Saturday, March 24th on 4Kids TV...

[mumbo230]

9:00 "Membership Drive"
10:00 "Graduation Day: Class of 2105"

I am dead frickin' serious. Comes straight from wvah.com's schedule. So the lost episode is "Membership Drive" (though part of the episode isn't going to make any sense without having seen the first five episodes of the lost season) and there's a new Fast Forward episode to boot, too.

* times are Pacific Standard.

[Cascadia]

next weekend will be cool...have they changed the showing times on 4Kids again? In the Pacific time zone, it is 8 & 9 AM.

[Spitfire]

You really don't need to have seen TLS to get Membership Drive. Though it has parts of TLS in it it can be viewed as a stand alone adventure.

[CyberCubed]

What's funny is they have 12 episodes of both Season 5 and FF to air.

They could actually air both seasons at the same time at timeslots right after each other and finish them both in 12 weeks and give everyone what they want.

But that's something that actually makes sense, and when things make sense, you know they don't happen.

[The Terror of Death]

But that's something that actually makes sense, and when things make sense, you know they don't happen.

:lol: I am assumming your referirng to decisions 4kids would never make.

[gobo]

If they premiered all their remaining TMNT eps over the next 12 weeks, they'd have no viewers in the fall :ohwell:

[PrometheusUFO]

I can just see a 4KidsTV employee going online to TV.com to decide what Lost Season episode to air based solely on the false "air dates" provided for the first five episodes on that site, thinking they actually aired those already instead of only making them available for a limited time on a limited-availability On Demand channel. :roll:

Or it could just be a one time thing and they chose to air a more stand-alone episode.. that coincidentally follows the five On Demand episodes (once skipping the incomplete "Nightmares Recycled"). :P

[mumbo230]

The only problem with showing "Membership Drive" is...
The reason they're going to go the Justice Force headquarters is because Leonardo wants their help if the true Shredder is survived. But if you don't even know there is a true Shredder...well, it makes no sense at all.

[The Terror of Death]

In a commercial for the lost episode Mikey said something along the lines of "If their not in the vault then that means their not really lost, right?" I hope this is foreshadowing that 4kids will be showing the lost episodes eventually. But I would much prefer them to realese the season on dvd before they decide to air it.

[Unicron the Agitator]

Maybe 4Kids is trying save face by sending an "olive branch" to the TMNT fans who are obviously irate at the fact they seemed to have burried the Lost Sason. They might also be trying to test the waters to see which episode will garner the highest ratings. We shall just have to see.

[TerranigmaFreak]

I was watching the end of today's reruns and saw that they're showing a new FF episode and a lost episode from the 2k3. I'm not sure if the other topic is about these 2 episodes since they list the names, and I have no idea what the next 2 episodes will be called next week. I'm just giving you guys the heads up if it's not what I'm talking about.

It'll probably be the Baxter episode that we missed.

[The Terror of Death]

Yes, theres already a thread on this topic. Also, The two episodes are Membership Drive and Graduation Day: Class of 2105.

[MAESTAS]

I seen all the lost episodes, but I am excited for the new FF episode!

[TerranigmaFreak]

Ok, someone can either close or merge the topics.

[VaughnMichael]

Yes, theres already a thread on this topic. Also, The two episodes are Membership Drive and Graduation Day: Class of 2105.
woah! I had no Idea I will not be missing tmnt next week thats for sure!

[donatellomn]

It's nice to see an episode from the Lost Season being aired, but I wish they would air the season from the start. I've held off on buying the Australia region DVD for now even though I want to see all the episodes right now.

When will we ever see the TLS DVD here in the US do you think? It would be completely ridiculous to not release it.

[cowabunga14]

That's good to know. I'll probably record the episodes if I don't get up early enough to watch 'em.

[Whitewolf89]

9:00 "Membership Drive"
10:00 "Graduation Day: Class of 2105"

I am dead frickin' serious. Comes straight from wvah.com's schedule. So the lost episode is "Membership Drive" (though part of the episode isn't going to make any sense without having seen the first five episodes of the lost season) and there's a new Fast Forward episode to boot, too.

* times are Pacific Standard.

I found these on the TV Section of MSN this afternoon when I went to the library, and was BEYOND ecstatic! 'Course, MY local Fox/4Kids station is KSFX27, and the times are Central Daylight Time, but who cares?! FINALLY we get to see a "Lost Season" ep! VERY cool!!!

*sighs* Please, Lord, let my income tax refund check come in time for us to get the danged DirectTV satellite back, because there is NO WAY that my idiot sister is going to let me come out to HER house to record them! I've missed the Turtles for the last THREE weekends because of her idiocy! I WANT MY TURTLES, DANG IT!!!!:cry:

*sighs again* Sorry for the rant, gang. Three weekends of TOTAL Turtle-less-ness is starting to get to me. I need my TMNT fix...bad!!!

[Toonami Tom]

Awesome! Thanks for the information. Saturday will be very fun. I will get to see 2 new TMNT episodes and see the new movie that day.:) :D

[Raph's Girl]

WTF?! Of all the eps of Lost Season to air why Membership Drive??? Cuz it shows Mikey making an arse of himself?? Cuz it shows Nano??? I would rather see Demons and Dragons on tv first!! I mean yes it's good that they're actually airing a Lost Season ep but why the shell are they showing the 7th (ok really 6th but cuz they filmed part of ep 6, it's the 7th) first?!

Hrm... ah well.... with the movie on friday, 2 new eps on FOX, and the marathon on Cartoon Network...it's a good weekend for TMNT viewing all around. Just that...it would have been cooler if they'd aired "Fathers and Sons"....that's my fave Lost Season ep. :P

[LogicDonny]

hey at least we get 1 episode of lost season.. why not start at the beginning.

[Cascadia]

actually, we did...it was the season finale before FF.

[kerfootw]

WTF?! Of all the eps of Lost Season to air why Membership Drive??? Cuz it shows Mikey making an arse of himself?? Cuz it shows Nano??? I would rather see Demons and Dragons on tv first!! I mean yes it's good that they're actually airing a Lost Season ep but why the shell are they showing the 7th (ok really 6th but cuz they filmed part of ep 6, it's the 7th) first?!

Hrm... ah well.... with the movie on friday, 2 new eps on FOX, and the marathon on Cartoon Network...it's a good weekend for TMNT viewing all around. Just that...it would have been cooler if they'd aired "Fathers and Sons"....that's my fave Lost Season ep. :P

It is going to be a good TMNT day all around. Me watching those 2 episodes, my TMNT DVDs, the CN marathon, and pizza (and hot dog) eating before I see the movie. Saturday's going to rock!

[Whitewolf89]

For me, Saturday's going to be absolute HEAVEN, too! I got my income tax refund check back today (YES! Thank God for E-File!!!), so we're getting DishNetwork satellite back this Wednesday around 1 or 2 PM, ERGO I won't miss ANY of the TMNT eps, no matter which eps or which networks they're on! I'm going to have my DVD-recorder AND my VCR ready for ALL of the eps...although I'll have my new DVR set for them, juuuuuust in case I have to go somewhere. Which I DON'T plan on.

This ALSO means that I can start getting my SWAT Kats eps off of Boomerang again. Yeah, I KNOW that THEY aren't the TMNT, but I can GET them now!!! Which makes ME one VERY happy Mousey!!!

[kerfootw]

Yeah, Swat Kats is perhaps my fourth favorite animated series of all time, behind Batman TAS and the new TMNT series.

[Toonami Tom]

A marathon on Cartoon Network?!:D :o Alright!:)

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

Well I just saw both episodes, and I gotta say, I'm very impressed with Graduation Day. I daresay it was one of the best episodes that Fast Forward has to offer so far. Minimal amounts of Cody and Serling, Master Splinter was behaving like a sensei again, there was great use of all four turtles, and Mikey wasn't made to look like a complete idiot in the end. What's not to love? :D

[Jo Dawn]

Good Lord, another Mike episode? Haven't we had enough?

B-O-R-I-N-G. This show sucks. I try and give it a chance, really... But it just... sucks!

[TerranigmaFreak]

Graduation was decent, but my god Nano sucked like hell. We've been waiting so long for a Lost Season episode only to see this campy garbage. Nano was actually kind of cool in this episode, but... uck... the rest was just pure garbage. I always hated the super hero episodes and I don't know if this one's the worst of the old super hero episode was the worst.

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

Good Lord, another Mike episode? Haven't we had enough?

B-O-R-I-N-G. This show sucks. I try and give it a chance, really... But it just... sucks!

Aww c'mon, JD. :lol: You weren't even happy that Don came up with a decent plan instead of Leo, or that out of all the tasks for Mike, Don's was the most challenging?

Yes, I understand being sick to death of Mikey-centric eps, but would you at least agree that of all the ones shown so far, this one wasn't so terribly cringeworthy? :)

[kerfootw]

Graduation was decent, but my god Nano sucked like hell. We've been waiting so long for a Lost Season episode only to see this campy garbage. Nano was actually kind of cool in this episode, but... uck... the rest was just pure garbage. I always hated the super hero episodes and I don't know if this one's the worst of the old super hero episode was the worst.

You're nuts! That episode (at the very least) was at least 6.5/10 material.

[Cascadia]

I missed the beginning of Graduation on the account of my dog, what happened at the beginning?

[TerranigmaFreak]

You're nuts! That episode (at the very least) was at least 6.5/10 material.

What's there to like about it? Some silly guys and spandex fight a malfunctioning robot. Many of the "heroes" look as campy and cringe worthy as ever. I thought I have gotten used to cringing during TMNT from FF, but the super heroes episodes always bring something new and embarrassing to the 2k3 episodes.

Oh and we found out the turtles gained super powers during their little journey to Japan with the Ninja Tribunal.

[ZariusTwo]

Oh and we found out the turtles gained super powers during their little journey to Japan with the Ninja Tribunal.

"We" found out by watching the actual LS episodes before this one:lol:

[TerranigmaFreak]

I know, but it's still very unsettling for them to gain super powers. It was practically the opposite of what the original version of the Turtles were.

[Raph's Girl]

Re: Graduation Day:
This ep was...random. I mean yea it's good that they graduated to the next level of Ninjutsu and all...but the ep really wasn't needed. Like we needed another Mikey gaming ep. Yes he learned a lesson, yes it was cool to hear Splinter say nunchaku. But other then that...meh. And how come the O'Neil Tech hockey team uses robots??? Is Hockey now too dangerous for humans??? WTF?!

Re: Membership Drive
This is one of my fave Lost Season eps next to "Father's and Sons". Nano is now a member of the Justice Force and we even saw him in "The Journal"

Also, there was a commercial that basically asks the audience which they prefer. Eps set in the past, or the future. Unfortunatly we can't vote...but it looks like they'll be airing Lost Season every week now.

[Kunoichi_Haruko]

And how come the O'Neil Tech hockey team uses robots??? Is Hockey now too dangerous for humans??? WTF?!

Yeah, that one left me scratching my head, too. Kind of seems like they're cheating...unless the fighting in 2105 has gotten so bad that teams have left bodies on the ice...:ohwell:

[mumbo230]

Also, there was a commercial that basically asks the audience which they prefer. Eps set in the past, or the future. Unfortunatly we can't vote...but it looks like they'll be airing Lost Season every week now.
Not Lost Season, they're just showing old 2K3 episodes at 9:00 and then new Fast Forwards at 10:00. Next week is "Things Change" and "Timing is Everything."

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised by "Graduation". No, it wasn't as good as "Membership Drive", but the Turtles and Splinter were all in character, Cody had like two lines and Serling didn't show up at all, and there was yet another Ninja Tribunal reference. It would be nice, though, not to have ninety percent of the Fast Forward episodes to be about Mikey.

[creativerealms82]

Re: Graduation Day:
This ep was...random. I mean yea it's good that they graduated to the next level of Ninjutsu and all...but the ep really wasn't needed. Like we needed another Mikey gaming ep. Yes he learned a lesson, yes it was cool to hear Splinter say nunchaku. But other then that...meh. And how come the O'Neil Tech hockey team uses robots??? Is Hockey now too dangerous for humans??? WTF?!

Re: Membership Drive
This is one of my fave Lost Season eps next to "Father's and Sons". Nano is now a member of the Justice Force and we even saw him in "The Journal"

Also, there was a commercial that basically asks the audience which they prefer. Eps set in the past, or the future. Unfortunatly we can't vote...but it looks like they'll be airing Lost Season every week now.

This future has wussy wressling, horror movies as a "Lost art" and so on Yes it's safe to say that Hockey and probably Footbal are too violent for humans to play.

I think this is the only "Lost" episode they are airing. their preview fornext week mentioned an episode of the old series but did not say it ws going to be new while they did say the Fast Forward episode was going to be new.

[cowabunga14]

Membership Drive:
For my first viewing of a Lost Season episode, this was great. I thought the opening fight sequence was pretty cool and I was glad to see the Justice Force again. The appearence of Nano and Turtle Titan really made this episode enjoyable for me. I thought Raph and Don should've had more screen time, though. I hope 4Kids decides to air more Lost Season episodes in the future.

Graduation Day:
I felt this episode was all right. It was cool to see Mikey and his brothers actullay care about their training towards the end and make Splinter happy.

[mike the party dude]

I can only hope from watching Graduation Day that Mikey will finally start living up to his potential from graduating to Jounin but this is Fast Forward we talking about :roll:

Membership Drive was good Nano's story was complete and he has meaning/purpose in joing the justice force. i think someone in another thread mentioned being reminded of Vision with Nano's new form i would tend to agree. but haveing roughly 2 Mikey centric episodes in the same day when are they gonna start showing Raph some love?? the other 3 get too much screen time

[Jo Dawn]

Aww c'mon, JD. :lol: You weren't even happy that Don came up with a decent plan instead of Leo, or that out of all the tasks for Mike, Don's was the most challenging?

Not to sound like a broken record... But no. Really, I sit there bored out of my mind wondering when it'll be over. Considering this show is almost completely void of character development... I really didn't care about who made what plan. It was too cheesy and poorly done.

Yes, I understand being sick to death of Mikey-centric eps, but would you at least agree that of all the ones shown so far, this one wasn't so terribly cringeworthy? :)

See above. ;) :P

[Jester]

I kinda liked the beginning of this episode where Leo, Raph, and Donnie team up to meet Splinter's challenge, but from then on it just got bad to me...maybe because it's soooo Mikey-centric. I know that's shocking coming from the guy whose main gripe about TMNT was the fact that it's Raph/Leo centric, but I guess that dynamic works, but Mikey heavy episodes just seem too cheesy.

[J Legault]

I didn't read the news so I missed the first part of the "lost episode".
But no biggy, I'll see it again off of the "Lost Season DVD". Least I now know that yellow robot from the Journal episode is Nano.

And that new Fast Forward Episode was good for another Mikey episode. Best part is with the collection of arcades.

A long period of reruns can really mess with a person's morning schdule.

[Time Mistress]

Well, here's an opinion on these two episodes from a Mikey fan. And I just realized this is the first time I've posted an episode review since these are the first new eps to air since I joined the boards, pretty cool.

Membership Drive
I really love the superhero eps. Some have been better than others, but I really like Turtle Titan and a superhero ep is always a good gurantee of a Mike saves the day ep. I normally don't like Nano, but I liked the closure here, I always felt kinda sorry for the guy. He's never been evil, just misunderstood. I'm glad he got a happy ending after all. Clever use of Anada to communicate with him. Also some nice closure for Nobody and Raptar. It's nice to see them again in the Lost Season. I also dig the superhero parodies of the "didn't make it" heroes applying for membership - Arrow Boy, Molicule Man, and Gauntlet guy. That whole speech was preety funny along with "Not my favorite statue." Too bad Radical wasn't in this ep too. But here's hoping she'll still show up someday.

While I was waiting for FF to come on, I rewatched Clash of the Turtle Titans.
Good continuity in terms, of Mike's costume, etc. I think it's also interesting to note that in this ep, Mike finally gives up his superhero dream to a worthy successor in Silver Sentry's grandson. Mike is showing some maturity in one of the few FF eps I liked up to this point.

Graduation Day 2105
I liked it. This is easily my favorite episode of FF so far. If the show were to make more eps like this, I would be enjoying FF rather than lamenting it. The reasons why it's decent are pretty obvious. No Serling! No Biggles! No stupid Turtle X! No lame bad guys. Cody is used as he should be - a supporting character like April and Casey were, rather than the "fifth turtle." Splinter is back to being a ninja master rather than some someone who only watches soap operas and can't hold his own against Shokonabo.

And then of course there is Mike. One thing I really haven't liked about FF is that one of my favorite Turltes is being portrayed as a lazy, annoying, gaming nut. So while there has been more focus on Mike in FF, it hasn't necessarily been the type of focus I want to see on Mike. Yes, Mike can be lazy and yes he likes video games, but it was getting excessive and I'm glad this was finally addressed. If Mike is going to be more of a focus in FF it should be for his best qualities not his most annoying ones. I enjoyed seeing Mike passing his brother's teast and proving he is just as worthy as they are to be called ninja. The themes of the episode are similar to my favorite ep from season 4 - Grudge Match. Now of course Grudge Match did it better. But one refreshing thing about this ep, was that this time around all his brothers were supporting him. Don gets some good spotlight in this ep, which should please Donny fans somewhat. The opening test for Leo, Don, and Raph was a lot of fun.

The ending where they all wanted to practice some more was is something I can relate too. I'll be testing for my own second level of black belt in a few months. Donny's "There's now way you're learning a more I haven't yet," hit home. I've had some sparing injuries lately that have kept me missing my classes and I still have about half a sword kata to learn before my test in June. Ack! I'm behind, and the person a few moves ahead of me just happens to be named Mike.

Anyway, I think this ep was a BIG improvement for FF, yes, there is still a long way to go, but if the rest of the eps are at least this decent I'll have a satisfactory viewing experience. I only pray this ep was not a fluke. But knowing our luck with 4Kids it probably will be.

[LogicDonny]

I am saving the LS episode for later because I am still on episode 5 and episode 6 is membership drive so yes.

Anyways, Graduation was a really good episode.. the only good episode of fast foward I liked.. It had the classic turtles style of the training and all. Mikey was good in this episode and seeing him actually have to think instead of mouthing off, is good.

The hockey part was hilarious but dumb. Come on robot playing hockey now!? Lame! Lol.

[kerfootw]

I recorded "Membership Drive." I can see it whenever I want now.

[VaughnMichael]

I recorded "Membership Drive." I can see it whenever I want now.
*pats you on the head* *hands you a cookie*

[Whitewolf89]

I recorded "Membership Drive." I can see it whenever I want now.

Consider yourself lucky. I thought that I had, too, using my DVD-recorder, but something messed up, and when I tried to check how it had come out, all I got were the horrible words "Invalid Disk" flashing at me. And I "Intialized" the DVD-disk (or whatever you do to prepare a DVD FOR recording) when I got up. I was, and still am, heart-sick. I got to SEE the ep, yes, AND I loved it (loved Leo's sword AND Mikey's three-piece 'chuks (or whatever they're actually called)), but I didn't get it recorded.:cry: :cry:

I don't suppose that you recorded it on VHS tape (that's what I should've done (STUPID Wolfie; STUPID!!!). IF you did, is there ANY chance at all that you could find a way to make a copy, and I'll reimburse you for the second tape, and pay the postage to mail it to me? (And that goes for ANY of my American buddies here who recorded the ep (American, 'cause my VCR is an American one).) OR, I can buy and send you a tape, you can rerecord the ep, and mail it back to me (I'll pay the postage coming and going.).

*sighs* Anyway, BEFORE I get my tail in trouble, PM me, okay? And like I said, that goes for ANYONE who recorded the ep.

Anyway, back to the topic................

As far as "Graduation Day" goes, I loved it. Mikey REALLY had to work TO graduate, and I found myself rooting for him every step of the way. He's not my fave Turtle (as everyone here knows, RAPH holds THAT honor), but I thought that he did good. He proved that he ISN'T just a airheaded goofball, and that he has a good head on his shoulders. He figured out how to get the handles of his 'chuks away from Leo and Raph (Raph as a hockey-announcer was hilarious, btw, as were Mikey's MANY trips into the goal (and you just KNOW that Raphie-boy was THOROUGHLY enjoying all that, because it was paybay for Mikey's many pranks!.:lol: ), but, as I figured when Splinter told Mikey about the challenges that he's have to face to get his disassembled 'chuk back, DONNIE's was the REALLY tough one. And I positively LOVED it when Mikey finally got it, realizing that HE was holding himself back. I was just SO glad when he DID graduate with his bros.

And for the record, I think that I was as shocked as Raph was (I THINK that it was Raph, anyway) when Mikey said that he was going to practice for an extra hour (of course, they ALL wound up doing that, but I figured that they would, anyway).

And I can-NOT believe that no one mentioned the outfits that the guys were wearing for their graduation ceremony (in a holographic simulation of the Ninja Tribunal's temple, of all things! Wonder where THAT came from?!)! They were absolutely beautiful! Never seen them so dressed up! (And THESE outfits were WAY cooler than the ones that they wore at the end of "Grudge Match" (which were kinda/sorta cool)!) I don't know much about the chunin graduation ceremony (okay, I know SQUAT about it), but it was beautiful. I hope that they do more stuff like this.

Next week: looking forward to seeing (and recording) "Things Change" and "Timing is Everything". I just hope that my DVD-recorder DOESN'T mess UP again on "Things Change". MIGHT be a good idea to use my DVR for THIS one, being as it IS the very FIRST TMNT ep.

Anyway, that's MY $0.02.

[Blade Raider]

Saw "Membership Drive" eailer this week, so all I'll say on it is that it's a great episode and I hope even more that the FF toyline has a new Turtle Titan figure planned.

As for "Graduation Day"...wow, just wow, a good Fast Forward episode. Honestly, it was good. If they keep it up, FF could be savable...still hope it ends with a time paradox that makes FF never happen, but it has to happen to make it not happen. Did I confuse anyone with that? :P

[kerfootw]

Sorry Whitewolf I'm technologically impaired. Screenplays and stuff are more my thing.

[The Terror of Death]

Membership Dive
Pros:
The animation had better color.
The turtles new weapons.
Nobody and Raptar joined the Justice Force.
They ended the Nano story.
The three guys trying to join.
Nobody and Sentry showed off their skills.
Nanos new voice sounds better than his last one.

Cons:
Mikey and Leo should have fought Nano more.
They should have shown how Mikey destroyed/got the chip.

I give the episode a 3 out of 5. :|

Graduation Day 2105
Pros:
The guys are chunin level.
Don coming up with the plan.
Mikey is going to stop slacking off less. Right?
Raph dodging that pillar looked really cool.
The turtles graduation clothes looked really cool.
Cody played a small part in the episode.

Cons:
I wanted Mikey to fight some of the game monsters instead of running.
Animation still irks me at times.
The way Mikey passed the tests.

I give the episode a 3 out of 5. :|

[Whitewolf89]

Sorry Whitewolf I'm technologically impaired. Screenplays and stuff are more my thing.

Hey, that's okay. I just thought that I'd ask. No biggie.

And actually, I was aiming that as much at the REST of the members here as you. But I guess that I'll have to wait now and see if, now that the TMNT movie is out, the ninnies at 4Kids FINALLY get ther collective heads out of their arses and release ALL of the Lost Season ep (INCLUDING "Ninja Tribunal"!) on DVD. Hopefully, it's scoring to No.1 spot this weekend will help.

And call me Wolfie. ALL my online buddies do.;)

[Sage Ninja]

wow reading every ones reviews on the latest ff episode and how shockingly decent it was makes me feel retty bad that I missed out on it. It sounds like it was done in a more classic 2k3 style rather than the inferior one demisional way. And if it focused on Michaelangelo actually with some depth rather than obsessing over material things, I'm all for it. The one thing that I'm a little iffy on about this episode is, why exactly do the turtles have to have "graduations" or ranks when they reach a new level of skill. I think in another thread we discussed how it was cool that Splinter didn't establish a hierarchy for the turtle while training them because of the probelms that would arose if he had. And them here comes fast foward that sort of blows that all a way. So for those of you that saw the episode, did you think the whole "Graduation" of the turtles was handled well or did you think it was rather cheesy?

And then of course there is Mike. One thing I really haven't liked about FF is that one of my favorite Turltes is being portrayed as a lazy, annoying, gaming nut. So while there has been more focus on Mike in FF, it hasn't necessarily been the type of focus I want to see on Mike. Yes, Mike can be lazy and yes he likes video games, but it was getting excessive and I'm glad this was finally addressed. If Mike is going to be more of a focus in FF it should be for his best qualities not his most annoying ones.

God, you have hit the nail on the head on this one. I agree I may be a straight up Michaelangelo fan but I have not liked at all the way he has been handled in the episodes that have been dedicated to him in FF. They seem to like to concentrate on his negative character traights and just about took the small amount of maturity he gained in season four and throw it out the window. I would say he is back to square one but I think he has taken a few more steps back from how he was even in the start of the series. And why is Mikey still obsessing over video games in this episode I thought his unhealthy video game obsession was adressed in the Mall episode where he stole a cop car? I guess he didn't learn his lesson in the episode and it is still biting him in the shell.

[triplexxx]

I think in another thread we discussed how it was cool that Splinter didn't establish a hierarchy for the turtle while training them because of the probelms that would arose if he had. And them here comes fast foward that sort of blows that all a way. So for those of you that saw the episode, did you think the whole "Graduation" of the turtles was handled well or did you think it was rather cheesy?
Yeah, it was kind of wierd, but it did show a side to the turtles I really enjoy: the other turtles showed how much they cared about Michaelangelo and how they were reluctant to graduate without him, it shows how close they are and how much they truly treasure togetherness. And at least it worked out all right in the end: All four of them were honored & graduated, and had earned it.

[Ninjinister]

Yeah, it was kind of wierd, but it did show a side to the turtles I really enjoy: the other turtles showed how much they cared about Michaelangelo and how they were reluctant to graduate without him, it shows how close they are and how much they truly treasure togetherness. And at least it worked out all right in the end: All four of them were honored & graduated, and had earned it.

I think Splinter "refused" to promote him because he wanted to motivate Mikey; no other reason.

[Drtooth]

Looking at both the lost season and this new episode, all I can say is, I really am starting to join the "I Hate FF" club. It was decent, but decent doesn't do much. When I heard the synopsys of this episode I thought, Wouldn't it be cool if this episode was about Raph getting held back for his constant anger issues? If his willingness to jump into things too quickly was hampering him? But then it turned out to be a Mikey episode... which kills me. I LOVE Mikey, but this has been his show too long. I think I liked gobo's theory on this series... that it was actually a comic book created by Mikey, and it didn't really happen. It would make the show better (unless Kids really relate to Mikey...even though Leo won best Turtle in that contest)

But the focus of the series has gone from "Looki how things changed yet stayed the same in an odd manner" to "Look how imature Mikey is, and how it's holding him back from being a great ninja"

Even if the episode had gone that way, it had the potential to have deep rooted spirituality to it. But they pretty much focused on the obvious.

It was still enjoyable to an extent, but Fast Forward is 90% filler. It would have worked better as a mini series, only because they pretty much aren't doing much with the subject in terms of grand scale storytelling, like the show did in its previous seasons.