Summary
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlescontinued to expand theMutant Mayhemuniverse with its fun new stories, and the series also featured plenty of Easter Eggs and references in the process. The spinoff show was split into two separate stories, with the turtles facing off against Bishop and her mechazoids in the first part before doing battle with the East River Three in part two. Although there were some new additions,Tales of the TMNT’s voice castwas mostly similar toMutant Mayhem, as the majority of the actors reprised their roles and didn’t miss a beat.
DespiteTales of the TMNT’s animation style deviating fromMutant Mayhem’s, the two projects share a similar tone and vibe, giving this universe a distinct identity. WhileTales of the TMNTprovided more solo time for each turtle to help flesh out their character, it also strengthened the group dynamic that the 2023 movie created, making the protagonists' relationships even better. The spinoff even decided to embraceTMNT: Mutant Mayhem’s Easter Eggs and referencesby featuring a number of franchise callbacks while mentioning other media, and the best ones helped add to the show’s humor and personality.
10Donatello & Wingnut Mention Avatar: The Last Airbender Theory
The Classic Animated Show Gets A Shout-Out In Tales Of The TMNT
Avatar: The Last Airbenderisone of the greatest animated shows of all time, andTales of the TMNTmanages to sneak in a line about one popular theory. At the beginning of the East River Three arc, Raphael is walking through the base and passes Donatello and Wingnut having a conversation aboutAvatar: The Last Airbender. Rather than talking about their love for the show, the two are debating whether Kuzon could be Zuko’s grandfather, which is a popular theory among the community.
The obscure reference doesn’t serve much value to the plot, but it helps distinguish Donatello and Wingnut’s personalities while also paying homage to the show. Donatello and Wingnut clearly lean towards the nerdier side compared to other characters, but this allows them to make some of the best references in the show. Although the two franchises have never had a mainstream crossover, they both revolve around young characters fighting against injustice, making the nod toATLAa fun inclusion.
9Rod Reenacts Godzilla Vs Kong With Action Figures
Pete Davidson’s Character Can Be Spotted Playing With Toys Of A Gorilla & A Large Reptile
Godzilla Vs Konghas become a huge cinematic spectacle in the last few years, and there’s a small Easter Egg inTales of the TMNTreferencing the franchise. During episode 5, the show explores Bishop’s origins story where Rod can be seen playing with some toys, and these figures seem to depict the iconic monsters doing battle once again. One figure resembles a large gorilla, much like King Kong, while the other seems to be a giant reptile that could easily be viewed as Godzilla.
While the show never explicitly states that these figures are supposed to be of Godzilla or King Kong, picking these two specific animals feels too intentional to be a coincidence.Mutant Mayhemhas already proven that this version of theTMNTwill mention plenty of pop culture references, even if they have nothing to do with the franchise. Therefore,Rod’sTales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesscene seems to suggest that theMonsterverse’s biggest characters still hate each other even in this more light-hearted universe.
8Splinter & Leonardo’s Batman References
The TMNT’s Old Ally Is Mentioned Several Times
Batman is no stranger to theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesuniverse, as the two franchises have crossed paths before, and The Caped Crusader has once again been mentioned by the turtles. The new spinoff show continuesTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' Batman obsession, as the classic DC character is name-dropped on several occasions. During theTales of the TMNTsecond arc,Raphael impersonates Splinter,putting on a deep voice for his father while narrating the story, which causes the turtles to question why he sounds like Batman.
Tales Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Hilariously Explains 1 Actor’s Absence
While several actors reprised their roles in Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, one absence was perfectly explained through a simple gag.
Donatello telling him, “You’re not Batman
The show pokes fun at this several times, while also giving Leonardo a Batman moment of his own. Throughout the season, Leonardo makes various speeches which his brothers constantly call out and joke about, eventually leading to Donatello telling him, “You’re not Batman.” Leonardo hilariously replies in a deep voice, quickly saying “I am Batman”, potentially referencing Kevin Conroy’s famous line. Given thatTMNTand The Dark Knight have had several crossovers, including a movie,Tales of the TMNTmentioning Batman feels fitting, especially afterMutant Mayhemalso brought up the superhero.
7Tales Of The TMNT Features Multiple Anime References
One Piece & Akira Are Both Mentioned In The Spinoff Show
Alongside mentioningAvatar: The Last Airbender, Donatello and Wingnut also show their love for anime by bringing up some iconic franchises.One Pieceis one of the biggest animes of all time, and also one of the longest, whichTales of the TMNTjokes about through Wingnut, who claims she’ll “Never finish One Piece” while struggling to defuse a bomb. Despite already being a mainstream hit,One Piece’s live-action Netflix show and remakewill only help make the franchise even more relevant, makingTales of the TMNT’s reference incredibly timely.
In addition, the spinoff show also mentionedAkira, a classic anime movie from 1988. Animes have undoubtedly become much more mainstream in the last few decades, butAkirawas inspirational in helping revolutionize the genre, andTales of the TMNTpaid its respect to the film. Donatello and Wingnut mention the legendary Japanese project on several occasions throughout episode 10, and it’s evenused to help calm Wingnut down, proving how important the movie is to her.
6More Pop Culture References
Tales Of The TMNT Is Full Of Pop Culture References
Pop culture references were a big part ofMutant Mayhem, andTales of the TMNTcontinued this by including plenty of little nods to other franchises. Donatello mentions bothStar WarsandStar Trek, comparing his situation with Wingnut to when Luke, Leia, and Han got stuck inStar Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope. HisStar Trekcomment comes after a near-death experience, suggesting his life flashed before his eyes and all he saw was reruns ofStar Trek: Enterprise.Friends,MacGyver, and Steven Spielberg also get shoutouts in episode 10, which is packed with references.
Michelangelo also brings up some fun pop culture moments throughout the show, mentioning artists like Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem. However, the best reference by far actually comes from one of the show’s new characters, Lee the Eel.She mentions not wanting to commit robbery, since eels already have a bad rap afterThe Little Mermaid,poking fun at Flotsam and Jetsam’s antagonistic role in the film. WithMutant Mayhemgoing heavy on pop culture references, it makes sense thatTales of the TMNTwould do the same, which is a charming aspect of the series.
5Leonardo’s Rise Of The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Callback
Leonardo’s Episode 1 Speech Resembles A Moment From Rise Of The TMNT
Leonardo plays a big role inTales of the TMNTas the first story is told through him, and one moment in the very first episode resembles a scene fromRise of the TMNT. After being split from his brothers, Leonardo struggles to fight off one of Bishop’s mechazoids, even with April’s help. His solo struggles lead to a moment of self-doubt, claiming he is nothing without his brothers, and this line sounds very similar to something the character says inRise of the TMNT.
It’s a very subtle callback, but one that connects the two iterations of the character and shows how important the other turtles are to the self-proclaimed leader. WithTales of the TMNTpaying homage to the underrated show, the modern era for the turtles looks great and makes theupcomingTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesmovies more exciting, since characterization is clearly still important, even ina more chill universe likeMutant Mayhem.
4Goldfin Is Named After A James Bond Movie
The Not So Subtle Name Is Confirmed To Be A James Bond Reference
Goldfin is one of the new villains introduced inTales of the TMNT, and his on-the-nose name is unsurprisingly inspired by theJames Bondmovie,Goldfinger. While this reference is hardly the most obscure in the show, it is still a fun nod to the 1964 film, and the origins of the name are hilariously called out in one entertaining scene. After explaining his backstory and finally revealing his alias, April asks if he watched a lot ofJames Bondmovies growing up, to which Goldfin pauses before replying “Yeah.”
Splinter even weighs in, saying those are good movies, adding some humor to the antagonist’s villainous speech. The scene perfectly highlights the style of humor the franchise likes to explore, happily poking fun at the simplicity of the name while also finding the perfect excuse to bring some fun references to thisTMNTworld. With Goldfin even havingsome Bond-like qualities in terms of his menacing speeches and bold plan,it makes the 007 connection perfectly suited to his character, who could return in the future.
3Leonardo Gets Thrown Through A Window… Again
The Blue-Masked Turtle Continues His Long-Standing History With Windows
Windows have never been Leonardo’s friend in theTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesfranchise, and the spinoff show continues this long-standing feud. Having been thrown through plenty of glass in the past, Leonardo once again smashes through a window after Pigeon Pete unintentionally flies him into one. Unfortunately for the blue-masked turtle, it wasn’t his first rodeo when it comes to dealing with his greatest enemy, as various other depictions of theTMNThave featured this same scenario.
TMNT Mutant Mayhem 2 Is Breaking A 21-Year Franchise Sequel Record
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem is officially getting a second film, that is set to break a 21-year record when it comes to TMNT sequels.
In 2003’sTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtle’s animated series, Leonardo suffers a similar fate as he is thrown through a window right in front of his family. An almost identical instance happens in the 2012 show, and even the 1987 animated adventure has Leonardo smash through glass, this time on his own accord. Leonardo vs windows has been a bit of a running gag for the franchise and even extends to the comic books, soTales of the TMNTincluding thisfun Easter Egg acts as a playful callback.
2Michelangelo’s Love For Cats
Michelangelo Gets Over His Fear Of Cats In Tales Of The TMNT
Although Michelangelo is afraid of cats inMutant Mayhem,Tales of the TMNThighlights his character development as he not only shows affection for Mr. Whiskers but even saves him during the episode. InMutant Mayhem, Michelangelo subtly reveals he is afraid of cats, which seems like an unimportant line, but it helps show the progress he has between the 2023 movie and the spinoff show. With Mikey getting over his fear, he seems to have actually taken a liking to the animal, much like other depictions of the character.
Michelangelo’s love for felines has been a well-established part of theTMNTfranchise, so seeing him finally come around to them in this universe is a nice touch, alongside being a fun call back toMutant Mayhem. He even owned a cat named Klunk in oneTMNTstory, showing it is a core part of his character, andTales of the TMNTthankfully didn’t ignore this, making his solo episode in the second arc even better.
1Mutant Mayhem Callbacks
The Events Of Mutant Mayhem Are Mentioned Several Times In The New Show
WhileTales of the TMNThas numerous great Easter Eggs and references, its callbacks toMutant Mayhemare by far its strongest. One scene involving Bishop perfectly highlights the destruction that the turtles' fight with Superfly caused in New York, proving why not everyone sees them as heroes. After finally building a robot in her sister’s memory, Bishop’s life work was destroyed in an instant when Superfly tore through the building which collapsed on her creation. The scene offered a new perspective onMutant Mayhem’s big fight and helped explain why Bishop hates all mutants.
Other animals in the sea became mutated, and the spinoff show revealed this accident affected Goldfin, Lee the Eel, and Mustang Sally
A similar scene in the second story explains how mutants were responsible for the East River Three’s origins. WhenMutant Mayhemshowed Superfly falling into the river alongside his dangerousmutation machine, other animals in the sea became mutated, and the spinoff show revealed this accident affected Goldfin, Lee the Eel, and Mustang Sally. Getting this perspective of one of the movie’s most important scenes was refreshing and it helped show the ramifications of the movie didn’t simply end with the credits, proving how compellingTales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles' callbacks were.
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
A spin-off of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is an animated action-adventure series that sees the titular heroic turtles strike out on their own in an all-new storyline penned for television. Voice actors Micah Abbey, Shamon Brown Jr., Nicolas Cantu, and Brady Noon will return to reprise their roles as the four turtles.
