Lair Games

**"Lair Games"** is the fifth episode of the second season (Episode 3B) of *Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*, and the fifty-first episode overall in the series. It first aired on October 12th, 2019.

## Characters

* Donatello (Josh Brener)
* Leonardo (Ben Schwartz)
* Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith)
* April O'Neil (Kat Graham)
* Raphael (Omar Benson Miller)
* Splinter (Eric Bauza)
* S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N.

## Plot

The episode is presented as April's award-winning documentary about the Lair Olympics. Between coverage of the actual events, the participants are interviewed. Raph and Mikey are upset and frustrated with losing to Leo, who has been the champion each year. No one lost worse than Donnie, who has placed last for all 5 years the event has been running. But, Leo offers up his bedroom as the grand prize for first place, which encourages the turtles to do their best.

### Events

* In the first event, the turtles are on skateboards, upside down. if one of them skateboarding towards the line, will be winner. Of course, Leo wins again, much to Splinter's frustration. However, in this year, this takes a surprising event, since Donnie takes second place, much to his brothers' joy and Leo's anger.
* In the second event, they must not flinch when toxic ooze will fall on them. Raph and Mikey flinch, leaving Leo and Don. Leo loses it and runs off, while Donnie wins... however, ooze falls on him, much to his brothers' shock and horror. Finally, for the first time in his life, Donnie wins first.
* In the third event, the pizza darts. Leo, Raph and Mikey lost, while Donnie wins, much to his and Mikey's joy and Leo's rage.

In all of the events, only Mikey and Raph (who won in the marshmallow eating contest for 5 years) lost, leaving Donnie and Leo neck and neck for first. While April interviews Mikey, he reveals his suspicions about Leo causing the big fiasco in the next event on purpose.

Donnie and Leo must balance all of manner of devices above their heads. Leo falls on top of Donnie and wins, due to Donnie hitting the ground first. Donnie furiously accuses Leo of falling on him on purpose and injuring his ankle. Leo denies it, of course. Donnie is brought to the medical room to heal and it seems like he is out of the games for good. In the final event, Shell Bowling, Leo seems poised to get the gold again. But, Donnie, with a leg cast, comes and bowls a strike to the mannequin "pins", making himself tied with Leo. Now, they must be ready for the final tiebreaker event, which is Splinter's choice...

Much to their horror, Splinter has shaved himself and covered himself with slipping butter for a game called "Slippery Whippery Woo." If Leo or Donnie catch him and hold him without him slipping out of their grip, they win the Lair Games. Leo and Donnie battle and fiercely ended up in the whirlwind of oil and almost naked rat. Amazingly, Donnie wins by pinning Leo underneath Splinter's butt.

Leo now leaves his room to Donnie, who gloats at Leo. However, Leo comments that he did not really "lose" as he carries his things to Donnie's old room. Later, the camera pans towards a sleeping Splinter. The snoring goes through air ducts to Leo's room, where Donnie is laying in bed, tortured by the sound. The episode ends with Leo smiling evilly at the camera.

## Trivia

* + This episode premiered on Nicktoons before Nickelodeon.
	+ One of the figurines on Leo's bedroom wall shelf resembles The Prince from *Katamari Damacy*.
	+ Donnie doing the "just right" gesture is a reference the same gesture made by Pacha in the 2000 comedy film *The Emperor's New Groove*.
	+ This is the last episode to air in 2019.
	+ In this episode, there is no villain, but Leo is visibly serving as a main antagonist, for his fierceness and enviousness towards Donnie.
	+ This episode takes place in-universe sometime in 2019 as seen marked on the confessionals for the Lair Games.
	+ Various pieces of Lou Jitsu merchandise are posed behind Splinter during his confessional, including a cereal named "Jits-O's", a Lou Jitsu perfume bottle, a vinyl album named *Holiday Jitsu*, a Lou Jitsu standee, two Lou Jitsu action figures, a book named *Life & Times of Lou Jitsu*, a photograph of Lou Jitsu with the text "Lou!" on it, two canisters of an unknown product (possibly hair spray), and seemingly another obscured product behind his left arm.
		- The standee appears in every episode that features the lair TV room and the action figures have previously appeared in "Down with the Sickness" and "Insane in the Mama Train". The Lou Jitsu perfume bottle shown in this episode differs from the perfume bottle shown in "Insane in the Mama Train" as the bottle shown in this episode is rounded and has a shuriken graphic on it.