TCRI

**"TCRI"** is the seventeenth episode of the 2012 TV series. It first aired on March 1, 2013.

## Synopsis

While breaking into the hostile environment of TCRI headquarters upon being told of its location by Leatherhead, the Turtles discover the true intent of the Kraang: to open a portal to Dimension X and begin an all-out invasion. The Turtles resolve to stop them – even if they end up having to fight the rock monster Traag. During the fight, Michelangelo finds a Kraang Data Storage Device. Donatello de-codes the device and discovers that the Kraang are after April.

## Plot

The episode begins with the Turtles in the Patrol Buggy chasing after two Kraang-droids in a helicopter in an attempt to get back the power cell back from them. Donnie has managed to figure out a way to successfully track the power cell that The Kraang are now carrying with his T-Phone, but the phone ends up breaking during the chase and The Kraang escape with their prized possession. Soon thereafter, The Kraang promptly return to their base with the power cell and prepare to restore it to theirdimensional portal...

Leo decides that they should talk to Leatherhead about the Kraang's power cell --- and how they can possibly get it back...Donnie argues that Leatherhead is gonna' try to rip off his head once again, but he is forced to agree when he remembers that the fate of the world might indeed hang in the balance...So, they head over to Leatherhead's new hideout located in the sewers, and Mikey tries to wake him up gently. However, the crocodile freaks out and grabs Donnie by the head...much to the latter's complete dismay. Leatherhead is able to realize once again that the Turtles are some of his only friends and allies, however, and he is able to calm himself down. Donnie quickly steps away from Leatherhead, and then Leo reluctantly tells Leatherhead that they lost the power cell. The one and only clue that Leatherhead can give them about where the Kraang could have taken the power cell is a drawing of a symbol that he saw once. Back in the lair, Donnie has alot of trouble figuring out what it means, until Splinter comes up to him and advises that he should calm down and take several deep breaths. Donnie does so for a second before he has an epiphany. He brings his brothers topside in a giffy, and reveals that the symbol used for The Kraang to operate under is the logo of the T.C.R.I. work center/complex in Brooklyn.

Back in the Lair, April shows the Turtles blueprints of the building. She reports that the bottom two thirds of it are seemingly normal offices where humans work, but top third of the building is completely blank. They later send April disguised as a delivery person right into the building with a gigantic box that she narrowly pushes into the nearby elevator. As soon as the doors close, the receptionist there (Mrs. Campbell) grabs her from behind, stating that TCRI is closed right now. Then, suddenly, many Kraang droids surround April, but she then flashes a camera in all of their faces and escapes being locked in. The Kraang then train their blasters on the elevator, presuming the Turtles to be inside the box, but instead, Leatherhead appears out of it and viciously fights off The Kraang-droids, as the Turtles climb the elevator shaft to the upper floors. However, they have to fight a precarious battle against many, many more Kraang-droids along the way, and by the time they end up reaching their final destination, they are knocked out cold by toxic gas......

When they recover, the Turtles find themselves trapped in a tank (luckily supplying them with Oxygen) within a very large room with the portal standing not that far in front of them. Kraang aliens are everywhere - and the air outside is full of the toxic chemical...Donnie concludes that the gas is what the air must be like within Dimension X. While his brothers wonder why The Kraang would invade a planet that they can't live on very well because of the air, Mikey surprises them with the answer: the Kraang want to mutate the Earth so that that they can live there, killing everything other life form here in the process.

Luckily, they are able to break out of their imprisonment by using Mikey's shell, and they are all then forced to hold their breath and fight the Kraang at the very same time. They then break yet another window in the building, releasing all of the gas inside and they then indirectly use Leatherhead (whom enters) as a successful distraction. The Turtles plan to retrieve the power cell without The Kraang even knowing, but when they either try to hack or break the glass globe protecting the cell, the flying brain squids that shoot energy blasts (and wear armor) prove that they pose a crucial threat. The portal is now fully operational, and, unexpectedly, a giant evil rock monster, Traag, steps out, having journeyed from The Kraang's home dimension. The Turtles definitely are not strong enough to beat him, but roaring out of nowhere, Leatherhead steps in and grabs Traag by one of his feet, throwing him towards the portal, in an apparent attempt to destroy both the portal and Traag. However, the demon has still not been defeated, and the portal has not broken the least bit either...Then, something else begins coming through, but Leatherhead believes that he can stop it and he then walks into the portal (along with Traag) and the two both disappear back to Dimension X. Before the Turtles can shut the portal down, however, more Kraang surround them and they are forced to escape with the usage of grappling hooks...

Returning to their lair, Leo officially reports that they have failed their mission and that Leatherhead is gone, much to Mikey's disquietude. However, Donnie then says that he can find vital information once he decodes a Kraang data storage device that Mikey happened to pick up somewhere in TCRI. Later, Master Splinter and April are seen discussing why The Kraang truly need April's father so badly, as he is nothing but a scientist that 'studies rats running through mazes'. To everyone's complete shock, however, Donnie finds out from the data drive that The Kraang do not particularly need April's father. It's April herself that they are really after...

## Notes

### Continuity

* Leatherhead returns in this episode and in the end goes through the portal to Dimension X.
* This is the first episode where the Kraang's home dimension is called "Dimension X".
* First appearance of Traag.
* First appearance of the Kraang's headquarters of TCRI.
* When the Turtles see Leatherhead again for the first time in this episode, Mikey reacts with affection as his eyes briefly turn into cartoon hearts. This references the love they forged together in It Came From The Depths, which will be referenced again in Into Dimension X!.

### Basic Trivia

* A running gag in this episode is where someone (usually Mikey) brings up the Olympics.
* In this episode, the turtles all take a deep breath and hold it as Mikey retreats into his shell to be used as a battering ram. Interestingly, real-life turtles have to *exhale* all the air from their lungs to be able to retreat into their shells.

### Errors

* When Mikey gets inside his shell his belt disappears.

## Quotes

**Donatello:** "Yes, you did it again! Why do you keep grabbing my face? What is wrong with my face?!"

**Raphael:** "Would you the list alphabetically or in descending order of grossness?"

**Michelangelo:** "What are they gonna do? Mutate the whole planet so they can live here and we can't?" *(Leo, Donnie and Raph are shocked)*
**Donatello:** "I don't know what's scarier, what you just said or you said it!"
**Michelangelo:** "Wait, what I'd say?"

**Leonardo:** "We're not in Kansas anymore."
**Michelangelo:** "I thought we were in New York!" *(Raph punches in the back of his head)*

**Michaelangelo:** The Olympics!
**Donatello:** No!
**Michaelangelo:** I got it, The Olympics!
**Donatello:** Stop guessing! Obviously it's a Kraang symbol!
**Leonardo:** But from where?
**Michaelangelo:** *(raises his hand)* The Olympics!
**Donatello:** QUIT IT! There's something here and I can figure it out. If you all just go away and LET ME THINK!
*(The other three leave Donnie to his research, Shortly after, Splinter arrives)*
**Splinter:** Oh, The Olympics? **Donatello:**For the hundred ti-! *(realize it's Splinter)* Agh!

**Raphael:** TCRI? They're behind the Kraang Plot?
**Leonardo:** The Invasion?
**Michaelangelo:** *(while jogging in place)* The Olympics? *(Raph slaps him)* What was that?
**Raphael:** A new Olympic event.

**Michelangelo:** *(hums the Olympics theme while climbing elevator wires)*
**Donatello:** "Are you humming the Olympics theme?"
**Michelangelo:** "It seemed appropriate."

*(Raph climbs to the top. He opens elevator door and sees Kraang-droids putting on human disguise)*
**Raphael:** "ARRGH!"(closes doors) "I gotta wash my eyes."

(Kraang open door and come on elevator and the turtles defeat them)
**Leonardo:** "All right guys. Lets get in where it's safe." *(opens hatch and sees lots of Kraang-droids start shooting)* "I've gotta stop saying things like that!"

*(Raph accidentally hits a button, making an alarm go off)*
**Michelangelo:** "Alright!"
**Leonardo:** "What?"
**Michelangelo:** "Finally someone set off an alarm and it wasn't me!"

**Leonardo:** "Imagine if they knew who they were working for. *(Kraang voice)* The ones who are working for this place must punch the card that is known as the 'timecard' in the clock that is known as the clock of time!" *(April and Splinter look at him)*

Leonardo:(Chuckles Nervously) "Sorry, where were we.?"

Master Splinters:"Was your mission successfu.l"

Leonardo:"Fraid not Sensei Leatherheads gone."

Michelangelo: "Yeah, but he saved us and I found this."

Raphael: "Oh good so now your picking up alien trash."

Donatello: Do you realise what this is?"

Michelangelo:"Shiny"

Donatello: "Its a kranng data storage device,if i can decode it maybe it can help us find a way to stop them."