cowabunga y’all.
i’ve created this sideblog to liveblog 03, share screenshots, chat turtles, and maybe do some good ol’ analysing. any gifs will still be posted to @isitdonproof but i’ll be reblogging them here too.
check it out if you think you might be interested!
aw, thank you! i revamped my main for ✧・゚: *✧・゚:*springtime✧・゚: *✧・゚:* and thought i'd do the same here because i absolutely intend to carry on analysing... one day...
the premise of tmnt 2003′s first episode is simplistic yet still very entertaining - turtle introductions and fighting the bad guys.
front and centre of the episode are the turtle’s core character traits and personalities which essentially drive the plot forward in this episode. for example, it’s raph’s ‘action first’ mentality which ends up with him jumping the back of the purple dragons van when in hindsight that is the worst place to hide.
we get to meet two groups of enemies; the purple dragons (rip johnny) and the mysterious group of ninjas (the foot clan). all in all, it’s a fun episode but introduces darker tones which only persist from here on out.
see under the cut for a more detailed breakdown!
the voice over introductions. so nostalgic! leo is up first - could it be anyone but our leader. also gives us our first look at nyc and the guys. immediately obvious that the show is going to be ‘dark and edgy’. he’s wrong. we’re not wearing costumes. YES.
the theme song is still a bop. we also get shown the main villain of the show, the shredder. 1,2,3,4! Turtles!
first scene of the show is a training scene where everyone sucks except for leo (who is pretty smug about that!). establishes that he’s gonna be in charge and the one everyone looks to. teacher’s pet. ninja dropout. gotta establish that leo and raph rivalry asap.
splinter gives us a lot of exposition this episode. but they do it well. talking about the need for stealth and the importance of keeping their existence a secret from the surface world as they must never be discovered. </3
enter the mousers. 1. they’re adorable 2. their theme music is also a bop 3. our first taste of seeing the boys in combat. lair is destroyed + the turtles get separated from splinter. leo very dramatically yells nooooo.
don is prepared with map (rather than being don’s the smart one!! look how clever!! we’re shown that he is organised, practical, and thoughtful. i dig that).
hello cruel world. ha! you have no idea.
blocked route. gotta go topside. leo, ever the dutiful son, reminds them about staying on task with no distractions much to everyone’s disappointment. further cements that he is the leader.
if memory serves, this is one of the only times we see ‘traffic’ and people at night in nyc. if new york is truly the city that never sleeps, where is everyone (i’ve been to new york. it is busy).
first look at the purple dragons. raph jumps in the truck for plot purposes. poor choice, raphael. but we get this glorious sequence with leo, don, and mikey’s silhouettes running across the rooftops set to yet another bop.
splinter is attacked by more mousers. floor crumbles. finds the new lair.
mikey knocks out two-tonne. their personalities are turned up to eleven - leo’s focus; mikey’s exuberance; raph’s anger; don’s practicality.
purple dragons fight. happens in a blink of an eye, a simple street gang is not a match. suddenly, are those guys...ninjas? the foot clan are a challenge and in the end the guys have to retreat. by stealing the stolen armoured truck.
don’s driving isn’t pretty but how did he learn to drive in the first place - driving simulator? - is it an automatic? the guys find the money and although mikey is elated, leo steps in and they throw it out onto a nearby cop car. acab. cos they’re altruistic.
boys in blue be eastman and laird. so i’ll give them a pass i guess.
they all reunite and splinter leads them to their new home. the space is incredible albeit in need of renovation. change is good.
we think its all over them boom, meet oroku saki. he looks menacing and is clearly someone very powerful. johnny is grovelling. saki stands. we cut to outside. johnny screams. he is never seen in the show again. THE END.