While breaking into the hostile environment of TCRI headquarters, the Turtles discover the true intent of the Kraang and resolve to stop the alien invasion once and for all.
This episode provides examples of:
- Big Damn Heroes: When the Turtles are struggling against Traag, Leatherhead loudly crashes into the room and promptly slams him down. Note that Traag is several times larger than him.
- Call-Back: Leatherhead is back, and plays a crucial role in helping the Turtles get into TCRI. Sadly, he doesn't get out.
- Metalhead is seen again. As well as various items the turtles have collected that have the Kraang's insignia.
- The Patrol Buggy from "Panic in the Sewers" returns.
- April pulls the same Wig, Dress, Accent trick she used in "Panic in the Sewers" to sneak the Turtles and Leatherhead into TCRI.
- The Cameo: Ms. Campbell (or a droid who looks just like her) works the front desk at TCRI.
- Chekhov's Skill: The Turtles' ability to hold their breaths.
- Death Glare: Donnie gives a rather epic one to Mikey early in the episode, complete with thunder and lightning in the background when Mikey teases him about how Leatherhead always like to grab him by his face.
- Dumbass Has a Point: Upon discovering the Krang breath an environment that's poisonous to others, the Turtles wonder what the point of them invading Earth is, prompting Mikey to sarcastically ask if they plan to mutate the whole planet so that they were the only ones who could live on it. The rest of the Turtles realize that's exactly what the Krang intend to do.Donnie: I don't know what's scarier: what you just said, or you said it!
- Elevator Action Sequence
- Foreshadowing: "Who can hold their breath? WE Can!"
- Also, Mikey stopping to pick up seemingly useless junk.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: The Kraang's HQ, TCRI, is a very big, jagged building that sticks out of the NYC skyline like a sore thumb.
- Hostile Terraforming: The Kraang plan to alter Earth's atmosphere to one that they prefer, and that Earth natives can't breath in.
- Indy Ploy: Once again, circumstances force Leo to improvise the team's battle plans.
- His plan to destroy both Traag and the portal at the same time:
Donnie: So how do we get him to the portal?Leo: Uh...I haven't thought that far yet. - Interdimensional Travel Device: The portal to Dimension X.
- Killer Yoyo: April manages to fend off the Kraang with one of these.
- Living Statue: Traag makes his 2012 debut.
- Magma Man: Traag is this, his stone form crossed by glowing Tron Lines of lava, and he can fire a stream of lava from his mouth. Fortunately for the Turtles and Leatherhead, touching him doesn't make them burst into flame.
- Mass "Oh, Crap!": By three Kraang putting on their human disguises. Raphael's reaction to this is similar:
- Not Me This Time: For once, Michelangelo didn't set off the alarm by hitting a button.
- Not So Above It All: Splinter guesses the symbol is related to the Olympics the same as Mikey. He later admits he likes a good maze, the same as a regular rat.
- Not That Kind of Doctor: When April wonders why the Kraang need her father so badly if they're trying to terraform the Earth, Leo brings up the fact that he's a scientist. However, April reveals that Kirby's a psychologist who studies rats running through mazes, therefore, he wouldn't have any idea on how to help with their mutation experiments.
- Our Giants Are Bigger: According to
Word of God, Traag is 20 feet tall. - Recurring Extra: The hobo from the first episode and the pizza delivery guy are both seen at the beginning when the turtles are chasing the Kraang with the Patrol Buggy.
- The Reveal:
- A chance comment by Michelangelo causes the turtles realize that the Kraang are planning to alter Earth's environment using the mutagen, finally explaining why they've been experimenting with it.
- At the very end of the episode, it turns out that the Kraang want April and not her dad, as everyone originally thought.
- Running Gag: Leatherhead still grabs Donnie by the face whenever he freaks out. Fortunately, he snaps out of it before doing any serious harm this time.
- "The Olympics."
- Sarcasm-Blind:Raph: We're not in Kansas anymore.
Mikey: I thought we were in New York?
(Raphael punches Mikey on the back of his head) - Say My Name: Leatherhead roars Traag's name when he sees him. Traag reacts with angry recognition. Perhaps they have a history?
- Shout-Out: The TV show Mikey watches at the end looks like an episode of Ultraman.
- Traag's new design is reminiscent of the stone generals in the CGI movie.
- Strange Minds Think Alike: Mikey constantly (incorrectly) guesses that the symbol Leatherhead showed them somehow relates to the Olympics. When Master Splinter sees the symbol himself for the first time, without knowing what it is, he guesses the Olympics too.
- Storming the Castle: The Turtles breaking into yet another Kraang facility.
- Taking You with Me: Leatherhead pulls Traag back through the portal to save the Turtles and keep anything else from coming through, trapping himself on the other side in the process.
- Tempting Fate: Invoked and lampshaded. After fighting some Kraangdroids in an elevator shaft, Leo says they should go in the elevator where it's safe. As soon as they open the hatch, they see more Kraangdroids.Leo: I gotta stop saying things like that.
- After clearing the Elevator
Raphael: Finally, a chance to catch our breath.
Elevator doors open filling the room with poisonous gas. - Trailers Always Spoil: The promo clip for this episode destroys any secrecy about the Kraang's plans.
- Almost. We still don't know why the Kraang want April.
- Trojan Horse: How do the Turtles and Leatherhead get into the TCRI building? They hide inside a giant box and have April deliver it.
- Wall Crawl: Leatherhead does this while in berserk mode at the beginning of the episode.
- Wham Episode: Leatherhead is gone, the portal is still operational, and it turns out that the Kraang have been trying to track down April for some as of yet unknown reason.
- Wham Line:Raph: [after April explains what kind of scientist her father is] But if they didn't need your dad, why were they after him in the first place?Donnie: [sounding disturbed] I don't think they were...[everyone gathers in the lab]Donnie: I used the Kraang processor inside Metalhead to access the storage device. A lot of the files are damaged, but I think I found what they're really after.[Downloads the files, revealing multiple pictures of April]April: [gasps; horrified] They're after me...?
- What the Fu Are You Doing?: A Kraang happily plays around with Mikey's nunchuncks and predictably bashes itself on the head.
- Why Don't You Marry It?: Said word-for-word by Raph when Donnie starts geeking out over the Kraang's inter-dimensional portal.
- Which, in turn, could be a Mythology Gag concerning Raph's reaction to Don gushing over the Mousers in the 2003 series (and the fact that 2k3 Donnie had a similar reaction to that series' Transmat).
