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I now have more episode recaps than Jester, but let's continue! About one quarter of season 3 to go!

Episode 54: Leatherhead Meets the Rat King
Written by: David Wise

Voice Cast:
Cam Clarke: Leonardo, Pizza Delivery Guy
Townsend Coleman: Michelangelo, Rat King
Jim Cummings: Leatherhead
Jennifer Darling: Irma Langinstein
Pat Fraley: Burne Thompson
Barry Gordon: Donatello
Renae Jacobs: April O’Neil
Rob Paulsen: Raphael, Baggage Checker
Peter Renaday: Splinter, Vernon Fenwick

Mistakes:
1. The cardboard dummy of Krang is without his Android body, which would not be practical when fighting due to the clear advantage of the Turtles' power.
2. After Michelangelo blinks his green eyelids when he says "it's only garbage" while holding a slice of pizza, the next time he blinks, his eyelids are orange.

Catchphrase/Insult Countdown:
1. As the Turtles charge upon the cardboard dummies, they all shout "Go Green Machine!"
2. While April watches a tape of her report, the pre-taped April signs out by saying "This is April O'Neil for Channel 6 Happy Hour News!"
3. The Rat King calls Leatherhead a fool as he fires his bazzoka at the cardboard turtle.
4. After Leatherhead flies away, Rat King refers to the "wretched turtles".

Pizza References:
1. Michelangelo feels that the other Turtles and Splinter should just grab a garbage mountain so he can grab a pizza.
2. The pizza billboard next to the Channel 6 building is visible.
3. While still in the junkyard, an black man delivers six pizzas and asks which of the Turtles ordered a pizza with chocolate sprinkles and clam sauce. Of course the answer is Michelangelo, and starts eating it. Raphael then says that his beautiful strategy his done in by a pizza.
4. Soon afterwards, Michelangelo gets angry and says "Pepperoni Pirates! Pizza Wreckers!"

Pop Culture References:
1. Raphael quotes William Shakespeare about how a garbage dump stinks, based on the Romeo and Juliet quote "A Rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
2. Michelangelo declares victory on Mount Trashmore, a parody of Mount Rushmore.
3. Donatello uses his bo like a baseball bat, hits a bomb, and says "an infield double at least."

Fourth Wall Breaking Humor:
1. As the Turtles and Channel 6 crew huddle up in front of the poison tanker, Raphael says "this may take a while."
2. After the Rat King is trapped in the rubble, he finishes off by saying "this may take a little time."

Wacky Inventions:
1. Rat King's Rat Poison Tanker
2. Donatello's Garbage Bomb Launcher
3. Leatherhead's bazooka gun

Kidnappings:
1. Irma and Vernon are kidnapped by the Rat King and bounds and gags them.
2. April is kidnapped by Leatherhead after trying to escape the Rat King.

Notables:
1. Shredder, Krang (on his three-wheeled stool from Season 1), Bebop, and Rocksteady appear as dummies, but do not physically appear in this episode.
2. First instance in which James Avery does not voice in consecutive episodes.
3. The longest gap without Irma since she was first introduced (3 episodes) ends with this episode.
4. The shot where Leatherhead peeks into the subway tunnel with the subway train approaching closely resembles the scene from the episode "A Thing About Rats".
5. Vernon's screaming can be heard for a couple seconds after the camera fades to black at the end of Act Two.


Episode 55: The Turtle Terminator
Written by: David Bennett Carren & J. Larry Carroll

Voice Cast:
James Avery: Shredder, Stan
Greg Berg: Donatello, Bebop
Cam Clarke: Leonardo, Rocksteady
Townsend Coleman: Michelangelo, Balloon Vendor
Jennifer Darling: Irma Langinstein, Turtlenator
Pat Fraley: Krang, Burne Thompson
Renae Jacobs: April O’Neil
Thom Pinto: Raphael
Tony Pope: Anchorman
Peter Renaday: Splinter, Vernon Fenwick

Mistakes:
1. When Irma tells Shredder for stepping on her foot, a frozen shot of her and Rocksteady was shown instead of her action.
2. After the Turtles fight when Shredder gets the paint can stuck to his head, a shot of him exiting the Transport Module was shown instead of Rocksteady and Bebop putting him inside.
3. When April warns Leonardo on the Turtlecom that Irma has been replaced by the Turtlenator, Raphael is shown sitting next to Leonardo, but on the next shot, Michelangelo is shown sitting next to Leonardo, but then it changes back to Raphael when Leonardo says that they'll check it out.
4. While Irma is cooking on the stove, Rocksteady is speaking "what's happening with lunch" in Bebop's voice.
5. Vernon says "I've heard of hot news flashes, but this is ridiculous" using the anchorman wearing a red shirt's voice.
6. Krang's eyes are white instead of purple when he is first seen in his bubble walker.

Catchphrase/Insult Countdown:
1. Shredder calls Rocksteady and Bebop muddleheaded mutants after some salt falls on them.
2. Michaelangelo says "Cowabunga!" as he leaps toward the glass in the sewers.
3. The Turtlenated Irma calls Vernon a numbskull.
4. Rocksteady says "shellbacks" as he releases a bunch of cans on the Turtles as he, Bebop, and Shredder escape in the Transport Module (see mistake No. 2).
5. Irma says "Turtle Power" after April's Turtlecom conversation in the Turtle Van.
6. As the Turtles get out of the Turtle Van to fight the oversized Turtlenator as Irma, Raphael says Banzai, and then all Turtles immediately say "Turtles Fight With Honor".

Pizza Reference:
Michelangelo says "wake up and smell the pizza" in the Turtle Van when discussing about where Shredder and his mutants are hanging out.

Pop Culture References:
1. This episode is one big reference to the 1984 movie Terminator. Irma plays a similar role in which Sarah Connor does in the movie, though there are only two presumed Irmas rather than three like in the movie.
2. After the Turtles crash into the glass, Splinter says "Things are not always what they appear", a possible reference to the Romen poet Phadeus.
3. As Michaelangelo kicks a paint can, he says "Let the Good Times Roll", a 1956 Rock & Roll classic by Shirley & Lee.
4. Raphael calls Donatello "Einstein" in the Channel 6 Van after the famous scientist.
5. Shredder says "I wouldn't count my Turtles before they hatched", a take on the popular expression from the Aesop fable "The Milkmaid and Her Pail".
6. Raphael says "batter up!" as he throws baseballs at the Turtlenated Irma. He then says "visitors 8, home team nothing" to presume that the Turtles are losing the battle at that point.
7. Michelangelo then says "Hit Me With You Best Shot" from the Pat Benatar rock hit.
8. Raphael says "hey laser breath! Your mother wears steel sneakers" as a spoof on the phrase "Your mother wears army (combat) boots", a popular expression in the mid-20th century which referred to women of "ill-repute" while in the mirror maze to the Turtlenator.

Fourth Wall Breaking Humor:
1. Bebop says "you don't want to know" with regards to what Shredder is saying when the paint bucket is stuck over his head.
2. Irma says that the Turtlenator (as Irma) eyes shooting laser beams are "kinda attractive".

Wacky Inventions:
1. The Turtlenator robot
2. The Turtlenator's magnetic ray and laser beams

Kidnapping:
Irma is kidnapped by Rocksteady and Bebop.

Notables:
1. The first of only two episodes in which two Turtles are voiced by alternate voice actors.
2. Last episode in which Raphael is voiced by Thom Pinto.
3. This episode proves that April and Irma's apartments are in the same building.
4. Final mention of Tiffany in this series whom Burne is speaking to on the phone. Her last full appearance was in the episode 20,000 Leaks Under the City.
5. Krang is seen in his bubble walker in this episode.
6. This episode is animated by Murakami Wolf Dublin.