Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003 TV series) (season 7)

TMNT: Back to the Sewer
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	14
Release
Original network	The CW4Kids
Original release	September 13, 2008 – March 27, 2010
Season chronology

The seventh season of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, titled Back to the Sewer, aired on Saturday mornings on the CW4Kids on CW Network in 2008-2010. With this season, the show moved from Fox's 4Kids TV lineup to the CW. The season began with the episode "Tempus Fugit" which aired on September 13, 2008. It is followed by the TV special Turtles Forever.

Story

Cody Jones is able to finally repair the Time Window, but parts with the Turtles and Splinter can return to 2006. However, Viral, who had survived her defeat in the previous season, hacks into the time window, taking control of it and sending the Turtles, Splinter and Serling (who fell in by accident) to various eras in attempts to kill them. Just as the group is able to return home, Viral attacks Splinter, shattering him into countless bytes of data scattered across the Internet. The Turtles and Serling resolve to recover Splinter's bytes and return him to his whole self by digitizing themselves and entering cyberspace to find them.

The Turtles make their make to the twenty-second century day known to Cody, as well as Baxter Stockman. Viral is forcibly assimilated into a digital copy of Ch'rell, who had done so prior to his attempted departure from Earth in the third season finale. This forms a new incarnation of the Shredder known as the "Cyber Shredder", who employs a new Foot Clan with Khan as his second lieutenant. Shredder makes several attempts to escape from cyber space and enter the real world, often harassing the Turtles during their attempts to locate Splinter's data.

in the season's finale, Splinter is recompiled and returned to his sons, who decide to celebrate April and Casey's wedding. Dozens of the Turtles' allies and friends attend the ceremony, which is violently attacked by the Foot Clan, led by the Shredder, who has finally entered the physical world. In the midst of a massive battle between the Turtles' allies and the Foot, Donatello is able to destroy the Shredder. The wedding finally ends, in front of the Turtles, Splinter, and many other allies (including some who watch from afar; such as Agent Bishop, Cody etc.).

Development

A new art style of Back to the Sewer; on the example of Karai

Following their intentions to return the characters to the present day and adapt a tone similar to the recent TMNT movie, 4Kids pitched a revamp of the series to Peter Laird codenamed "Superworld". The initial proposal was given the 'thumbs down' by Laird.^[1] Following this was a second proposal called TMNT Overload, which was approved by Mirage, but rejected by Playmates, who then proposed their own idea, only to have that be rejected by 4Kids and Mirage.^[2]

On October 24, Steve Murphy confirmed on his blog that Playmates, Mirage, and 4Kids had firmly agreed on the new direction, which will take place in the continuity of the 2003 series and use the "more realistic aspects" of the aborted "Overload" pitch, with character designs similar to that of the 2007 TMNT movie.^[3][4]

Its description was as follows:

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are back in New York, ready to race across the rooftops and take on all challengers!

Not only are Casey and April back and ready to bust some bad guy butt, but a brand new, super advanced Turtle Lair is under construction (thanks to some hi-tech know-how Donatello garnered from the future), and of course there are all sorts of new heavy duty Turtle vehicles gearing up to roar down the streets of NYC and give the Foot a taste of some serious Turtle.

The stakes have never been higher, their enemies have never been stronger... and if the Turtles are going to be triumphant they’ll need to work together in ways they never have before.^[5]

Further info was revealed in December 2007:

When the Turtles return from the future to their present time, Viral interferes causing Master Splinter to get trapped in cyberspace, bits of his data code scattered all throughout the digital domain. The Turtles must find a way to access the virtual realm so they can gather Splinter’s code and save their beloved father before he is lost to them forever...And what good is a digital realm without a super bad guy! That's right; the Shredder is back in new form. In order to save their master, the Turtles must now face... The Cyber Shredder! Now the Turtles must fight on two fronts - cyberspace and the real world. And twice the locations, means twice the bad guys. That's right; the TMNT will be facing off against Hun, the Foot, Baxter Stockman, and some dangerous digital monsters! Get ready, because the Turtles are back from the future, back in action, and back to the sewers! ^[6]

Three samples of a new opening theme song were announced by 4Kids to be under consideration on February 22, with the option for fans to vote on each of the samples and determine an official opening theme song.^[7] Six pitches for the theme song were released on February 29 most confirming that the Shredder will return in some form. Much of the theme lyrics identify him as "Cyber-Shredder".^[8] A trailer was released on August 8.

On September 6, a sneak peek of the season's opening episode was featured on 4Kids official website. The footage revealed that the Turtles return from the future after Michelangelo coaxes Viral into assisting them. However, the Turtles discover they have been sent back a year or so later from when they had left, and also bear witness to a near-future where a war has broken out between the Utrom Shredder (Ch'rell), the original Tengu Shredder (Oroku Saki) and the yet-unencountered Cyber-Shredder. Viral, desperate for energy after being depleted in battle, taps into the present day's network systems, but is overtaken by a Foot Ninja computer code, transforming her body and mind into the Cyber-Shredder.

It is later revealed that the Cyber-Shredder is actually a digital backup of Ch'rell's memories from his attempted departure from Earth, and later banishment to the frigid asteroid in the third season's two-part finale, Exodus.

Episodes

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written By	Original air date	TV Broadcast
144	1	"Tempus Fugit"	Roy Burdine	Eric Basart	September 13, 2008	S07E01
When the Time Window is finally repaired, the Turtles enter into it to head home. Instead of returning to the lair, they find themselves with Viral, who had escaped from inside Serling. Viral takes control of the time portal, sending the turtles to different points in history, hoping they will be eliminated. However, Mike tricks her into taking them to the not-too-distant future where the Tengu, Utrom, and a unknown third Shredder are fighting for control with rivaling Foot Clans. The turtles meet an enemy who claims to have killed them, but manage to have Serling open a new portal in time to send them home by using the decompilier on Viral once again. However, Viral manages to muster enough control over Serling to make him fire the decompilier at Master Splinter, scattering him into data-bits while in the time stream. Upon returning to the present, Donatello blames himself for the loss of Splinter. Elsewhere, Viral attempts to recharge her energy by hacking into a heavily guarded Foot data vault. However, it backfires as a program infects her and transforms the digital being into Cyber-Shredder.
145	2	"Karate Schooled"	Roy Burdine	Michael Ryan	September 20, 2008	S07E02
The Turtles are reunited with Casey Jones and April O'Neil, who inform them that they have been missing for an entire year. Everyone tries adjusting back to the lower tech era, while Donatello begins construction on a device to enter cyberspace to retrieve the data-bits of Master Splinter. Casey has been attending a martial arts school, heading by Khan, a devoted Foot Clan operative who is recruiting and brainwashing his students to rebuilt the Foot. Despite the Turtles interference, Khan's hopes are renewed when Cyber-Shredder makes contact with him from cyberspace.
146	3	"Something Wicked"	Roy Burdine	Michael Ryan	September 27, 2008	S07E03
The Turtles journey into cyberspace to save as much of Master Splinter as they can find, using the new Cybernaut armor and weapons designed by Donatello. However, there is a major obstacle in their way: The Cyber-Shredder. And he has no intention of letting his most hated foes return home to the real world. Note: Karai appears in a flashback alongside her adopted father, the Utrom Shredder.
147	4	"The Engagement Ring"	Roy Burdine	Robert David	October 4, 2008	S07E04
Casey and Raphael head to Chinatown to find an engagement ring for April. However, as Hun is after a magical ring that can summon monsters, as precaution against the Cyber-Shredder, the store-owner gives it to Casey. The ring causes the evil in April to grow, until she turns into a monster; Hun is beaten badly, leaving him to give up on the ring. Managing to get the ring off April, Casey succeeds in saving her. The store-owner gives her the real engagement ring, and she and Casey are engaged.
148	5	"Hacking Stockman"	Roy Burdine	Joe Kelly	October 18, 2008	S07E05
While Donatello focuses on collecting Splinter’s data bits, his brothers find themselves pulled into a war between The Foot and the Purple Dragons; Baxter Stockman has been hacking into the Foot's funding for the Purple Dragons. Cyber-Shredder possesses Stockman's robotic body. Stockman abandons the body, having learned never to get too comfy in one. Stockman's body proves formidable under Cyber-Shredder's control, taking all the attacks they throw at it. Stockman contacts Donatello, informing him of the situation; Donny gives up on retrieving Splinter's data-bits and distracts Cyber-Shredder, allowing Baxter to upload a firewall to keep the Shredder trapped in cyberspace.
149	6	"Incredible Shrinking Serling"	Roy Burdine	Robert David	October 25, 2008	S07E06
Sick of being in a primitive era, Serling arranges for each of the turtles to spend the evening doing something they like, to prevent interference with construction on a Time Window. However, it backfires, shrinking him to the size of a toy and sending him at least 50 years into the past, where he destroys a boy's toy soldier. It then sends him to when the Turtles were toddlers; they fight over him before being reprimanded by Splinter. Serling is then kidnapped by the boy he encountered earlier, now a rich toy mogul who is intent on possessing such an amazing "toy". However, Serling's attitude causes the Turtles and the mogul to hate him, and he ends up back in the present, back to normal. The Turtles take Serling out on one of their nightly rooftop runs, cheering him up.
150	7	"Identity Crisis"	Roy Burdine	Michael Ryan	November 1, 2008	S07E07
Cyber-Shredder unleashes a virus that wipes the Turtles' memories, reprogramming them so that they work for the Foot. The four Turtles do the bidding of Master Khan while April, Casey, and Serling attempt to restore the memories of the four heroes. Do they succeed?
151	8	"Web Wranglers"	Roy Burdine	Robert David	November 8, 2008	S07E08
Cyber-Shredder creates a prototype web portal to escape cyberspace. He sends animals through which mutate and attack New York City, leaving the Turtles to clean up the mess and stop Cyber-Shredder from becoming real once again. When it seems that the Cyber-Shredder has perfected the portal, Donatello hacks it, causing the Shredder to grow and distort the moment he materializes in the real world. In the end, Cyber-Shredder is banished back to the cyberspace.
152	9	"SuperQuest"	Roy Burdine	Robert David	November 15, 2008	S07E09
When Donatello finds that more of Splinter's data bits are in Michelangelo's favorite online game, Superquest, the Turtles enter the game to retrieve the data bits. However, they are being limited to Superquest's rules and character abilities. The Turtles must learn to use their character's powers to unlock the chest that holds the cluster of Data bits. Assisting them is the Elfinator, a character controlled by Hun, who doesn't know he's helping the turtles (as they appear human on the screens viewed by the players). The Ultimate Gamer character breaks the rules by posing as a NPC, but the person in charge of the rules fell asleep at the screen. The U.G. is defeated in a group effort and the turtles take Splinter's data-bits. Ironically, Mikey and Hun both say they wish to be friends in real life.
153	10	"Virtual Reality Check"	Roy Burdine	Michael Ryan	November 22, 2008	S07E10
The turtles retreat from Cyber-Shredder back into the real world, exploding the portal in the process, leaving Donatello to try repairing it. Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo experience a strange series of events that suggests that they are still in cyberspace; when they try warning Donatello, Cyber-Shredder releases a virus to topple buildings and form mountains to block them. The Turtles eventually get to Donatello and tell him they're still in cyberspace. Donatello opens a portal for the Turtles to escape from cyberspace. However, Cyber-Shredder managed to copy Donatello's plans thanks to a bug, allowing him to construct a perfected portal and enter the real world, where Khan and his faction of the Foot await.
154	11	"City Under Siege"	Roy Burdine	Steve Melching	November 29, 2008	S07E11
Cyber-Shredder hacks into the power-grid of New York, taking control of every electronic device in the city; effectively, conquering it. Meanwhile, the Turtles find that Hun and the Purple Dragons have been attacked. Once they realize that the Foot are behind the electrical problems, The Turtles battle through New York to restore the power grid. They fight Cyber-Shredder and succeed in electrocuting him to death, causing the Foot to flee. However, once alone, the Shredder's body juts out a spike, impaling a wire and releasing an electric current into it.
155	12	"Super Power Struggle"	Roy Burdine	Robert David	February 21, 2009	S07E12
Mikey resumes his role as Turtle Titan, finding a green cape after a battle. Forcing Raph to don it as a sidekick, Mikey is surprised that it grants him super powers; the cape belonged to the Green Mantle, the Justice Force are impressed enough to invite Raph to join. Dr. Malignus tries to get the cape for his own villainous designs. Mikey becomes jealous of Raph, resulting in them tearing the cape in two in a tug-a-war for it; each wears a half, but finds that their unique abiliites have been divided between them. In the end, they give the cape back to the original green mantle.
156	13	"Wedding Bells and Bytes"	Roy Burdine	Matthew Drek & Robert David	February 28, 2009	S07E13
The Turtles manage to collect all of Master Splinter's data-bits and reconstruct him in reality. Unknown to them, Cyber-Shedder placed a bug in the data-bits, causing a tracer to appear in Splinter's ear, allowing him to track the turtles to April's farm. There, both April and Casey are happy Master Splinter has returned, making their wedding day tomorrow an even better day, until the Shredder and the Foot decide to crash the party. After accidentally giving away that Viral's digital core still exists in him, Cyber-Shredder is (hopefully) finally killed by the compiler, forcing Kahn and the Foot to flee. The wedding resumes with guests from different dimensions, worlds, and times. The Rat King, Agent Bishop, Codey Jones, the Damiyo and Ultimate Ninja, and Renet all watch from a distance or via technological or magical means.
157	14	"Mayhem from Mutant Island"	Roy Burdine	Matthew Drek & John Drek	March 27, 2010	S07E14
During a night of showing off their extreme sports gear, the Turtles are attacked by a monster from beneath the Earth. They trace it to a remote island where they uncover their old foe, Baxter Stockman, who has created vicious monstrosities to unleash on the unsuspecting public. Note: Chronologically this episodes takes place before Wedding Bells and Bytes and the Turtles Forever movie.

References

1. "TMNT 2008 cartoon season: now what?". the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2007-11-09. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
2. "TMNT: Overload...not?". the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-18. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
3. "2K8 sneak peek.1". the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
4. "2K8 sneak peek.2". the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2007-11-13. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
5. "2008 TMNT series update". the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on 2007-10-27. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
6. "Back to the sewer!". the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com. Archived from the original on September 14, 2008. Retrieved 2008-09-15.
7. "You Decide the "TMNT" Theme Song". 4kids.tv.com. February 22, 2008. Archived from the original on January 11, 2010. Retrieved September 10, 2016.
8. "TMNT Pick a theme song". 4kids.tv. Retrieved 2008-02-19.

External links

• Season Seven Episode list with detailed synopses at the Official Ninja Turtles website
• Episode list with synopses at TV.com