I’m at the point in these episodes where I get tricked in to thinking I figured it out.
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Spoilers Ahead! Don’t continue if you haven’t seen “The Gumbus.”
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We good?
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We are now 7 episodes and 13 stories in (the pilot was 1) and I thought we had a sense of our major villains, main characters, and worlds we’ll see.
I forget that while this is a new series, they still pull from the lore we already know. The episode seemed like a largely predictable Scooby Doo episode. A young “Can Stacker” with a Youtube channel is being haunted at the Stock & Shop.
Most of the episode, I “knew” what would happen. I knew the stock boy had something to do with the hauntings. The episode featured less turtles than normal, with Mikey, Leo, and April a the only ones to figure out who is haunting the grocery store. Mikey is a believer, while Leo is a total skeptic. The episode throws a few curveballs to keep the viewer guessing, but you’re always suspicious of the stock boy.
At one point, you really think the Gumbus is a real thing. Then he turns in to a robot. He’s definitely real, but the atmosphere is very different. Leo is glad he’s right, and the stockboy comes forward and admits his wrong-doing. That was not the surprise.
We get our first glimpse of Baxter Stockboy! An obvious take on Baxter Stockman, they set it up in a way that surprises old fans. He isn’t a scientist. He works at his parents grocery store. But it’s established that he knows robots and technology. People who don’t donate to his channel are driving him insane. It was a clever twist and I’m glad it surprised me. Baxter Stockboy and the Foot Brutes are the only characters taken from previous series so far.
The next story, Mrs. Cuddles, is another great example of a truly terrifying villain.
Mrs. Cuddles, star of children’s TV, terrifies Raphael. In this state, he’s a cute stuffed bunny. But soon the bunny makes his way in to the turtles lair. No one believes Raph when he says Ms. Cuddles is terrorizing the lair. Soon though, they find out on their own.
Ms Cuddles is really scary. She grows when she hears screams. That’s a nightmare. The artists do a fantastic job of taking something adorable and making it terrifying. Soon they find the only thing that could fight this creature is laughter. Splinter’s laxadaisical “Al Bundy” attitude is the perfect counter to this.
The episodes highlight what is great about the show. Supernatural magic, ninja fights, and villains made of nightmares are the bread and butter of this series. I’m really excited to see where Baxter pops up again, or how his character will progress (will he turn in to a fly?!) I’m excited to watch more.