Are Leo and Donnie essentially the same person?

[victory_angel]

I should probably word the title of this better, but I digress. I've been trying to get my pseudo-brother interested in the ninja turtles show. He had grown up without much interest in the show because it was one of several shows banned in his house hold given how inane the OT incarnation could get.

And even now he still can't quite get into the Nick Series, though he does enjoy it. He actually told me he has trouble telling Leo and Donnie apart because they are too much alike. And I can make up reason about how they differ until my face is about as blue as the shirt i'm wearing right now. But when I actually stop to think about it...maybe that is sort of their point.

In other posts I have pointed out that the two of them are like two halves of the same whole. This doesn't mean they can't function independently of each other as it is quite obvious that they can. But they are at their best when they are together and they have ways of understanding each other that is isn't shown with the others. For example Donnie has shown signs he's able to read Leo in ways that Raph and Mikey can't. Such as in "parasitica" Donnie is the first one who really begins to notice something is seriously wrong with Leo, but he quite place just what it is. As seen in this exchange.

Donnie: Fascinating...

{Holds scalpel towards wasp egg}

Leo: STOP! What are you doing?

Donnie: Dissecting it

{Leo pushes Donnie away}

Leo: ABSOLUTELY NOT! This is the only egg we have, we need to learn how it develops.

Donnie: Well then...I guess I'll just keep staring at it.

Leo: Good idea... {Points to where Raph and Mikey are standing} From over there.

{Donnie eyes Leo as if sensing something was wrong. Sidles away one long step and smirks. Leo glares at Donnie causing the purple masked Turtle to back up so he's standing with Raph and Mikey. Satisfied Leo goes back to guarding the egg.}

Donnie: Well I think I will do...'something' in the other room. Raph, Mikey, care to join me.

Mikey: Not unless you get more specific.

Donnie: {irritated} Come on!

{Donnie drags Mikey out of the lab by the mask tails.}


And in Showdown when Leo was about to sacrifice himself for the first time in the episode. Mikey's reaction could be views as "What's going on?" Raph's is "He can't be serious, please tell me he's not serious."
But Donnie was more like "It can't come to this, not yet."