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72. Across The Universe

At the beginning of the episode, Raphael and Casey are working on their bikes. Interesting that Raph wound up in a world that had maxed out bike races.

Look closely at the cheering crowd that is shown after the second race. On the far right of the screen are two familiar looking aliens from the "Turtles in Space" arch. First is the alien cook from the Spaceport Inn in "The Trouble with Triceratons." Beside him is the alien prisoner that the turtles met in the lunch room in "The Big House."

The intro of the episode features the same moment from "Reality Check," from Raphael's point of view.

Raphael comes face to face with the world and characters of Peter Laird and Jim Lawson's highly regarded "Planet Racers" series of graphic novels.

This episode appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.

73. Same As It Never Was

Stockman's jar (which contains his brain) is now attached to Hun's body.

From the size and shape of his coat, it looks as if Leo still has his shell; but with the coat on, we can't tell if his shell has been damaged or weakened. It is also possible that during the years, Karai has developed a sword that could slice through their shells.

Donatello's exo-suit is a reference to the non-canon Volume 3 of the Mirage comics, where Donatello was rebuilt as a cyborg after a spine-shattering accident.

This episode also contains a reference to the Image comic--- Michelangelo has lost his arm in this episode, an event that happened to Leonardo around #18 or so of the Image comic.

Angel is mentioned as having her own resistance faction.

Dr. Chaplain's Karai inspired robots return in this alternate reality.

The Shredder's apparance in this episode (with his Utrom body attached as his head)is a reference to an ARCHIE comics universe storyline in which Krang surgically attached himself to Shredder's body. Also, the eye patched Raphael and the blind Leonardo (substituting for Michelangelo) are references.

This episode first aired on Cartoon Network.

Apparently, Stockman DID indeed get a similar fate to that of Hector Con Carne from the show Evil Con Carne.. His brain was still in a jar, but it was attached to Hun's body. One of the Shredder's apropos punishments, it would seem.

In the beginning, while the Shredder is addressing the public, Karai-Bots are shown blasting machine guns connected to their arms and stepping over human bones. The shots are similar to those of the grim future portrayed in the Terminator movies.

This episode appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.


74. The Real World

At the beginning of the episode, Leo's main focus is on his training. Interesting that he wound up in a world that required more of his ninja fighting skills than any of his brothers, even Donatello.

The scene where Leonardo meets Tomoe Ame and Lord Noriyuki is based on the beginning of the Usagi Yojimbo comic, when the pair first encounter Miyamoto Usagi. In the comic, Tomoe believes that Usagi is another mercernary trying to kill Lord Noriyuki, but Usagi defeats her and explains that he isn't there to kill anyone. In the show, Leonardo takes Usagi's place, and they are attacked by Mogura ninja, as opposed to various bounty hunters. Both encounter the Neko ninja.

The various clan names are the Japanese words for the animal that each clan is composed of. Leo is a "Kame" ninja, and Kame means turtle. The mole ninjas that attack are called "Mogura" ninjas, "Mogura" means mole. The "Neko" warriors are cats, and so forth.

The group's escape by jumping off a cliff into the river is similar to that Usagi's and Gen's escape from Neko ninja in "Shades of Green, Part I", of Usagi's comic. (Intrestingly enough, Shades of Green is also the beginning of a three-book series featuring the TMNT!)

An overlooked character in this episode is Chizu, the leader of the Neko ninja. Her relationship to Usagi is very similar to that of Leo and Karai.

Two of the three ninjas clans are seen in this episode, the Mogura (moles) and Neko (cats). The Komori Ninja (bats) are not mentioned.

Splinter lectures Leonardo on the "Falling Rain" style in the beginning of the episode. Tomoe is the undisputed master of the "Falling Rain Style" of swordsmanship, in the comic.

The characters in the world Leonardo is sent to are all from the "Usagi Yojimbo" comic book series. Leonardo met with Miyamoto Usagi and Gennosuke before, in the Battle Nexus.

Much like the other episodes in this saga, this episode will feature the same moment at the beginning of "Reality Check," except it'll be from Leonardo's Point of View.

The capital of Usagi's world is Ito, close to the spelling of the Japanese capital during the Tokugawa Shogunate, Edo. However, Edo would be renamed Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration of the 1870s.

This episode appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.


75. The Real World, part 2

Ultimate Drako splits back into Lord Drako and Ultimate Ninja and end up turning to stone and crumbling. However, Lord Simultaneous reclaims his Time Scepter and restores Ultimate Ninja into a child.

Splinter was responsible for the final phase-outs of Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello, because he was determined to get his sons back.


76. Bishop's Gambit

This episode appears in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.

Leatherhead returns, having been responsible for Professor Honeycutt's new body.

The episode was previously scheduled to air March 18th on Cartoon Network.

Bishop yells, "I have created life!" In the classic horror story,Frankenstein, a scientist endeavors to create life. There was also the old horror movie stereotypical black and white laboratory shown at the beginning.


77. Exodus, part 1

This is the only time the Turtles fight the Shredder while he's not in his armor.

Hun screamed "Krang!" as he fell into the pit below the space shuttle. This was a cleverly plotted callback to Krang of the original series: a alien brain warlord of Dimension X.

Hun finally discovers Shredder is an Utrom.

Exodus, the episode title, was also the second book of the Old Testament.

Shredder's robot body broke like the T-1000. Shredder got frozen with the liquid nitrogen, then his robo-suit broke.

This episode appears in the video game level final Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: Mutant Nightmare.


78. Exodus, part 2

In most cartoons, the words dead, death, killed, etc. are rarely used, let alone any animated character ever should actually experience them. This episode could very well contain the highest body count in US animated TV series history. A total of 4.2 million beings, at the least, are said to have "perished" by the Shredder's actions according to the Utroms trying him.

Bishop and Stockman now have formed a strong partnership.

Shredder's real Utrom name is revealed: Ch'rell.

This marks the first time that a season of this series has aired in it's entirety without an opening for the fall season.

Exodus, the episode title, was also the second book of the Old Testament.

Stockman's program on the computer not allowing Chaplin access as well as mocking him is just like Wayne Knight's character in Program Form mocking Samuel L. Jackson's character and not allowing him to access a needed program in Jurassic Park.