#animatic script

[0:16-0:30] Time starts to move backwards outside of Mr. Puzzles pentagram, the crew walking backwards, away from the archives, the background getting less cluttered as the Internet Archives regresses as well while it seems like shadowy people are taking things away instead of adding them. The time stops rewinding and Puzzles starts to move to off screen. [0:31-0:45] Cut to Mr. WPNZ as stumbles into Katphish's kitchen, looking confused before focusing his gaze at surprised Karen as she's about to serve kids some dinner, looking a lot more relaxed than her usual counterpart, the table having 5 plates set. Karen sets the pan down on a coaster on the table and walks over to Mr. WPNZ, giving him a soft kiss to his cheek before she guides him to take a seat at the table with the kids who seem to excitedly start to tell WPNZ how their day went as Karen finishes serving everyone food and takes a seat. Mr. WPNZ listens happily but as he leans back on his chair, he spots the TV in the living room and his expression shifts to worry in a split second. [0:46-1:01] Mr. WPNZ gets up and quickly rushes out of the kitchen into the living room, then outside, looking around himself frantically while Karen rushes after him to the door, seeming to ask if he's alright. That's when Mr. WPNZ spots Mr. Puzzles walking away from the house along the sidewalk. Mr. WPNZ doesn't hesitate and runs after Mr. Puzzles who hears him coming and turns around to see Mr. WPNZ leap at him just as the Youtube Remote activates. Mr. WPNZ caught him. [1:02-1:17] Mr. WPNZ and Mr. Puzzles stumble to another time and place (somewhere Mr. Puzzles has decided to have his safe haven away from everyone), Puzzles looking mortified for having pulled Mr. WPNZ along himself. Mr. Puzzles yells at Mr. WPNZ in distress, looking worried that the timeline got altered from what he had set it to while Mr. WPNZ catches his breath before looking up to at Mr. Puzzles pissed. [1:18-1:19] Mr. Puzzles is taken a back when he sees Mr. WPNZ expression, looking confused. [1:20-1:28] Mr. WPNZ straightens up and seems to crack his neck and shoulders before balling his hand into a fist as he draws it back before hitting Mr. Puzzles squarely on his chest, making him stumble backwards while almost dropping his own head. [1:29-1:43] Mr. Puzzles catches himself while Mr. WPNZ draws in closer, reaching out and trying to grab the Youtube remote but Puzzles is quicker to straighten up and back away in panic. Mr. WPNZ is frustrated and keeps trying to get the Youtube remote while Mr. Puzzles keeps evading him in his safe haven. In the background are seen corkboards of everyone's lives, red strings connecting them to happy timelines along warnings in sticky notes what not to do along theories on how some events played out without him. [1:44-1:51] Mr. WPNZ corners Mr. Puzzles to where Mr. WPNZ and Karen's corkboards are. Mr. WPNZ seeing all the work Mr. Puzzles had done to ensure the two could live a happy family life in a renovated Katphish house with Zack, Cory and Katie tied in, along curated to have the kids find their inspirations and places in life, Karen having to stress and work less while Mr. WPNZ doesn't need to be on the run anymore from their former employees.

...

It has been a little over 2 months since I was kidnapped from my previous kidnapping and then turned into a freakish rat-man.  [Splinter looking at reflection with a frown. He is in the sewer, maybe use water as reflective mirror?]

...

I no longer recognize my face, and there is hair growing… well everywhere... The ears came later… And the tail was a bit of a surprise. On the upside though, my facial hair has never been so lustrous! I have met many rodent yokai in the Hidden City, and I’ve got to say, hideous as I am, I am still the most handsome looking rat man in New York. [Looking at hands, then face, ears, and short tail… Admiring chin hair with more acceptance. Wink and finger gun to self before getting depressed again.]

...

Humanity would never accept me this way. I learned that truth PRETTY quickly... [Lady beating freshly mutated Splinter who had escaped into New York with the four turtles, with her purse. Him fleeing back into the alley/ shadows.]

...

I lived on the streets for weeks, but was finally able to find proper refuge down in the sewers, away from the society that had forsaken me. Not that I could blame them. The view isn’t much… but at least there are no property taxes! [Finding sewer home.] 

...

The place really came together once I was able to use Halloween as a convenient excuse for my appearance and promptly withdraw my life savings from the bank for my numerous and highly successful Lou Jitsu movies. [Rat Splinter talking to bank teller.]

...

Among other things… I had been gone for so long. Missed so much. [Fanmail, packages, and family heirlooms left in a safety deposit box from his grandfather. From Splinter’s expression as he holds the Shredder teapot and Hamato scroll… he had no idea his grandpa had passed away... or at least disappeared and left him all these family heirlooms.]

...

And speaking of “missing”... Lou Jitsu had been mysteriously “missing” for close to seven years, presumed dead-- or worse! Washed up!  So upon my short holiday-fueled return to the surface, people naturally had questions, and plenty of things to say, like:

Where have you been?

I thought you were dead! 

Why are you dressed like a rat?

What do you mean you lost your ID? We can’t withdraw any money unless you remember your account and PIN numbers, sir…

[Collage of questions. Stores, banks, cab drivers.]

...

Luckily as a professional actor, I was able to think up some improvised excuses on the spot to explain my long absence:

I was shipwrecked on an island with 7 other people after a fateful storm carried my yacht away.

I backpacked across the world in search of personal enlightenment.

I had to go into hiding after agreeing to guest star in that horrible Jupiter Jim Christmas special.

I was secretly hired by NASA to fight spacemen on Mars.

[Collage of answers. Reference: Gilligan’s Isle, Batman, bag of shame over face, and Space War.]

...

As planned, my masterful excuses worked, and I was able to escape with my belongings and small fortune before returning into hiding.  If rationed properly, this money would last us quite a while! [Stuffing bags of cash and boxes into the manhole sewer entrance.]

...

*Sigh* No one would ever believe me if I told them that I was kidnapped after proposing to my ex who was also a giant spider lady running a gladiatorial battle arena, and who then forced me to fight there for years in a hidden city of Yokai before being kidnapped once again and mutated alongside four baby turtles by a maniacal sheep man bent on destroying humanity. [Memory of past. Dramatic anime thought pose into fist (see nod: "Todd Scotus" Leo Apology pose, he gets it from Splinter).]

...

At least with the funds, things began looking up for once. I was finally able to buy all of the life-sustaining necessities I had been missing for my new secret lair, sewer, single father bachelor’s pad! Like a cozy lounge chair, a TV set, a full kitchen, and my personal collection of Lou Jitsu merchandise that had been floating around WEE-BAY after my disappearance, and then of course some supplies and books to take care of the turtles. [MTV’s Cribs: Sewer Edition.]

...

Speaking of… While I was topside, I purchased every book on turtles, childcare, and parenting I could find. Oh, also on rats… apparently I am allergic to pine and cedar now… who knew? [Splinter with bags of books, in a taxi, sniffing pine scented car freshener and groaning in disgust with a poisoned skull.]

...

Who can say how little these four mutant turtle babies fused with my DNA will grow? [Gets home and looks into a shallow kiddie pool full of baby mutant turtles.]

...

So far they all seem to be healthy. I try to get them enough vitamin-A, time in the UV light, and attempt to keep their diets consistent--  [Split shots of setting up lights and trying to feed them earthworms.]

...

Strangely, they seem to prefer takeout over crawly critters… I’m reminded of myself more and more watching over them.  I mean… who else likes their pizza with Shirasu and mushrooms? They are definitely my DNA… but they are more than just average turtles.  [Baby turtles with lo mein noodles and pizza nabbed from a confused Splinter. Some mocking his facial expressions with surprising accuracy.]

...

A few of them have even started walking on their two little feet of late. According to the “Big Daddy Book of Baby Milestones”, that could mean they’re 12 months or older, and yet “Herpetology for Dummies” says you can try to count the annuli rings on their shells to determine their ages.  [Baby turtles toddler-ing around, both books named in each of Splinter’s hands, the tail (longer now) scratching his own head in thought.]

...

It wasn’t pretty… but I gave counting their shells my best shot. I think big green is three years old, the two smaller ones are two, and the tiny affectionate one is just shy of one… but who can say for certain? They do not really appear to age like normal turtles…or normal children for that matter, so there is only so much the books can teach. [Splinter examining giggling turtle babies, some of them bite or move too much for accurate counting.]

...

Still… I couldn’t just go around calling all of them Green 1 through 4, so I used a clever naming trick I learned on the set of Good Morning New York, when I was there to promote my seventh movie, “Bedtime for Bozos”. There was this cute bit before my segment where some blonde guy and his Puppy Rescue let the puppy dogs pick their own names and collar colors at random. It was adorable!  [Lou Jitsu, Warren Stone, and Todd on set of Good Morning America looking set, watching puppies race towards fun collars with heart eyes.]

...

I did something similar with the greens. At first they didn’t seem interested, but once the ever-curious Green#3 chose the purple ribbon, the others seemed interested too and went for the other colors almost immediately. Red for Green#2, blue for Green#1, and orange for Green#4.  [Babies all ignoring ribbon set up before Donnie curiously picks up a purple ribbon to observe as his brothers and Splinter look on in the BG. Competitively, the other turtles pick up their colors: - Raph’s is in his mouth. - Mikey is holding his/ sucking his thumb like the Peanuts Linus blanket pose. - Donnie is examining the flutter as he waves his around in the air. - Leo has his over his eyes with his mouth agape in awe. Raph and Leo maybe fight for red/blue ribbons before getting their respective colors?]

...

The experiment was a success, and I have been calling them by those colors for a while now. They seem to respond to my voice, and babble as if attempting to form baby-like responses. That one is definitely not a turtle trait! And if they’re really going to start walking and talking one day, then I quickly realized that they are going to need more proper names.  [Splinter hearing one of the turtles say “Da!” and realizing they’re more babies than turtles. Thinking up future sad turtle situations with colors for names, graduating scene, signing important paperwork, all glaring at him judgmentally, and him feeling guilty for picking those names.]

...

I’m not the best with names, but these are my turtles now… my boys… my sons…  I feel obligated to pick out something good, but going with the more traditional names in honor of my family is out of the question. I don’t want them ever having to deal with those violent legacies that follow the name Hamato. [Thoughtful Splinter thinking of the Hamato, his grandpa/ mother, and shaking the thought away.]

...

I myself can no longer go by Yoshi, nor Lou Jitsu… I must reinvent myself if I am ever to have any semblance of a normal life down here. No more Hamato… no more Battle Nexus… no more limelight. [Tying hair into top knot, losing Lou Jitsu outfit, opting for robe instead, and deciding to forgo his past identities. Nod to his sewing machine and the fact he can sew clothing.]

...

I’m sure a name will come when I least expect it. I mean, if I can come up with an alias as awesome as Lou Jitsu, I’m sure I can come up with something else down the road that will be just as good for both me and the boys! [Get’s splinter from cutting board, chopping veggies for turtles as J.I.T.S.U. life coach video plays in the BG. "Into Splinters” part playing.]

...

At first, I thought about naming each of the little ones after my favorite Lou Jitsu movies, but realized that would be too conspicuous…  [Sucking sore finger after Splinter incident. Looking up at screen.]

...

I suppose I could always name them after the great Renaissance masters I learned about on that epic 3 month locational shoot to Florence while filming the museum scenes for “Lou Jitsu Meets the Mummy Ninjas”. Donatello, Michelangelo, Raffaello… Raphael, and Leonardo…   [Scene of Italy, Big Mama present, looking at museums, landmarks, and art. Saint Mark statue, Raphael self portrait, Statue of David, Picture of Mona Lisa that says “Would be here if it wasn't in France RN…LOL :P” and the Birth of Venus painting. Recreate Ferris Bueller Day Off scene of “A Sunday on La Grande” but with “TBOV” painting?]

...

Ooh… or Randall?! I have always liked the name Randall! [Memory poofs away the sight of Splinter looking impressed with himself.]

...

I suppose it is still too soon to tell if such a name would fit their inevitable personalities… Plus, those names are hard to say for babies…  So I guess we’ll stick with the colors for now and leave the fancy titles for their future checking accounts and driver’s licenses. Ha! Look at me… only a few months in and already planning out their futures… I never thought I would ever settle down, and then when I tried, I was kidnapped, but now here I am with four sons and a second chance. [Splinter thinking of dad stuff, like baseball/soccer, art on the fridge, minivans, crying at their weddings, #1 dad mug, macaroni art, etc…]

[End on him looking slightly older (little shorter and with graying hair) and staring contently at his sleeping toddler-looking boys in their new nursery instead of kiddie pool.]

[Tucks them into a new bed. They have toys and teddy bears, warm nightlights and color-coated PJs. A little closet rack with red, blue, orange, and purple clothes, more toys and books on the floor and fun-kid things decorating the room.]

...

Ah, but for now, there is peace. There is time to relax and adjust to this strange new life, and this strange yet wondrous new family… and for now that is enough for this old rat to be happy and to keep my attention towards the future instead of trapped in the past. [They snuggle in and Splinter makes a heart gushing cute expression as he leaves the room so they can sleep. Show how he is now more Splinter than Lou Jitsu, as he comes to accept his role as dad instead of mutated ex-actor, and he’s at peace with it for that moment.]

...

We open on the crastle, a sunrise behind it. As the music sets in, we see motion behind one of the windows and begin to zoom in. When the strings shift, we finally see Cleo, inside the crastle, pulling on her armor for the day. She stands up from the bed when the words begin. Unless otherwise noted, the entire animatic is uncolored, the only color being the backgrounds indicating time of day [ex: dark grey-blue for night, warm oranges for sunset, etc] and the eyes. The sunset in the beginning was colored..

Up on my side, where it is felt I pack a little pistol on my pistol belt I think it might be fear

We watch as she reaches towards the selection of crossbows on the wall, picking one up carefully on ‘where it is felt’. We see her set it in place on her belt in time with the lyric, and we see her open the door of her room on ‘i think it might be fear’. As she walks through the door, we transition to a flashback.

Of the world and the way it makes you feel afraid

We see Cleo on the ground, and we see bdubs above her, with a smile on his face at first. Both of their eyes are a bright green. In time with the beats, we see a phantom on ‘and the way’, and we see bdubs falling on ‘it makes you feel’. We snap back to current time on ‘afraid’, as we (and cleo) see bdubs across from her. His eyes are yellow. They are the only color in the scene.

Under the skin, against the skull They put a little chip so that they know it all I think I might be scared

We see cleo walking down the stairs, discomfort in her expression and her hand on her crossbow the entire time. On ‘they put a little chip’ we see her walk up to the villager in the crastle, handing off emeralds on ‘little chip’ and receiving arrows of harming on ‘so that they know it all’. We see her load her crossbow with them on ‘i think i might’, and we see her look up and outside the window on ‘be scared’. This, and the entire beginning, is a slower segment of the animatic.

Of the world and the way it makes you feel afraid And how

We see her eyes widen on ‘of the world’. The camera refocuses so that we can see the missile etho shot coming towards the crastle on ‘and the way’, and we see it get closer on the third beat, close enough to hit the crastle. It is stopped just in time by bdubs, and we see cleo’s eyes narrow from fear to anger as she breathes a sigh of relief and steps up to the window to see who fired the missile.

it gets in the way In the way

We see cleo leaning out of one of the crastle windowsills, one hand shielding her eyes from the sun as she squints in the direction of the missile. On the second ‘in the way’, we pan across to where etho and joel stand in front of joel’s house; etho’s eyes a bright green and joel’s yellow. Etho smirks. Joel stands behind him with a blank face.

In the way In the way

We see cleo face-on, again, as she lowers her hand from her eyes and her face grows angrier. Her other hand tightens around her crossbow. On the final ‘in the way’, we see her take a deep breath and turn back into the crastle. We zoom out so that the entire crastle is in frame.

And now I want brimstone in my garden

The lighting changes, and cleo and bdubs appear at the base of the crastle, digging the moat and placing magma blocks along the base of it. We zoom in on them and bubbles drag the camera down in a transition to the next scene after cleo places one of the magma blocks. Throughout the scene cleo has a stony face on, with minute anger flitting throughout it.

I want roses set on fire

We see a single shot of cleo underneath joel’s house, the roof ablaze as joel reaches out to cleo for help. Cleo is just a silhouette. The fire is colored with reds and yellows. Joel’s eyes are not colored.

And I, well I want what's best for me And I, I think I know just what that means Just what that means

The first line, cleo says as she walks away from the wreckage of joel’s house, her crossbow in hand. On the second, we see her still and we see her face grow angry once again, as she sees the crastle with an explosion in it’s front face. She walks in anyways, and we see her hang her crossbow up on her wall before turning to the damage right after ‘just what that means’.

There is an interlude here. We see bdubs walk up behind cleo, looking at the damage himself, his eyes notably red and an angry snarl on his face. Cleo turns to him and puts a hand on his shoulder, anger in her expression but calmness in her movements. Bdubs nods as he fades out, logging out for his off-world trip. Cleo is left alone. She looks back to the damage before grabbing her crossbow and walking down the stairs. We quickly pan down to the crastle entrance.

Today I coo, today I caw

We see cleo talking with scar and tango, a forced smile on her face as she shakes hands with scar on ‘today i coo’ and tango on ‘today i caw’. Scar’s eyes are red and tango’s eyes are yellow. Her own eyes are green. They both walk away and cleo is once again left in front of the crastle alone. We pan around so that she is on our left, and we see etho on our right, his eyes now yellow and his face angry.

I have a pistol party and I kill 'em all

Etho says ‘i have a pistol party’ as he gestures at the tnt launcher next to him, to which cleo responds by raising her crossbow and pointing it at him on ‘and i kill ‘em all’. He raises his hands peacefully.

I think I might be scared

We see cleo face on, her crossbow pointed at the camera, and we see her say these words. Her face is bored, neutral and threatening. It is clear that what she’s saying doesn’t line up with her feelings; that she’s saying this to mock etho’s aggression. She shoots the camera right afterwards, and the arrow gives us a transition to the next scene. Her eyes are not colored in this shot.

Of the man and the men with their hands inside

Each beat here has part of the red army appearing in frame. First ren, with red eyes, followed by martyn and skizz on either side of him and finally with etho and bigb flanking them. The final beat of this section is an impact frame; the entire screen black and only five sets of eyes and five weapons visible before we cut to the next scene.

And the women, oh, the women all they do is cry

We see the formation of the widow’s pact. ‘And the women’ has us seeing a shot of just cleo, her eyes now yellow, ‘oh, the women’ has us seeing a shot of just scott, his eyes green, ‘all they do’ gives us a shot of the two of them across from each other with their eyes once again monochromatic, about to shake hands. ‘Is cry’ gives us the connection of them actually shaking hands. Throughout the entire scene, both of them have grim expressions.

And I, well I lose my mind I lose my mind

We pan up on ‘and i’, and we land on cleo, bdubs, and tango at the edge of the desert. On ‘i lose my mind’ we see scar join them, rushing to stand behind cleo. The second iteration of ‘i lose my mind’ has the four of them backing away cautiously, cleo with her crossbow drawn and with anger in her eyes. The four of them leave the frame as the red army enters.

I lose my mind

We watch ren shoot an arrow, and we follow that arrow across as it hits cleo. She falls to the ground and dissipates, as she loses her yellow life. The scene fills with light as we are brought back to where she’s resurrected, back at the crastle.

I lose my mind

We watch as cleo’s eyes open, now clearly red, and she grabs the crossbow on her bedside table. There is a clear snarl on her face, no hint of the mask that she once put on present any longer.

And now I found brimstone in my garden I found roses set on fire And I found Jesus, what a liar

We see cleo in impulse’s trading center, loading her crossbow before she leaves on ‘brimstone in my garden’. Her eyes are red and her hair has faint traces of fire in it. She is the brimstone in the garden. We see her look up and we see her grow angry once more on ‘i found roses set on fire’, as she first fires a crossbow shot and then races forward with her now-drawn sword. We see who she’s attacking on ‘i found jesus’, as ren comes into view, and we see her knock him to the ground on ‘what a liar’. Her sword is to his throat. Both of their eyes are blazing red and both of their faces are angry.

So I trade licks with Muddy Waters

We see a flash on ‘so i’, and when we return to the moment cleo’s face has shifted to one of shock, a sword stuck through her stomach. She falls to the ground, and we are left with the image of skizz, his eyes red, a grim grin on his face, and his hand extended down to ren as if to pull him up.

And I, well I found what's best for me And now I see no tragedy

We pan across to bdubs, eyes red, entering the crastle panicked, barring the entrance behind him. He turns to the rest of the people in the crastle with a smile and his mouth open as though he’s asking a question. On ‘i see no tragedy’, tango shakes his head and bdubs’ expression is crushed as he realizes what they’ve lost. The scene fades out.

And I, I found a burning rose And now I won't be packing little pistols No, no, no more