Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Episode 1.08 'Never Say Xever' Review

Spoilers! 
 
"Badass" is honestly the best way to describe the latest episode.  It's no secret I've been enjoying the show so far, but this episode legitimately blew me away.  The action was fast paced and enthralling, the jokes were consistently sharp and, to top it off, the story with Shredder moves forward!
 
First and foremost, I'm a 27 year-old dude and I have no reservation whatsoever saying that I loved every second of this episode.  I'm serious, the 22 minutes made me feel like a kid all over again.  That's hardly an easy feat for animated shows.  As usual, the laughs were frequent and fantastic.  Michelangelo yet again snags the spotlight as the lovable idiot and this episode has some of the best banter to date (example provided at the bottom because I simply had to share it).  The nod to the '87 cartoon (trust me, you won't miss it) lit up my eyes and filled me with nostalgia.  Mikey's absurd comments only made the scene even better.   Also, did anyone else find it surprisingly heartwarming when Mikey hugged Mr. Murakami?   

While Donatello and Mikey have their moments, the true core of the story revolves Raphael and Leonardo.  As usual, Leo is struggling to do the right thing, but Raph thinks he's soft after showing mercy to a clearly defeated member of the Purple Dragons.  An extra focus on Leo was a little overdue, but hey, better late than never, right?  The chemistry (or lack of) between the two was great, especially when Raph blatantly calls him out on a cheesy line.       

Where do I even begin with the fight scenes?  They were downright stellar.  The melees were frenetic and even brutal at times (Chris Bradford's a powerhouse).  My jaw was dropped as Donny spun his bo staff at astounding speeds and as Raph flawlessly blocked Xever's projectiles with his sais.  I honestly can't praise the action scenes in this episode enough.  It's just something you've gotta see to fully appreciate.    
 
'Never Say Xever' was pure eye candy.  Some odd proportions for humans aside (that Purple Dragon goon is the lankiest man I've ever seen), there were countless wallpaper worthy moments.  The team breaking through the glass in slow motion, the turtles looking insanely cool as the lurk on a rooftop... this episode felt tailor-made for your visual pleasure.
 
I can't recommend this show enough.  I know a lot of fans still go on about the '03 show or think this one looks too kid friendly, but trust me, give this episode a shot and you'll surely be hooked.  'Never Say Xever' is my favorite episode so far and easily impresses on just about every level.  I can't wait to see how they'll handle Shredder now that he's taking matters into his own hands. 
  
Here's a taste of how solid the humor really is:
Raph (talking to Leo): You showed weakness.  Those guys only understand one language.  
Mikey: Chinese? 
Raph: Fists! 
Mikey: What about feet? 
Raph: *sigh* They understand feet.
Donny: That would make them bilingual!