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Part 4: Joey vs. Slim Shady Yuno’s friends make their way further through the Yeezus island’s exotic sights, arriving near a mountainous terrain. Seeking his promised character development, Joey wishes he could be as good as a duelist as Yuno someday. Yuno reassures him with the usual spiel that as long as he believes in the heart of the cards and lyrics, he can do anything. Yuno gives Joey his Time Wizard to add to his deck for good luck, literally and figuratively. Suddenly, out of the shady shadows appears Eminem, Kanye's next minion. Tristan exclaims he can’t believe it’s the real Slim Shady! Eminem greets them by rapping: “That’s an awfully hot coffee pot, should I drop it on Yuno Miles, probably not, but that's all I got 'til I come up with a solid plot!" Eminem uses a dinosaur themed deck, a subtle reference to how old and out of touch he is. Yuno starts giving shoutouts to the dinosaurs, ready to duel. But Joey offers Yuno to step aside for a well earned break, wanting to prove he can rely on himself and defeat Eminem. Tristan doesn’t think this is a good idea since if he loses the duel, he loses his soul, but Yuno trusts in Joey’s strength. Joey says he’s one rapper who’s not afraid to diss Eminem and challenges him. Eminem scoffs Joey off as a third rate duelist, but will accept the challenge as he senses this will be over quick. He warns Yuno he’s next after he beats Joey. Eminem then reveals his Millennium Item: The Millennium Bling, a fancy shiny ring around his neck. Spooky shadows appear around the area again and echoing through the shadows are Eminem’s pissy diss responses to critics, which try to throw Joey off balance. Tea fears Joey has no chance, but Yuno believes in him. The duel begins. Joey doesn't do well initially, having his Baby Dragon destroyed by Eminem’s Two Bump Heads King Rex. Eminem’s monsters also gain a power bonus thanks to the mountain field effect, putting Joey at a further disadvantage. He manages to rally with Axe Raider and Flame Swordsman against Two Bump Heads King Rex and Godzillowler. But it doesn’t last, as Joey’s monsters are soon destroyed by Closet Cleaning Raptor. Eminem offers Joey a chance to surrender so he won’t suffer a completely humiliating defeat. It takes him remembering his well-developed friendships with Yuno, Tristan and Tea to help him keep fighting. Joey uses the Swamp and Lava Battleguards as a team to deflect Eminem’s attacks, but the dinosaur duelist has a powerful dragon waiting in the shadows: The Red-Eyes Slim Shade Dragon. While less powerful than Fantano’s Blue-Eyes, the dragon is versatile and strong, and Joey has nothing that can stand against it. Especially not once Eminem plays Dragon Nails to boost his power to that of Blue-Eyes. Eminem then wagers Joey his Red-Eyes for the Time Wizard card he'd intended to combo with Baby Dragon. Joey is putting all his faith into Time Wizard’s luck. He then Flip Summons Time Wizard, wiping the smile off of Eminem’s face, and casts its Time Roulette effect. If the effect fails, his monster will self-destruct and take out the few Life Points Joey has left. But by sheer luck, Time Wizard’s roulette lands on a Time Machine, which ages Red-Eyes Slim Shade Dragon into a fossil and collapses it into dust, netting Joey the win. Joey brags that Eminem felt the full power of his Brooklyn Rage and is proud to be more than a third rate duelist, even though his win came down to rolling dice. Yuno gives Joey an approving thumb up and cliched moral certifying his character development. Eminem is about to lose his soul and a tear is brought to his eye, as the duel reminded him of when he put heart into rapping. He throws his Red-Eyes to Joey, recognizing he earned it fair and square. A card with his at peace face is left behind. Yuno picks up the Millennium Bling; three items remain. After witnessing one of the world’s most famous rappers die before them, Yuno and friends decide to have a jolly camp for the night. Meanwhile, Anthony Fantano has been on a quest of self-discovery following his defeat to Yuno. Fellow music critics and rappers think he’s cooked following his historic defeat against Yuno, which has been talk of the world. Anthony is not letting the mockery ruin his mojo, but he did realize he’s been viewing Yuno wrong all this time. He then hears through the grapevine that Yuno and friends went to Yeezus Kingdom for some reason. I’m also not sure if anyone knows Rap Critic went missing. Anthony realizes what must be going on here, and he too has beef with Kanye after his brutal takedown of Vultures 1. Anthony knows he must be the one to face Kanye and save rap. He books a flight to Yeezus Kingdom. Dun dun dun.

If you're wondering where I've been since...forever, my mom was put in hospice a month ago. She just passed.

Hello everyone!!! It’s been a while. I can’t lie. I considered not doing another top 10 list for 2024. I pretty much stopped doing movie lists and I think I’m at a place where I’m gonna stop doing annual tv and movie lists because I’m working and I don’t wanna make a list for the sake of it. Why are we here then? Because 2025 pretty much rekindled my love for TV, especially these last two months when I got to talk about tv shows with you guys weekly. It was such a wonderful time that I decided “Hell, why not end my annual lists with this one?”. Maybe I’ll go back to doing this in the future but If not, this is a good stopping point. With so much hell happening in 2025, TV once again became my comfort zone. So I wanna honor that with the great times I had with SBC, here we go… WHOBOB’S TOP 10 BEST TV SHOWS OF 2025 #10: Star Wars: Visions This is a gem that keeps on giving. With complete creative freedom, this show is a great way of reimagining Star Wars as a whole. I don’t know how they keep making gems like this. I’m awed. Vol. 3 of this show was just as brilliant as the first two. Some brilliant follow ups to beloved stories from Vol. 1 like The Duel while some others are completely new and bold stories like The Bird of the Paradise and Black. My only issue with this volume is that there are a few episodes that feel just a set up for a new story and not all of them hit as much as I wanted to. But overall, this is a strong series for Star Wars and I cannot wait for the upcoming The Ninth Jedi tv show. #9: Peacemaker I think the criticism that went to the second season of the show is perfectly valid since it pretty much ended with setting up James Gunn’s Man of Tomorrow and the runtime was shorter than usual cuz Gunn was also doing Superman at the same time, so this season could have been polished better. Is it still a damn good TV? Well, I still had tons of fun. This season put Christopher Smith and his cast into a really unique journey. Making them confront their toxicity and flaws as well as their friendships. It was an especially impressive season for Chris who had to deal with who he was, where he came from and how he was comfortable living on a lie. I won’t say further than that but bless James Gunn for making me care about this messy team, making me laugh and also feel emotional towards them. And for good songs once more. Can’t wait to see where these characters’ journeys go from here. #8: Long Story Short I am sad that this show didn’t make waves like Raphael Bob-Waksberg’s other show BoJack Horseman did but I guess it’s because it looked like yet another animated family sitcom (and Netflix didn’t promote it well) but this show is absolutely worth it. It’s about a jewish family in different time periods and how life shaped their history. You get to see characters in their youth and in their old selves. It’s quite an experimental show dealing with non-linear storytelling and I just dug so much of it. Jokes hit, animation is pretty (different art style than BoJack but still quintessential Waksberg), emotional beats wreck you hard etc. I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for something different in a typical family sitcom setting because it’s gonna be special and I can’t wait to see what season 2 has in store (hopefully it won’t be the last) #7: Smiling Friends Smiling Friends enter the top 10 tv list!!! This show boomed like hell and there is no stopping it. The show has become this generation’s The Simpsons, South Park, Bob’s Burgers etc. A high quality animated show with non-stop laughter and smiles! Something always catches people’s attention if it’s Creed as Mr. Frog’s dad, Mr. Boss and Allan cookie yaoi, Pim on a rampage and killing his friends, Glep’s insane backstory and the return of Squim. Smiling Friends is one of those shows that held SBC as a community together and I’m happy for its existence because of it. Here’s to more wacky seasons to this show. #6: Severance Praise Kier. Season 2 of this show hasn’t been holding it back at all. I’m a sucker for good sci-fi stories and this show is impressive in its way for being an intriguing sci-fi show that has something to say. Whether it’s the way cults operate in real life, capitalism making the working class’ lives a living hell, racism in the work environment, women’s bodies being used for experimentation without their consent and so on. A thought provoking show with great character development, intense thrills, chilling music and beautiful cinematography. AppleTV is rising up the ranks as the best streaming service with shows like this and I’m glad it has enough budget and creative freedom to be special. I don’t know when season 3 is gonna arrive but once it does, I’ll be seated. #5: Adventure Time: Fionna and Cake As many movie/tv show franchises have gone to nostalgia fest and slop for sake of it, Adventure Time is one of those exceptions that actually grows up with you as time goes on. It’s a franchise with fan service that actually drives the story and character arcs instead of being there for the sake of it, characters having issues without losing their character development and maturing as a process and expansion of the lore that doesn’t feel out of place. The second season of the show was an interesting and controversial time because many viewers felt Fionna was so unlikeable this season and it had pointless storylines and such until the last two eps supposedly saving the show and dare I say… People are so critical of flawed women characters without understanding what the character goes through, Fionna in this case. Missing the point that she is NOT Finn and that’s why she is so messy this season and I can’t lie, Fionna’s journey this season was very relatable for me because we set expectations on ourselves that ultimately disappoint us, make us hate ourselves and cause us to make more mistakes. That’s what Fionna dealt with which is why this season is among the best Adventure Time material and I ain’t being hyperbole and how this season ended for Fionna and her world, I was more than satisfied. I don’t know if we are gonna get a s3 but I’m glad Adventure Time is this rare franchise that still has juice. #4: Heated Rivalry No one could have seen it coming that a Canadian gay hockey show would be one of the biggest hits of 2025. It grew a fanbase even before the show premiered and once it was out to the world, it was all over social media with bunch of fanarts and edits, it’s insane. And it was so well deserved. Bless Rachel Reid and Jacob Tierney for giving us an impressive hockey show that dealt with queer masculinity. Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov are THE TV couple of 2025 and definitely one of the best in this decade so far. They have great chemistry with each other and their sex scenes are hot and moving. As you get to see this pair go from fucking each other from time to time to committing an actual meaningful relationship, it’s beautiful. And giving us Scott Hunter and Kip Grady on top of it with their just as moving story. The show will make you horny but also make you cry and laugh. When so much media has become sexless and devoid of chemistry, Heated Rivalry comes and shows how it’s done. It was about time we had a popular queer media that isn’t making us suffer but instead celebrating queer joy. Of course it isn’t easy with this show as characters deal with homophobia and toxic masculinity in the sports industry but it pretty much rewards you at the end. I’m glad it is such a hit with season 2 on the horizon and made a huge impact on people’s lives. Go see it. #3: Andor We will never have a Star Wars story like Andor ever. Star Wars franchise has had ups and downs since Disney took over with the SW fanbase becoming more and more hostile as it went on. As a result, Lucasfilm leans more and more into memberberries, nowadays leaning into Clone Wars/Rebels nostalgia of it with mixed results but Andor is the best Star Wars media since the original trilogy. Tony Gilroy and his crew put heart and soul into a show about an underground movement. It’s mature, thought provoking and soul crushing. One of the bleakest looks at fascism. Cassian’s journey started from surviving in his life to being part of a revolutionary movement. Him alongside countless ordinary citizens in the galaxy far far away making a change and standing up for freedom and liberty, it’s inspiring in these current times with the ruling class oppressing us. Many franchises downplay the politics of the world and play a more centrist/liberal angle and Andor isn’t like that. At least by western media standards. I’m sure I said this in 2022 when I put Andor in my best TV of 2022 list but I’ll say it again. Never in my life I would have predicted a prequel show of a prequel movie about Cassian fucking Andor being one of my all-time favorite shows ever made. Thank you Diego Luna for your amazing performance and your well-written character and rest of the cast for being just as fabulous. Thank you Tony Gilroy and the crew for making me feel hopeful in these hopeless times. You guys played a gamble with the show and it paid off so well and it ended on a high note. Star Wars can still make great stories after all this but Andor is one in a lifetime experience that will never be recreated and I’ll never forget it. #2: The Pitt Yeah, I’m a predictable gay person. I saw raves about the show and I almost considered it but I felt that body close ups in hospitals would disturb me and gross me out, so I pretty much chickened out. When I saw a gay fanart of The Pitt, I was like “UGHHHH fine, I’ll watch this.” and I am glad to make that decision. Noah Wyle is a hot man, who can deny that but above all, this is a damn impressive show about Trauma Center. I’m a sucker for ensemble casts and The Pitt has some amazing characters. All of them, you get to know their experiences and their personalities and how they put so much of them into their work by saving people. The show can make you laugh with these characters’ interactions with each other but make no mistake, this show will crush you. I cried multiple times in season 1 and I was at my breaking point in episode 13 which was nervewrecking. Noah Wyle is one hell of an actor and he was so good in this show, I could praise him all day. While I get that over 10 episodes per season is too much to ask these days, getting a show with 15 episodes per season annually is nice to see. With so many stories we get out of larger than life characters these days, it’s good that we have stories about mundane people getting through every single day and The Pitt is exactly that. Not just doctors in the show but also patients we see here. You get to feel for them. It is something special and I can’t wait to see what’s more in store. #1: Pluribus Vince Gilligan said he doesn’t wanna be one trick pony and man, he proved himself right. Here’s a show completely different from Breaking Bad and yet still so Vince Gilligan at the core. Body invasion and hivemind concepts have been done in many movies and tv shows before but what makes Pluribus stand out is that it actually asks harder questions about individuality, culture and loneliness. What happens when the world is united under one mind and only a few people have their individuality left? What happens to people’s culture and practices when they are one? The show challenges its audience by making it seem normal and acceptable underneath all that gruesome facts. When the world we live in has become so desensitized to atrocities, it only makes sense that the show would make the joining feel so normal and uplifting when in reality, it’s a bleak situation. Stories often take a more black and white and less nuanced approach to the state of the world but in Pluribus’ case, it delves deeper into the core issues without being so in your face. This was the breakout role Rhea Seehorn needed after her brilliant performance in Better Call Saul and I’m glad this show has become a hit that she’ll be recognized by people further. Apple TV is doing something right by giving original shows a chance and Pluribus truly is this generation’s prestige tv show. Discussing the show weekly was great which is why more companies should take lessons from it. Engagement in stories matters. If people do not pay attention to the story, then you are doing something wrong. This show made me put so much thought, therefore engaging with it and hopefully it’s only gonna go bolder from here. With so much colorless and lifeless TV slop, Pluribus has beautiful colors and gorgeously shot cinematography. This show was the biggest reason why TV has become important to me this year. Do not sleep on it. And that's all. Thank you all for reading my rambling of these great shows throughout (almost) each year and hopefully 2026 will be even better. Take care.

Welcome To Glove Universe By The First Descendant of Smitty It was a beautiful day in Bikini Bottom. Every moulisk was content. Each sandwich was loved. Even under a rock there was joy. Ah… what made today different from others? Well you see, it was the day SpongeBob SquarePants went to Glove Universe with his best buddy, Patrick Star. “I’m glad you had a spare key, Pat,” SpongeBob said as the two walked around the newly opened amusement park. “Yeah,” Patrick agreed as he munched on his cheesy coral dog on a stick. “I don’t think they’re going to find the one in Glove Lake for a long time.” The two best friends imagined a chrome future where advanced life forms discovered the key in an archaeological dig. “Anyway,” SpongeBob said, bringing them back to the cacophony of cheer. “What do you want to do first?” “That one! That one!” the starfish said as he jumped up and down. Patrick pointed into the distance, throwing down his snack. SpongeBob followed his gaze and stopped on the Glovey Boats. Some little guppies were screaming ecstatically as a bored looking employee operated the ride. “Oh that just looks so fun!” he said, doing a twirl. “How about I race you there?” Patrick frowned. “No,” he said, crossing his arms. “I want to go there.” This time, SpongeBob saw his friend was really pointing at what was beside the Glovey Boats. SpongeBob gulped. It was the Haunted Mansion of Glove. Unable to control himself, he frantically chewed his finger nails down to his wrists. “Well,” Patrick said, already waiting at the attraction. “Are you coming or what?” he waved merrily and leaned over to take a closer look at the scary decorations. SpongeBob laughed nervously. “Coming, Buddy. Just one second.” In a flash of light he was back in his sweet, safe, pineapple home. “Sorry Gary,” he apologized, almost tripping over his pet snail. Just as quickly as he had gotten there, SpongeBob whipped out a quill and scroll of parchment. He madly attacked it with the quill and it immediately became his will. “Here Gary,” he said. He tucked the scroll under the snail’s shell, with a kiss before materializing back at Glove Universe. Patrick stood in the exact same position and appeared that no time had gone by. “Lost you there for a second there, buddy,” Patrick said. “But don’t worry. There’s no one else in line.” “Wow… that's great,” SpongeBob said in a false cheerful voice. He slowly walked towards the haunted mansion, his limbs moving robotically. Before he could ask his friend if they could do something else, Patrick grabbed SpongeBob by the arm and dragged him through the doors. A wailing scream filled his spongy ears as he made out his surroundings. Skulls looked back at him, all wearing torn glove hats; destroyed versions of the ones they were wearing. Suddenly, he felt something on his foot and screamed. Something was moving. Little glove spiders scurried over SpongeBob and Patrick’s feet, making him scream even louder. Patrick, on the other hand, laughed. “Awww! All of these little baby mittens must think you’re their glove mommy. He nudged his friend playfully, chuckling some more. He looked up to see SpongeBob turn into a white piece of paper. Patrick plucked some gum off his teeth and placed it on the paper before wadding it up and tossing it aside. The mitten spiders screamed and all fled. The paper popped up and there was SpongeBob. “This is boring,” Patrick said, kicking a skull aside, clearly not noticing SpongeBob’s transformation. “I wonder where all the scary stuff is at.” They continued on passing (in SpongeBob’s opinion) more scary things. It was the same performance at each one. SpongeBob howled in fright at the finger cakes in the dining room while Patrick tried to eat them. In the bedroom, SpongeBob almost lost it because of a creepy hand puppet. Patrick thought it was amusing. Even the glowing sign of the exit sent SpongeBob under the covers. Scaredy Pants was here to stay. What the two didn’t know was that behind those doors, something was waiting for them. The Flying Dutchman maybe… or even Davey Jones himself? Unfortunately, it was someone even more frightening. SpongeBob and Patrick screamed, jaws dropping to the floor as the door swung open, revealing a slimy, sneaky creature which belonged deep below the waves. The two paused to take a breath and then continued screaming. “Shut your kelp holes, you big babies,” the foreboding figure said. As if on cue, they had their thumbs in their mouths and were curled up on the ground, rocking back and forth. “Oh wait!” SpongeBob exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. He brushed his pants off. “It’s just Squidward.” Patrick didn’t listen and continued his baby routine. Squidward only sighed and took the two by the shoulder. He led them through the exit of the haunted mansion and then stopped once they got to a quieter area of the park. He let them go, not caring that they tumbled to the ground. “Hi Squidward,” SpongeBob said. “Are you here to experience the wonders of Glove Universe too?” “No!” Squidward shouted, then said in an imitation of SpongeBob’s voice, “I am not here to experience the wonders of Glove Universe too.” He switched back to his normal nasal tone. “I am here because Mr. Krabs had another money making scheme which takes place in this dump!” In a huff, he pointed to his Krusty Krab hat. Patrick frowned, finally standing up. “I’ll have you know Mr. Tentacles, that today is my day to play with SpongeBob, so you can just go back to that skinflint crustacean and tell him that my friend is unimpairable.” “Unavailable,” SpongeBob whispered to his friend. “That’s what I said,” he grumbled. “So go back and schedule your own time for SpongeBob, but guess what. I heard my buddy is booked until next year.” Patrick crossed his arms and looked the other way, jutting out his bottom lip. SpongeBob, who was ecstatically jumping up and down, held up a hand. “Don’t you see Pat? What’s better than having the Krusty Krab be here and hang out with you?” Scratching his head, Patrick shrugged. “Is it ice cream?” he asked. His eyes were unfocused as a stream of drool dripped from his mouth. All that he could think of at the moment was a delicious Gooberberry Sunrise. “Close,” SpongeBob said. “The answer is performing my Krusty duties at Glove Universe with my two best pals.” He hugged the others despite the fact Squidward was actively trying to squirm out of the warm embrace. “Whatever,” he sniffed. “Let’s just go find Mr. Krabs.” “Aye! Aye!” SpongeBob barked and ran to find his boss as he dragged Squidward and Patrick along. They soon found him. Mr. Krabs was just where you’d expect him to be. “Come get yer Krabby Patties, steaming hot and packed full of nutrients!" he said to a growing crowd around the food court. In a rush of excitement, SpongeBob hovered over his boss. “Mr. Krabs!” he said. “I can’t believe you got permission to sell my favorite food at the best amusement park in Bikini Bottom.” hearts surrounded his face which had materialized out of thin air. Mr. Krabs’ dazzling smile faltered. “Er -- Well, permission is irrelevant in a situation like this,” he said. He put his claw around SpongeBob’s shoulder and held a Krabby Patty, waving it around the frycook’s face. “Glove Universe won’t come out of this business partnership empty handed.” “You mean Glove Universe gets a cut of the profit?” SpongeBob asked. In his eyes, Mr. Krabs always knew what the right thing was for the Krusty krab. That’s what made him the best boss. There was, of course, the time he left the Krusty Krab in a pawn shop, so he could be SpongeBob and Squidward’s tour manager. Then there was the time Mr. K had made his millionth dollar and closed just so he could get revenge on a money snatching clam. During that clamming episode, SpongeBob also found out how good he looked in Coral Blue lip stick. “I’m doing them an even better favor,” Mr. Krabs announced. “Like giving the employees free patties?” Before SpongeBob could ask another question, Squidward cut in with his signature sneer and nasal laugh. “Come on,” the cephalopod said. “Krabs doesn’t even give us a Krabby Patty without charging us. I’m sure the Krusty Krab’s wonderful gift to Glove Universe is relieving them of hungry paying customers.” “Wow,” SpongeBob said, clasping his hands together. “That is so generous.” His genuine euphoria made Squidward wretch. Mr. Krabs on the other hand, still looking nervous, decided to take the opportunity. “Aye! Me boy,” he laughed. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.” Suddenly, a park security guard appeared, menacingly cracking his knuckles. “Sorry, bub,” he said, not sounding sorry. “Management doesn’t want you here.” With that, the security guard punched Mr. Krabs, sending him out of the park, landing in the ruins of Glove World. SpongeBob and Patrick kicked themselves over the fence before he could say anything to them, so the security guard turned to Squidward. “Wait!” Squidward said, sweating profusely. “I can just use the exit.” The security guard ignored him and sent him flying as well. The four of them sat in rubble. The only recognizable thing was a Glovey Glove mascot outfit and some stray hats. Patrick rummaged around in the garbage until he pulled out cotton candy. “Nooo!” Mr. Krabs wailed. “Me money!” “It’s ok Mr. K,” SpongeBob said. “I have a solution. By the time the sun had completely set and the neon lights were flashing on the Wheel of Glove, SpongeBob rang the makeshift bell he had put together. “Order up,” he called out to the ruined theme park. The customers were no breathing fish but scraps that mildly resembled park goers. “I knew I should have stayed in bed today,” Squidward moaned as Patrick chased Mr. Krabs with an empty money box. The grilled piles of metal gave him a headache as spongebob flipped them occasionally of a “stove”

a true post modern classic

yugichads win yet again

homo

Last time on this thread, we talked about a Nicktoon that was as exciting and unique as you’d expect a cartoon called “Robot and Monster” to be. This time, we’ll be discussing a show that’s plenty more exciting and thankfully, it’s a series I’m actually familiar with. #38. “Rise of the Turtles (Part 1)” – Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [September 28, 2012] I guess I should start with my entire history with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles……..I don’t have much, actually. I mean, I definitely remember watching the 2003 cartoon and have caught a few episodes from the 1987 cartoon and remember liking both but it’s not really a franchise that really stuck through my childhood the same way SpongeBob or Pokémon has. That being said, there hasn’t been a TMNT cartoon that I haven’t really distrusted and I’d be very surprised if I end up hating this one. Well, let’s find out. Let’s grab a slice of pizza and see if our heroes in a half-shell bode well in the 2010s! The episode starts off with all the turtles and Master Splinter celebrating 15 years since their mutations happened. Leonardo suggests celebrating 15 years by heading up to the surface but Master Splinter says they lack the wisdom and maturity to go up there (I’m getting Korra flashbacks now). After a few begging and pleading, Splinter lets them go up there for the night. The Turtles go up to New York City and explore what there is to do around there. After Raphael scares off a pizza delivery boy, they come across a box of pizza and they get introduced to their signature food. After they do a lot of exploring, they head back to the sewers but before that, Donatello sees and falls in love with a girl named April O’Neill. Seeing she and her father are both taken away by a group of men in suits, the Turtles fight them off. Michelangelo defeats one of them but the man turns out to be a cyborg with a brain that attacks him. He tries to tell the rest of them but just about as he’s about to show them, it disappears. Back in the sewers, Master Splinter scolds the four for not using their powers responsibly and tells them they have to wait another year to return to the surface. After Donatello tells him about what happened with April and her father, he changes his mind and tells them to save her as a team, with Leonardo being their leader. Back in NYC, the Turtles find the logo to the van that kidnapped the O’Neills and find the kidnapper. He escapes in the van but Leonardo uses a shuriken to pop one of his tires. They approach the van when they notice a familiar thermos pop out of it. Could it be the one containing their mother? I dunno, I’m asking you guys. This was the end of the first part and I don’t really feel like watching the second part. Well, if I had any doubts about this series, they’re long gone now! While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch every episode, it has a lot of the qualities I liked about the other two. Most of my enjoyment really comes from the banter all the characters have with each other. Michelangelo definitely has a lot of my favorite moments in the episode, some of which are the part where he gets his mind blown by the sign to a fortune teller shop, him thinking they’re gonna steal a van, and the part where he plays a guessing game while all the Turtles are waiting for the guy to show up. There’s plenty of cool action in the show to balance it out, much like Teen Titans does. So yeah, if you’re a Ninja Turtles fan, I’d probably recommend it. VERDICT: 8/10 (This is definitely—a pretty decent adaption to a franchise!) RANKINGS: Welp, we're getting pretty close to ending off the 2010s and the first half of our list. Let's consult the will of the wheel and see whether or not our trek into the 2010s continues!