Raph's Ride-Along

**"Raph's Ride-Along"** is the fourteenth episode of the second season (Episode 8A) of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and is the sixtieth episode overall in the series. It first aired on June 19, 2020.

## Characters

* Raphael (Omar Benson Miller)
* Hidden City Police
	+ Guardsman 1 (Audrey Wasilewski)
	+ Guardsman 2 (Eric Edelstein)
* Mud Dogs
	+ Dastardly Danny (Rob Paulsen)
	+ Loathsome Leonard (Seth Green)
	+ Malicious Mickey (Greg Cipes)

* Big Mama (Lena Headey)
* Heinous Green
* April O'Neil (Kat Graham)
* Assistant
* Donatello (Josh Brener)
* Evil Emerald
* Leonardo (Ben Schwartz)
* Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith)
* Splinter (Eric Bauza)

## Plot

Episode opens with the Mad Dogs are on vacation at the Hidden City. While everyone leaves, Raph goes to the Hidden City police department to join in for a Ride along.

Upon entering the station, Raph was arrested due to the police mistaking him for the criminal known as Heinous Green. After being confiscated of his Tonfas and thrown into a police car, Raph is now with the Mud Dogs(parody of Mad Dogs. Members are: Loathsome Leonard (parody of Leo), Malicious Mickey (parody of Mikey) and Dastardly Danny (parody of Donnie). After the police call Raph by the name they thought of him as, the Mud Dogs are happy to believe they've met the man they thought he was and decide to make him as their new leader, much to Leonard's shock, jealousy and disappointment.

By using Raph's strength (really just bashing him against the side of the wagon) the Mud Dogs escape. Raph, wanting to prove he wasn't a criminal, again tries to explain to the cops the misunderstanding. They don't listen and encase him in a capsule. Not willing to leave their new leader behind, except for Leonard, the Mud Dogs stick by him and eventually shake off the cops.

Not wanting to be caught in a life of crime, Raph tries every possible way to get rid of them.

As even though they walked straight into the police station with headgear that gave away who they were, they still managed to rob the place and take a key that frees Raph from his capsule. And they also manage to find a room filled with riches and many fancy confiscated items. Impressed, Leonard announces his new respect for him and the Mud Dogs decide to take him to Big Mama. Knowing that Big Mama would recognize him and give away his status, Raph refuses but they bring him anyway.

In Battle Nexus, the Mud Dogs, with Raph trying to hide behind them, hand their stolen riches to Big Mama. After being asked by the mastermind of this heist, they present "Heinous Green" to her. Despite Raph's next "attempt" to remain unrecognized, Big Mama is easily able to see past this and reveals he is not Heinous Green and she shows them the real one who was in the room right now. Furious after being lied to, the Mud Dogs attack him, but they accidentally tackle Big Mama, leaving Raph to deal with Heinous Green, who has grown to a big size and furiously chases the former for impersonating him.

After being chased throughout the city, and passing by Mikey who tries making a wish into the fountain, Raph eventually makes his way back to the police who arrested him and recovers his Tonfa. Using his Smash Jutsu, he defeats the criminal. The police apologize for the "mix up" and Raph, who was angry after the whole ordeal, tells them about the Mud Dogs' hideout in the prison and begins to leave. The police mistake him once again, but this time for the criminal Evil Emerald. They arrest him once again, much to Raph's annoyance, ending the episode.

## Trivia

* This episode is part of a 4-part special known as "Tales of the Hidden City", along with "Donnie vs. Witch Town", "Hidden City’s Most Wanted", and "Bad Hair Day".
* When Loathsome Leonard says, "Blue guy is always the leader!", this is a nod to the previous incarnations of Leonardo, who have usually been the leader of the Turtles.
* In the loot-sack, as well as gold coins there are adorable tiny pink unicorns. Pink unicorns are the currency that Leo and Mikey were tipped with in "You Got Served"
* This episode is considered a partial voice cast reunion from the previous series, featuring Seth Green (Leonardo/Loathsome Leonard), Greg Cipes (Michelangelo/Malicious Mickey), and Rob Paulsen (Donatello/Dastardly Danny).
	+ Rob Paulsen is already the series voice director for *Rise of the TMNT,* and voices other characters in the series such as Foot Lieutenant.
	+ Greg Cipes already voices S.H.E.L.L.D.O.N. in *Rise of the TMNT.*
	+ Sean Astin, the voice of Raphael, did not voice a role in this episode, as the Mud Dogs had no lookalike of Raph before mistaking Raph for Heinous Green and recruiting him into their gang. The actual Heinous Green has no dialogue, nor was he ever in the Mud Dogs to begin with.
* Cudley the Cowlick, originally introduced in *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Adventures* by Archie Comics, makes a brief cameo where he is seen biting off a piece of giant mushroom before warping away. As a trans-dimensional entity, the same Cudley has also made appearances in the Mirage continuity's crossovers with Moo Mesa as well as the 2012 TV series.
* The Yōkai Granny who appeared in "Portal Jacked!" makes a brief cameo appearing during the chase scene with Raph and the real Heinous Green.
* According to JJ Conway, the scene where Raph is seen at the Hidden City police station is inspired by the 1993 *Super Mario Bros.* movie.
* Raph's first attempt to get rid of the Mud Dogs has them rob a police station, possibly as a nod to his plan to rob the NYPD headquarters in *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows*.

## Transcript

* Raph's Ride-Along Transcript

Raph's Ride-Along Gallery