| “Donatello's Duplicate” | |||||||
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| 1987 TV series episode | |||||||
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| Season Code: | 05 | ||||||
| Episode: | 12 | ||||||
| Original airdate | October 12, 1991 | ||||||
| Written by | Jack and Carole Mendelsohn | ||||||
| Producers: | |||||||
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- Not to be confused with Donatello (digital duplicate) (IDW).
Donatello's Duplicate is a season 5 episode of the 1987-1996 series.
Appearing in Donatello's Duplicate[]
Major characters[]
- April O'Neil
- Donatello
- Leonardo
- Michelangelo
- Raphael
- Splinter
- Vernon Fenwick
- Rat King
- Pinky McFingers (Cam Clarke)
- Donatello (Clone) (debut) (death)
Minor characters[]
- Leonardo (Clone) (debut) (death)
- Michelangelo (Clone) (debut) (death)
- Raphael (Clone) (debut) (death)
- Clone Rats
- McFingers' Thugs
- Mayor
Species[]
- Clone
- Human
- Mutant rat
- Mutant turtle
- Rat
Objects and vehicles[]
- Channel 6 news motorcycle
- Cloning Device
- Turtle Van
- Turtlecom
Locations[]
- Turtles' Lair
- McFingers' Mansion
Plot[]
A beleaguered Donatello desperately tries to fix the TV while Raphael complains, only to be interrupted by Michelangelo's declaration that the oven is on the fritz. He laments that every time something breaks, he's expected to fix it - and when Leonardo comes to his defense, it's with another broken item to fix. Angered by the lack of gratitude, he decides to create a clone of himself so that he can spend more time on his inventions while his clone spends more time fixing things around the lair.
He tests his latest invention on a sewer rat and accidentally gets his hand in the way, causing the rat clone to have Donatello's voice and a part of his intellect. The talking rat is discovered by the Rat King, and he is convinced by a local hood, Pinky McFingers, that they could take over the world with Donatello's invention.
Meanwhile, Donatello turns his cloning machine on himself and, thanks to an algebraic miscalculation, creates a clone that is ten times smarter than he is. The clone refuses to do the work that Donatello specifically created it for. Donatello decides to put him in his place until he discovers that his clone is also ten times more adept in ninja skills. The clone defeats Donatello, ties him up, gags him, and locks him in a closet. The clone proves to be a problem for the other Turtles as he insults them and refuses to fix anything they ask of him. Leonardo decides to put him in his place but the clone quickly dispatches the turtles. He then goes into the sewer for some fresh air, only to find himself abducted by Pinky McFingers and the Rat King. McFingers betrays the Rat King, now that he has Donatello's clone.
Meanwhile at the hideout the clone convinces McFingers that he is not Donatello, but a smarter, stronger duplicate. He also agrees to build a cloning device that can replicate thousands of rats, causing the city to be infested with them within a few hours. While the city is in a panic, McFingers and his crew loot the shops. April O'Neil and Vernon Fenwick witness the clone leading a rat army through the streets, and April contacts the Turtles to tell them what she saw.
Meanwhile, back at the lair, the Turtles are attempting to fix things without Donatello's help, but are struggling to not break things further. They then receive April's message and the news that Donatello's behind the plague of rats. The other Turtles check in his lab, and find the real Donatello locked up in the closet. Once freed, Donatello tells them of his clone and how he turned on him.
April trails McFingers' limo to his mansion, only to be apprehended by his thugs.
On their way back to the lair, the Turtles encounter the Rat King, who is more than happy to help them find the clone, in order to get revenge on Pinky Mcfingers. The Rat King gives our heroes Pinky McFingers' address.
McFingers and the clone are about to feed April to the rat clones when the Turtles burst in, and the clone contemptuously blasts the other Turtles with the cloning ray, creating malevolent doppelgängers of them. The clone demands that Donatello acknowledge him as his scientific superior, and becomes enraged as Donatello questions whether he can reverse the procedure because he's "just a clone." When he reverses the ray, all the clones - including himself - vanish from the world. McFingers is arrested.
Back at the lair, Donatello is happily fixing things. Splinter comments that he learned a valuable lesson in which Donatello agrees. Then Raphael comes in dressed as Donatello to make him think another clone was made, and when Donatello realizes it's a joke, he angrily chases Raphael.
See also[]
- Donatello's Duplicate/Gallery
- Donatello's Duplicate/Transcript
Quotes[]
- Cloned Donatello: You tricked me
- Raphael: It figures. He Majored in trick-a-nometry"
- Cloned Donatello: "I'm melting, I'm Melting (clone disappears)
Notes and errors[]
- The top of the back of Raphael's Turtlecom is grey when he answers April's call.
- Before Michelangelo asks if Donatello is the Rat King, he is seen with a pair of nunchucks on his belt.
- At the end of the episode, Raphael posing as Donatello has Donatello's belt & bandanas. But in the next shot, Raphael is seen with Donatello's mask, but no sign of Donatello's belt or bandanas.
- Just after the clone leaves the lair, part of the wall behind Michelangelo can be seen where the left side of his chest and shell should be.
- While the clone is chained in a sack, one of his shoulders flashes between green and brown.
Trivia[]
- Clone Donatello's "I'm melting!" line is a reference to the Wicked Witch of the West's last words in The Wizard of Oz.
Home media releases[]
DVD[]
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Season 5
- Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Complete Classic Series Collection