Garbageman (episode)

**Episodes:**
1. Things Change
2. A Better Mousetrap
3. Attack of the Mousers
4. Meet Casey Jones
5. Nano
6. Darkness on the Edge of Town
7. The Way of Invisibility
8. Fallen Angel
9. **Garbageman**
10. The Shredder Strikes, Part 1
11. The Shredder Strikes, Part 2
12. The Unconvincing Turtle Titan
13. Notes from the Underground, Part 1
14. Notes from the Underground, Part 2
15. Notes from the Underground, Part 3
16. The King
17. The Shredder Strikes Back, Part 1
18. The Shredder Strikes Back, Part 2
19. Tales of Leo
20. The Monster Hunter
21. Return to New York, Part 1
22. Return to New York, Part 2
23. Return to New York, Part 3
24. Lone Raph and Cub
25. The Search for Splinter, Part 1
26. The Search for Splinter, Part 2

***Season 1*** – Season 2 – Template:TMNT (2003) Season 3

**"Garbageman"** is the ninth episode of the animated series *Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles* (2003), which originally aired on April 5, 2003.

## Information

### Major Characters

* Donatello (Sam Regal)
* Garbageman (Mike Pollock)
* Leonardo (Michael Sinterniklaas)
* Michelangelo (Wayne Grayson)
* Raphael (Frank Frankson)
* The Professor (Greg Carey)

### Secondary Characters

* Ernie (Frank Frankson)
* Homeless #1 (Michael Sinterniklaas)
* Homeless #2 (Wayne Grayson)
* Phil (Eric Stuart)

### Main Locations, Vehicles and Accessories

* New Lair
* Shanty Town
* Sewer Tunnels
* City streets and rooftops
* River Docks
* Island Landfill
* Battle Shell
* Shell Cycle
* Garbage Truck

## Episode

**Spoiler warning: *Plot or ending details {{[[Template:|]]}} follow.***
### *Voice-over introduction*

***Donatello:*** "Here's another fine mess we've gotten ourselves into...literally. This has been one strange night, believe me, but no matter how weird it's been up 'til now, we never expected this..."

### *Plot summary*

One night, a couple of homeless guys are going through the garbage looking for bottles to turn in for money as well as other valuables. They didn't realize a garbage truck was following them. The vehicle corners them in a dead-end alley and grabs them with its hydraulic tentacles.

The next day, the Turtles visited some of the homeless to find items to help in the lair. They gave them some clothes and received a few things the homeless that they found in

     the garbage. When the Turtles mentioned there seemed to be fewer homeless, their friend, The Professor, said that a rumor says a guy called the Garbageman was responsible for taking homeless people during the night. The Turtles aren't convinced, but ask him to pass along anything he hears. However, a little while after the Turtles leave, the Garbageman strikes and kidnaps the Professor, as well as the other homeless people.

The next day, Donatello finds the ruins of the shantytown. He calls the Turtles and they begin their investigation. Wearing trench coats, they hit the streets to question other homeless. They discovered that all the kidnappings happened around the docks. Using Michelangelo as bait, they are able to attract the Garbageman's truck. The Battle Shell fought the garbage truck, but the garbage truck was able to escape. They see it drive off the docks, into the water. Thinking they had won, they are surprised to see the garbage truck driving underwater to a landfill island.

After finding out that the landfill is the "best" in the country, the Turtles swim to the island to save their friends. Once there, they find a bunch of enslaved homeless people sorting through garbage, even some in chains. The Garbageman soon arrives with more slaves and starts to give a speech about how he is recycling the homeless, who do not have any other purpose in society. The Professor stands up to the Garbageman, but is threatened by the guards. The Turtles jump into action and set the slaves free. The prisoners then rebel against the guards and drive them away.

The Turtles turn their attention to the Garbageman, but cannot get a direct hit because of the mechanical arms. But Donatello is able to sabotage the Garbageman's vehicle circuitry. The Garbageman falls into the water. The Turtles jump into the water to rescue him, but are surprised to see an empty wheelchair at the bottom of the river. The Turtles return to the island where the Professor and the fellow homeless have decided to stay on the island because it had food and shelter. Raphael warns him that the Garbageman's evil may come back someday.

## Quotes

* **Homeless Man #1:** Them guys in the big turtle costumes are back.

**Homeless Man #2:** Yup.
**Homeless Man #1:** Ya ever wonder why they dress up like that?
**Homeless Man #2:** Nope.

**Michelangelo:** That was majorly creepy. You think any of its true?

**Donatello:** Hey, whatever it is, if the Professor is worried, we should take it seriously.
**Raphael:** Seriously, huh? Guess that leaves Mikey out.
**Michelangelo:** *[annoyed]* What?

**Leonardo:** We need to hit the streets.

**Michelangelo:** It's trench coat wearing time!
*[Raph, Don, and Leo give him a look]*
**Michelangelo:** Eheheh...

**Michelangelo:** Uh, guys? The shark is here! And he's humming the theme from Jaws!

**Michelangelo:** T-M-N-T! What you get is what you see! \**Shakes his hips*\*

**Raphael:** You know seriously, you're only embarrassing yourself.

**Michelangelo:** *[With an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice]* Something stinks on that island, and it ain't the garbage!

**Raphael:** Yeah! Keep trying Mikey, someday you'll get a winner.
**Michelangelo:** Hey c'mon, that was pretty good!

**Garbageman:** Garbage is power!

**Michelangelo:** If that's true, then this guy's Superman.

**Garbageman:** *[To Homeless slaves]* Before I brought you to this island, you were nothing but human garbage. No home, no purpose, no value. But now, I have recycled you, given you work sifting through the refuse that this city stupidly squanders to build my fortune. Behold the birth of my empire invisible to the outside world until it is too late!

**The Professor:** I'd rather be a free man living on the street, than a slave in your stinking empire!

**Homeless Man #1:** *[Watching the other homeless people rebel]* This is just like a big action movie, ain't it?

**Homeless Man #2:** Yup.

**Michelangelo:** It's garbage day, fat man. Time to take your can out to the curb!

**Garbageman:** What?!
**Michelangelo:** Uh, how about...time to dump you in the dumpster, smelly boy!
**Garbageman:** You! Shut up!

**Michelangelo:** Hey Garbagebrain, if you fight as bad as you smell we are in trouble.

**Garbageman:** I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP!!!!
**Michelangelo:** Whoa in case you guys forget what we had for dinner, I think I'm about to remind you. (Gags)

## Trivia

* The first appearance of the Garbageman.
* Michelangelo says his 1987 counterpart's catchphrase, "Cowabunga!" for the third time.
* Michelangelo references Arnold Schwarzenegger, Superman, and Jaws.
* The voice of the Garbageman is the same voice actor who voices Dr. Eggman in Sonic X .

## External Links

* "Garbageman" at The Official TMNT Web Site