| “Beneath These Streets” | |||||||
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| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1987 Cartoon) episode | |||||||
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| Season Code: | 03 | ||||||
| Episode: | 01 | ||||||
| Original airdate | September 25, 1989 | ||||||
| Written by | Michael Reaves | ||||||
| Producers: | – | ||||||
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Beneath These Streets is the first season 3 episode. It originally aired in syndication on 25 September 1989.
Appearing in Beneath These Streets[]
Major characters[]
- Leonardo (Cam Clarke)
- Donatello (Barry Gordon)
- Michelangelo (Townsend Coleman)
- Raphael (Rob Paulsen)
- Splinter (Peter Renaday)
- April O'Neil (Renae Jacobs)
- Vernon Fenwick (Peter Renaday)
- Shredder (James Avery)
- Krang (Pat Fraley)
- Rocksteady (Cam Clarke)
- Bebop (Barry Gordon)
Minor characters[]
- Channel 6 anchorman (Townsend Coleman)
- Cinema ticket vendor (Renae Jacobs)
- Female reporter (voice only) (Renae Jacobs)
- Hospital doctor (Pat Fraley)
- Man in cape (Rob Paulsen)
Species[]
- Human
- Mutant rat
- Mutant rhinoceros
- Mutant turtle
- Mutant warthog
Objects and vehicles[]
Locations[]
- City cinema
- City park
- City sewers
- Metro Hospital
- Metro Hospital basement
- Technodrome
- Turtle Lair
Plot[]
Splinter is less than pleased with the Ninja Turtles when he encounters them lounging around the TV rather than practicing their daily katas (martial arts exercises). The Turtles suggest that with Shredder out of the way (he and Krang were sent to the Earth's core in the previous episode), they deserve a vacation. Splinter responds by trouncing them all, and states that they have no definite proof that Shredder is gone for good. He then assigns them double their usual exercises.
Indeed, the Technodrome survived its trip to the Earth's core however is now powerless and badly damaged. Krang declares that they need to replace vital electronics, and that the Protein Silicon Brain "has an owie." He has created Pneumatic modules that will bore their way to the surface, so that Shredder can get a device that will repair the Protein Silicon Brain.
The Turtles are on patrol in the streets, worn-out from six hours of exercises. Michelangelo spots a kung-fu movie marathon, and despite Leonardo's reservations, they disguise themselves and head into the theater. They also turn off their Turtlecoms. Back in the lair, Splinter is worried that his students are late, and that they are unreachable by Turtlecom.
April is covering the development of the prototype Medi-Laser-Gun when Shredder runs in and steals it to use on the Protein Silicon Brain computer. The Turtles don't answer their Turtlecoms, so April is forced to call Splinter for help instead.
The Turtles leave the movie and decide to order a pizza rather than heading home.
Splinter heads into the building where Shredder has gone, leaving April outside. He easily gets rid of Bebop and Rocksteady, but is shot by the Medi-Laser on the reversed polarity - which Shredder says can be "as deadly as it can be healing." Before passing out, Splinter knocks a piece loose from the Medi-Laser with his walking stick.
When the Turtles return to the lair, they find Splinter comatose and April caring for him. The only way to save him is to get the Medi-Laser back, reverse the polarity and blast him again. Guilt-ridden, the Turtles vow to find Shredder no matter where he is.
Krang is momentarily delighted with the Medi-Laser Gun until he discovers he can't aim it because the "Directional Control Module" is missing. Shredder returns to the surface with Rocksteady and Bebop.
It turns out that the DCM was taken by April, who found it on the floor. Shredder also guesses that the Turtles have the DCM, since Splinter's body is gone from the room they previously were in. To draw out the Turtles, he orders Rocksteady and Bebop to inflict "mindless violence and destruction."
Raphael (in the Turtle Blimp) spots the two on a rampage in the park, and the other Turtles join him to fight the two goons. Shredder decides to follow them home and steal the module, then kill them all with a gas grenade.
However, Leonardo spots Shredder in the reflection of his sword, and Donatello disposes of the grenade. In the fight that ensues, Shredder manages to take the DCM, but the Turtles get the Medi-Laser itself. Donatello decides to try to create his own DCM, but his efforts are a failure.
A disgusted Krang sends up two Foot Soldiers to aid Shredder, just as Shredder learns that a new Medi-Laser has been created. He steals it just as the Turtles show up, and the entire battle is taken down into the sewers. In the ensuing battle a water main is ruptured by the Medi-Laser, and Michelangelo manages to get the device away from Shredder.
At the lair, Donatello shoots Splinter with the Medi-Laser, and he immediately wakes up. April volunteers to return the Medi-Laser to the hospital, and the Turtles reflect on the lesson they've learned.
Down at the Earth's core, an enraged Shredder places a metal panel over Krang's face to shut him up because Krang insulted him for failing and called him a bumbling idiot.
See also[]
Notes and errors[]
- Raphael's "R" turned white in the close up shot of him and the other Turtles looking into the river after Bebop and Rocksteady had fled.
- Leonardo's reflection in the puddle in the sewer when the Turtles were heading back to the lair was not seen mirror flipped.
- When Shredder and the mutants were first seen appearing into view when following the Turtles in the sewers, Leonardo was seen with both katanas on his back although he spent the beginning of the scene carrying one of his katanas.
- Shredder's skin tone changes colour in various parts of the episode.
- The strapping on the handles on Leonardo's swords were coloured grey just before he used them to slice the barrel off Rocksteady's stun laser.
- After Leonardo cut the barrel off Rocksteady's stun laser, his eyes were coloured white instead of yellow.
- Both times the module surfaces, it's a repeated clip, but with different lines.
- When the Turtles see Splinter in a coma and regret the movie and eating pizza, Raphael speaks in Leonardo's voice.
- Donatello's mask, arm, and leg straps all appear pink in many of the scenes during the episode.
- The right hand on Krang's body was flesh coloured and the left was coloured red when Krang said that the Technodrome was low on power.
- When Shredder was getting ready to throw the gas grenade, Rocksteady's horn was coloured the same as his skin.
- The DCM falls down near the pneumatic module after Splinter knocks it loose, and mere seconds later most of the area is covered in lava. The DCM should have been buried!
- When Shredder and the mutants got into the Transport Modules for the first time, the floor was drawn like concrete instead of the metal flooring.
Trivia[]
- Debut of the Transport Modules, pneumatic devices used to drill to the Earth's surface which would continue to be used as Foot Clan members' main mode of transport for the rest of the season.
- Debut of the Stun Lasers, primarily used by Bebop and Rocksteady and possibly obtained from Dimension X.
- From this point onward, the Turtles' Lair now has a new permanent layout and the Channel 6 building has a new exterior.
- First appearance of the Turtles' disguises which feature a woolen hat, mittens and a padded jacket.
- When Splinter attacks the Turtles there is a katakana sign that reads "Animeeshion" which means "Animation." This may be because of Toei Animation, who is credited in some episode credit rolls.
- The Turtles somehow mention the three TMNT live-action movies when they say, "they should make a movie about us." Presumably since this was aired in late 1989, and the movie debuted the following spring, the people making the series knew of the impending movie adaptation.
- Raph mentions there's "trouble down here in River City" in reference to the song "Ya Got Trouble" from the musical The Music Man.
- This is the first time Mike is bored of saying the phrase Cowabunga. Instead he tries to say Fred Flintstone's catchphrase, "Yabba-dabba-doo!".
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Home media releases[]
DVD[]
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Volume 3
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Season 3
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Classic Series Collection