Return of the Shredder Review

After the first five part mini-series, it is now time to delve into the first episode of the second season of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode 6 Return of the Shredder. In this episode, The Shredder returns after begging Krang to send him to Earth and puts together a group of rag tag ninjas to frame the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, called the Crooked Ninja Turtle Gang. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode 6 Return of the Shredder first aired on October 1st 1988 in Syndication.


Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode 6 Return of the Shredder

The mini series established everything and we have gotten a cartoon out of the five parter. This episode starts out with Leonardo and Michelangelo foiling some thugs right at the supermarket. The zany brand of fighting that is very prominent in this episode is very present.

Meanwhile Burne Thompson is back, you know April’s boss at Channel Six, and faster than you can say J. Jonah Jameson, he is badmouthing the Turtles. Different form of media, same underlying factor. It doesn’t help that he has a young blond girlfriend who obviously hates turtles and…well how did they get that into the cartoon? Irma is also introduced for the first time in this episode. A character that has often times both amused and annoyed me. Although her exploits to get a date and resulting misadventures do chuckle.

Shredder meanwhile is boo-hooing about his loss. Krang wants some peace and quiet, so he gets Shredder out of the house, as he sends Shredder to earth. Krang, a master at multi-tasking that he is, also stops Bebop and Rocksteady from going to Earth, exhibiting cruelty to both humans and animals. Shredder is on Earth without any help, and is mugged, but manages to rough up the muggers. Shredder as it turns out is very competent but he suffers from an ego and stupid plans(and stupid minions).

He quickly takes over a dojo, molding the students into the Crooked Ninja Turtle Gang. Obviously the people of New York mistake the guys in really bad Halloween costumes for the giant mutated reptiles. Yeah, people were kind of stupid in this show. It doesn’t help that Burne is fanning the flames.

Shredder, not patient, and not pleased, breaks Baxter Stockman(who is rooming with a guy who thinks he’s Napoleon) out of the crazy house, to have him build a machine to capture Master Splinter. Yeah, that worked so well the first time, Shredder. Stockman does have a nifty rat catching device, which captures Splinter and lures the Turtles. The Turtles dispatch of the Crooked Ninja Turtle Gang.

Splinter is at the mercy of the battering ram, but thanks to some quick thinking of the Turtles, they both stop that, and destroy Stockman’s little rat catching machine, freeing Splinter. Krang refuses to lend Shredder any help and he remains on Earth with Stockman. And obviously, the Crooked Ninja Turtles Gang was a hoax.
The continuity for this season was rather great, as there is a nice little mini-arc about the Shredder’s attempts to defeat the Turtles over the next few episodes without Krang’s help and technology.

The next four episodes really do tie together, in fact this whole season kind of does as well. I did find this episode rather enjoyable despite some hokiness, so 7/10 for this one. You can watch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 6 Enter the Shredder on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Volume 2 DVD set.