Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) (season 5)
| Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (season 5) | |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Release | |
| Original network | 4Kids TV |
| Original release | March 24, 2007 – May 3, 2008 |
The Ninja Tribunal arc (consisting of thirteen episodes) was originally intended to be season five of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, but the schedule was changed to try to increase interest in the series and "Fast Forward" became the fifth season to air on commercial TV. After the scheduling change was made, Mirage and its partners decided to finish production on the "Ninja Tribunal" episodes and release them directly to DVD. 4Kids Entertainment later signed a deal with Comcast and this season began airing on Comcast-On-Demand in August 2006. Mass confusion ensued regarding which season was officially season five and which was season six. However, after airing five episodes Comcast stopped airing the episodes.[1]
The "Ninja Tribunal" episodes were scheduled to be released on DVD sometime in early 2007, but 4Kids Entertainment later removed them from their release schedule.[1] 4Kids started showing the episodes starting on February 16, 2008. Although the title doesn't appear in the show itself, the season was promoted in commercials as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Lost Episodes.[2] The DVD set was released on May 20, 2008.[1]
The "Nightmares Recycled" episode was never completed. The script was finished and some animation had begun when 4Kids pulled the plug because it was deemed too controversial and violent for a children's program (Hun and the Garbageman were conjoined twins that were surgically separated at birth by a back-alley surgeon with the Garbageman being discarded as 'garbage'). Since there was no chance of it airing, it was shelved in the early stages of production.[3]
Story
Following on from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, the Turtles and the four acolytes Joi, Feragi, Tora, and Adam are brought to the Ninja Tribunal's monastery to begin training to combat an unknown evil. Splinter and the Ancient One arrive at the monastery, the former aggressively opposing the Turtles' affiliation with the Tribunal, because of their disinterest in aiding Hamato Yoshi against the Utrom Shredder that could have saved his life. The Tribunal proves to be aggressive and unrelenting in their training, brutally berating their acolytes for even aiding their wounded. The Tribunal finally reveals that the enemy they are preparing to face is in fact a Tengu demon that was the original incarnation of the Shredder, whose legend the Utrom Shredder manipulated to gain respect. The Tengu Shredder will be revived if his helmet, gauntlet, and decayed body are brought together, having been separated by the Tribunal millennia ago. Though the Turtles and acolytes retrieve all three relics, the Foot Mystics, revealed to be heralds of the Tengu Shredder, attack the temple, stealing the relics and seemingly killing the Tribunal and the Acolytes. The Turtles, Splinter and the Ancient One return to New York to prepare for the coming threat.
The Foot Mystics soon successfully revive the Tengu Shredder, who rampages through New York to kill Karai, who he deems an insult to his name due to her taking on the mantle in the fourth season. The Turtles manage to achieve a victory, repelling the Tengu Shredder and saving Karai from his wrath. However, the Tengu Shredder soon succeeds in transforming the island of New York into a hellish, Tengu-infested dominion of his; a fate which he intends to inflict upon the rest of the world. To combat this threat to Earth, the Turtles unite with the four acolytes (who are revealed to have miraculously survived the monastery's destruction), the Justice Force, the Foot Clan, Agent Bishop's Earth Protection Force, Hun's Purple Dragons, and several other allies of theirs to assault the Tengu Shredder's stronghold. After falling in battle, the Turtles are revived by Hamato Yoshi's spirit, and they manage to separate the Tengu Shredder from his helmet and gauntlet, rendering him vulnerable for Yoshi's spirit to finally end the demon's existence. The Ninja Tribunal reveal their survival as well, and recruit the Ancient One to serve on their tribunal. Karai parts with the Turtles on friendly terms, seemingly entering a relationship with Dr. Chaplin, and Splinter finally makes peace with the loss of his sensei.
Crew
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced by Mirage Studios, 4 Kids Entertainment, 4Kids Productions, and Dong Woo Animation and distributed by 4 Kids Entertainment and was aired on Fox's Saturday morning kids' block in the US.[4] The producers were Gary Richardson, Frederick U. Fierst, and Joellyn Marlow for the American team; Tae Ho Han was the producer for the Korean team.[4]
Episodes
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written By | Original air date | TV Broadcast |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 105 | 1 | "Lap of the Gods" | Roy Burdine | Christopher Yost | February 16, 2008 | S05E01 |
| Abducted by the Ninja Tribunal and separated from Master Splinter, the Turtles and the human Acolytes are taken to Japan to begin their training. And they're going to need it, because the ancient evil they've been drafted to fight is on its way… and it's frighteningly familiar. | ||||||
| 106 | 2 | "Demons and Dragons" | Roy Burdine | Joe Kelly | February 23, 2008 | S05E02 |
| The Turtles begin training with the mysterious Ninja Tribunal, experimenting with new powers and weapons. After securing the first of the Tribunal’s Lost Artifacts, our heroes learn to their horror that the “great evil” they are destined to face is the long-imprisoned spirit of the one, true Shredder! | ||||||
| 107 | 3 | "Legend of the Five Dragons" | Roy Burdine | Danny Fingeroth | March 1, 2008 | S05E03 |
| The Turtles train with the Ninja Tribunal to prevent the resurrection of the Shredder. But when Splinter and the Ancient One express serious doubts about trusting the Tribunal, leaving the Turtles confused. If they all agree on the goal, why the doubts? To explain the danger to the Turtles, Splinter and the Ancient One reveal the secret history of the Tribunal… including the true origin of the Shredder! | ||||||
| 108 | 4 | "More Worlds Than One" | Roy Burdine | Christopher Yost | March 8, 2008 | S05E04 |
| The Turtles and company continue their training under the Ninja Tribunal, learning to fight in the physical as well as mental and spiritual worlds. They’re going to need that knowledge, because the second artifact of the Shredder has been found, guarded by a horde of nasty tengu demons that eat Acolytes for breakfast… literally! | ||||||
| 109 | 5 | "Beginning of the End" | Roy Burdine | Joe Kelly | March 15, 2008 | S05E05 |
| Returning to the Tribunal Monastery with the second Lost Artifact, things seem to be going well for our heroes when old foes infiltrate the monastery. With all three artifacts in the hands of evil, they plan a sneak attack on the Tribunal and their students with devastating results! | ||||||
| 110 | 6 | "Nightmares Recycled" | Roy Burdine | Roland Gonzalez | N/A | S05E06 |
|
Raph, Don, Casey, and April’s evening salvage operation lands them a one-way ticket to Recycle World – the Garbageman’s deadly realm of refuse! As if fighting for their lives in a world of lethal compactors and shredders wasn't bad enough, they've got to do it all with Hun – who’s not thrilled to reveal that he and Garbageman have something in common –Mutated DNA! NOTE: This episode was never completed because it was deemed too violent. | ||||||
| 111 | 7 | "Membership Drive" | Roy Burdine | Christopher Yost | March 24, 2008[5] | S05E07 |
| The Justice Force is expanding its ranks, and Mike plans on joining up as Turtle Titan!, while Leo is more concerned in alerting them to the threat of the original Shredder. But when Nano reappears (thanks to Bishop and Baxter Stockman), everything quickly spirals out of control into a superhero vs. nanotech slugfest! But has Nano come back as friend or foe? And will the Turtle Titan and Leo survive long enough to find out? | ||||||
| 112 | 8 | "New World Order, Part 1" | Roy Burdine | Danny Fingeroth | March 29, 2008 | S05E08 |
| The original mystical Shredder is fully resurrected by the sinister Foot Mystics, whose first agenda is to destroy Karai, the counterfeit shredder, personally. And, while the Turtles are enemies of both Shredders, they realize that if the original Shredder wins, his goal of creating a world of utter chaos and destruction will be one step closer to becoming reality. | ||||||
| 113 | 9 | "New World Order, Part 2" | Roy Burdine | Matthew Drdek | April 5, 2008 | S05E09 |
| In their attempt to rescue Karai from the Foot Mystics and new Shredder, the Turtles wind up in a raging battle filled with magic and martial arts where they use everything the Ninja Tribunal has taught them. But will it be enough to escape with a severely wounded Karai and their own lives? | ||||||
| 114 | 10 | "Fathers and Sons" | Roy Burdine | Roland Gonzalez | April 12, 2008 | S05E10 |
| Weary after their first battle with the new Shredder, the Turtles doubt they can defeat him. To lift their spirits, Splinter and the Ancient One share a tale of the Turtles’ much younger days. The story reveals that though the Turtles were small, they overcame impossible odds to defeat a dark and mystical phantom bent on returning the one true Shredder to life, though they may not remember it. | ||||||
| 115 | 11 | "Past and Present" | Roy Burdine | Joe Kelly | April 19, 2008 | S05E11 |
| The Shredder begins to build a new dynasty in New York, transforming the whole island into a hellish nightmare. The Turtles team up with Karai in a daring plan to direct Shredder’s own life-force energy against him from mystical “Keystones” around Manhattan, but will it be enough? | ||||||
| 116 | 12 | "Enter the Dragons, Part 1" | Roy Burdine | Christopher Yost | April 26, 2008 | S05E12 |
| The demonic Shredder has transformed New York City into a nightmare version of Feudal Japan and the rest of the modern world is next! But the Turtles have a plan, and if it takes allying themselves with some of their former enemies to bring the fight to the Shredder, so be it… because if they fail, all life as they known it will cease to exist. | ||||||
| 117 | 13 | "Enter the Dragons, Part 2" | Roy Burdine | Christopher Yost | May 3, 2008 | S05E13 |
| With the help of their closest allies and most dangerous enemies alike, the Turtles have fought their way through a demonic version of New York to confront the Shredder once and for all! Now the Turtles must have everything they've got and have no choice but to focus their energy and become their very own mystic avatars...Dragons. This night, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will meet their destinies: Whether to live or die! | ||||||
References
- 1 2 3 "TMNT Season 5 on Official Site". ninjaturtles.com. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
- ↑ Get Ready...the TMNT Lost Episodes Have Been Found 4kids.tv. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
- ↑ Nightmares Recycled episode at Ninja Turtles Official Website. Retrieved on February 15, 2008
- 1 2 "TMNT credits on Dongwoo Animation". Dongwoo Animation Co. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
- ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1058687/?ref_=ttep_ep6
External links
- Season Five Episode list with detailed synopses at the Official Ninja Turtles website
- Episode list with synopses at TV.com
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