End Times

"Heart of Evil"

**End Times** is the fourth episode of the fifth season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

## Synopsis

The turtles must defeat Kavaxas and prevent him from destroying the world.

## Characters

### Major Characters

* April O'Neil (Mae Whitman)
* Casey Jones (Josh Peck)
* Donatello (Rob Paulsen)
* Karai (Kelly Hu)
* Kavaxas (Mark Hamill)
* Leatherhead (Peter Lurie)
* {Leonardo (Seth Green)
* Michelangelo (Greg Cipes)
* Raphael (Sean Astin)
* Rahzar (Clancy Brown)
* Splinter's Spirit (Hoon Lee)
* Undead Shredder (Kevin Michael Richardson)
* Tiger Claw (Eric Bauza)

### Minor Characters

* Bebop (J.B. Smoove)
* Elite Footbots (cameo)
* Fishface (Christian Lanz)
* Foot Cultists
* Ho Chan (James Hong)
* Homeless Guy (cameo)
* Rocksteady (Fred Tatasciore)
* Tatsu's Spirit (Michael Hagiwara)
* Space Heroes: The Next Generation
	+ Captain Ryan (Brian Bloom)
	+ Crankshaw Jr. (Scott Menville)
	+ Z (Peter Lurie)

## Plot

With the resurrection of Shredder as a zombie, things seem to be going in Tiger Claw's favor. Meanwhile, the Turtles prepare to head down and try to stop Kavaxas before he could complete the ritual. As they do, they run into Fishface, who scares off the Foot Cultists, before explaining that they were ordinary humans mutated by the leftover mutagen from Super Shredder, effectively making them each contain some form of Shredder's memories in their mutated state, and reveals that the Shredder has already been revived. Having provided his two cents on recent events to the Turtles, Fishface takes his leave, dreaming of returning to his old life of crime before any of this happened.

The Turtles soon engage the resurrected Shredder and Kavaxas, but soon escape after Donnie retrieves the info he needed on Kavaxas. As for Tiger Claw, he soon is horrified when Shredder names Kavaxas as his new second-in-command, and requests the Seal of the Ancients from him. When Tiger Claw refuses, he is attacked by Shredder and Rahzar, causing him to drop the seal, which Shredder breaks into three pieces under his foot.

This is just what Kavaxas was waiting for: the destruction of the Seal was the third piece needed for him to launch his own invasion of the surface world. Taking Tatsu's soul was Step 1, reviving Shredder was Step 2. With the Seal being destroyed Step 3, Kavaxas summons his staff and begins his takeover, summoning the undead spirits to begin taking over NYC, while Tiger Claw recoils in horror at what he has brought upon Earth in his quest for revenge for Shredder's demise by the Turtles. Bebop and Rocksteady choose that moment to turn chicken and run for their own lives while Rahzar falls into the chasm to the Netherworld when kicked into it by Tiger Claw as he tries to make amends for his misguided attempts to get revenge on the Turtles.

Meanwhile, Donnie has finished construction on five special devices the Turtles can use to stop Kavaxas. However, they also get additional support from Karai and Leatherhead. Once topside, Mikey gives his device to Casey to help April, Raphael, and Donnie, while Leo, Mikey, Leatherhead, and Karai go after Kavaxas. As the undead continue to rise to the surface, among them are the spirits of Ho-Chan and Tatsu, but to the amazement and shock of April and the others, Master Splinter is with them, personally protecting them from Ho-Chan after they manage to send Tatsu back themselves.

As for Kavaxas, even with the support of the resurrected Shredder and Rahzar, the addition of Leo, Leatherhead, and Karai, are able to help Tiger Claw hold them off while Mikey finds the broken Seal and manages to repair it with bubblegum, to Kavaxas' disbelief that Mikey repaired the Seal and could control him again. Under Mikey's orders, Kavaxas is forced to call off his invasion, then reopen the portal to the Netherworld, which Shredder personally shoves him back through after declaring that they don't belong in the land of the living, ending Kavaxas' threat once and for all, while Splinter sends Ho-Chan back himself when the undead are recalled by Mikey's order.

The following evening, Splinter is allowed a chance to give his final goodbyes to Miwa, the Turtles, April, and Casey, thanking them and wishing them good luck in future endeavors before he returns to the afterlife. Even better, because of what happened with Kavaxas, Tiger Claw has agreed to call a ceasefire between the Hamato and Foot Clans. With peace having been restored, the Turtles and their allies take some time to enjoy the beautiful sunset before returning home.

## Trivia

* The name of the episode "End Times" is a common biblical reference to the concept of the Apocalypse.
* Michelangelo references the 2014 reboot film by Paramount, when he claims that he did meet Megan Fox on a rooftop.
* Donatello's Spectro Blasters resemble and work like the Proton Blasters from Ghostbusters.
* Raph even declares "We got the tools, we got the talent!", a quote from Peter Venkman.
* Kavaxas rounds out the references by referencing *Ghostbusters 2* villain Vigo during the climax! A sanitized version of Vigo's "On a mountain of skulls, in a castle of pain, I sat on a throne of blood!": "In a dimension of suffering, in an age of pain, I ruled on a throne of bone!" and later, when facing Mikey and Leatherhead "Now is the season of Evil!"
* Ho Chan targets Casey with his giant hands, referencing the rivalry between their inspirations from *Big Trouble in Little China.*
* This episode marks the final appearance of Tiger Claw in the series

## Errors

* When Leo first sheathes his swords, he does so one over each shoulder like his animated predecessors...despite his straps being over his left shoulder like they've always been. At the very least there shouldn't be anything to slide the right hand weapon into. Both swords are shown in their traditional place over his left shoulder for the rest of the episode.
* Eric Bauza is credited as The Hammer even though the character does not appear in the episode.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BSrzrrehaV5/?taken-by=brandon\_auman