Let’s get this out of the way first: The story beats of this episode match very closely to Turtles Forever. That’s not a bad thing. In fact, “Trans-Dimensional Turtles” acts as a great tribute to that special, especially with the return of all four Turtles and Krangs voice actors. I think the writers of the episode did a great job updating the concept to this TMNT iteration. There were some genuinely funny moments, and the Splinter visit was a tear inducing reunion for the Turtles. This scene was really important, since no other animated series has dealt with the death of Splinter. It firmly establishes the heart this series has, and was an impactful moment for us longtime Turtle fans.

One of the biggest draws for this episode though was the art. While it was cool seeing the new turtles in the old cartoon style, the best part was seeing the old Turtles in CGI. The art direction was spot on. The other big draw was, of course, the original voice actors. Getting Cam Clarke, Townsend Coleman, Barry Gordon, Rob Paulsen, and Pat Fraley back together was a real treat, and seeing the personalities of each turtle play off each other was a lot of fun. We got a quick joke off Old Raph and Donnie “sounding weird,” Old Leo screaming “Turtle Power!” constantly, Old Donnie’s deus ex machina inventions, and of course both Mikey’s getting along perfectly and immediately.

It was great to see how carefree the old Turtles are, how ridiculous their fight scenes seem now, and finally getting to see them use their weapons at the end of the episode! I loved how they dialed up Old Raph’s sarcasm, and I love how they tied the current continuity to the old one. Turns out Krang is a Kraang ( a sentence I never thought I’d write), and he was banished to the 2D dimension by Kraang Subprime!

And how could I write a review without mentioning the brief trip to the Turtle Prime Dimension? The motion comic idea was really interesting, and I liked how the OG Turtles didn’t speak. It’s a bold move to trust your humor to deliver exclusively visually, but it’s a gamble I’m glad the writer’s took.

“Trans-Dimensional Turtles” was a fun side quest in the Turtles mission to find the black hole generator pieces. It continued the sci-fi trademarks that are the cornerstone to this season, but it brought the Turtles back to New York City (3 of them!), and an emotional core that helped remind the audience the stakes at hand. It would have been fun to see 80s Casey Jones pop up, and with more time more could have been mined from the theme.  All in all though, Trans-Dimensional Turtles” succeeds as a fast paced nostalgic romp through Turtle generations!

What did you think of the episode? Were you happy to see the original voice cast return? If you’re new to the Turtles, what did you think of the history of the franchise? What’s your favorite catchphrase? Cowabunga? Booyakasha? Give me a Break? Turtle Power?  Let us know in the comments!