The Manhattan Project

"The Manhattan Project" is a two-part episode in Season 2 of the TMNT 2012 TV Series. Both of these episodes aired on television on March 14, 2014, although they were also released nearly two weeks earlier on the site Nick.com.

Official Description
Leonardo considers asking Splinter for help while facing Shredder's new assassin; Donnie must put aside his rivalry with Casey in order to uncover a Kraang plot.

Characters

 * Leonardo
 * Donatello
 * Raphael
 * Michelangelo
 * Master Splinter
 * April O' Neil
 * Casey Jones
 * Jack Kurtzman
 * Shredder
 * Karai
 * Rahzar
 * Fishface
 * Tiger Claw
 * Baxter Stockman
 * The Kraang
 * The Foot Bots
 * The 80s Turtles

Trivia

 * First appearance of Tiger Claw and The 80's Turtles.
 * Mikey injures his arm and Splinter is poisoned.
 * The episode is titled Wormquake. But in the episode it says that it is called "The Manhattan Project". It is unknown if this is an error or not.
 * The title is a reference to the NES Ninja Turtles video game, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project.
 * It is revealed that Splinter has a "Cheese Phone" which the Turtles use to call him when they are in serious danger. This gag is an reference to the Bat Phone of the 1966 Batman television series.
 * When April and Donnie go to visit Jack Kurtzman, he exclaims "Great Caesar's Ghost!". This is the catchphrase of Daily Planet editor Perry White from the Superman Comics.
 * During a fight with the Kraang, Casey references the first live-action film, mentioning that you need crumpets to understand cricket.
 * This episode won an award for best animation.
 * The Portals in the underground complex bear a resemblance to Stargates, especially how when the portal closes, a water-like effect occurs.
 * Kirby O'Neil's mutated form appears on a tabloid newspaper that April reads at Kurtzman's apartment, spoofing the Weekly World News tabloid and its most popular character, Bat Boy. On the back of the paper is a human Chris Bradford advertising "organic goat curds".
 * The classic Turtles make brief appearances in this episode. This is the first time the original Turtles voice actors of the 1987 show have reprised their roles in over 20 years. In the crossover Turtles Forever, the '87 Turtles were voiced by 4kids actors.
 * There are several references to Frank Herbert's "Dune" and more likely the 1984 movie adaptation by Davyd Lynchin this episode such as the Kraang riding the worms like the Fremen. Donnie hits the rail with his Bo-staff in order to attract the worm with vibrations like the Thumpers the Fremen used to attract the giant Sandworms of Arrakis. The "demise" of Tiger Claw being devoured by the Kraathatrogon is also a direct homage to the way Baron Vladimir Harkonnen gets swallowed by a Sandworm after being poisoned by Alia and his gravity belt malfunctions. The Kraathatrogon themselves share very familiar physiology with the sandworms of Arrakis such as their mouths and inner rows of sharp teeth.