Turtles on Trial: Review

[AsylumTurtle]

If you was to put a laser blaster to my head (please don't) and asked me to pick my favourite episode of all time, hands down its Turtles on Trial. In fact screw it! I don't need a blaster aimed at my head in order to say that. I bloody love this story. Am sure this classic must have been covered here already? But just had to do my own post on it, as its unquestionably a brilliant episode.

It was only when I acquired the complete series (DVD) boxset that I truly began to appreciate it. The only thing I remember about its original UK (Saturday morning) broadcast, was me being ill and Krang coming up to the surface and not having his android body. But when I revisited it on DVD (all them years later) Oh man, I fell in love. The animation is pitch perfect, humour spot on and action is none stop. It could almost be a season finally. I love the satire on the abrasive talk show host, wonder if UK host Jeremy Kyle was inspired by Clayton Kellerman? And I do sense a slight undertone subtext on racism as the crowd shouts, GET OUT OF TOWN TURTLES. WE DON'T WANT YOUR KIND HERE.

Its only watching it uncut/unedited, that one can really appreciate it properly. After I watched the DVD, I dugout my VHS copy of the original UK transmission. WOW did they censor it to hell and back Disgraceful. The fight sequence in the Natural Museum of History is cut up pretty badly, especially with Michelangelo and his nunchucks and Bebop with his chain ball; both none existent in the original transmission. Why even broadcast the EP if your not going to show it properly? I wonder if this EP was something of a middle finger to the programs critics of the time who claimed the show to be to violent for children? The censorship of the Turtles is something I really want to cover, as it's no wonder I didn't appreciate this episode at the time, given how badly they butchered it. Actually makes me mad to think about it.

This for me is peek Turtles. Everything just works. In fact, and I mean no disrespect to following episodes/Seasons ( I do love them all) but for me its almost as if nothing quite matched this level of quality again. That said, season 7 gets pretty darn close at times. So what are your thoughts? How would you rate it on a scale of 1-10? No surprise for me its a 10/10. Hands down. In fact, I think I will watch it right now as I await your responses But before I do I will leave you with my favourite line in this truly amazing episode, Its during the interview between Clayton and the Turtles.

Leo: You don't understand. We are trying to save the world from an invasion from an alien brain from Dimension X

Clayton: Oh come on, that's a little hard to swallow.

Raph: What is? The invasion, the Brain or the Dimension X?

[triplexxx]

Out of curiosity, was Clayton Kellerman a take on any real talk show host or anyone else?

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Just a thought, but I always took him as a parody of hosts like Geraldo and Jerry Springer.

[Galactus]

Clayton Kellerman was based on Morton Downey Jr the very controversial trash TV host of the 80s.

And yes this is probably one of the best episodes of the entire series. I'd actually rank it better than any of the Season 1 episodes and the animation never reached quite the quality of this episode ever again.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by triplexxx

Out of curiosity, was Clayton Kellerman a take on any real talk show host or anyone else?

I think his last name, Kellerman, is a play on the fact he broadcasted from the basement.

[Icebot]

Very good episode. I like how Michaelangelo when he had stage fright, he got over it by telling Kellerman maybe he would understand if he did what the turtles do.

Did anyone like when Bebop said “Warthog power” the way the turtles say turtle power?

It was also scary, Shredder could have easily destroyed the turtles,

Spoiler:

he was in a perfect position to do so, he only couldn’t because Krang told him not to.

[oldmanwinters]

Existing thread for that episode discussion:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=28328

Find out which episodes have Talkback threads here:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=27789

[Wesley]

Not my favourite episode but definitively in my top ten for reasons already mentioned in this thread. I’ve always loved it, even knowing now that the scenes with Mikey’s nunchucks were cut in the Hero Turtles version. Notable for one of the few times in the series that Krang fights the Turtles.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

The animation in this episode is undoubtedly one of the show's best, and even though the same studio did other episodes in season 3, it never got quite as fluid as this one.

The action scenes alone deserve a lot of praise for all the fluidity and the little attentions to detail, such as when the turtles kick Bebop and Rocksteady, you actually see the two henchmen spit.

It may not seem like much in hindsight, but in a show where animation was infamous for being riddled with errors a lot of the time and rather cheap looking in the middle seasons, having an episode as gorgeous looking as this is a real treat.

In terms of the episode's actual plot, Clayton was a fun character for how despicably unlikable he was.

I did wish he appeared again, even though this episode didn't hint of any future re-appearances.

The turtles were good too in this episode for some funny lines, although the villains stole the show as usual for getting so close to victory multiple times in the episodes, not being defeated by the turtles, but by each other (It makes them look so much more dangerous, but stupid at the same time).

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Existing thread for that episode discussion:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=28328

Find out which episodes have Talkback threads here:
http://forums.thetechnodrome.com/showthread.php?t=27789

It's much better to create new threads rather than bumping those older, full with members who have now since long either left, or been banned,

[pferreira]

I do remember it being one of the best episodes of the season. Definitely a classic episode of the show.

Originally Posted by FredWolfLeonardo

The animation in this episode is undoubtedly one of the show's best, and even though the same studio did other episodes in season 3, it never got quite as fluid as this one.

Which studio did the animation? You know something we don't?

[Sumac]

One of the best episodes in season 2 and the series overall.

Generally I love episodes where Krang has something to do, besides, acting like a scorned wife in the Technodrome.

[Icebot]

Originally Posted by Sumac

One of the best episodes in season 2 and the series overall.

The episode is from season 3.

[Roseangelo]

This has always been my favorite episode.