Things Change (TMNT 2003 Episode)
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| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) |
| "Things Change" | |
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| Season Code: | S01E01 |
| Episode: | 1 |
| Airdate: | February 8, 2003 |
| Written by: | Michael Ryan |
| Supervising Producer: | Lloyd Goldfine |
| Producers: | Gary Richardson |
| Frederick U. Fierst | |
| Al Kahn | |
| Norman Grossfeld | |
| Thomas Kenney | |
| Supervising Director: | Chuck Patton |
| Story Editor: | Lloyd Goldfine |
"Things Change" is the first episode of the animated series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003), which originally aired on February 8, 2003.
Contents |
[edit] Information
Major Characters:
- Donatello (Sam Regal)
- Leonardo (Michael Sinterniklaas)
- Michelangelo (Wayne Grayson)
- Raphael (Frank Frankson)
- Splinter (Darren Dunstan)
- Oroku Saki (Scottie Ray)
- Secondary Characters:
- Purple Dragon Gang Members
- Foot Soldiers
- Two Cops
Main Locations, Vehicles and Accessories:
- Old Lair
- Sewer Tunnels
- City Streets and Rooftops
- Purple Dragon Warehouse
- Saki’s Rooftop Palace
- New Lair
- Mousers
- Armored Truck (pre-mods)
- Shell-Cell
[edit] Episode
[edit] Voice-over introduction
Leonardo: My name is Leonardo. And right now my brothers and I are in a mess of trouble. Our backs are up against the wall in some trash threwn alley, cornered by the toughest street gang in the East Side.
- Purple Dragon Member #1: Look at the freaks.
- Purple Dragon Member #2: What's with the dweeby costumes?
- Purple Dragon Member #3: This ain't Halloween.
- Purple Dragon Member #4: You're going down, freaks. Nobody messes with the Purple Dragons, especially wearing stupid turtle costumes.
Leonardo: He's wrong. We're not wearing costumes.
[edit] Plot synopsis
In their sewer lair, the Turtles train with their sensei, Master Splinter, in an exercise where they attempt to use their ninjitsu skills to extinguish a flame without being seen. Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael fail at the task, while Leonardo is successful at the exercise. As Splinter congratulates Leonardo on a job well done, this annoys Raphael as he call his brother "teacher's pet."
Splinter quickly breaks up their confrontation and explains to his sons that they must master the art of ninjitsu to remain in the shadows as the outside world will not understand them. The lesson is suddenly interrupted as the lair begins to rumble and Mouser robots burst through the walls. The Mousers attack the gang and begin to chew through the support structure of the sewer tunnel. As the group fights off the incessant flow of Mousers, the tunnel supports finally give way, resulting in a cave-in.
Now separated from their sensei, Donatello quickly contacts Splinter on the shell cell. Although he is briefly unconscious, Splinter awakes and answers; the group agrees to rendezvous at the old drainage junction in Southpoint. The Turtles begin to navigate the sewer tunnels, but soon find their way blocked. Raphael suggests heading to the surface, much to Leonardo's dismay, but they eventually agree to go above ground to find the nearest manhole cover.
The Turtles quickly make their way to the nearest manhole cover only to find an armored truck blocking their way. Raphael attempts to move the truck, but quickly jumps in the back when a group of Purple Dragons return. Fresh from a robbery, the Purple Dragons drive off and unbeknownst to them, with Raphael in tow.
Leonardo, Donatello, and Michelangelo give chase and trail the armored truck to a Purple Dragons hideout. The three brothers dispatch the lone guard and free Raphael, but soon find themselves cornered by more Purple Dragon members. The gang members are quickly defeated, but a group of ninja appear from the rooftops. The Turtles hold their ground for awhile, but the sheer number of ninja is too much, which leads them to hotwire the armored truck and make a hasty retreat.
Concurrently, Splinter waits at the drainage junction, but finds himself under siege by more Mousers. He is able to fight off the robots, but another cave-in causes him to fall into another sewer tunnel; however, after this cave-in, Splinter makes a fortuitous discovery. The Turtles, straight from their escape in the armored truck, discover bags of money from the Purple Dragons heist. They throw the bags of money onto a police car and speed off to the rendezvous point. After they reunite with Splinter, their sensei leads them to his discovery: a spacious unbeknownst chamber that is to become their new home.
The Purple Dragon that lead the robbery returns to his own master, Oroku Saki, but soon meets an unfortunate end for losing the armored truck and money.
[edit] Quotes
Splinter: Remember, to be a true ninja, you must become one with the shadows. Darkness gives the ninja power while light reveals the ninja's presence. Now, can you extinguish this flame without revealing yourselves?
Splinter: My sons, if you are to become true ninja, you must work harder. Your path in life will not be an easy one, the outside world will not be a friendly place for you. You four are different in ways the surface dwellers would never understand. To survive, you must master these skills I teach you—ninjitsu powers of stealth and secrecy. You must become kage, shadow warriors, and you must never be discovered by the outside world.
[edit] Miscellanea
- This is the first appearance of the Turtles on television since the Saban 1997-1998 series, Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation.
- The introduction to the episode begins with a voice-over by Leonardo where the Turtles are cornered in an alley by the Purple Dragons. This sequence is identical to the opening of the first issue of the Mirage comic book, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1.
- The first episode of the 1987 TMNT series also had the Turtles fighting a street gang who took orders from the Shredder.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Mouser robots.
- This episode marks the first appearance of the Purple Dragons and Foot Ninja.
- This episode marks the first appearance of Oroku Saki.
- The two cops in this episode are modeled after series creators Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird.
[edit] Series chronology
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) Chronology | ||
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| Current Episode: | Next Episode: | |
| Things Change | A Better Mousetrap | |
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) Season Guide | ||
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[edit] See also
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV Series)
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) Episode Guide
- Comparisons Within Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
[edit] External links
- Things Change at the official TMNT website
