Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) (season 5)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (season 5)
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	12
Release
Original network	4Kids TV
Original release	March 24, 2007 – May 3, 2008
Season chronology

The Ninja Tribunal arc (consisting of thirteen episodes) was originally intended to be season five of the 2003 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series, but the schedule was changed to try to increase interest in the series and "Fast Forward" became the fifth season to air on commercial TV. After the scheduling change was made, Mirage and its partners decided to finish production on the "Ninja Tribunal" episodes and release them directly to DVD. 4Kids Entertainment later signed a deal with Comcast and this season began airing on Comcast-On-Demand in August 2006. Mass confusion ensued regarding which season was officially season five and which was season six. However, after airing five episodes Comcast stopped airing the episodes.^[1]

The "Ninja Tribunal" episodes were scheduled to be released on DVD sometime in early 2007, but 4Kids Entertainment later removed them from their release schedule.^[1] 4Kids started showing the episodes starting on February 16, 2008. Although the title doesn't appear in the show itself, the season was promoted in commercials as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Lost Episodes.^[2] The DVD set was released on May 20, 2008.^[1]

The "Nightmares Recycled" episode was never completed. The script was finished and some animation had begun when 4Kids pulled the plug because it was deemed too controversial and violent for a children's program (Hun and the Garbageman were conjoined twins that were surgically separated at birth by a back-alley surgeon with the Garbageman being discarded as 'garbage'). Since there was no chance of it airing, it was shelved in the early stages of production.^[3]

Story

Following on from the previous season's cliffhanger ending, the Turtles and the four acolytes Joi, Feragi, Tora, and Adam are brought to the Ninja Tribunal's monastery to begin training to combat an unknown evil. Splinter and the Ancient One arrive at the monastery, the former aggressively opposing the Turtles' affiliation with the Tribunal, because of their disinterest in aiding Hamato Yoshi against the Utrom Shredder that could have saved his life. The Tribunal proves to be aggressive and unrelenting in their training, brutally berating their acolytes for even aiding their wounded. The Tribunal finally reveals that the enemy they are preparing to face is in fact a Tengu demon that was the original incarnation of the Shredder, whose legend the Utrom Shredder manipulated to gain respect. The Tengu Shredder will be revived if his helmet, gauntlet, and decayed body are brought together, having been separated by the Tribunal millennia ago. Though the Turtles and acolytes retrieve all three relics, the Foot Mystics, revealed to be heralds of the Tengu Shredder, attack the temple, stealing the relics and seemingly killing the Tribunal and the Acolytes. The Turtles, Splinter and the Ancient One return to New York to prepare for the coming threat.

The Foot Mystics soon successfully revive the Tengu Shredder, who rampages through New York to kill Karai, who he deems an insult to his name due to her taking on the mantle in the fourth season. The Turtles manage to achieve a victory, repelling the Tengu Shredder and saving Karai from his wrath. However, the Tengu Shredder soon succeeds in transforming the island of New York into a hellish, Tengu-infested dominion of his; a fate which he intends to inflict upon the rest of the world. To combat this threat to Earth, the Turtles unite with the four acolytes (who are revealed to have miraculously survived the monastery's destruction), the Justice Force, the Foot Clan, Agent Bishop's Earth Protection Force, Hun's Purple Dragons, and several other allies of theirs to assault the Tengu Shredder's stronghold. After falling in battle, the Turtles are revived by Hamato Yoshi's spirit, and they manage to separate the Tengu Shredder from his helmet and gauntlet, rendering him vulnerable for Yoshi's spirit to finally end the demon's existence. The Ninja Tribunal reveal their survival as well, and recruit the Ancient One to serve on their tribunal. Karai parts with the Turtles on friendly terms, seemingly entering a relationship with Dr. Chaplin, and Splinter finally makes peace with the loss of his sensei.

Cast

Main cast

• Michael Sinterniklaas as Leonardo, the leader of the Turtles. (12 episodes)
• Wayne Grayson as Michelangelo, the Turtles' youngest member and a source of comic relief. (12 episodes)
• Sam Riegel as Donatello, the Turtles' genius engineer who is identified as the member who holds the team together. (12 episodes)
• Frank Frankson as Raphael, Leonardo's second-in-command who often argues with him. (12 episodes)
• Darren Dunstan as Splinter, the Turtles' sensei and adopted father, who suffers from visions of the future where the turtles are murdered by the Tengu Shredder. (12 episodes)
• Scottie Ray as The Tengu Shredder. Instead of the Utrom Shredder, this season features a former member of the Ninja Tribunal who, after being corrupted by a demonic being (the Original Shredder) uses his newfound powers to conquer Japan. The Ninja Tribunal defeats and kills him. However, the Tengu Shredder's Heralds are able to bring him back to life and he begins to take over the world, beginning with New York. He serves as the main antagonist of this season. (7 episodes (has no lines in episode 2))
• Veronica Taylor as April O'Neil, an ally of the Turtles who enters a relationship with Casey Jones. (3 episodes (has no lines in episode 9))
• Marc Thompson as Casey Jones, an ally of the Turtles who enters a relationship with April O'Neil. (3 episodes)
• Scott Williams as Baxter Stockman, a brilliant scientist and ally of Bishop who helps the turtles take down the Tengu Shredder. (3 episodes)

Recurring cast

• David Zen Mansley as Agent John Bishop, a black ops agent in charge of the Earth Protection Force, an organization devoted to defending Earth from alien invasion, who helps the turtles take down the Tengu Shredder; Kon-Shisho, a member of the Ninja Tribunal, who contains the power of the spirits.
• Karen Neill as Karai, the Shredder's adopted daughter and second-in-command, whose allegiance and devoted service come into question, as Leonardo tries to convince her to change sides; probably because of his romantic affections toward her. After the Tengu Shredder tries to kill her for taking his mantle, she decides to help the turtles take him down.
• Greg Carey as Hun, a hulking gangster who and the leader of the Purple Dragons, who tries to increase their reputation after the Utrom Shredder's defeat. He reluctantly helps the turtles take down the Tengu Shredder.
• Sam Riegel as Dr. Chaplin, a young scientist who threatens not only Stockman's place in the Foot hierarchy, but his life as well. He serves as Karai's love interest.
• David Chen as The Ancient One, an old ninjutsu master who taught Hamato Yoshi and was taught by the Ninja Tribunal. He is initially reluctant about the Ninja Tribunal taking the turtles asd their new apprentices but later accepts it. After the Tribunal's destruction, he helps the turtles defeat the Tengu Shredder.
• Marc Thompson as Juto-Shisho, a member of the Ninja Tribunal, who is a master of weapons.
• Lenore Zann as Chikara-Shisho, a member of the Ninja Tribunal and the master of strength. She is the only female member of the Tribunal.
• Hisomi-Shisho is a member of the Ninja Tribunal and master of stealth. He never speaks in the show.

Crew

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was produced by Mirage Studios, 4 Kids Entertainment, 4Kids Productions, and Dong Woo Animation and distributed by 4 Kids Entertainment and was aired on Fox's Saturday morning kids' block in the US.^[4] The producers were Gary Richardson, Frederick U. Fierst, and Joellyn Marlow for the American team; Tae Ho Han was the producer for the Korean team.^[4]

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written By	Original air date	TV Broadcast
105	1	"Lap of the Gods"	Roy Burdine	Christopher Yost	February 16, 2008	S05E01
Abducted by the Ninja Tribunal and separated from Master Splinter, the Turtles and the human Acolytes are taken to Japan to begin their training. And they're going to need it, because the ancient evil they've been drafted to fight is on its way… and it's frighteningly familiar.
106	2	"Demons and Dragons"	Roy Burdine	Joe Kelly	February 23, 2008	S05E02
The Turtles begin training with the mysterious Ninja Tribunal, experimenting with new powers and weapons. After securing the first of the Tribunal’s Lost Artifacts, our heroes learn to their horror that the "great evil" they are destined to face is the long-imprisoned spirit of the one, true Shredder!
107	3	"Legend of the Five Dragons"	Roy Burdine	Danny Fingeroth	March 1, 2008	S05E03
The Turtles train with the Ninja Tribunal to prevent the resurrection of the Shredder. But when Splinter and the Ancient One express serious doubts about trusting the Tribunal, leaving the Turtles confused. If they all agree on the goal, why the doubts? To explain the danger to the Turtles, Splinter and the Ancient One reveal the secret history of the Tribunal… including the true origin of the Shredder!
108	4	"More Worlds Than One"	Roy Burdine	Christopher Yost	March 8, 2008	S05E04
The Turtles and company continue their training under the Ninja Tribunal, learning to fight in the physical as well as mental and spiritual worlds. They’re going to need that knowledge, because the second artifact of the Shredder has been found, guarded by a horde of nasty tengu demons that eat Acolytes for breakfast… literally!
109	5	"Beginning of the End"	Roy Burdine	Joe Kelly	March 15, 2008	S05E05
Returning to the Tribunal Monastery with the second Lost Artifact, things seem to be going well for our heroes when old foes infiltrate the monastery. With all three artifacts in the hands of evil, they plan a sneak attack on the Tribunal and their students with devastating results!
-	-	"Nightmares Recycled"	Roy Burdine	Roland Gonzalez	Unaired	S05E06
Raph, Don, Casey, and April’s evening salvage operation lands them a one-way ticket to Recycle World – the Garbageman’s deadly realm of refuse! As if fighting for their lives in a world of lethal compactors and shredders wasn't bad enough, they've got to do it all with Hun – who’s not thrilled to reveal that he and Garbageman have something in common –Mutated DNA! Note: This episode was never completed because it was deemed too violent. Also, it's the only episode of this season that never aired.
110	6	"Membership Drive"	Roy Burdine	Christopher Yost	March 24, 2007[5]	S05E07
The Justice Force is expanding its ranks, and Mike plans on joining up as Turtle Titan!, while Leo is more concerned in alerting them to the threat of the original Shredder. But when Nano reappears (thanks to Bishop and Baxter Stockman), everything quickly spirals out of control into a superhero vs. nanotech slugfest! But has Nano come back as friend or foe? And will the Turtle Titan and Leo survive long enough to find out?
111	7	"New World Order, Part 1"	Roy Burdine	Danny Fingeroth	March 29, 2008	S05E08
The original mystical Shredder is fully resurrected by the sinister Foot Mystics, whose first agenda is to destroy Karai, the counterfeit shredder, personally. And, while the Turtles are enemies of both Shredders, they realize that if the original Shredder wins, his goal of creating a world of utter chaos and destruction will be one step closer to becoming reality.
112	8	"New World Order, Part 2"	Roy Burdine	Matthew Drdek	April 5, 2008	S05E09
In their attempt to rescue Karai from the Foot Mystics and new Shredder, the Turtles wind up in a raging battle filled with magic and martial arts where they use everything the Ninja Tribunal has taught them. But will it be enough to escape with a severely wounded Karai and their own lives?
113	9	"Fathers and Sons"	Roy Burdine	Roland Gonzalez	April 12, 2008	S05E10
Weary after their first battle with the new Shredder, the Turtles doubt they can defeat him. To lift their spirits, Splinter and the Ancient One share a tale of the Turtles’ much younger days. The story reveals that though the Turtles were small, they overcame impossible odds to defeat a dark and mystical phantom bent on returning the one true Shredder to life, though they may not remember it.
114	10	"Past and Present"	Roy Burdine	Joe Kelly	April 19, 2008	S05E11
The Shredder begins to build a new dynasty in New York, transforming the whole island into a hellish nightmare. The Turtles team up with Karai in a daring plan to direct Shredder’s own life-force energy against him from mystical "Keystones" around Manhattan, but will it be enough?
115	11	"Enter the Dragons, Part 1"	Roy Burdine	Christopher Yost	April 26, 2008	S05E12
The demonic Shredder has transformed New York City into a nightmare version of Feudal Japan and the rest of the modern world is next! But the Turtles have a plan, and if it takes allying themselves with some of their former enemies to bring the fight to the Shredder, so be it… because if they fail, all life as they known it will cease to exist.
116	12	"Enter the Dragons, Part 2"	Roy Burdine	Christopher Yost	May 3, 2008	S05E13
With the help of their closest allies and most dangerous enemies alike, the Turtles have fought their way through a demonic version of New York to confront the Shredder once and for all! Now the Turtles must have everything they've got and have no choice but to focus their energy and become their very own mystic avatars...Dragons. This night, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will meet their destinies: Whether to live or die!

References

1. "TMNT Season 5 on Official Site". ninjaturtles.com. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
2. Get Ready...the TMNT Lost Episodes Have Been Found 4kids.tv. Retrieved on February 20, 2008.
3. Nightmares Recycled episode at Ninja Turtles Official Website. Retrieved on February 15, 2008
4. "TMNT credits on Dongwoo Animation". Dongwoo Animation Co. Archived from the original on December 19, 2008. Retrieved 2008-05-01.
5. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1058687/?ref_=ttep_ep6

External links

• Season Five Episode list with detailed synopses at the Official Ninja Turtles website
• Episode list with synopses at TV.com