I always enjoyed watching crossover episodes growing up. I remembered having fun Lilo & Stitch making crossovers with other Disney shows. When executed correctly, you can get very good results. You get to watch characters from franchises you like interact with each other.¨Trans-Dimensional Turtles¨ is good example of how to write a crossover.
One thing that makes this episode work so well it´s how straightforward it is: Tmnt 2012 turtles get transported to the 89´s series universe _ They have to deactivate to three anti-matter bombs that could destroy the dimensions_ They jump across dimensions and battle the Kraang. That´s it.
Because the story is so simple, you get enough time to make the characters interact and play with each other. This is another aspect that the episode absolutely nails it: From Leonardo 2012 getting angry with Leonardo 89 for the battle scream ¨Turtle Power!¨ to the 89 going inside the tmnt 2012 lair. All it´s very funny. The episode always takes an oportunity to make a joke without interrumping the plot.
My favourite moments are the Mikeys playing soccer with Kraang, Leo getting jealous of 89 Leo stealing his spot of the leader, the turtles reacting to how their counterparts fighting style and the 89 turtles hanging out in the lair.
Another thing i love from this crossover is how the art style changes depending on the dimension they are in. In the 89, everything is colourful and animated in 2D. Meanwhile, the 2012 dimension is 3D animated. The characters also change their style too. The turtles comment on this art style shift with some funny like ¨My butt is completely flat¨.
¨Trans-Dimensional Turtles¨ makes reference to the original comics as well: The Donatellos´s jump to a dimension they call the ¨Prime dimension¨. Since it´s supposed to be comic, there is barely any sound and everything looks black and white. It’s very cool way to pay homenage to the origins of the franchise.
One scene that really stands out is the moment the tmnt 2012 turtles meet Splinter again after being separated for months. The brothers ran to their Sensei after not seeing him for so long. It´s a very sad and sweet moment in what is a mostly a very lighthearted episode. There is also a small second when Leo remembers Splinter being attacked by Shedder, implying it was a traumatic experience for him.
I could talk about how the 89 turtles are quite competent. They are able to keep up with their 2012 counterparts. They never feel weak or are dumbed down which is a nice detail. I read somewhere that the tmnt 2003 film ¨Turtles Forever¨ flanderized the 89 turtles and fans were dissapointed because of that.
My only compliant is that the crossover feels a bit short for all the things that happen in 22 minutes. It’s a little confusing but it’s very fun regardless.
To sum up, Trans-Dimensional Turtles is a very solid episode. It’s entertaining, creative, has fun character interactons and is worth of rewatching. It doesn’t flanderize the tmnt 89′s turtles and they help a lot in the story. I think it’s a good example of how to write a good and fun crossover.
One thing i like about Splinter is that one of those rare examples in media of a father that actually cares about his kids.
Like, no matter what tmnt version is, he's almost always the one who raises and takes care of the turtles. Not only one but four of them.
For me it's rare to find a father that really loves his kids (or sons in this case) and wants to spend time with them. And tries to be a good role model and teaching them life lessons.
