fanmail!!! dont trust Leo it says Raphael on it for sure.
I like to think the letter is from a little kid lmao like they're all fighting thinking its gonna be some cheesy letter from a giiirrrrlllll oooo but its actually just the cutest crayon drawing + note ever
also don't ask how the letter got to them without a clear address...
An Actually Semi-Coherent Post Where I Attempt to Analyze TOTTMNT's Sunrise Duo, Because Oh My God.
First things first, tagging @blueposterboy because he asked me to tag him if I ever wrote this.
Ok, movin' right along (doog-a-doon, doog-a-doon) I said this in the tags of my Mikey analysis post, but I'm just one guy. I encourage disagreement and conversation. This is just my interpretation of their dynamic given the evidence provided. I'm only saying this now because on the surface this analysis is going to seem very anti-Leo, when that was never the point. I love Point Grey Leo a lot. He's my second favorite Leo after 2003. Anyway! Enough disclaimers, talking about these goobers!
The main gimmick of the Point Grey turtles is realism. Yes, I know that's kind of a wild thing to say about the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but let me explain. all of the turtles' characterizations is a deliberate deconstruction of their most memorable traits from other iterations. People will point out how Point Grey's Leo acts a bit like 2012!Leo, that's because they both deconstruct Leo's hero complex from 2003, and his nerdier side that's been present since Mirage. He also clearly has some inspiration from 2012, not ignoring that.
Regardless, it's true for all of them. That's the primary reason they were voiced by actual kids, at the end of the day they're just meant to be ordinary teenagers. Something, something, basic feel-good message for kids about how we're all just flesh and bones, maaaaaaaan. ...there's more than that, but that's for another post.
This is true for their relationships with each other as well. Their dynamics aren't static or flat, they're complex, they're based more on how they'd naturally interact given their personalities while also deconstructing the usual relationships they have with each other.
That's where Leo and Mike's previous dynamics come in, and for the most part they do not exist. In any given iteration there's usually a dynamic that either gets less or no focus. More often than not it's Mike and Leo, or Don and Raph. This isn't a failing on the writers’ part. When you have 4 view point characters, you're required to remember 6 interpersonal relationships and 5 group dynamics. You're not going to be able to explore all of those dynamics in explicit detail, so it's better to focus on just a few. How much the Sunrise Duo is ignored is mainly just a result of the number of characters Eastman & Laird chose to have.
Somewhat notoriously, Leo and Mike barely interact in the first two seasons of 2012, they don't really talk in what I've seen of 2003, and their dynamic is nonexistent in Mirage. The most common trait their dynamic has is that Leo can be somewhat protective of Mike and unlike with the Sunset Duo, they don't really fight that much so they're not super notable outside of just standard protective brother fare. The only time their dynamic had any focus was in a couple episodes of Rise season 1, but by the time season 2 rolled around that focus was thrown out in favor of the increased focus on the Midnight Duo. All I'm saying is that it's a rarity for these to have their dynamic characterized beyond “big brother protective of little brother.”
Now, I touched on this a bit in my Mikey analysis, but I have a working theory that a lot of the boys' dynamics with each other is based more on the meta aspects of their relationships. Because Mikey and Leo's dynamic is typically ignored in favor of others, the defining aspect of their dynamic this time around is that they don't exactly have one. They're noticeably unaffectionate with each other, Leo only showing care for Mike when he's in trouble. The way Leo treats Mike is almost paternal, really only being affectionate when he needs to. It isn't really surprising that Mike's view of Leo in episode 2 of season 1 is so negative, it's not like he's given Mikey anything positive to work off so far.
Speaking of paternal, we HAVE to address Rod's dad.
The Underwoods are foil characters for the turtles, I feel like the way Maude foils Don is a bit shallow, ditto for Todd and Raph, but they're necessary because without them we wouldn't be able to draw a direct comparison between Rod Sr. and Leo. They're both the “leader” and have a sort of fatherly role, Rod Sr. literally, and Leo just being the de facto team dad due to his status as the eldest. This might be where I lose some people, but the main comparison to draw between them is how neglectful they are towards “the fun one” specifically. It's a bit of a throwaway line, but Maude and Todd both say that they're their father's favorite, while Rod says that he's the favorite, before correcting himself and saying that he's at least top three. I haven't made a dedicated post about it (yet) but I feel like it very clear in this iteration that Don is Leo’s favorite, as for Raph, the value that he provides the team is a lot more obvious then Mikey’s value. It wouldn't shock me if Mikey also thinks that he's “at least top three.”
I want to make it very clear that I don't think these behaviors are comparable in the slightest, that's why these two are foils for each other. Rod Sr. is a grown man who was purposefully abusive towards his son, while Leo is a pubescent 15-year-old who very clearly doesn't realize that the way he treats Mikey is harmful. I’m not going to touch on Rod because if you’ve watched season 2 it's obvious, but the few positive interactions Mike and Leo have had are overshadowed by Leo disregarding him, he can't even remember that Mikey does improv! Leo cares about Mike’s well-being, but he hasn't done anything to show that he cares about Mikey himself. I feel like I say this all the time about them, but they're brothers. Not friends. Like Rod Sr., Leo’s care is pretty much relegated to just making sure Rod/Mikey doesn't die.
I 100% believe Mike’s anger about being seen as one note is directed primarily at Leo. It's shown in episode 1 of season 1 that Leo really only sees Mikey as a ditz. He’s sort of oblivious, yeah, but it's very obvious that Mike is so much more than that. It's somewhat ironic that Mikey relies so heavily on Leo for plans, when he's shown that he CAN plan. His improv is planning! I think a lot of Mike’s self-esteem issues do kind of circle back to how Leo treats him.
This is obviously unintentional. Leo is a child who spent 15 years locked up in a sewer. He’s also not solely responsible for his and Mike’s lack of relationship since they are peers, but with what we have currently, it's easier to analyze why Mikey would feel alienated from Leo instead of vice-versa.
The Mutant Mayhem/Tales turtles are genuinely the cutest things ever, when I see them I am filled with a burning rage and overwhelming instinct to crush them /aff
