#dark leo

(why did it take me half a lifetime to notice this visual parallel, diabolical)

The Dark Turtles make me so sad, seriously. It's an outright dystopic fate, living without safety or love under the cruel control of Darius Dunn. They don't even have names 💀 Less than 12 differences in their genomes between Leo and Dark Leo, the show makes a point of emphasising. Less than 12 - and where Leo is smug after gently pointing out that kindness comes around, Dark Leo is smugly anticipating them falling for his ruse and trap. That's a world of difference right there.

it surprises me on a rewatch how OBVIOUS Dark Leo's ruse is. The Dark Turtles were winning the fight - and then fled once Dark Leo is injured. Their objective was clearly to leave Dark Leo there to infiltrate/sabotage - but the narrative POV following the younger, naive Cody primes the audience to see Raphael's blunt skepticism as pure unsympathetic cynicism. They decide to give Dark Leo a chance, because his injuries require immediate medical treatment (Dark Don overdid it, probably).

at the 08:05 mark: Dark Leo and Leo consecutively saying "poison?" in offense but you can hear the slight difference, chef's kiss, ASMR, Michael Sinterniklaas SERVED the whole series 💯

The sheer offense in Raph's tone when told Dark Leo is almost a perfect genetic copy to his brother 🤣 "Leo's Leo, and THAT is a mess." Savage. The team discussion is an interesting look into Leo's leadership style behind-the-scenes/off the battlefield. Everyone sitting in a circle, Cody having been won over by the life-saving, Don willing to try this out...Raph thinks this direction of thinking is cray and he openly says so. But without directly attacking anyone, he instead takes this to Leo: "Leo, come on, you're not buying this, are ya?" That is admirable restraint right there, when older audiences know Raphael is 100% right and this is an important matter of their family's safety. i don't think it's a coincidence that they show that Leo barely spoke except when asking for opinions. It gives a more 'listener' and 'panel facilitator' vibe, a more collaborative atmosphere. The end of the discussion was not shown either (deciding to let Dark Leo join them at the family table) - probably mostly to maintain narrative suspense and pacing - but it also softens Leo, in leaving out the 'decision' and focusing on the 'discussion'. Right after the family breakfast test? Leo asks outright for everyone's evaluations. He's listening, encouraging discussion, compromising between standpoints and always making sure no one gets injured. The whole team is visibly used to brainstorming and collaborating, that the '87 team frustrated Raph enough to (re)raise the issue to Leo in 'Turtles Forever' ("Leo i TOLD ya you can't brainstorm with these bozos" 😂)

i love that Raph unhesitantly raises his objections to Leo and clearly expects a solution/direction. That is trust right there - given to a leader Raph has judged deserving. i will forever blame other incarnations for a less-wholesome and more-petty-rivalry dynamic between them. It can be a satisfyingly angsty dynamic for sure but it is not one that is faithful to the 2k3 canon.

Mikey losing appetite at Dark Leo's table manners 😂 you know it's bad when a teenaged athlete loses appetite LOL (4 meals+a snack everyday and yet i was STILL ALWAYS starving)

Don catches the inconsistency when Dark Leo was 'struggling' with the physical test; Raph steps in to rile Dark Leo up and force him to show his true strength. That's a nice bit of teamwork.

And Leo had his hand on his blade ready to draw, both times, when Don was first releasing Dark Leo for the physical test and when Dark Leo was getting into Raph's face. Yes, Leo wanted to give Dark Leo a chance, making the initial executive decision to take him in - but he is neither stupid nor naive, or careless.

Splinter's story about the scorpion and the frog is an unhappy cynical fable. i imagine Splinter told it as a cautionary tale to young reckless turtles to help keep them safe. 

Leo presents the fable here as an opportunity and open question for his clone. Dark Leo seemed to waver, when Leo was still extending a second chance to him (saying that they can all still turn back and discuss options the next morning). 

But i think Leo lost him, when Leo accurately pointed out that Dark Leo had inner conflict about what he is and who he wants to be. Leo did hit a nerve there, and Dark Leo doesn't want that vulnerability and intimacy with him. 

Leo is disappointed, but also not surprised. The frog in Splinter's story was shocked, where Leo was not - but i do think the part of Leo that was hoping Dark Leo could someday become a fourth brother did die, too. 

i think the most tragic part of it was that Dark Leo, in his 'reformed redeemed' act, did waver. He WAS almost there. And the whole act is basically improv - while the turtles' compassionate reactions and decisions can be predicted to some extent - i don't believe the clones knew the team+Splinter+Cody well enough to script the whole act. 

On SOME level, Dark Leo could think up and deliver those redeeming thoughts and dialogue (only to reject them). The theming of Fast Forward was never going to deliver the creepy Gothic doppelganger atmosphere that teenaged me wanted, or go into existential horror like the Lovecraftian Volpehart episode did - but it stands up to scrutiny, beneath the bright colour palettes and narrative framing. The most dedicated and self-sacrificing brother we know, gone 'wrong'...that is an existential horror premise all on its own. 

Dark Leo IS Leo gone wrong...but he did not have to be, and thankfully the ending shows that he won't always be.  i do think it's worth noting that the voice direction and acting had Dark Leo upset when calling himself a scorpion - instead of gleeful or prideful or even just calm.

it is poignant that Leo in the end admits he hates that scorpion story, when Raphael mentions the fable. Leo, the most guarded and strategic brother by necessity - prefers to trust, wants to be optimistic...but life has made him a practical, paranoid man of contingencies and clear-eyed wariness. 

S6 Leo was never going to be openly critical/blunt the way a righteously-angry Raph can be - but he did not shut Cody's naive optimism down, either, where he can and has shut down shenanigans from rowdier people. He had hoped Cody could be right. 

People have betrayed and disappointed Leo before - most painfully of all, himself - and this won't be the last. It is still hopeful and heartening to think, that despite all of it, Leo will continue to extend the benefit of the doubt while keeping clear-eyed awareness. 

This is a nice balance, between Don&Mike's relative idealism and Raph's decisive skepticism. It is so valuable to the team and as a leader, for Leo to be able to understand and reconcile the full spectrum of viewpoints. 

This is a new maturity, that S1's too-trusting-too-inexperienced Leo and earlyS4's too-cynical-too-pessimistic Leo did not have. im happy for our boi!

The ending to this ep is open and hopeful. While the turtles never get to find out that their kindness and mercy DID make a difference - it DID make a difference, and i'm hopeful that things will gradually change. All those fics writing the dark turtles eventually spiralling upward and getting away from Darius are 100% canon in my book!

and whatever could possibly be happening in either 90s or 07

More Leolina it seems!

Their official relationship doesn't start until after "Tales of the Yokai" Episode. Before that, during Season 3, they are totally into each other but they wanna keep it low for now... then, in "Battle for New York" episode, Selina and Leonardo became more obvious about their attraction but again, they weren't sure if it was the time or not (but even Raphael noticed and he was like "Man, you want her or not, stop hiding it." Season 4 Space Arc, the Fugitoid already knew Selina was special but he thought everyone knew it already so he didn't mention it (idiot). Selina's birthday came in mid of their space adventures and Leonardo was SO READY, he knew EXACTLY what to do so he wanted to surprise her to a trip to the moon! They discovered that Selina's scales and markings (even eyes) started to glow once she stepped on it... which shocked them both but Leonardo was never been more happy. Leonardo was about to propose marriage to her (remember in my AU they're young adults around 20') as a birthday gift, but- Lord Dregg interrupted and kidnapped Selina to use her lunar powers as a battery cell for his own planet. Imagine Leo's fury after that.

They were totally lovey-dovey couple (while drama happens in the background) but...

...yeah. I'm sorry.

Well, what else... you mentioned 90' but I did the 87' timeline instead because I thought they were funny:

Yes, 87' Selina appears in the crossover episode of Season 4. Leolina there is... totally lovey-dovey too but kind of goofy, he gifts her many things despite being enemies, but as the series are goofy af Shredder is like "She's supposed to be on my side, not their side, I'm gonna gift her stuff too to win her to be more on my side." And shit like that XD

Turning back to seriousness of what's going on with 2007 gen of Leolina, Selina of course is still in the Foot Clan but as Shredder died she was just with Karai working for Max Winters and the Stone Generals to capture the monsters across NYC. She was so happy to find out Leo was back from his trip, yes, they hang out when they can in secret (and Raph found out an excuse to be more mad at him that he hides secrets from his brothers too). But as soon as Raph vs Leo ended and Leo got ambushed by the Stone Generals and the Foot Clan...

She was threatened to be the last fake monster if she didn't collaborate to capture one of the turtles to replace her and she had no choice but to betray him.

It was primarily a turtle Christmas at my house this year. My hubby continues to feed my (and his) TMNT habit!

The haul this year:

Super 7 2003 Donnie

The first of the 2003 figures I’ve gotten from Super 7. I suspect I’ll use some Amazon gift cards to get at least one more before New Year’s. Probably Mikey. A turtle should never be alone!

Two Scoops of Evil: Dark Leo figure

Didn’t know they made a figure of the dark turtles from Mikey’s “It’s a Wonderful Life” storyline from the Saturday Adventure Comics! (Hope they make Raph and Donnie, too!)

Donatello’s Portal

I love that they made this thing. It has so much detail in it! For all the issues poor Donatello had with it, he made a portal that transverses dimensions. Give him a Nobel already!

Premonition to Premutation

I think this set was an exclusive but it’s so cool! Hamato Yoshi, Baxter Stockman ( @lucky-ladybugs-lovelies look! They did make a human Baxter figure!) and Bebop and Rocksteady all prior to mutation. Such a cool set.

(I love that Hamato Yoshi comes with the turtles, and Baxter has both the tracker from the Eye of Sarnoth episodes, the shrunken turtles and a Mouser!)

Then hubby told me there was one more set of figures coming in the mail in the next week. He gave me a picture.

Look. At. Them. My ❤️❤️