Hot Soup: The Game (Episode)

**"Hot Soup: The Game"** is the twenty-second episode (Episode 12B) of *Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles*. It first aired on February 16th, 2019.

## Characters

* Foot Clan
	+ Foot Brute (Maurice LaMarche)
	+ Foot Lieutenant (Rob Paulsen)
	+ Foot Recruit (Zelda Williams)

* Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith)
* Donatello (Josh Brener)
* Leonardo (Ben Schwartz)
* Raphael (Omar Benson Miller)
* Splinter (Eric Bauza)

## Plot

The episode starts as the four Turtles watch an old advertisement of a Lou Jitsu video game. Mikey immediately checks online to see if it's in stock, and proceeds to purchase it. There is a copy of the game at the Montes Auction House, which means that the Turtles will have to go pick it up themselves. Raph is uncertain how they will get the game without being questioned by their mutant appearances. Mikey insists that he is old enough to go get the game himself as his first solo mission. Leo and Donnie are willing to let Mikey go, much to Raph's disapproval. Unfortunately, in his rush to leave Mikey has left his Kusari-Fundo in the Lair.

Mikey is later seen moving across building rooftops until he finally arrives at the Montes auction house. Mikey then states he should have brought candles - the mission seems to be a piece of cake. After he jumps through the skylight the Foot Brute and Foot lieutenant are shown on top of another building along with a new and extremely excitable recruit.

The lieutenant praises the recruit's progress before telling her that her final test is a solo mission. The recruit asks, while literally crushing a brick in her hand, what clan enemy she needs to crush between her fists. They tell her that her mission is to retrieve a mysterious artifact said to have been owned by Lou Jitsu. The clans members briefly gush over his movies, such as Jitsu for Justice and Punch Chowder. The recruit says she will study the films and that she will tear the auction house apart to find every Lou Jitsu item it has. While the clans member like her intensity they tell her stick with stealth. The recruit proceeds to jump off the roof yelling "Foot Clan!"

Mikey is shown lowering himself into the auction house. He talks about getting the game and going home, only for the rope he's using to break. He then falls into a suit of armor. Mikey is distracted by the armor until the recruit shows up behind him and asks who he is and why he is there. When Mikey says he's there to get his Lou Jitsu video game and asks if the the recruit likes Lou Jitsu the recruit appears to be ready to explore in anger before calmly stating Punch Chowder is her favorite motion picture.

She then proceeds to steal Mikey's receipt and tells him to stay there and do nothing. The recruit goes to another room and calls her masters to tell them that one of the turtles is there. The brute asks if she thinks she'll need help only for the lieutenant to nix the idea. The recruit asks if she can "vanquish his soul to the depths of oblivion" and her masters agree. After the call ends the brute asks what they'll do if Mikey defeats the recruit. The lieutenant says they could just hire Jocelyn, another recruit, since they go through about one a week.

Meanwhile Mikey is trying to figure out what's up with the recruit. He notes that she seems like an employee, but the lights are off. He wonders if there was a power outage but she didn't seemed shocked that Mikey is a mutant. He wonders if maybe she thought he was in costume but she did like Punch Chowder. Mikey, after stating that only criminals like that movie, is attacked by the recruit who says enemies of the foot clan must perish. She then proceeds to take several swipes at Mikey while chasing him with a giant axe. She ends up knocking Mikey onto a record play while also, unintentionally, freeing him from the armor.

When the recruit throws the axe at Mikey he grabs a stand to block it. He then notices that the stand holds the video game he came for. Mikey grabs the game and dodges an attack from the recruit who then demands that Mikey handover the game. Mikey runs towards the exit only to find it locked. After dodging multiple knifes thrown at him he tries to climb out the window only for the recruit to try to pull him back in. Just then Raph calls to check up on things and asks, in a cutesy voice, if Mikey is ok. Mikey tries to pretend he is fine, only to be pulled back into the auction house. The recruit, who has the game now, says Mikey won't leave until she's smashed his shell into powder. Raph, hearing the commotion over the phone, asks who that was.

After narrowly avoiding getting kicked in the head Mikey says it's just a pushy clerk trying to sell him the extended warranty and then hangs up. Raph's "overprotective brother sense" starts to tingle and he tells Donnie to tap into the security cameras. When the brothers first look at the footage Mikey seems fine. But upon seeing the recruit kick Mikey out of view Raph says Mikey needs them and drags Leo and Donnie off to go save him.

## Trivia

* Tang Shen's name is shown in one of the movie title cards, *Lou Jitsu and Tang Shen: Jitsu for Justice*, while Foot Lieutenant and Foot Brute are telling Foot Recruit how much they love Lou Jitsu.
* An ice hockey stick is seen next to a katana when Mikey battles Foot Recruit.
* There were a few items in the Montes Auction House that serve as Easter Eggs of the 2012 TV series:
	+ As Mikey grabs the umbrella while battling Foot Recruit, there is a katana with the 2012 TV series' Hamato Clan emblem on it.
	+ A statue of Ice Cream Kitty appears and is remarked on by Mikey.
* After the three Turtles break into the auction house to "rescue" Mikey, he shouts out "Narf!". This is a reference to the *Animaniacs*' Pinky and *Pinky and the Brain,* who is also voiced by Rob Paulsen.
* It was revealed in August 2020 by *Rise of the TMNT* staff writer Ron Corcillo in a Tweet that, "['Hot Soup: The Game' is] Probably my fave ep that [Russ Carney] and I have written for this show. The idea was to write an ep that was one big [Inspector Clouseau] and [Cato Fong] fight (check out old *Pink Panther* movies if you haven't seen them). Managed to get in some heart and everyone's favorite, Foot Recruit. Score!"
* It was revealed in August 2020 by *Rise of the TMNT* staff writer Corcillo in a Tweet that this episode was nearly discarded entirely during its outline stage.