Season 2, Episode 3
It Came From Beneath The Sewers
Air Date: October 15th, 1988
Picking up where the last episode left off, the Turtles are in pursuit of the three shards of the Eye of Zarnov, an alien weapon of untold power. Still salty from losing one shard to the Shredder, who conveniently lost it between episodes, the Turtles are growing more and more desperate to find the next shard.
Locating the shard in carnival, the Turtles are hilariously mistook for circus performers and decide that it’s best to just steer into the skid and start taking their act to the center stage. This is all well and good, but unfortunately(?), they cut there act short when the Shredder obtains the second shard and hurries it away to his hideout. Once there, Shredder and his hapless partner, Baxter Stockman, start experimenting on the shard to unlock it’s power. Though it’s never clearly stated what it’s power is, the shard accidentally mutates some flora from Dimension X (don’t ask) into a massive man-eating plant of unbelievable size and strength.
Okay so admittedly, this episode is not very strong, but it makes up for it because it’s very, very funny; thanks in no small part to Baxter’s constant screw-ups, Irma being adorable and Michelangelo in drag (again, don’t ask). But even though the episode isn’t that strong, the overall plot is inconsequential and the Shredder is again put to shame, the real star of this show is a massive freakin’ alien plant that the Turtles have to fight.
Also, this episode really makes me identify with Splinter purely because the Turtles seem utterly lost without him. Every single time a monkey wrench is thrown into the mix, the Turtles stop what they’re doing, and consult with Splinter. Splinter, in turn, is force to come up with some type of limerick that is supposed to tell the Turtles what to do without telling them. Probably so he can help his sons figure out what they’re supposed to do without flat out telling them so they can feel accomplished. Anyone who has children knows what this look means…
Who knew that this dorky show from thirty years ago would resonate with me so much today?
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