TMNT: Season 2 Finale: The Invasion: Review (Nickelodeon)

     Nickelodeon went and released the 2-part 2nd season finale of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on the official site, and it does not disappoint.

     We get a huge amount of stuff happening in this episode.  I'm going to try and avoid major spoilers here, but some minor ones might slip through.  The big part of the story is that the Kraang invasion has finally begun.  The Shredder and his clan of soldiers and mutants are out and about wreaking havoc while the Kraang are flooding the city.

Leonardo proves his worth.

     The Turtles themselves get into disagreements and end up separating at great cost.  Leonardo shows us how badass he can be and why he is the leader, Raphael shows emotion, Michelangelo shows a true sadness, and Donatello has great regrets.  Leatherhead shows up to aid Splinter (as well as another individual you'll have to see for yourself), Timothy (Mutagen Man) we learn has to be left behind in the ruined lair, but will remain frozen for 70 more years, Ice Cream Kitty has a grand moment, we finally get to see Donatello's hyped Turtle Mech, and there is a genuinely surprising revelation about recurring character Irma (April's friend)!

Mikey's Turtle Mech dreams have come true.

     This episode demonstrates the creators know what they are doing and handling this IP with great care, while at the same time maintaining a nice level of creativity.  They have pushed the boundaries in terms of character growth and story to a point that is enviable by other cartoons.  There is also what I think might be a good Triceraton reference and a blatant reference to the old 80's TMNT Party Wagon.  It has a great story to fit into the series.
     As an aside, I was really hoping Don's Turtle Mech would've actually been run by Metalhead's saved head, but alas it wasn't... yet.

High fives for Ice Cream Kitty

     The way the episode leaves off is a monstrous cliffhanger giving us a ton to look forward to in the next season.  Leatherhead is missing again, Raph hopes Spike (Slash) is ok, Splinter and the Turtles are separated, and the Turtles are forced to run and hide.  The Earth Protection Force arrives to try and fend off the Kraang invaders, which is nice because we get to see some humans outside the Turtles' sphere of influence accomplishing something.
     Essentially we are left with an Empire Strikes Back ending.  The bad guys have won, and the good guys are all down.

A Triceraton reference?  Perhaps a hint towards future episodes?

     Link to the full episode [ Nickelodeon ]

     For more of my Turtle's posts [ TMNT ]