Bug Busters

**"Bug Busters"** is the twelfth episode (Episode 7) of Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It first aired on November 17th, 2018.

## Characters

* Baron Draxum (John Cena)
* Big Mama (Lena Headey)
* Donatello (Josh Brener)
* Huginn (Tim Simons)
* Leonardo (Ben Schwartz)
* Michelangelo (Brandon Mychal Smith)
* Muninn (Sam Richardson)
* Raphael (Omar Benson Miller)
* Gus (Fred Tatasciore)
* Stanley (Dave Foley)

## Plot

The turtles are on their way to the Nexus hotel after hearing the news that it's full of Oozequitoes. Having arrived at the hotel they find that all the visitors have fled - except for one bellhop. Leo introduces themselves as 'unlicensed amateur' bug catchers and suggests to the Turtles that they bring the bellhop to safety first. However Raph insists that they should stick to the plan to catch the Oozequitoes, which involves Mikey covering himself in honey to attract them. They fail miserably due to poor team co-ordination and the continuous intervention of the bellhop, and the Turtles end up being stuck in one of Donnie's high-tech traps together. Just as the bellhop thinks peace and quiet has returned he gets stung by an Oozequito and mutates into the clumsy Bullhop, and flees the hotel in panic. We then see a pale-skinned woman has witnessed the whole debacle through the security cameras.

Just as the Turtles are about to leave the damaged hotel the woman arrives with a whole entourage of bellhops and janitors, telling them that they "turned [her] hotel in quite the fizzydo". The turtles try to pass themselves off as humans, but she reassures them they are among their own kind, and reveals her employees to be Mutants - or more accurately, Yokai. The woman offers the Turtles a tour which Raph, Donnie and Mikey gladly accept, but Leo is skeptical of following someone they've never met before.

Through a hidden entrance the team gets to see the real Nexus hotel, a place where yōkai can rest and watch the Battle Nexus, a series of violent battles fought by yōkai warriors. Huginn and Muninn are in the hotel too, and recognize the Turtles as the ones that destroyed Baron Draxum's laboratory and set all his Oozequitoes loose.

In her office Big Mama tells that the Oozequitoes are causing trouble by creating new mutants. She then reveals her true identity, being a giant spider-like yōkai. The Turtles are initially rather shocked, but tell Leo off for "hurting a nice spider-lady's feelings" after he makes a comment about the situation. Big Mama states she wants to help them catch the bugs to avoid the creation of new mutants. She encourages Donnie to build a device that uses her webs to trap the Oozequitoes, who takes full pride in her flattery. Ignoring Leo's protests Raph accepts the offer to bring the captured bugs to Big Mama, for her to safely dispose of.

The next day the Turtles are seen catching the Oozequitoes with Donnie's newest invention called the Bug Slapper, a hoover-scooter that shoots Big Mama's web goo as projectiles. They return to the hotel with a big jar filled with bugs, but Leo is still suspicious. The Turtles proudly show Big Mama their haul, and she is in turn amazed by the device Donnie built 'for her'. The large yōkai bellhops then take away the bugs and the Bug Slapper from the Turtles, and Big Mama reveals she is the one that runs the Battle Nexus. She intents to use the Oozequitoes to create new mutant warriors and even wants to put the Turtles to work in the battle - as rodeo clowns, much to their dismay. Raph then admits that Leo was right not to trust Big Mama, but everyone realizes Leo has already fled the scene. Enraged, Big Mama sends Gus after Leo, a large goofy yōkai dog. The other captured Turtles are escorted to the Battle Nexus gateway.

Meanwhile Leo has made his escape through the ventilation shafts. From there he sees one of the yōkai bellhops bringing the Oozequitoes and the Bug Slapper into Big Mama's hidden vault, and sees him use the password. Just as Raph, Donnie and Mikey arrive at the gateway Leo saves them by making a portal that brings them back to the human department of the hotel. However Gus has found them and is ready to attack, but Mikey distracts him by throwing a tennis ball. Leo states this is their chance to escape, but Raph doesn't want to leave till they get the bugs and Donnie's invention back. Having predicted this, Leo leads them back to Big Mama's office where the vault is hidden, and breaks in easily with the password. They take back the bugs and the Bug Slapper, but Big Mama shows up, restraining them with her webs.

At that moment Baron Draxum bursts into the office, He is furious that Big Mama stole his Oozequitoes, stating that they were meant to annihilate the human threat to yōkai and knocks her down after a fight. Huginn and Muninn take the bugs and plan to release them on the rooftop of the hotel. During their fight the Turtles were able to free themselves, and Leo and Raph follow Draxum to the rooftop through Leo's portal. Just as Mikey and Donnie wonder what they are supposed to do they are reminded that Big Mama is still there. Donnie furiously states that "this will teach [Big Mama] to compliment [his] work and give [him his] first positive reinforcement of a parent-aged adult ever" and flees with Mikey on the Bug Buster.

Draxum, Huginn and Munnin arrive with the Oozequitoes on the rooftop, but Raph and Leo burst through their portal and take back the bugs. Draxum attacks the two with his purple tentacles and just as Raph catches the bugs, Draxum catches Leo and dangles him high above the streets. He states that he isn't afraid to destroy his own creation, and tells Raph to choose between his brother or the bugs. Just as Raph tells Leo how "these villains are all talk" Draxum indifferently allows Leo to fall to his death. Panicked, Raph jumps after Leo, losing the jar of bugs in the process. He saves Leo by using the mystic power from his tōnfa's to create a giant duplicate of himself to catch him, although he had no idea how he was able to do that. Back on the rooftop Draxum releases the bugs and returns to the Hidden City.

Meanwhile Donnie and Mikey are still being chased by Big Mama, who catches onto Mikey. Donnie hits Big Mama with the last remaining web-shot, which causes her to be thrown back into her own vault and locked up inside. The Turtles meet each other again and ponder over the things that happened and the revelation that they were created by Draxum, though Leo states that Draxum probably isn't very attached to them.

## Trivia

* This is the second episode of the series to be presented as a "30-minute special" after the premiere episode "Mystic Mayhem."
* Mikey, Donnie and Raph are heard humming the theme song while in the elevator.
* The episode's title is a reference to the *Ghostbusters* franchise.
	+ Also, the scene where the Turtles fail to catch the Oozesquitoes while causing damage is similar to how the Ghostbusters attempt to catch Slimer in the Dining Hall.
		- The only difference is that the Ghostbusters caught their target, unlike the Turtles.
* This episode reveals in full that Baron Draxum created the Turtles.
	+ The Turtles also find out about this revelation in this episode.
* While crawling through the duct, Leonardo paraphrases John McClane from *Die Hard.*
* Mutants resembling Bebop, Rocksteady, Leatherhead, and Halfcourt can be seen during Baron Draxum and Big Mama's argument about the handling of mutants.
	+ Additional mutants seen include a shark (potentially Armaggon), a bull in a matador's outfit, and a creepy-looking anteater that shares a resemblance to one of the Evil Demon Monkeys from the mobile game *Temple Run*.
* A midget version of Andy Suriano can be seen taking a dump when the Mad Dogs jump into Leo's portal during their escape.
* The extra elevator floor "numbers" each represent a western Zodiac sign. Only six are seen: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, and Libra. They could represent the characters and events in this episode.
	+ Aries - the Ram. Taurus - the Bull. Gemini - the Twins. Cancer - the Crab (but formerly represented as a turtle!). Leo - the Lion. Libra - Scales of Justice.
* The Mad Dogs almost said the series' title name.
	+ Raphael said Sheepmen instead of Turtles.

## Videos

"Bug Busters" Animatic -1 - Rise of the TMNT - Nick Animation"Bug Busters" Animatic -2 - Rise of the TMNT - Nick Animation