EPISODE ONE HUNDRED THIRTY TWO
“Graduation Day: Class of 2105”
Written by Julia Lewald
Original Air Date: March 24, 2007
Supervising Producer: Lloyd Goldfine
Producers: Gary Richardson, Frederick U. Fierst, Al Kahn, Norman Grossfeld, Thomas Kenney
Supervising Director: Roy Burdine
Story Editor: Lloyd Goldfine
MAJOR CHARACTERS:
Donatello (Sam Regal)
Leonardo (Michael Sinterniklaas)
Michelangelo (Wayne Grayson)
Raphael (John Campbell)
SECONDARY CHARACTERS:
Cody Jones
Master Splinter
O’Neil Tech Robot Hockey Players
MAIN LOCATIONS, VEHICLES AND ACCESSORIES:
Cody’s Penthouse
Junkyard
Madison Square Garden
Holo-Dojo
Synopsis:
Intro: Open in the Ninja Tribunal Temple where Master Splinter sits twenty yards away from a glass of water. Don, Leo and Raph sit across the room from their Sensei, their mission is to bring the container to Splinter without a drop of liquid hitting the ground. Donatello comes up with a strategy – Leo and Raph will distract the obstacles while Donny grabs the glass. Using teamwork, the Turtles complete the test. The simulation turns back into the holographic dojo and Splinter congratulates the brothers on achieving the next rank in their ninjitsu training. Mikey comes running into the dojo, explaining that he’s late because he was busy playing video games. Master Splinter states that Leo, Don and Raph will be graduating to the ninja rank of Chunin, but Mikey will not!
Act 1: The other Turtles plead with their Sensei to allow Mikey to graduate, but Master Splinter isn’t very receptive to the concept.
Cut to Mikey in Cody’s penthouse as he decides to start training extra hard. But as he walks past his video game system, he simply can’t resist the temptation and ends up playing it for hours until he finally falls asleep. Awakening from a bad dream, the affable Turtle is confronted by an angry Master Splinter. Despite Mike’s continued failures, Splinter offers him a second chance at graduation. A very eager Mikey thanks his Sensei for the opportunity. With that, Splinter asks his student to hand over his nunchakus, but as Mikey reaches for them, he discovers that they’re missing!
Act 2: As Michelangelo frantically searches for his weapons, Splinter states that he took them while Mikey was asleep. Master Splinter then explains that he has separated the chucks into three pieces, Mikey’s task is to find them. Each piece is with one of the other Turtles somewhere in the city. All Mikey will have for help is a map.
Cut to a junkyard where Mike finds a hatch in the ground. Sensing that this is where the first test is, Mikey opens it sees a giant underground cavern. The area is filled with spotlights and we see Leo guarding the first piece of Mikey’s nunchakus. Mike must figure out how to be “invisible” to obtain the first prize without Leo catching him. Mikey cleverly uses a shiny hub cab to reflect the lights back at Leo, temporarily blinding his brother while he successfully reclaims his first chuck piece!
Cut to Madison Square Garden where we see the second chuck piece sitting on a table in the middle of the rink. Raph and Cody are here and they explain that all Mikey has to do is take it. But it won’t be that easy, as Mikey will have to be “indestructible” to get past two giant robot hockey players who are there to stop him!
Act 3: The robots give Mikey a serious beating while Raphael does color commentary over the PA system. Eventually Mike realizes that he can’t physically beat these opponents, so he comes up with a plan. Quickly scrambling up the side of one robot, he perches himself right next to its head, just out of reach. As the other robot attacks, it accidentally clobbers its partner, sending him flying. Mike then runs to the fallen player and tells him that the other ‘bot says that he can’t hold his lubricant. The robots have been equipped with emotion chips and Mike’s smack talk succeed in goading them into a fight against one another! The two mechanical menaces begin trading punches, allowing Mikey to grab his second chuck piece!
Cut to the holo-dojo in Cody’s penthouse. Inside, Mikey is surrounded by hundreds of game consoles, all seductively flashing and flickering. Don explains that his brother must use his “insight” to determine what in this room has been holding him back the most, then he must smash it with a sledgehammer to obtain the third and final chuck piece. Mikey chooses “Shell Invaders”, the first video game that he ever played. But after he smashing it, the ninja doesn’t find a chuck piece – and to his surprise, destroying the console causes three giant Shell Invaders to appear!
Act 4: As Mikey flees from his attackers, Don explains that every lack of insight will make that bad choice emerge and attack. Mikey quickly finds another console, Helix Two, and crushes it. Unfortunately for the Turtle. it’s the wrong choice again and more video game attackers appear. Mikey, now scrambling around the room trying not to get clobbered, is really in a jam. As he tumbles one way and another he finds himself in front of a mirror. Seeing his own reflection, Mike finally realizes what’s really been holding him back: himself! The ninja smashes the mirror and the video game attackers disappear as Mikey obtains his last chuck piece!
The simulation turns back into the dojo and Cody and the other Turtles enter. Raph puts his arm around Mike and congratulates him for passing all of the tests. Surprisingly, Mikey isn’t sure if he actually deserves to graduate as he doesn’t feel any different and thinks that he’s still the lazy goofball that he always was. Master Splinter emerges and explains that Mikey truly does deserve to graduate with his brothers as he has just completed the unspoken final test, a display of humility.
Cut to the Ninja Tribunal Temple simulation in the holo-dojo later on. After all four Turtles finish their newly achieved Chunin ceremony, Raphael asks where they want to go to celebrate. Mikey surprises everyone again as he decides that he would rather train. With that, the others agree to train with him. Splinter looks on as he sons race off to practice, a satisfied look on his face.