EPISODE FORTY FOUR
“The Golden Puck”
Written by Michael Ryan
Original Air Date: April 10, 2004
Supervising Producer: Lloyd Goldfine
Producers: Gary Richardson, Frederick U. Fierst, Al Kahn, Norman Grossfeld, Thomas Kenney
Supervising Director: Chuck Patton
Story Editor: Lloyd Goldfine
MAJOR CHARACTERS:
Donatello (Sam Regal)
Leonardo (Michael Sinterniklaas)
Michelangelo (Wayne Grayson)
Raphael (Frank Frankson)
Casey Jones
SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
Three Texas Roughnecks
Mr. Arboost (rich criminal)
MAIN LOCATIONS, VEHICLES AND ACCESSORIES:
Van
Big black limousines
Texas Roughneck laser rifles
The Golden Puck
Super Slam Hockey rink in Central Park
Synopsis:
Intro: Casey Jones voice-over as we open with him and the four Turtles packed into a van as it’s being pursued by three large black limousines, each containing Texas Roughnecks that are firing at our heroes with laser rifles. Suddenly, the van begins to spin out of control on the icy road!
Act 1: Open in the city at night. A game of Super Slam Hockey is in action in the middle of Central Park. The Turtles and Casey Jones are seated next to the championship prize known as the “Golden Puck”. Casey explains how awesome Super Slam hockey is and how important the Golden Puck is to the league as a symbol of its longevity.
As the game ends, three para-hawks float down from the sky. Upon landing, the vehicles open fire on the players and crowd – causing a stampede as people try to escape the assault. The TMNT and Casey stand their ground, so the leader Texas Roughneck assault team tosses a grenade at them. The resulting explosion buries our heroes in a pile of debris and rubble.
Act 2: The Golden Puck falls from its pedestal and is grabbed by the Roughnecks. With the puck in hand, the thieves escape on their snowhawks.
Casey helps the TMNT dig out and no one is injured. The Turtles want to leave this caper to the police, but Casey shakes Leo and exclaims they’ve got to get the Golden Puck back and teach the criminals a lesson. Casey takes off on foot. The Turtles decide that they’d better help their friend, and grab some nearby snowmobiles that were going to be raffled off at the game. Mikey picks up Casey on the way and our heroes chase the thieves.
The crooks dive into a subway tunnel. Raph is in the lead and rides his vehicle down the steps after the crooks. The criminals board a train and the leader opens fire on Raph with his laser rifle – scoring a direct hit! As Raph’s ride explodes, the Roughneck takes out a matchbook and sticks a match in his mouth, letting the cover fall to the ground. The doors of the subway car close and the thieves escape. The rest of the TMNT arrive and think that they’ve lost their quarry, but Raph picks up the matchbook and discovers it’s from a local hotel.
Cut to the rooftop opposite of the hotel. Using night-vision binoculars, the Turtles find the Roughneck’s room. The criminals vacate the area, so our heroes decide to search the room for the Golden Puck.
Inside the hotel hallway, we see the Roughnecks boarding the elevator down. The TMNT and Casey emerge from various hiding places and enter their room, thanks to one of Don’s gadgets that unlocks the door. The Puck isn’t there – suddenly the door handle begins to turn as the Roughnecks are returning to the room for their van keys!
Act 3: With the Roughnecks returning, the Turtles and Casey hide. Unfortunately, Jones’ hiding place leaves the vast majority of his body in the open, right where the van keys are sitting! Mikey leaps into action and manages to get to the room’s door, where he pretends to be delivering towels. The Roughnecks slam the door in his face, but the distraction has given Leo and Don enough time to grab Casey and pull him outside. The criminal boss notices the open window, but the thugs aren’t sure if they left it that way, so after a brief search they grab the keys and head outside.
At the front of Drake Hotel, the Roughnecks are waiting by the back of their van as three limousines arrive. The vehicles hold even more Roughnecks and their leader, the rich criminal Mr. Arboost. Arboost is delighted to see the Golden Puck and reveals that he’ll use it to blackmail the Super Slam hockey league into allowing him to buy a team.
Casey and the Turtles decide it’s time to put a stop to this caper and attack. Our heroes rough up the Roughnecks and then steal their van, the Golden Puck safely inside.
The van races wildly down icy streets as the three limos containing Aboost and his Roughnecks give chase and open fire. Suddenly, the first limo hits the van tossing Raph from his position on the vehicle’s roof.
Act 4: Raphael lands on the back of the lead limo and leaps to its front. The fiery ninja then smashes his sai through the windshield into the solar plexus of the driver, causing him to spin out. Raph leaps back onto the van as all three pursuing limousines crash into each other.
Cut to van now parked in an alley. Casey and Don use a radio in the van to lure the Roughnecks back to Central Park.
At the rink in Central Park, Casey is standing alone next to the Golden Puck as the Roughnecks arrive. Arboost tells Casey to hand the puck over, and Casey states that he has friends. The Turtles play a joke on Jones and don’t make a move for a while, which worries Casey and amuses the Roughnecks. Finally, the Turtles emerge from their hiding spot and a big battle takes place. Our heroes defeat the Texas Roughnecks as Casey appropriately uses a hockey stick to smash their boss, Mr. Arboost, into the goalie net.
The police arrive and arrest the Roughnecks as the Turtles and Casey watch from a hidden area. Casey thanks his friends for helping him stop the crime and shakes Raph’s hand, declaring “Jones and the Turtles rule!”
