BRIEF STORYLINE: Deep down in the sewers, Michaelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael are watching their usual sci-fi B-movie on TV, while Donatello is hard at work on his new invention, called the Dream-O-Vision. Its a device, which you can fit on your head, where you can actually live out your dreams and imaginations.
The device operates well at first, but then it malfunctions. A strange, evil creature appears called Creepy Eddie. His appearance isn't too far away from the Freddy Krueger-look. He tells the turtles he can control their dreams. Donatello is taking no chances, and switches the Dream-O-Vision off until he can find out what the problem is.
Over at Channel Six, a new guy arrives at the work. He is Milton Frobish the Third, a nerd and son of the owner of Channel Six News. April is not liking it, as Milton is terribly clumsy and Vernon is kissing up to Milton.
Back to the lair. Michaelangelo is too tempted to obey Donatello and wants a first shot at the Dream-O-Vision. Then in the dream, he is attacked by a big Squid Monster that Ate Hoboken. Michaelangelo is unable to get out of the dream, and is captured by Creepy Eddie. Creepy Eddie tells him he need one more person to be stuck in this world so he can enter reality and cause havoc there.
Leonardo goes back to the Lair after worrying about Michaelangelo not being himself, not wanting to go out for a pizza with the others. However, Leonardo is sucked in by a whirlwind and relocated to Nightmareland, where Creepy Eddie is resident. Now Eddie can enter reality!
Can Raphael, Donatello and Splinter find out in time what is going on before Michaelangelo and Leonardo are squshed by a potential never-ending array of Nightmareland creatures? Will they be trapped there forever, thanks to Donatello's suppoesedly pleasure-seeking invention?
TMNT REVIEW HQ COMMENTS: An unoriginal and pretty tiring episode. Creepy Eddie is too much similar to Freddy Krueger, i wonder why the cartoon never got sued. Anway, a very weak episode. Some bright spots of humour do prop up, as when Leonardo leaves Vinnie's Pizza restaurant in a hurry, worrying about Michaelangelo back at the lair, which Raphael sees as an excuse to skip paying for the cheque!
The dreams of the turtles are some of the better edited scenes and we see Raphael at his most selfish, imagining himself as some kind of a Roman Emperor, Leonardo as the first turtle on the moon, and Donatello graduating.
Throughout the episode we are force-fed the laughter of Creepy Eddie which does become grating to the ears after a while. It's a very good over-the-top effort by the voice actor though! The other on-going story in the episode is quite funny, with Vernon smothering and kissing up to Milton Frobish the Third to such an extent it's causing accidents.
Despite having many action setpieces, involving creatures from Nightmareland like a giant spider, none really impress, and the editing is a let-down.
For the first time perhaps, we find out the Turtle Comm has an answer message device when April calls them up. This is used for comic effect, with Leonardo on the message saying he is stuck in Nightmareland. During the final action scene, Creepy Eddie comes out with a good line when stopping Donatello get to the Dream-O-Vision, saying "visiting hours are over!", and a wall magically appears, which Donatello flies straight into.
The epsiode however, ends on a good note with a quite funny ending of Michaelangelo who has been mentally scarred by his experiences in Nightmareland, and feeling a bit squeamish, he runs at the first sight of a creature appearing on their TV.
"NIGHTMARE IN THE LAIR" GETS A: 2/5 RATING.
