There’s been a lot of anticipation (and fear) around the introduction of Casey Jones (voiced by Josh Peck) and writers Kevin Burke & Chris Wyatt wisely kept his introduction simple. Throughout the episode, Casey interacts solely with April. In April and his’ fight with Mutagen Man, he uses a pipe from the trash instead of his classic hockey stick. He’s not super cool or strong; he’s a scrawny outcast that’s not as skilled as April is at fighting. He isn’t even the main focus of the episode; which centers on Donnie and his feelings for April and the title is named after the villain. Whenever Casey’s not onscreen, no one asks “Where’s Casey?” There will eventually be more Casey, but for now the show is taking it’s time with his origin. As for the turtles, their lesson this week was “don’t eat abandoned pizza you found on a roof” (even if “roof pizza” is one of your ten favorite kinds of pizza). Or maybe it was the importance of giving people the time and space they need. Something that this show nails perfectly that other versions weren’t as interested in is the teenage aspect; everyone gets the mutant, ninja, and turtle parts (even Michael Bay), but the teenage part is usually forgotten. Donnie’s unrequited love over April has been one of the most painful and truthful aspects of the show and this episode centers on why it’s unhealthy. Donnie struggled with her leaving and constantly complained about it to Timothy’s floating organs (I’m honestly surprised he didn’t call himself a “Nice turtle”). Timothy, who dressed up as a turtle last season, once again tried to be like them, this time by trying to make April his. Mutagen Man is the worst side of Donnie; when it comes to the final fight, the pain Donnie faces over battling his id is apparent. Defeating his id should be a triumph, but the victory is hollow. He can’t make April love him (or even come back), he can’t bring back her father, and he can’t save Timothy. All he can do is accept the things he cannot change and move on from his obsession. It’s tough material, but it’s a lesson both children and adults need to learn. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that’s your thing!
