I don't know how this show does it, but it simply refuses to drop in quality and remains impressive week after week. Fourteen episodes in and I have yet to be disappointed with the sharp writing, fun action and feel good humor.
"New Girl in Town" once again dives into the brotherly rivalry between Leonardo and Raphael. While chasing down Snakeweed, Leo's plan lets the villain escape and Raph berates his brother's ability to lead. Frustrated, he let's Raph take the mantle and leaves the team to blow off some steam. This is where he encounters the fan favorite character, Karai (Kelly Hu). She's once again a member of The Foot and, despite spending most of their time fighting, the two really hit it off. To some degree, it's clear Leo finds her thrilling and the feeling is certainly mutual. She wants to push him to give into darker temptations, but naturally it'll take more than a little peer pressure to change this boy scout The rest of the episode jumps between this conflicted relationship and Raph's struggle to lead the team as they hunt down Snakeweed.
While the combat wasn't particularly fast paced compared to other episodes, it was still quite energetic. The bouts between Karai and Leo are fun as their swords clash and ninja stars are deflected, but the real treat is when Leo eventually faces off with Snakeweed. Just like previous episodes, slow motion is used at all the right instances, delivering seriously awesome moments. There's also one especially cool shot as we follow Donatello while he dodges Snakeweed's attacks.
The conflict between the two lead Turtles is something we've seen plenty of times before, but I really liked how it was handled this time around. Having time apart gave Leo a moment to vent in his own way and gave Raph a chance to step up to the plate. The outcome is definitely obvious, but it brings about a touching and funny moment between the two. It's a very heartwarming conclusion.
I'm sure Mikey not being around for a good chunk of the episode is part of the reason it wasn't as hysterical as the others, but his early pizza guy quips did make me smile every time. We also saw the return of Leo's awesomely campy cartoon and that's always a joy. Still, less punch lines is hardly a bad thing because it let the show put a proper spotlight on the characters while still tossing in plenty of amusing action.
While Snakeweed's plot (and character) isn't anything inspiring, Leo's development was handled exceptionally well and this is by far the most intriguing story we have yet to see for the character. Karai's new design will probably be met with mixed responses, but so far she's entertaining and absolutely a badass. I'm excited to see where they'll go with her.
Oh, and Raph dropping a BOOYAKASHA at that specific moment was ridiculously sweet.
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