Ep 21. Same as it Never Was

In Same as it Never Was, we find the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TMNT) living in a dystopian universe where they failed to stop the villainous Shredder from conquering New York City. The episode starts with Donatello working alone in the lair, attempting to fix a broken time window that would allow them to travel back in time to before Shredder's victory.

Through a series of flashbacks, we see how the turtles' failure to stop Shredder led to the destruction of their world. The Turtles are all older now, with different fates befalling each of them. Leo lost an eye, Raph is missing an arm and suffers from PTSD, and Mikey is a resistance fighter who has become disheartened with their mission. Meanwhile, April is a cyborg who helps lead the rebellion against Shredder, and Casey Jones has become the Shredder's second-in-command.

Donatello finally succeeds in fixing the time window, and he travels back in time to fix their mistake. However, when Donatello returns to the present, he finds that things are not as he had hoped. The turtles are still alive, but they have different personalities and roles than he remembered. The episode ends with Donatello struggling to come to terms with the changes and hoping that his efforts will lead to a better future.

Same as it Never Was is a thought-provoking episode that explores the consequences of failure. The dystopian setting allows us to see the Turtles in a different light and gives us a glimpse of what might have been if they had not succeeded in their mission. The episode also explores themes of time travel and the butterfly effect, as Donatello's attempt to fix the past has unforeseen consequences in the present.

Overall, Same as it Never Was is a standout episode of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (2003) that will resonate with fans of the show and science fiction in general. The combination of action, drama, and alternate timelines make for an engrossing story that will keep viewers on the edge of their seat.