaware of their escape, the army closed in of the ship, managing to pry the already loose doors open. They found April, Casey, and Murakami passed out inside, quickly radioing in assistance.

"We've got three civilians inside, suspected massive trauma."

"Bring them in." Agent Bishop's voice ordered. "I want them under lockdown. Nobody sees them until I give the all clear. Understood?"

"Yes sir."

...

Leatherhead came to the edge of the wooded area of Central Park, seeing all of the cop cars surrounding the entire area. He snarled, his eyes flashing momentarily at the realization of his current helplessness. Seeing a fair sized rock on the ground, he quickly came up with a plan. Gently setting Hisako down, he picked it up and chucked it at a cop car far off to the side. It smashed through the engine easily, drawing the attention of every cop within hearing distance.

Not wasting a moment, Leatherhead grabbed Hisako once more, bolting towards the edge of the park. A few cops caught sight of the escaping mutant and gave chase.

"Stop!" One shouted. "Monster!"

"We can't let it get away!" another cried out.

Leatherhead snarled, but kept running, doing his best to keep his head down. The cops pursued him, a few letting off a few shots to try and take him down. Leatherhead managed to move fast enough around the shots to avoid getting hit, but one managed to clip Hisako's dangling leg. She let out a yelp of pain, a sound that made the crocodile's blood boil. He whipped around and leapt at the cop, grabbing him and slamming him to the ground.

"The monster's got a hostage!" One of the cops shouted.

"Okay Missing Link, drop the girl now!" Another demanded, leveling his gun with Leatherhead's skull.

Leatherhead snarled at the officer, wanting nothing more than to tear them apart. He set Hisako on the ground and leapt towards the cops, his teeth tearing into their guns. A few shots got him in the arm, but his hide prevented them from doing too much damage. If anything, the pain just seemed to make him angrier. He whipped his tail at one, knocking him into a wall. He then moved towards the others and roared loudly.

"GO AWAY!"

The officers slowly backed away before flat out running in the other direction. Leatherhead snorted, then turned back to where he'd left Hisako. He froze when he saw she was no longer there, panic overtaking him. His breathing became heavier and his eyes darted around, desperately searching for his friend.

"Oracle?!" he shouted. "ORACLE?!"

...

Hisako, meanwhile, was being loaded into an ambulance by some officers that managed to grab her during Leatherhead's fight. An EMT was looking over her unconscious form, taking note of her wounds.

"Blunt force trauma to the forehead, possible concussion." The EMT began. "Bullet wound in the leg, severe burns on her arms, several broken ribs."

The EMT let out a small sigh.

"It's a miracle this girl's alive." they tacked on.

"We need to get her to the hospital." The EMT's partner insisted.

The doors to the back of the ambulance began to close, but before they could, a gloved hand stopped them. The doors were pulled open again, revealing a pair of EPF agents.

"We'll take it from here." One of the agents informed.

The EMTs were shocked to say the least.

"You'll what now?" One asked.

"Take the girl." The second agent answered.

"This girl needs a hospital." The second EMT insisted. "You're interfering with our job."

"We're taking her to a specialized facility capable of handling her." The first agent insisted.

"Handling her?" The first EMY questioned. "This isn't one of those… things. She's an innocent girl!"

"This isn't up for discussion." The agent told them, brushing past them. "We're taking her, and that's final."

The agent pulled Hisako off the gurney she'd been laying on, carrying her out of the ambulance. The EMTs went to object, but the second agent blocked their path. A third then activated a communicator on his wrist.

"Hamato Hisako has been acquired." He reported. "They nearly took her to the hospital."

"Then we just prevented a major cataclysm in this city." Bishop replied. "Take her to where her friends are being kept. Remember, no antiseptics, and minimal guards."

"What about the beast?" The agent questioned. "It won't rest until it finds her."

There was some mild cursing on the other end.

"Those idiot police..." he swore. "Alright, new plan. Patch her up and get her back to him. Hopefully that will quell his temper."

"Yes sir." the agent replied, signing off.

...

Meanwhile, Raph lead Lisa ran through one of the more deserted streets. The ship crash has taken out a few power lines, leaving a good block in total darkness, something the two took full advantage of. They made it several feet before they were forced into an alley, hiding as a patrol of soldiers passed by. Raph ducked behind a dumpster and Lisa clung to the wall, her eyes narrowing at the men.

"Who are these men?" she questioned. "Why do they hunt us?"

"Our planet's military." Raph explained. "As for why, let's just say this planet isn't as keen on mutants as space is."

"I recall the old, blind man mentioning your existence being a secret." Lisa remembered. "Now I see why. Your own planet has turned against you."

"They were never really on our side to begin with." Raph corrected.

"Then why return?" Lisa questioned. "Why not take Traximus' offer?"

"Got friends here." Raph told her. "Friends like April and Casey."

He let out a small snort.

"Ironically, the only human friends we have were on that ship with us." He declared. "There's only a few of them, but they're the best friends a ninja turtle could ask for."

"They are a mere three humans on a planet of nearly 10 billion." Lisa pointed out. "And this display of aggression makes it quite clear what they think of you. So again I ask, why did you return?"

"It's home." Raph answered. "Really, the only home I've ever known. Plus once you try some Mario Bros pizza, you'll wanna stay too."

"Mario… bros… pizza?" she repeated slowly.

Raph sighed.

"I'll tell you later." he promised before stiffening. "Hide!"

They both hid as a pair of officers turned towards the alley, shining flashlights all around. Once the lights were gone, Raph and Lisa poked their heads out of their hiding spots.

"We are too exposed out here." Lisa hissed. "We must get to safety soon."

"Easier said than done." Raph replied. "Nearest unmanned manhole cover in several blocks to the north. And it's in the middle of an intersection, so we'll be spotted for sure."

"Is there anywhere else we can go that's safe?" Lisa questioned.

Raph thought for a moment, glancing around before finally getting an idea.

"There is one place." he answered. "And lucky for us, it's just around the block."

They both emerged from their hiding places, taking hands before taking off.

...

At the same time, Donatello made his way through back alleyways. He'd tried to climb up to the rooftops for a safer vantage point, but his arm had protested almost immediately. He was certain something was either bruised, sprained, or broken, but didn't have the time to find out which. He held his injured arm as he ran, taking refuge in an alley.

"Which way'd it go?" a cop that had been chasing him shouted.

"He can't be hard to find with that coat on!" another replied.

Donnie looked down at his white lab coat, which might as well have been a neon sign saying 'catch me'. He took it off, wincing in pain as he did so, and stuffed it into an empty garbage can.

"Luckily trash day for this part of the city isn't for a few days." he remarked. "Hopefully I can get it back."

Getting back to his feet, Donny started running towards a nearby manhole cover. He came to a screeching halt when he saw that the alley said manhole was in had a pair of cops waiting.

"Shell." He cursed. "With my arm like this, there's no way I can get down below without them noticing. What am I gonna do?"

He backed away, his eyes never leaving the cops. Unfortunately, he wasn't watching where he was going and tripped over the curb. He yelped, falling on his butt and drawing the attention of the cops. Donny tried to get back to his feet and move but his injuries were making it difficult. He scrambled back, his shell hitting the door to a brownstone.

"No, no, no, no." he let out.

"Hey." One of the cops spoke up. "You hear something?"

"Better check it out." the second cop declared.

Donny's brain was overloading with a plethora of curse words Splinter would have punished him for. He closed his eye, preparing for the inevitable. That's when the door he was leaning against opened behind him, causing him to fall back. He found himself staring at a pair of old slippers, thick purple pajama pants partially covering them. His eyes traveled upward, eventually landing on the familiar face of Irma

"Irma?" He let out.

Irma didn't speak, merely grabbing him by the arms and dragging him inside. Once he was all the way inside, she closed the door, locking it before turning to Donny.

"You need to hide, now." she insisted. "I don't know if they saw you."

"I don't think so." Donny replied.

"You really want to take that chance?" Irma challenged.

"Good point." Donny conceded. "Any suggestions?"

"Coat closet." she answered. "You can't climb in that condition."

She helped him get to his feet, leading him over to the closet. She opened the door and he sat down in side, curling up in the corner behind several coats. Irma just managed to arrange them neatly before there was a knock on the door. Taking a breath and brushing off her pajamas a little, she went to the door and opened it.

"Good evening, Miss." One of the officers greeted.

"Is everything alright?" Irma asked, looking genuinely nervous. "Are those… Triceratons gone?"

"It appears so," the officer replied. "But the creatures they were after are still loose in the city. Have you seen anything suspicious at all?"

"I've been hiding in my room since this whole thing began." Irma replied. "You don't think those things are… Y'know… dangerous?"

"It's too soon to say." The other officer told her. "Just keep an eye out, and if you see one of the creatures, call 911."

"I will, I promise." Irma assured them. "Good luck."

"Thank you ma'am." The first officer replied, tipping his hat. "Good night."

With that, they left and Irma closed the door. She watched them through the peephole for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief.

"They're gone." she declared. "You can come out now."

Donny opened up the closet door and slowly walked out.

"Thanks." Donny spoke.

"You're welcome, Don." She replied, walking over to him. "Now, let's look at that arm."

Before he could say anything, she ushered him into the kitchen, plopping him down at the table. As she scavenged around for medical supplies, it finally dawned on him that she had clearly seen him as a turtle, and hadn't reacted to it in the slightest. More than that, she'd lied to the police for him.

"So… you seem relatively unphased." Donny noted. "With the whole 'mutant turtle' thing I mean."

"Mutant?" Irma repeated, looking up from a cabinet. "My thoughts went to aliens. That Zanramon guy did call you a 'Gamaron'."

"It's a misconception." Donny explained. "But still, why aren't you freaking out?"

"I kind of figured it out." Irma replied, finally finding what she was looking for. "Aha! I knew it was in here!"

She returned to the table with a large, white box with a red cross on it. She set it down, opening it up and pulling out a bottle of antiseptics.

"Any wounds I need to clean?" she asked.

"I think there's something on my arm." He explained. "How'd you figure it out?"

"Well, the makeup you wore to the science expo was rather heavy handed." she answered. "Arm up."

He held out his injured arm as she continued.

"An amateur could have done a better disguise job." she went on, gently dabbing some antiseptics on a rather nasty cut on his arm. "But, you seemed like you were having fun so I figured I'd get to know you before making any judgements. Glad I did. Most fun I've had in a long time."

"Same with me." Donny agreed.

Irma set the antiseptic cloth aside, looking at his arm carefully.

"Let me know if this hurts." she told him.

She then began gently squeezing the muscles on his forearm. To Donnie, it felt as if someone was crushing his arm in a garbage press. He gritted his teeth and tried to pull away, but Irma kept a firm grip.

"Damn, it's sprained." she muttered. "On the bright side, it's not broken. You got lucky."

"I guess so." Donny replied. "I can't stay here for long. I have to get back to my family."

"Not in this condition, you're not." Irma insisted, getting to her feet. "I need to get a splint for your arm, and you… help yourself to whatever's in my fridge. After the day you've had, you've got to be hungry."

"You're not wrong there." Donny agreed.

Irma walked off to collect what she needed, leaving Donnie alone in the kitchen. Though hunger gnawed at him, he couldn't help but sigh in relief, grateful to be safe, at least for the moment.

...

Mikey scrambled up a fire escape, trying to reach the rooftop as quickly as he could. His footsteps up the metal stairs drew the attention of several cops. A flashlight shined on him, eliciting a yelp from the orange turtle.

"Up there!" a cop shouted. "It's headed for the roof!"

"Uh oh." Mikey let out. "Time to book!"

Mikey picked up the pace as he ran up the steps towards the roof. Down below, he could hear the cops rushing to catch up with him, clamoring up the fire escape after him. Once he was up on the roof, Mikey dashed towards the other side, hoping to get some distance between him and the cops. Unfortunately, he didn't see the cops finally coming out from the fire escape.

"Freeze!" A cop shouted, letting off a shot.

The shot nicked Mikey in the leg, causing him to cry out in pain and completely miss his jump. He hit the wall of the adjacent building, rebounding off the fire escape before snapping through several laundry lines. The lines slowed him down enough, and several bags of garbage cushioned his fall.

"That's gonna leave a mark..." he groaned, looking at his injured leg and wincing. "No more rooftops tonight… shell."

He slowly picked himself up, nearly falling over again after putting pressure on his bad leg.

"No running either..." he winced. "Not good. Need to think of something fast."

He starts looking around, seeing certain items of garbage that started to get an idea. Knowing time was running out, he got to work. As he did, the cops descended from the roof as fast as they could, closing in on the alley. They got on either side of it, spotting Mikey's silhouette in the shadows of the closed off area. They bolted towards him, tackling him to the ground as several others aimed their guns at the orange turtle.

"Don't move!" They shouted. "We've got you-"

They cut off when they realized that what they had tackled was not Mikey. In fact, it was a dummy made out of garbage with Mikey's clothes thrown on it. The cops got up, looking down at the dummy in confusion and shock.

"The creature gave us the slip." One swore. "Damn. Search the area! He couldn't have gone far!"

The officers pulled out of the alley, spreading out to begin their search. Once they were gone, Mikey poked his head out from behind a dumpster in the alley. He watched them go, then let out a sigh of relief.

"Too close." he let out.

He carefully limped out of his hiding spot, clad only in a pair of boxers. He glanced down at his clothing left on the dummy, wincing a bit.

"As much as I don't want to go home in my underwear, my clothing could give me away." he muttered, groaning slightly. "Why has orange betrayed me?"

...

Leo meanwhile kept quiet as he dashed through the city. Sticking to alleyways and ducking behind cars, he tried to put as much distance between himself and the crash. He knew that cops and government officials were still close by, and was unwilling to risk leading them to his home.

"Need to lose my pursuers." he said quietly. "Just need somewhere to do it."

He tried to think of a possibility as his eyes wondered. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something in the distance. It was the Wolf Hotel, still under construction, with sheets of plastic waving slightly in the wind.

"That'll do." he declared.

He took off towards the building, catching the eye of a few cops. He ran right through the open main door, the cops closing in on him.

"I've got a visual on one of the creatures." One cop reported. "Orders?"

"Corner it." another commanded.

The cops then entered the construction site, guns at the ready. Swiftly and silently, they all moved through the halfway finished building, searching for the turtle. Leo moved quickly as well, darting across the skeletal halls with barely a rustle of plastic to indicate he'd ever been there. Seeing a recently added window, he came with an idea. He leapt to the ceiling and tossed a rock at the window, smashing it.

"What was that?" A cop shouted.

Leo quickly made himself scarce as cops rushed towards the broken window. Seeing the shattered glass, the cops all stopped short.

"It went out the window!" another cop exclaimed. "After it."

The cops all ran from the room as Leo slowly poked his head out of his hiding place. Carefully, he peeked out the window, watching as the cops went the way they perceived he'd gone. Leo smirked, then turned in the opposite direction, slipping out an unfinished window before disappearing.

...

Elsewhere, Splinter made his way across the rooftops of the city. Unlike his children, he had far more success in eluding the police. Though occasionally a sound he made would draw their attention, none of them ever caught sight of the mutant rat. After some more sneaking about, he managed to locate a manhole cover safely hidden in the cover of darkness. He prepared to open it, but was forced to take cover as a pair of cops came walking by.

"I can't believe these things were hiding in our city." One remarked.

"I know, crazy." His partner agreed. "What's next? Gargoyles?"

"With everything going on, it wouldn't surprise me." the first one replied. "Still, I'm still shocked these freaks weren't caught before now."

"Well, remember all those Purple Dragons that we brought in, swearing up and down they'd been taken out by turtles?" his partner challenged. "Maybe these things are what did it."

"Either way, I'll personally sleep better once all these freaks have been rounded up." the first one declared.

"You and me both." the second agreed.

As the cops kept walking, Splinter dove down to the street and lifted the manhole cover, slipping down into the sewers before the cops could even notice him. Once the lid was safely in place, he darted for home, the words of the two cops making his heart beat faster with fear.

"Please be safe, my children." he begged. "Please..."

...

Meanwhile in an EPF medical facility, April, Casey, and Murakami were being watched over by several EPF agents. Their wounds had been tended to, and right now they were waiting for the three to wake up. The first to do so was April, letting out a soft groan as she fumbled for her glasses. Finding them sitting on a small table beside her, she slipped them on, gasping when she found herself not on the Triceraton ship.

"What happened?" She questioned. "Where am I?"

Her eyes then landed on Casey, who was also beginning to come to. Murakami groaned slightly, consciousness returning to him.

"Casey, Mr. Murakami!" she called out.

"It's alright, miss." A new voice declared as a lone agent entered the room. "You're safe now. I had my men transport you here after you were pulled from the wreck of that space craft."

"Where am I?" April asked. "And who are you?"

"My name is Agent Bishop." the man introduced. "I'm the leader of the Earth Protection Force. As for where you are, you're in one of my medical facilities. I had a feeling you three would rather avoid being questioned by the police about how it is you came to be on that spacecraft."

"Uh… thanks." April replied honestly surprised.

"What do you want, man?" Casey questioned, clearly suspicious of the man.

"Nothing." Bishop assured him. "I am merely doing my job and protecting the inhabitants of this world, no matter who, or what, they might be."

All three patients understood the double meaning on his words, falling silent as he spoke again.

"You're all free to leave once the doctor clears you." Bishop informed them. "However, if I may offer my advice, tell your friends that it may be wise to lay low for a while. I fear what may happen to them if they show themselves during such turbulent times."

"We'll… be sure to do that." April told him.

Murakami's sightless eyes narrowed.

"Tell me, Agent." he spoke up. "The rest of the city hunts while you tend to us. Why do you not join the others in their quest?"

"Because I know the truth of their quarry." Bishop explained. "I know that they have given more to protect this city, no, this world, than most. I only wish I could do more."

He then walked out of the room, leaving the three patients to contemplate his words. Once Bishop was out of the room, his comm in his ear went off.

"Sir, we've done what we can for the Hamato girl." the voice on the other end declared. "Orders?"

"Put her on the bus stop off 11th and Bleaker." Bishop ordered. "That's near where the crocodile was last spotted. With luck, he'll take her and vanish before too long."

"Understood sir." the agent replied before signing off.

...

At the bus stop, An EPF agent gently deposited Hisako onto the bench. She was still unconscious, a fresh bandage on her injured ankle, as well as around her head and waist. As the agent ensured she was in no danger of falling off, the sound of what could only be described as a monster rampaging filled his ears.

"ORACLE!"

The agent wisely ran as fast as he could, tearing away from the scene just as a livid Leatherhead rounded the corner. He caught sight of Hisako and instinctively bolted towards her. He looked her over, seeing the bandages and the fact that she was not harmed any further. He felt some of his fear ebb away as he picked her up, cradling her close. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked up, seeing her oldest friend staring down at her.

"Leatherhead?" she let out.

"I've got you… Oracle..." he told her.

Gently running a claw through her hair, he turned towards a nearby manhole. Ripping it from the ground, he hopped right in, the lid clattering behind him. The agent, who'd been hiding behind a building, let out a sigh of relief.

"The croc took the girl and they went down below." he reported.

"Good." Bishop replied. "Any sign of the others?"

"No, sir." the agent replied. "My guess, they've either escaped below, or found somewhere to hide out. These mutants are adept in the art of disappearing."

"True." Bishop conceded. "Keep monitoring just in case. If anyone catches sight of them, I wanna know about it."

"As you command, sir." the agent agreed, going to do as he was told.

...

Back with Donny and Irma, the purple turtle was testing out the splint that Irma had made for his arm. It was sturdy, thank goodness, and did its job well. She even used an old scarf to make a sling for him.

"There, how's that feel?" she asked.

"Better." Donny replied. "Thanks."

Irma gave him a smile, then she let out a sigh.

"I don't suppose I could convince you to stay here until you've rested." she remarked.

"Can't." Donny insisted. "Gotta get back to my family."

"I can respect that." Irma replied. "I can give you a ride somewhere. You can hide in my backseat."

"There's an abandoned garage on B Street south." Donny told her. "It's our connection to the surface."

"Surface?" Irma repeated. "You live under the city?"

Donny nodded, standing up.

"Think you can get me there?"

Irma got up and grabbed her purse off a hook by the door.

"Let's get going." Irma nodded.

She went over to the front door, peeking around to make sure no cops were nearby. She then gave Donny a nod, unlocking her car with the push of a button. Donny rushed to get in, pausing for a brief moment.

"Wait, my coat!" he hissed.

He rushed over to the trash can he'd stashed it in, pulling the coat out. Tucking it under his arm, he dove into the back seat, curling up as best he could. Irma got in and gunned the engines, making for B Street.

...

Leo slipped towards the closest manhole he could locate, the sight of the every lightening sky spurring his movements.

"Gotta get below before the sun rises." he whispered. "Otherwise I may as well just turn myself over."

He made his way towards the manhole, but quickly ducked behind a car when he saw a cop coming his way. Leo watched the cop come to a stop right on top of the manhole cover, pulling out their radio.

"Sun's coming up chief." they reported. "These freaks are about to lose one hell of an advantage."

"You're telling me." Leo muttered under his breath.

"Maintain your position." The chief ordered. "If you see one of those freaks, taze it. I want it alive, so it can tell us where its nest is."

"10-4." The cop replied. "Maintaining position."

Leo mentally cursed, his fists clenching. He looked up at the horizon, knowing all too well he didn't have time to find another manhole. Deciding on a course of action, he silently moved towards the cop, sneaking up on him and performing a nerve jab on his neck. The cop crumbled instantly, Leo catching him and gently laying him down on the ground.

"Nothing personal." He told the cop.

He then lifted the lid of the manhole, hopping in and disappearing.

...

Back in the turtles' lair, Splinter managed to arrive first. He looked around his home, feeling his heart plummet into his stomach when he saw how empty it was.

"My children!" He called out. "Is anyone here?!"

Footsteps from the tunnel leading towards the lair drew Splinter's attention. He turned to face the approaching figure.

"Sensei?" Leo called out, stopping in the door.

"Leonardo!" Splinter let out, rushing towards him.

The two embraced, both holding tightly to one another. When they released, Leo looked around.

"We're the first to get here?" He asked.

"So it seems." Splinter confirmed. "I can only hope your siblings are faring well."

That's when the elevator beeped, signifying that it was coming down.

"Let's hope that's one of them." Leo spoke.

The elevator doors opened, unveiling Donny. He gave a wave with his good arm, his coat draped over his shoulders.

"Hey Leo." he greeted. "Sensei. Glad you two got here safely."

"Donatello, your arm." Splinter noted. "Are you alright?"

"And is that a girls scarf?" Leo asked.

"Yes to both questions." Donny replied. "I sprained my arm in the crash. Luckily, Irma got me to safety and patched me up. Made me a sling out of one of her old scarves."

"You mean that girl you met at the science expo?" Leo questioned.

Donny nodded.

"She knew I was a turtle and still helped me." he marveled. "She saw through my makeup, but decided to get to know me before passing judgement."

"Then she is a valued ally." Splinter decided. "And these days, we need everyone we can find."

"No kidding." Leo agreed.

Lumbering footsteps filled the lair, causing the three to turn around. Leatherhead then entered the lair, Hisako in his arms. She gave a smile and a wave.

"Dad, Leo, Don." she called out.

Leo and Donny immediately ran over to her and helped her out of Leatherhead's arms. Donny immediately took note of the professionally done bandages around her wounds, something he knew neither she nor Leatherhead were capable of doing.

"How'd you get these?" Donny asked as he set her down on the couch.

Hisako looked down at herself, looking at her bandages

"I've had them since I woke up." she explained.

"She was… taken from me..." Leatherhead reluctantly admitted. "But I found her… on a bus stop. She had been… cared for… then left."

"So, someone took me, patched me up, and then gave me back?" Hisako questioned. "That makes almost no sense."

"No, it doesn't." Leo agreed.

"It seems we have another unseen ally in our current plight." Splinter mused.

"But who?" Donny questioned.

"Only time will tell." Splinter answered.

"Speaking of time, I hope Mikey, Raph, and Lisa get here soon." Leo prayed. "Morning's coming, and if they get caught during the day..."

"Have faith in your brothers, my son." Splinter reassured. "They are capable. I am confident they will be alright."

...

Meanwhile, Mikey continued sneaking around, feeling a big cold without any of his clothes. He hunkered down behind a dumpster, shivering.

"Why did I have to be a cold-blooded reptile?" He whimpered. "And why did I have to leave my clothes behind?"

He peeked around the corner, his eyes landing on a Goodwill clothing donation bin. He sighed in relief, running over to it. With a swift kick, he knocked it open, spilling the contents. He quickly grabbed some pants, a shirt, a hoodie, and some rain boots. He yanked all the clothes on, shoving his feet into the boots before pulling the hood over his head and sticking his hands in the hoodie pocket.

"Warm clothes, check." he listed off. "Disguise, check. Some semblance of an idea on how to get home?"

He glanced around, eventually locking eyes on a manhole cover. He grinned.

"Check." he finished, rushing over to it and hopping down to safety.

...

Across town, Raph and Lisa made it to Galactic Enterprises. Lisa looked at the building skeptically, turning to Raph with a confused expression.

"I thought we were attempting to elude the humans." she remarked. "Why are we going into a largely populated building?"

"Thing is, it's populated by Utroms." Raph informed.

That caught Lisa by surprise.

"There are Utroms on this planet?" She questioned.

"Why do you think we were hunting for an Utrom Outpost when we met?" Raph replied.

Raph then hit the door's buzzer, the locks immediately clicking to let them in. Both of them rushed inside, where they were greeted by Samson.

"Raphael." The Guardian called out. "I am glad to see you alive and well."

"All things considered, yeah." Raph replied.

"Where is the rest of your family?" Samson asked.

"With any luck, safely back home." Raph answered. "Which is why Lisa and I are here. We were hoping you could port us back to the lair."

"Of course." Samson told him. "Come with me."

The three quickly made their way towards the transmat room. Professor Honeycutt looked up at they entered, relief clear on his face.

"Raphael, and your Salamandarian friend." he greeted. "When we saw your ship go down, we feared the worst."

"Yeah, it's been a rough day for all of us." Raph remarked. "We need to get back to the lair, and fast."

"Of course." Honeycutt told him, getting right to work. "I only wish I could've done more. I had been working on a retrieval system for the transmat, but it's far from complete."

"You aiding us in our escape is more than enough." Lisa assured him.

"I wish I could believe that."

The Professor hit a button, powering on the transmat.

"Step on, and you'll be transported safely to your home." he declared.

The two nodded before stepping on the platform. Almost immediately, the two were surrounded by pink, swirling light. The lights became faster and faster before eventually dying, carrying Raph and Lisa away.

...

Swirling pink lights drew everyone's attention in the lair, Raph and Leo instinctively going for their weapons. When the lights faded to reveal Raph and Lisa, everyone relaxed.

"Raph!" Leo called out.

Leo instinctively ran over and hugged his brother. Raph was taken aback, but returned the hug after a moment.

"I'm okay, bro." he promised. "Lisa and I just hitched a ride back her via Utrom Transmat."

"You took the transmat?" Mikey called out as he entered the lair. "Aw man, why didn't I think of that?"

"Mikey!" Raph let out before noting his attire. "What's with your clothes?"

"Kinda a long story." Mikey replied.

"Whatever the story, we're all here." Hisako pointed out. "We all made it home safe."

"Wish the same could be said for the others." Donnie remarked solemnly.

Just then, Donny's shell cell started ringing, much to his surprise. He picked it up, his eyes widening.

"It's April." he let out.

"Be careful, my son." Splinter warned. "It could be a trap."

"Don't worry, Sensei." Donnie told him. "With my encryption software, not even NASA could hack in and trace us."

He then answered the phone, putting it on speaker.

"April?" He asked.

"Donny?! Thank god you're alright." April let out. "Are the others with you?"

"Yeah, we're all okay." Donny assured her. "We're all a bit bruised, but we made it back to the lair safely. Even LH and Lisa."

"What about you, Casey, and Murakami?" Leo questioned.

"We're alright." April assured him. "We were taken in by some group called the Earth Protection Force. They patched us up and let us go. Casey's making sure Mr. Murakami gets back home safely right now."

"They just let you go?" Donny asked.

"That's not the weirdest part." April informed him. "We met with their leader, a guy named Agent Bishop. Though he didn't specifically say it, he gave strong hints that he was on your side and he was trying to help you."

Hisako glanced down at her bandages, thinking to herself silently as April went on.

"He also asked that we deliver a warning." she said. "He said it would be best for you guys to lay low, saying that in these turbulent times, any surface appearance could be a deadly final one."

"I hate to admit it, but he may be right." Leo agreed.

"Yeah, if tonight is anything to go by." Mikey commented.

"It works out anyhow." Donny remarked, trying to put a positive spin on things. "We need time to heal and rest."

"And then what?" Raph asked. "We're public enemies one through eight right now. It's open season on mutants."

Lisa let out a cough.

"And aliens." he amended.

"We must be patient." Splinter insisted. "The city needs time to repair itself, and for its people to return to a semblance of normalcy."

"Besides, it won't be too different from the way things were before." Leo said. "We've always had to hide ourselves. Now we just have to extra careful."

"Glad you guys are taking this well." April spoke up. "Just rest for now. Hopefully, things will settle down soon."

"Hopefully." Donny agreed, hanging up the phone.

With assurance that the last of their group was okay, everyone just slumped in exhaustion. Not even bothering to set up their bed, everyone either sat down or sprawled out on the ground, crowding in a huge group near the couch. Even Splinter, Lisa, and Leatherhead joined the pile, all of them falling into a dreamless sleep.

...

In the police precinct, Chief Rebecca Vincent was on a conference call with the various other precincts across the city.

"What do you mean they got away?!" She exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, Chief." one of the various cops apologized. "It's like they just vanished."

"We've got a few men down across the city." another remarked. "They don't appear to be injured, just knocked out."

Vincent rubbed her forehead, letting out a small groan.

"Put out an APB on these creatures." she ordered. "If these things show their faces, I want them rounded up and brought in."

"What about the girl they were with?" A different cop asked.

"Her too." Vincent answered. "One way or another, we are taking these creatures out."

Ars Technica's Christmas wishes for 2011 We're sitting tight for a visit from carefree old Saint Nick at the Ars Orbiting HQ.

It's Christmas Eve at the Ars Orbiting HQ, and our leggings have been hung by the stack with mind. As we plan to nod off with dreams of contraptions moving in our mind, we'll abandon you with our Christmas wishes for 2011.

John Timmer, Science Editor

My desire is that general society would find out about what researchers think. This isn't a "get the actualities right" issue, albeit most likely it would be better if a greater amount of general society realized that it takes a year for the Earth to finish a pivot around the sun. Rather, this is about the master plan things, as whether life is connected by regular drop and whether carbon dioxide can change the atmosphere.

Studies on both these things show that mainstream researchers supposes we have these things basically dealt with. An association like the American Association for the Advancement of Science has numerous nonscientists among its individuals, yet surveys utilizing its enrollment list demonstrate that well more than 80 percent of them acknowledge both of these conclusions. Looking over dynamic scientists in the field tends to push those numbers securely over 95 percent acknowledgment.

However, to the general population, both of these are to a great degree dubious issues. Also, it's not quite recently that people in general conceives that the science itself is disputable, or perceives that the discussion is entirely disproportionate. Rather, it supposes the established researchers is vigorously separated, and that no accord has been come to by any stretch of the imagination. In this way, my desire would be that general society gets a more exact picture of where established researchers stands, with the goal that it can concentrate on the social, monetary, and strategy debates that emerge out of some moderately uncontroversial science.

Nate Anderson, Senior Editor

Right now, our family unit has four gadgets with a 3G remote radio: an iPhone, a Kindle, a Chrome OS Cr-48 portable PC, and a Novatel ExpressCard cell modem (numerous families will have significantly more). The Kindle's information benefit is free, paid for by Amazon, however alternate gadgets would all be able to utilize customer information designs—yet they each need a different arrangement and a different installment. Indeed, even the Cr-48 and the ExpressCard, which both utilize the Verizon organize, can't pool their information, while AT&T broadly declines to give my portable workstation a chance to match up with my iPhone unless I pay more cash.

My fantasy for 2011 is to see these boundaries disintegrate. I need to get one bundle of information, at that point utilize it from a telephone, a portable PC, a tablet—my decision, insofar as I keep it underneath the settled upon share. Versatile information designs ought to be connected to clients, not gadgets. It works along these lines in wireline; how about we complete it in remote too.

Eric Bangeman, Managing Editor

2010 has been a fabulous year for tablets. The iPad touched base to much ballyhoo back in April, and as the year attracted to an end, Android tablets—both great and awful—and tablets started to hit the market in bigger numbers.

2011 holds the guarantee of significantly more tablet goodness: an updated iPad (ideally with Retina Display), more develop Android tablets, RIM's PlayBook, some webOS goodness from HP, and perhaps a Windows (or Windows Phone 7) slate or two.

Indeed, even the Barnes and Noble Nook Color Android-based tablet feels somewhat substantial when contrasted with the Kindle. What's more, the iPad is even heavier. A significant number of us cherish perusing on our tablets, yet they get substantial after momentarily. My desire is that producers will discover approaches to shave off some weight and thickness from their tablets and digital book perusers. The pattern in gadgets has for quite some time been lighter, speedier, and more slender, so this is one Christmas wish that is probably going to materialize in 2011.

Chris Foresman, Contributing Writer

2010 achieved layered information gets ready for cell phones. Since versatile transporters are charging us for every byte of information, I might want to see 2011 bring us "move over" information.

Specifically, AT&T advertisements have frequently bragged that remote voice call minutes are "our own" in light of the fact that we "paid for them." The idea is straightforward, which is the reason most clients can without much of a stretch see the upside of the strategy.

I see no motivation behind why precisely the same shouldn't likewise apply to information. I'm not an especially overwhelming information client, so I pay $15 every month to get 200MB of information exchange from AT&T—a rate of 15¢ for each megabyte. By and large, I use around 100MB of this allocation, so I'm just utilizing half of what I pay for. The "additional" 100MB I've paid for, at a genuinely costly premium, successfully goes to squander. Or, on the other hand, from AT&T's perspective, that is an additional $7.50 of administrations they got paid for that they didn't need to give.

When I travel far from home, however, I tend to utilize substantially more information than normal, since I'm not around a dependable WiFi source throughout the day. It is incredible to amass the unused distribution to use amid these outings, similarly as unused voice minutes get spent for the incidental two-hour talk with a companion that lives a few states away.

I don't especially mind paying per bit, figuratively speaking, yet I do wish portable transporters would give their clients every one of the bits that they pay for.

Dwindle Bright, Microsoft Contributor

One thing I might want to see, essentially on the grounds that it would be extremely helpful for me, is for US cell administrators to offer estimating focused with what I can get in the UK. In the UK, for £10/month, I can get boundless writings, "boundless" information, and 250 minutes, on a SIM-just, pay-as-you-go design. That is around fifteen bucks every month. Goodness, and in the UK we don't pay for inbound minutes, either.

I might want to see Microsoft discharge Internet Explorer 9 in March, and a beta for Internet Explorer 10 before the year's over—the organization ought to be going for one form a year. The advance the organization has made on Internet Explorer has been striking, and I think if the organization can keep up that force, it will be incredible news for the Web all in all. Web Explorer is harming the Web, however it's not Internet Explorer 8 that is doing the mischief; it's kin staying with the woefully out of date Internet Explorer 6. Microsoft changing to an arrangement of more standard, more forceful updates would, I think, go far towards keeping that same issue from repeating later on.

I might want the media to get reasonable about tablets, and the iPad specifically. The iPad might be a sufficiently slick bit of equipment, however despite everything it speaks to a minor part of the registering scene, and it's most likely going to be a while before that truly changes. On that note, I need Microsoft to recognize its tablet issues. The organization has effectively done it once, in cell phones, and the outcome is Windows Phone 7—to my psyche, it's the main cell phone working framework that is really intended for the way individuals utilize their telephone. Microsoft has made an incredible showing with regards to. So quit treating us like dolts. Quit imagining that Windows 7 meets expectations as a tablet working framework. We know it doesn't. Where it counts, you know it doesn't. What's more, we realize that you know it doesn't. So we should simply stop the falsification.

Talking about Windows Phone 7: I trust that somebody will offer me an opened pentaband handset with an AMOLED screen. Try not to make me pick between EU frequencies, AT&T frequencies, and T-Mobile frequencies. Give me them all. We know you can: the Nokia N8 oversees it. So plan it and pitch it to me. If it's not too much trouble

Casey Johnston, Contributing Writer

My desire for 2011 is for some researcher or physicist to get a 8-qubit quantum PC up and running. Given that we've seen inquire about papers on the controls of various qubits previously, a working model can't be distant; a dependable one may be all the more a scope however.

I've perused about, and begrudged, the beginning of established PCs, when the future natives of software engineering sat around together in cellars and scholarly structures, stopping parts together and seeing who could locate the most productive and fascinating employments of the PCs' unassuming assets.

Getting to a similar stage with quantum PCs would be a colossal stride, as scientists are as yet battling with the issue of intensifying, and lower limits, of vulnerability as the quantity of qubits is expanded. In the event that it could be made to work however, other than being valuable for recording quantum states and tutoring great PCs in probabilistic figurings, I wager you could keep in touch with one mean 8-bit amusement for it. On the off chance that Frogger were in a superposition of states, he could be hit by the majority of the autos and none of the autos in the meantime. Simply saying.

Ryan Paul, Open Source Editor

My Christmas wish for 2011 is a genuinely aggressive and open MeeGo-based telephone from a noteworthy merchant. In spite of the fact that Linux has increased extensive footing in the portable and implanted market, the vast majority of the accessible gadgets are secured or have isolated programming stacks that don't enable the client to exploit the stage's actual fundamental power.

MeeGo can possibly be a distinct advantage since it is firmly lined up with the upstream innovation biological community and gives application engineers essentially greater adaptability, including a rich, superior local toolbox. It could convey genuinely necessary rivalry to the Linux cell phone space by offering a solid contrasting option to Google's brilliant Android stage.

In spite of the fact that MeeGo has impressive potential, the stage is as yet a work in advance and none of the significant equipment organizations behind it have possessed the capacity to unite every one of the pieces into a convincing item yet. I'm trusting that 2011 is the year that Nokia or one of the other major MeeGo partners will at last convey MeeGo on an alluring handset.