Clayton Kellerman, host of the popular show On Trial, has taken to slandering the Turtles on the air. Hoping to share their side, the turtles convince April to get them on the show so they can present their side of the story. This puts them right in the crosshairs of Krang, who wants to seize the opportunity to destroy the turtles on national television.
Tropes:
- Animation Bump: This episode was animated by Toei Animation, who previously worked on Season 1, resulting in much more detailed and fluid animation reminiscent of the Season 1 episodes, compared to other Season 3 episodes largely animated by A-1 Productions and Murakami-Wolf-Swenson's satellite studio in Ireland (with some handled by Hanho Heung-Up and Wang Film Productions).
- The Bad Guy Wins: Even though he failed to destroy the Turtles, Krang still managed to get the element needed to help re-power the Technodrome.
- Downer Ending: After rescuing Clayton Kellerman from Krang and Shredder, Clayton is grateful to the turtles for saving him but in order to protect his reputation, he must continue badmouthing them. Things take a turn for the worse when April, who had been recording the battle between the turtles and Krang and Shredder to prove turtles as heroes, reveals her camera was damaged during the fight, much to the turtle's dismay.Raphael: Some days, it just doesn't pay to get out of you shell.
- Heel: The wrestling match the turtles watch at the beginning includes a wrestler named "The Terrible Turtle."
- Hero with Bad Publicity: Clayton's smear campaign has a very real negative effect on the Turtle's reputations. It gets so bad, an angry mob forms to chase them off after they had just stopped a robbery in broad daylight.
- Latex Perfection: This episode introduces the bald male human rubber masks the Ninja Turtles are often seen wearing when going undercover above ground in Season 3. April gives the masks to the Turtles, saying she had her TV studio's wardrobe department make them. When the Turtles first try the masks on, we get this gem...Donatello: Hey, great! Now we don't look like mutant turtles!
Raphael: Yeah, we look like mutant turtles wearing people masks.
Michaelangelo: I think it makes a real fashion statement. And the statement is "yuck!" - Let's See YOU Do Better!: Shredder finally has had enough of Krang's berating him for his failures and challenges Krang to take on the Turtles himself.
- "Metaphor" Is My Middle Name: April is with the Turtles in their Conspicuous Trenchcoat disguises combined with their new human masks at the pizzeria when she hears an alarm ringing at the jewelry store across the street and comments there's trouble nearby. The Turtles strip of their disguises and spring into action as Raphael tells April not to worry, as "'Trouble' is our middle name!" Donatello comments, "I didn't know we had middle names."
- Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
- Shredder has successfully forced the turtles to surrender and is about to order Bebop and Rocksteady to finish them off, only for Krang to interrupt and make Shredder retreat so he can take a crack at them with his new weapon.
- Shredder himself would end up spoiling Krang's plan when his arrival in a drill module would distract Krang long enough for the Turtles to take out his Mini-Mecha. Ironically, Shredder showed up in order to watch Krang get beaten by the Turtles.
- No Celebrities Were Harmed: Clayton Kellerman is based on Morton Downey Jr.rrrrrrr
- Psychopathic Manchild: When Krang orders Shredder to let the turtles escape what would have been a victory for Shredder so that he could destroy them, Shredder stamps his feet like a petulant child.The Shredder: You never let me have any fun!
- Shout-Out:
- Clayton Kellerman's show Trial is a Shout-Out to The Morton Downey Jr. Show.
- When April gives them their Latex Perfection masks, Raphael asks if she had gotten them from "Freddy's Garage Sale".
- Bebop and Rocksteady take the time to watch The Slurps, a cartoon meant to be The Smurfs (1981).
- Ungrateful Bastard: Even though the turtles save Kellerman's life, he tells them he's still going to trash them on his show, since that's what brings in the ratings.
- Villain Ball: Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady actually have the turtles cornered and defenseless, and it was then that Krang orders them to let the turtles go so that he could be the one to destroy them instead.
