Monkey Brains

**Monkey Brains** is the seventh episode of Season One of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2012 TV Series). This episode was directed by Alan Wan and written by Russ Carney & Ron Corcillo. This episode was aired in November 3, 2012.

## Official Description

When Donatello and April begin to investigate a scientist's disappearance, they instead uncover the conspiracy of a bizarre psychic monkey..

## Plot

In the Dojo, Donnie and Mikey spar while using a technique known as Seoe Nage. Donnie begins to criticize Mikey when the latter resorts to using a back flip as a defense. Donnie comments that this is not the 'defense' that he should be using, but Mikey isn't flustered by this and stays content with his move, believing that the move only gives him more energy. Donnie then walks up to Master Splinter and asks him what he would do if he was thrown with Seoe Nage. Unexpectedly, Splinter responds that he doesn't know and then attacks Donnie, telling him to defend against Seoe Nage. However, Donnie prepares the wrong defense, as Splinter purposely attacks him with a different kata. Splinter then tells his son that he'll need to be in the moment and to learn to fight without thinking.

Later, Donnie is seen working on one of his elaborate 'master plans', which happens to be creating a Flowchart to help in getting April to hang out with him. The other turtles seem to view this as another thing that they can make jokes about. Donnie tells them that he must plan an appropriate reply for anything that April says, in order to maximize his chances of success. April soon enters the room and opens up her laptop, showing all four of the Turtles a news story that involves the disappearance of a neurologist named Dr. Tyler Rockwell. She settles on heading over to Rockwell's lab in order find out more about the mystery, as the man's disappearance could have some connection to her father's capture, since the latter two are both scientists. Donnie willingly joins her on her quest, eager for a chance to spend some time alone with her. After the two leave, Leo flips the Flowchart around and notices that this is one of the circumstances that Donnie had thought of, much to Leo's surprise...

After Donnie electronically picks the lock on the door that leads to Rockwell's lab, he and April discover that the place is pretty messy and they also notice a cage that looks as if it was damaged by a very powerful creature. Donnie then realizes that a vial of Mutagen has been hidden in the false bottom of a desk drawer. Just then, a man comes up behind Donnie with a golf club and prepares to strike at him, but April warns Donnie of this and the latter easily pins the man. April then turns on a nearby light, at which point it's revealed that the man is one of the neurologist's colleagues, Dr. Victor Falco, who reported Rockwell missing. Falco sits down with April and Donnie to tell them that Rockwell was given a large amount of money by the Kraang, who wanted Rockwell to experiment with their Mutagen on a test monkey. Unfortunately, however, Falco doesn't have a clue if April's dad was involved in any way. April then tells Donnie that the monkey in that cage could've easily broken out of captivity and hurt Rockwell...or even worse. Leaving the lab, April wonders how they're going to find Rockwell without any leads, but Donnie then reveals that he swiped a flash-drive off of Rockwell's desk. The duo then run into the monkey itself, which was mutated into a humanoid state. Donnie starts to attack the monkey right away, but the ape immediately outmatches him, seemingly with the ability to sense all of Donnie's intentions. It's not long before Donnie seems to be knocked out cold. The monkey then approaches April menacingly. However, the creature pauses upon noticing April's lack of fear. April then looks into its eyes and tries to assure it that everything will go back to normal. The monkey seems to calm down a little bit, but it then backs up and takes to the roofs.

April manages to safely get Donnie back to the Lair, where Raph, Leo, and Mikey all gang up on Donnie and tease him about losing to a monkey in a fight, in front of his 'girlfriend'. Later, after Donnie has gotten time to recover, he is depressed over the fact that he got battered by something that has inferior intelligence compared to him. Once again, however, Splinter tries to explain what the importance is of fighting without thinking and he demonstrates with Mikey. Mikey is able to evade several of Splinter's attacks without even paying attention (he is listening to music with Headphones and closing his eyes). Later, April analyzes Dr. Rockwell's research data and finds out that he was trying to modify the Mutagen. He believed that it was possible to give a normal human being psychic abilities. Raph believes that this syrum could have been used on the monkey, as the monkey appeared to be sensing Donnie's feelings during their fight and it only became hostile when Donnie was hostile. Leo then recommends that they should team up and track this monkey down and, to help stay in touch with one another, Donnie unveils his most recent invention; the T-Phone.

The Turtles, along with April, pursue the monkey all over the city (after locating it), but eventually lose it at an intersection. April gets a dependable feeling that the monkey is hiding in a nearby dumpster and, sure enough, she finds the monkey cowering inside. She gently allows it to climb out of the dumpster, just in time for Mikey to lasso it with the end of his Kusurigama chain. The monkey then begins to growl frantically. April looks into the mutant's eyes, however, and she is able to realize that the monkey is actually a mutated version of Dr. Tyler Rockwell. They take Rockwell back to his lab, where Falco sedates him. He assures the Turtles that he will try to see if he can give Rockwell some semblance of a normal life. Back in the lair, Splinter asks April how she knew that the monkey was once a human. April replies that she may sometimes get "feelings" about things. Splinter then exits, interested by her answer. Donnie, still not satisfied with the mutant Rockwell's capture, looks over Rockwell's research notes and finds that Rockwell never seemed to have kept a monkey in his lab, but the closest thing to a monkey that he had were samples of an ape's DNA. Rockwell is what broke free of the cage after he was mutated and mercilessly locked in there by Falco, who has been lying the whole time they've known him.

The Turtles immediately rush back to the lab, only to find Falco sedating Rockwell, extracting a mutagenic fluid from the mutant's mind, and injecting it into his own neck, which allows him to gain psychic abilities. He can read the Turtles' minds with ease and is now able to see their attacks coming his way the moment when they think of making them. Falco arrogantly says "No man can defeat you when you know his every thought". First,Raph attacks, but Falco proves to be his better and knocks him senseless with his own Sais. Leo and Mikey are the next two to fall, which leaves Donnie to face Falco alone. Donnie attempts several blows with his staff, but Falco simply seizes the staff in his own hands and throws Donnie up against a wall. However, Donnie then convinces himself to fight without thinking and the turtle inhales and exhales before charging into battle. Donnie is able to remember the advice that Splinter gave him and fights Falco effectively, as the latter is not able to detect the spaces that are between Donnie's thoughts. Donnie pummels the scientist so many times that Falco is knocked into a ventilation duct and is stripped of his powers. The other turtles awaken and congratulate Donnie. They then prepare to see what Falco knows about the Kraang, but they soon realize that Falco has already escaped down the duct. They then decide to let Rockwell go free, and the mutant offers them a silent thanks. He then rushes out into the large city to fend for himself among its angry residents.

The Turtles and April return home where, in the Dojo, Splinter tells April that her "feelings" are a sign that she possesses an innate spiritual sensitivity and attunement with the universe that he had trained much of his life to attain. In order for her to elaborate on the ability, he offers to teach her to be a Kunoichi, a female ninja. He offers her the chance to think about this, warning her that it would drain her physically, mentally, and spiritually. Despite this, she claims that it couldn't be worse than going to High School and embraces the fact that she could defend herself...

Later, Donnie catches April walking around the Lair. Donnie asks April if she wants to hang out with him tomorrow night. April says that she is not able to because she is going to start her training with Splinter. Donnie secretly glances behind a wall at the chart that he made and he comes up with a relevant reply for April's remark. Donnie suggests that they should train with eachother at some point. April replies that it sounds great, before walking away. Donnie then cheers with joy and happiness. Meanwhile, Raph is busy reading a comic book on the couch in front of Donnie, and Raph rolls his eyes when he hears his brother...

## Splinter's Wisdom

*"If you think too much about what is coming, you will lose sight of what is. You must be fully in the moment so you can fight without thinking."*

*"You must find the spaces between your thoughts and learn to live there."*

"Donnie learn's don't think just do."

## Characters

### Major Characters

* April O'Neil (Mae Whitman)
* Donatello (Rob Paulsen)
* Leonardo (Jason Biggs)
* Michelangelo (Greg Cipes)
* Raphael (Sean Astin)
* Tyler Rockwell (Frank Welker)
* Victor Falco (Jeffrey Combs)

### Minor Characters

* Splinter (Hoon Lee)
* Carlos Chang O'Brien Gambe (Jim Meskimen)

## Trivia

* Donnie draws his 'master plan' Flowchart on the back of a movie poster for "Space Heroes III: The Resurrection of Mindstrong" (a parody of the film poster for Star Trek III: The Search for Spock).