History Recap / TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012S1E9TheGauntlet

** While Kirby reveals that the Kraang kidnap scientists to help them modify the mutagen, he doesn't know what for. Come [[Recap/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012S1E17TCRI]], April reveals that Kirby's a psychologist, therefore he wouldn't really have any idea on what the Kraang are trying to do.

* {{Foreshadowing}}: There's a reason Bradford and Xever are shown touching a dog and a fish, respectively.

** Hachiko bites Bradford, which is to make way for his mutation into Dogpound. Afterward, however, Hachiko never appears again.

** BittersweetEnding: They did succeed in stopping the Kraang bomb and saving the city, while proving themselves capable of handling Xever and Bradford (though this is also the episode they have now mutated in).
* DudeWheresMyRespect: Nobody wants to be paired with poor Mikey when the turtles split up.

* NeutralFemale: Invoked. Leo stops April from going into the Kraang's lair with the turtles because she doesn't have the necessary ninja skills. She is left to wait on the roof for the turtles to come back, and her only job on the mission is to lower the rope for them to climb out (much to her annoyance).

* WhamEpisode: It starts out innocently enough with the Turtles investigating a [[ItMakesSenseInContext mutant pigeon]]...then the turtles plan to break out Mr. O'Neil from the compound he's being held only for them to make a SadisticChoice and save themselves rather than free him. THEN they have to defuse a bomb that's going to cover the entire city in ooze while fighting Xever and Bradford (both of whom get mutated by the chemical in said bomb). If that wasn't bad enough they then get their first battle with the Shredder which ultimately ends with them all nearly getting killed and Splinter ending the episode by stating that the Shredder won't go away and tells his sons that they (the Hamato clan) are now at war with Shredder and the Foot Clan.

* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: Despite their victories in fights with the Kraang, Foot ninja, various mutants and Shredder's top henchmen, the Turtles quickly find they're severely unready to take on the Shredder himself. Barely managing to land any hits on him, the Turtles find themselves with an opponent with far better skill and experience than them and it's only because he was distracted by Xever and Bradford mutating that they manage to escape.

* TheCuckoolanderWasRight: Mikey gets a few in this episode. His random button-mashing leads to Donnie successfully hacking into the Kraang system and his random guess that Donnie should cut the green wire instead of the black one on the mutagen bomb is also correct. Moreover, he's actually the only turtle to even come ''close'' to challenging Shredder, by catching one of his arms with his kusarigama and dangling him over the building.

* AuthorityEqualsAssKicking: The Shredder turns out to be the first guy the Turtles are unable to beat by any mean.

* RecurringExtra: The guy with the cat from ''[[Recap/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012S1E4NewFriendOldEnemy New Friend, Old Enemy]]'' who also appeared in ''[[Recap/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtles2012S1E5IThinkHisNameIsBaxterStockman I Think His Name is Baxter Stockman]]'' can be seen hanging out by April's building in the first shot of the episode.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Turned UpToEleven.

* StealthHiBye: The turtles are masters of this by default, but taken UpToEleven when Donnie invents egg smoke bombs.

* CurbStompBattle: The Turtles' first encounter with the Shredder. They were lucky to escape alive.

* RealityEnsues: The Turtles are barely able to lay a blow to Shredder, who has decades more training and combat experience in martial arts than them. He is also a pragmatic fighter, using his environment to electrify Raph and later cause a letter to fall on Mikey.

* LightningBruiser: The Shredder

* BigNever: From Xever.

* HonorBeforeReason: Bradford and Xever's motivation for attacking the Turtles. Doubles as RevengeBeforeReason.

* SmokeOut: Donatello invents some smoke bombs, which the Turtles will make use of throughout the series. Mikey enjoys them a little ''too'' much in this episode.

* TakingYouWithMe: Said word for word by Bradford. [[CrowningMomentOfFunny Failed hilariously]].

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Pigeon Pete disappears from the series after delivering the message.

* MythologyGag: Pigeon Pete is named after Michelangelo's pigeon friend from the episode ''What's Michaelangelo Good For?'' of the 1987 cartoon.

*** When The Shredder first shows u.p Donatello nervously says "Do you think that's The Shredder?" Raphael {{lampshade|Hanging}}s this by saying "Well, it's definitely a Shredder" Making a reference to the various incarnations of The Shredder in the different TMNT shows and other media.

* RealityEnsues: The Turtles are barely able to lay a blow to Shredder, who has decades more training and combat experience in martial arts than them.

* WhamEpisode: It starts out innocently enough with the Turtles investigating a [[ItMakesSenseInContext mutant pigeon]]...then the turtles plan to break out Mr. O'Neil from the compound he's being held only for them to make a SadisticChoice and save themselves rather than free him. THEN they have to defuse a bomb that's going to cover the entire city in ooze while fighting Xever and Bradford (both of whom get mutated by the chemical in said bomb). If that wasn't bad enough they then get their first battle with the Shredder which ultimately ends with them all nearly getting killed and Splinter ending the episode by stating that the Shredder won't go away and his sons have officially gone to war.

* DownerEnding