BRIEF STORYLINE: Michaelangelo's mutation is getting out of control accordording to evidence from to a virtual reality simulation using vortex crystals that Donatello is thinking testing for real on a turtle. The experimenting session continues.
Meanwhile on the Dreggnaught, sensors have located someone down on Earth is messing about with vortex crystals! Dregg knows for sure that the turtles have been smart enough to figure out the crystals have the ability to de-mutate them, meaning no more unstable mutations.
A new character named Mung, is leader of a planet where the Dreggnaught is being fixed. He's half human and half beetle. Mung has a secret weapon, a canister that contains a gas or substance that can build anythhing. He gives this power to Dregg. Dregg replaces Hi-Tech with Mung, as his second-in-command. This new alliance goes forth to Earth.
In the meantime, Donatello and Carter are doing more analysing on the de-mutation process. Next Carter runs a simulation on his own genetic structure getting into contact with the vortex crystal. The crystal has no effect on him.
Currently, the Dreggnaught is now orbiting Earth. Mung unleashes a very small micro-bot that resembles a robot ant. He places it on a similar-sized rocket and sends it towards Earth to get those vortex crystals.
Back at the lair, all four turtles are hooked up to a computer as Carter is stabilizing their mutations and it seems to be working. However, what Carter doesn't notice is the micro-bot removing a tiny piece of the crystal, when it is only Leonardo who still needs to be stabilized.
Carter feels now, it is time for him to leave the turtles and live a normal life. Leonardo then mutates violently, and becomes very aggressive to everyone in sight. Can Leonardo try to regain control of his own body and personality? Can the turtles destroy Dregg's Vortex Transporter and these dangerous micro-bots and not forgetting save April for the 10,000th time?
TMNT REVIEW HQ COMMENTS: Oh no, a below average episode. An unimpressive episode. It does though start with an intriquing proposition, as Michaelangelo in the lair starts to mutate horifficly, after test by Donatello. However, its all a virtual simulation! The editing is ok here.
Dregg, in the next scene disposes of poor Hi-Tech for good. The editing is mostly bad, but the music is dramatic for the piece, as Hi-tech is on the edge of his feet, wanting another chance. Hi-Tech, even though didn't add much to the cartoon apart from the cool armour he had and giving us the Techno gangster's, it is sad he gets rid of completely which must be one of the cruellest exits of a villain in the TMNT cartoon. He gets thrown into the nothingness of space. This rates as cruel as the exits of Baxter the Fly.
Mung, the new kid on the block, seems to be a bit more interesting than Hi-Tech, so the change is welcome. There's a funny moment, with what Michaelangelo says on the virtual sim, after the crystal heal the unstable mutation "i feel like totally perfectomondo- even though i am a virtual turtle!"
One of the better parts is the journey of the mini-bots to Earth showing the scenery of New York. The de-mutation of the turtles scene isn't very well done.
Enjoyable martial arts action between the turtles to test they will turn into those grizzlies again. However the editing varies between good and bad continually when monster Leo causes havoc. The editing here is the most chunky i've seen so far.
Then there's a lacklustre confrontation between Dregg & Bat-men, who are at the entrance of the spaceship, looking down on turtles and then they blast lasers at them. It does lack excitement. Michaelangelo gets the best lines in this episode, it seems as well.
The sequence involving the mini-bots engulfing buildings is well executed. They are so small that a large number of them together, that the wave of them looks like a liquid. In the final battle between the turtles and batmen, there's a good induction of originality and excitement when a giant robot with a face like a dog turns up to spoil the turtles winning ways. Quite good action. When Monster Leo jumps in, it gets worser.
The mini-bots do not get destroyed by turtles and Dregg wants to build the Vortex Transporter again. Hopefully the next episode it happens, it won't be a re-hash but an improvement on this.
"THE RETURN OF DREGG" GETS A: 2/5 RATING.
