Remember when April displayed telepathic powers in last week's episode and that left us all confused? Well, it turns out today's episode, The Kraang Conspiracy, was supposed to air before that one because it finally fleshes out the aliens' plot and why April is so special to them. This show has given plenty of love to the classic franchise and hit us with countless moments of fan service, but this episode makes it more than clear that Nick's TMNT is creating its very own unique and legitimately interesting mythos.
The first season finale was a ton of fun, but it really glossed over what was going on with April and why she was the center of attention. This episode, however, finally pulls back the curtain and does so in a deliciously sci-fi manner. The reasoning behind dropping this much exposition is perfectly fine and there's some smile-inducing moments as we learn about the Kraang's history on Earth. Kraang droid in a pilgrim hat? Awesome. Plus, it gives the team yet another ally, so it'll be interesting to see if he's incorporated as the story moves forward.
Not only do we finally get some much needed information on what makes April unique, but this episode also touches on her training. Even though she's clearly becoming very skilled, it's still great to see how well trained and impressive the turtles are in comparison. Sure, that makes it a bit odd Casey can hold his own against someone like Raph, but who cares when it's Casey Jones and it's a beyond stellar fight scene, right?
The Kraang Conspiracy is also oozing with some strong sci-fi elements, action and humor. Diving into specifics would give away some of the scenes, but let's just say it's great to see how the creative team is expanding who the Kraang are and that produces some truly fun moments in this one. Banter about tofu bacon and Kraang talk aside aside, Donatello had the opportunity to bring the biggest laugh as he hit Raphael with a snarky rebuttal. And as always, the fight scenes were a blast. Watching Leonardo slice apart Kraang droids will never get old and seeing Raph leap past laser blasts and smash a Kraang against a wall is a thrill. Even though one of the big action scenes takes place in a relatively small apartment room, commendable directing is able to avoid giving the fight a claustrophobic feeling and finds a way to give each character a proper highlight.
The only bummer was this episode's "boss battle." The character is a good gag and is sure to give you some laughs, but after so many ridiculously cool scenes, it's a bit of a letdown to have the "big fight" focus on somewhat silly humor instead of... well, the same awesomeness we saw in the rest of the story.
The Kraang Conspiracy tells us everything we've been waiting to hear about April and it makes matters way more intriguing. In addition to the solid plot progression, this episode is also sporting some consistently enjoyable comedy, heavy science fiction elements, and some hugely amusing brawls. This is definitely a can't miss episode.
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