Chapter One Archive of Our Own Link đź”—: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63964906/chapters/164072335
Raphael: Oh, I see what’s happenin’. You’ve got a Leo.
Casey: [confused] What? A Leo?
Raphael: [nods knowingly] Yeah, that little voice in your head that tells you you can’t do stuff.
Raphael: [mockingly imitates] “Raph, don’t do that. Raph, that’s not honorable. Raph, hitting unconscious opponents with their own fists and asking why they’re hitting themselves is not the ninja way.”
Leonardo: [appears in the doorway, arms crossed, glaring] Raph. Casey. What are you two up to?
Casey: [eyes wide] I HEAR IT!
In-ho: So, you like cats?
Gi-hun: Yeah.
In-ho: [Maintains intense eye contact and deliberately nudges a glass toward the edge of the table.]
[The glass wobbles, teeters, then slowly tumbles off, shattering on the floor.]
In-ho: [Deadpan, barely blinking.] Meow.
Front Man (Hwang In-ho): [holding Gi-hun at gunpoint] You must be losing it, Player 456. I could beat you with one hand.
Seong Gi-hun: Isn't that how you like to beat yourself?
Front Man: …
Seong Gi-hun: …Okay, if those are my last words, I can definitely do better.
Gihun, finding out Youngil is actually alive and is the Frontman: You know what? Next time I join the games I’m gonna wear lipstick and a dress-
Inho: ???
Gihun: -because I like to look pretty when I get FUCKED.
Chapter Six (Final Chapter) Archive of Our Own Link đź”—: https://archiveofourown.org/works/62894770/chapters/163991815?view_adult=true
Casey: [looking anxiously at the crates, where a distinct snapping noise was heard] Did you just... kill him?
Leonardo: Of course not! That would be inhumane. [He stands proudly, gesturing to the unconscious goon behind the crates.] l popped his medulla oblongata, paralyzing him for life. He can still breathe and feel Purple Dragon sadness.
Casey: [scratches his head, looking confused] ...I don't see how that's any better.
Context: During season four of the 2003 iteration of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo drags a Purple Dragon goon behind some crates, where a distinct snapping noise is heard. This made a lot of fans theorize he actually snapped his neck, killing him. Video below:
I am in the middle of rewatching the 2003 version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles during my summer break from college, this time with my father, who had only seen bits and pieces of it when I watched it as a child. We are currently on season four, which fans often refer to as the "post-traumatic stress disorder arc" for Leonardo, as it depicts his mental deterioration and increasing anger, even surpassing that of his notoriously hot-headed brother.
While doing the dishes, I asked my father what he thought of the arc so far. He simply said, "He seems angry." I agreed, replying, "Yeah, he's angry at himself." My father responded, "Yeah, but he's also angry at his brothers." This made me pause. I knew Leonardo had moments where he was upset with his brothers for not training enough or for goofing off, but I had not thought of him as being outright angry with them.
Then my father elaborated, "He's angry because they're not perfect, like he expects himself to be." This was a revelation for me. I had always interpreted this arc as Leonardo being angry at himself for not being good enough, but it makes a lot of sense that if he holds himself to such a high standard, he would hold his brothers to the same—and get frustrated and angry when they inevitably do not meet it.
I think a less explored aspect of this arc is that Leonardo is exhausted from carrying the burden alone and was trying to share it with his brothers. However, they do not carry it the same way he does, which does not make them lesser—it just makes them young and still wanting a life outside of crime fighting. Michelangelo captures this sentiment best in the same season when he says,”I think all of you should just lay off the poor guy. I mean, it can't be fun. Always being the responsible one, and we’re the ones who really benefit. Raph's free not to think cause Leo does all the thinking for him, Don's free to dream, And I'm free to take it easy, all cause Leonardo is busy being responsible enough for all of us.”
Anyway, at the ripe age of twenty-two and in graduate school, I find myself once again feeling melancholic over little green guys.
The fact that Leonardo somehow ends up being the big brother to literally everyone, even those way older than him, is just peak comedy. Like, Casey is a full-grown man, but when he pulls the “C'mon dude, just this once” card, Leonardo's big brother instincts kick in hard and softie that he is, giving in with an “Alright, alright.”
Dreamwave's TMNT (2003)
Chapter Four Archive of Our Own Link đź”—: https://archiveofourown.org/works/63964906/chapters/166236553#main
131 posts