When inventor Baxter Stockman invents a rat-seeking robot called a Mouser, Shredder sees it as his key to eliminate Splinter once and for all.
Tropes
- Arbitrary Skepticism: Michelangelo's encounter with "a giant brain" is disbelieved by the others... despite Michelangelo being a mutated turtle.
- Cassandra Truth: The others don't really believe Michelangelo when he tells them about encountering Krang, at least until the next episode.
- Conveniently Empty Building: It's hinted that April was the only one in her apartment building when it was destroyed by the mousers.
- Cool Car: Sort of. Baxter just drives an ordinary van that would end up being used by the Turtles. In the next episode however, it becomes the iconic Party Wagon.
- Cut Lex Luthor a Check: We first see Stockman trying to sell his Mouser robot to an exterminator. He's thrown out because it might work too well, driving pest control out of business.
- Darker and Edgier: While Never Say "Die" was in effect, this episode threatens death and physical harm more than any other. We see a Mouser chomp a rat, Raphael physically threatens Stockman, Shredder orders some Foot Soldiers to put Stockman "out of the way," Splinter tells April he fears they will "join their ancestors" while fighting the Mousers, and the mansion collapses with Michelangelo inside (he's fine, of course).
- Didn't Think This Through: Shredder calls the exterminator a "short-sighted fool" for blowing an opportunity with Baxter's Mousers.note
- Do Well, But Not Perfect: The reason why Baxter Stockman's mousers were rejected by the exterminator company is because they are too effective at exterminating rats, the invention capable of driving exterminators out of business.
- Evil vs. Evil: Krang helps the turtles ruin Shredder's mouser plan so Shredder can focus on building his new body.
- Explain, Explain... Oh, Crap!: Donatello mentions how the Mousers easily found Splinter in the sewers, he comments on how they must be able to track down rodents...which means they can probably find him at April's apartment.
- Get Out!: The Ajax Pest Control Company's boss's response to Baxter Stockman after he proposes his idea of Mousers to solve the city's rat problem.
- He Knows Too Much: Shredder says this word-for-word after having Stockman build him a Mouser master control, and sends his Foot Soldiers to do the dirty work.
- Literal-Minded: While at April's apartment, Raphael finds shampoo with instructions to use a capfull. Unfortunately, he ends up using a baseball cap.
- Oh, Crap!: The Turtles when they piece together how easily the Mousers can track people and there are now hundreds of them tracking Splinter and April.
- Old, Dark House: Shredder's base of operations for the episode.
- Out-of-Character Moment: In one scene, Raphael threatens to physically hurt Baxter if he doesn't tell the whereabouts of the Shredder.
- Ironically, that's how he constantly was in the comics.
- May double as a Mythology Gag as it's not unlike a scene in the original comics where Raphael punches out Baxter for taunting the turtles after being captured.
- Title Drop: At one point, Baxter Stockman says "This Shredder must really have a thing about rats".
- Unusually Uninteresting Sight: Baxter Stockman doesn't question the Shredder's unusual attire, his weird fixation of rat-extermination and the talking rhino and warthog that act as his benefactors and leave via giant drill from their Old, Dark House base. And remember, this is early in the series before mutants and aliens started becoming a common occurrence.
- Unwitting Instigator of Doom: The Ajax Pest Control company. Them kicking Baxter Stockman out and rejecting his idea of Mousers out of fear that they'll drive their exterminators out of business is what ultimately leads to him siding with the Shredder.
