So, is Donnie's crush on April gone?

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by PangolinFeets

Unpopular opinion: After all this, I hope not. They've had three seasons of this and if the show runners just decided to can that subplot because fans found it annoying, I'd be pissed. Resolve it in a mature and character-building way, please.

I'm sorry but character-building? You're serious? To these writers, it's permanently stuck "Will they or won't they?" mode and once it's "resolved" there will be nothing more that they can do with it because there is absolutely nothing and I mean nothing at the foundation. The writers know this deep down, which why this one trick pony will get drag on and on until the final episode.


I have total investment in Connie and Steven from Steven Universe then I will ever have over April and Donnie, because the writers understand that for the long haul of a show that it's not about how these two characters become a couple, it's about why these two are going to be together in the first place.



And in order to do that, they really need to understand the characters to go beyond the "will they or won't they?".

[victory_angel]

Donnie's crush has undergone an evolution over the series.

Season 1: Donnie is discovering love for the first time.

As I have said Donnie's love towards April is childish and obsessive. But as I have said, you can't expect someone who has never encountered the fairer sex to know how to behave around them. When Donnie falls head over heals in love with April, Raph points to that April is also the only girl he has ever seen.

Donnie: She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen.

Raph: Isn't she the only girl you've ever seen.

Splinter is the only one who seems to sense that Donnie's feelings were more then a simple crush. When Donnie pleads his case about wanting to save April, Splinter at first looks irritated that his third son is speaking out of turn. But then he senses something and goes to look at the image of his lost wife and child and we hear a sound of fire and the sound of a burning building.

So if this had been simple crush, Splinter would have said that the authorities will take care of the father and daughter. But this is a girl he hardly knows so they shouldn't risk their families safety for the sake of a couple of strangers. So Splinter had to sense there was something deeper there.

And through out that season Donnie has tried to get to know and spend time with April. But his shyness and fears of rejection make his efforts more awkward then anything else. And that at times makes his attempts at wooing her come across as creepy.

Season 2: There is a period of time where April wants nothing to do with the Turtles. But despite how angry she is at Donnie (and all the Turtles) about what happened to her father, there are points where it looks like she's trying to convince herself that divorcing herself from them is the best course of action. Such as when she walks away from Donnie in Target: April O'Neil there is a moment when she turns away that she looks more sad then angry.

Spoiler:

But after she returns April is torn between two guys she likes. Having a rival has had it's ups and downs given the two of them bicker, but when it matters Donnie and Casey do work well together. It also gives Donnie cause to stand up and prove himself about where his feelings with April actually do stand. And yes there is a moment where Donnie does try to confess his feelings to April. But April just tells him it's better to not talk, because it would only hurt more.

I agree with JTH that the action was like saying "Since were all going to die anyway, I might as well tell you how I feel." Also her dad was in the room. We don't know how he feels about his daughter dating, though if the suspicious look he has when April is returning home from the Argosy with Casey might indicate he doesn't approve. So it is likely she didn't want Donnie to stress her father out even more with the the idea of his daughter dating a mutant. And she acts like she has chosen Casey as a way of keeping Donnie from being distracted from the issue at hand.

Season 3:

Donnie has been forced to evaluate his feelings for April over the course of this season and has evolved in to a state where it no longer is obsessed with her. He still loves her, he still wants her to choose him. But he can't move forward to with her as a friend and significant other without accepting that in the end it would be her choice that he has to respect.

[Luckyday]

It sounds like April has a habit of responding to peer pressure. Trying to make everyone happy even when sometimes at the cost of her own happiness, but it's impossible to make everyone happy but she always damned to try.

This sounds like an real character flaw that is true to April! I really want the writers to go deep into this with showing that April has tendency to be a perfectionist by avoiding conflict and not speaking up when she needs to.

[yellowmario27]

Originally Posted by victory_angel

And even this episode when Donnie is telling Leo "If I can't find a cure...we may need to let her go."

Leo makes the a statement of that is along the lines of saying "We can't give up on her." And he ends it by saying "You know this..." as a way of stating "You also have a girl in your life that you would want to protect at any cost...so your of all people would understand what I'm going through."

I agree with this. It showed that Donnie does still have a crush on her

[Coola Yagami]

That's just more plot amnesia. I'm sure it'll be subdued until they make another episode that's mostly about the crush.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

I'm sorry but character-building. You're serious? To these writers, it's permanently stuck "Will they or won't they?" mode and once it's "resolved" there will be nothing more that they can do with it because there is absolutely nothing and I mean nothing at the foundation. The writers know deep down, which why this one trick pony will get drag on and on until the final episode.http://i.imgur.com/abtor4B.gif


I have total investment in Connie and Steven from Steven Universe then I will ever have over April and Donnie, because the writers understand that for the long haul of a show that it's not about how these two characters become a couple, it's about why these two are going to be together in the first place.

http://38.media.tumblr.com/ce5701b04...9dc9o7_500.gif

And in order to do that, they really need to understand the characters to go beyond the "will they or won't they?".

And in addition to the Steven/Connie relationship being much better written than April/Donnie, it's actually charming to watch. Steven and Connie just seem to spend time together like little kids just do, it doesn't feel the least bit awkward or strange. With Donnie and April there's this creepy stalker vibe from Donnie with the whole "I have measured the distance to her apartment from several angles and put together a flow chart to make sure she can't end a conversation with me...".

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by neatoman

And in addition to the Steven/Connie relationship being much better written than April/Donnie, it's actually charming to watch. Steven and Connie just seem to spend time together like little kids just do, it doesn't feel the least bit awkward or strange. With Donnie and April there's this creepy stalker vibe from Donnie with the whole "I have measured the distance to her apartment from several angles and put together a flow chart to make sure she can't end a conversation with me...".

Yes with Steven/Connie, the focus is not the destination, it's the journey. With April and Donnie on the other hand, there too much emphasis on how Donnie will "get" April and surprise surprise! There another love interest to fully make this a love triangle and make the goal a lot harder! The other love interest of course is a complete and utter douchebag; otherwise, we wouldn't possibly know who root for to get the girl. Right?

The more you realize how manipulating the writing of this "relationship" really is, the more shallow this pairing starts to look on the surface. Not matter what I will never buy this BS because so much of it seem like a marketing decision to score high ratings.

[Wolfie65]

They could do a realistic, life-like version.
April has a few kids with Shredder, Fishface, Bebop and maybe some Krang, but since none of them will pay child support, she cohabits with Casey, they fight on an hourly basis, break-up-&-get-back-together 2-3 times a week and have the cops over at least once a week for something 'domestic'.
She's become addicted to mutagen and considers herself a 'Goddess'.
After all the baby daddies have been either killed or ended up in jail or fled the country (planet?), she 'realizes' (......) how important Donnie is to her.
Because no one else will help her move when it's time to get away from the hockey stick.

[aliena]

The moment Donnie hugged Renet, I thought, hmmmm Donnie needs to get his own girl, one that cares for him because she mutually likes him and they have stuff in common. I know this is not a popular idea, but I'd rather Donnie fall for another girl than be with April at this point.

I just don't like her for him. He's too good for her IMO. I just can't get the way she treated him in Hampton's out of my head. I was so so happy that he was going to give up on her and move on with his life, why did she lure him back in?

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by aliena

The moment Donnie hugged Renet, I thought, hmmmm Donnie needs to get his own girl, one that cares for him because she mutually likes him and they have stuff in common. I know this is not a popular idea, but I'd rather Donnie fall for another girl than be with April at this point.

I just don't like her for him. He's too good for her IMO. I just can't get the way she treated him in Hampton's out of my head. I was so so happy that he was going to give up on her and move on with his life, why did she lure him back in?

I really don't know. She probably has issues. It's somewhere between of trying to make everyone happy, not knowing how to address the elephant in the room, and maybe a little bit of low self-esteem of wanting to feel special and admired. I mean she is a sixteen year old girl so it could be any of those things above. We made dumb impressional mistakes when we're young.

I wouldn't be shocked if she gets romance advice from harlequin novels whose book covers are of half naked men holding the female protagonist.

[Konchadunga]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

I'm sorry but character-building? You're serious? To these writers, it's permanently stuck "Will they or won't they?" mode and once it's "resolved" there will be nothing more that they can do with it because there is absolutely nothing and I mean nothing at the foundation. The writers know this deep down, which why this one trick pony will get drag on and on until the final episode.

I don't see why they're that constrained, actually. Yes; this romance isn't deep, but nor is it the be-all-and-end-all of this show. Frasier eventually got Niles and Daphne together on the basis of what started as nothing more than a boner, the show didn't end, and that show was excessively about relationships in a way that TMNT doesn't come close to being. That they can just drop this off the radar whenever they want gives lie to the idea that they couldn't have an actual end to it that doesn't end the series, and as to having April start spending more time with the Turtles, so what? It's not like the series has much human world established for her anyway. Whatever happens with the relationship hardly factors into the toy-selling, mutant-filled marketing strategy they're targeting their core demographic with.

No; the writers are not actually constrained by this shallow subplot. If there's any reason they aren't getting Don and April together, it's because they think that would creep people out, but I'd say that ship has sailed anyway. At least if this forum is anything to go by, people would be far less creeped out by a healthy inter-species relationship based on mutual affection and respect than they are by the current situation where each of them just comes off as various degrees of cowardly and manipulative, which would still be unpleasant even in the same species.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by aliena

The moment Donnie hugged Renet, I thought, hmmmm Donnie needs to get his own girl, one that cares for him because she mutually likes him and they have stuff in common. I know this is not a popular idea, but I'd rather Donnie fall for another girl than be with April at this point.

True. For someone so intellectually deep, his attraction is quite superficial.

You'd think at this point he'd have given thought over the reasons why he likes her, buuuut I guess love is blind as usual, in one way or another.

[Powder]

Hey man, sometimes you just can't help it.

Spoiler:

Though it's prolly just the booty.

[victory_angel]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

I wouldn't be shocked if she gets romance advice from harlequin novels whose book covers are of half naked men holding the female protagonist.
https://ezrawontshutup.files.wordpre...est_bones.jpeg

I don't think so on that. She has more things on her mind then wanting a boy friend. After all she has high school to complete, and she has to consider what college she wants to go to...what sort of career she is going to want. And on top of that she is aware of threats city and the entire world such as the Kraang and Foot Clan. These are things she can't just ignore just because she has school or for favor of having a relationship with a guy. And she knows that anyone who is involved with her will also be involved in the dangers that follow her because of her involvement with the Turtles and because of having Kraang DNA. She enjoys Donnie and Casey for who they are and she knows what she can offer her.

Relationship wise, she does lean toward Donnie. After all he is the only guy she has kissed ever in the series. She has a history with him, she knows him...she understands him, and while he's awkward and can come across as a puppy looking for attention. She knows he has her best interests and heart and that he truly cares about what she thinks and has to say.

Emotionally she is with Casey because she knows that is the more acceptable relationship. She can do things with Casey that she can't with Donnie, such as go to the movies grab pizza at a restaurant. Or even just hang out in the city. But Casey doesn't really understand April as a person, he only understands the person he perceives as April. He is also pushy and crude which does irritate April to the point where she straight up confronts him about what he wants from her. He also doesn't give much thought or consideration into what she thinks or feels about his actions or the stuff going on.

With Donnie, April has someone she can depend on. Someone who only wants to make her happy without any thought as to what he can get from her in return. She would have a group of people who would see her as one of their own, and even though they didn't have much to offer there is still enough to go around.

With Casey she can have someone she can sort of depend on. Someone who is there who wants to make her happy, but he also wants to protect her like a damsel. And has been known to make her laugh. But someone who would make perverse and low brow cracks or comment on wanting alone time with her at inappropriate times. And while Casey cares about her and can provide her a sense of normalcy. There is still a vibe that is in for the conquest but not for the commitment.

[victory_angel]

Originally Posted by IndigoErth

True. For someone so intellectually deep, his attraction is quite superficial.

You'd think at this point he'd have given thought over the reasons why he likes her, buuuut I guess love is blind as usual, in one way or another.

But the hug he gave Renet wasn't romantically inclined. It was more like a mirror to the moment where Mikey hugs April in "New Friend, Old Enemy".

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by Konchadunga

I don't see why they're that constrained, actually. Yes; this romance isn't deep, but nor is it the be-all-and-end-all of this show. Frasier eventually got Niles and Daphne together on the basis of what started as nothing more than a boner, the show didn't end, and that show was excessively about relationships in a way that TMNT doesn't come close to being. That they can just drop this off the radar whenever they want gives lie to the idea that they couldn't have an actual end to it that doesn't end the series, and as to having April start spending more time with the Turtles, so what? It's not like the series has much human world established for her anyway. Whatever happens with the relationship hardly factors into the toy-selling, mutant-filled marketing strategy they're targeting their core demographic with.

No; the writers are not actually constrained by this shallow subplot. If there's any reason they aren't getting Don and April together, it's because they think that would creep people out, but I'd say that ship has sailed anyway. At least if this forum is anything to go by, people would be far less creeped out by a healthy inter-species relationship based on mutual affection and respect than they are by the current situation where each of them just comes off as various degrees of cowardly and manipulative, which would still be unpleasant even in the same species.

I just don't understand the writers motives for starting it in the first place if they're so afraid of the backlash.

Ok so it has no effect on their toy sales, but they do use it on some level in marketing. Remember the web ads on Nick.com? Maybe they are not constrained by it but they will be damn if they're not going shoehorned it as much as possible. Hell, they probably have their people advising/ordering to never resolve it base on prior experience of seeing other tv's love interests getting together before it was over and ratings themselves plummeting dramatically.

But I guess as much it was shoehorned in the past, it has been on the back burner recently, but when it comes back for plot of the episode, it just feel so artificial now.

[Bry]

Originally Posted by victory_angel

Season 3:

Donnie has been forced to evaluate his feelings for April over the course of this season and has evolved in to a state where it no longer is obsessed with her. He still loves her, he still wants her to choose him. But he can't move forward to with her as a friend and significant other without accepting that in the end it would be her choice that he has to respect.

I'm pretty happy with this for now, and I'm hoping that having Donnie accept that she may not be into him and realizing he has to respect her choices will be very firmly established. They touched on that during the farm episodes, but seemed to swerve immediately back into the "will they, won't they" territory.

It'd be very refreshing to see him grow out of the Nice Guy routine and build a stronger platonic friendship with her in the end. It'd be a great message for the young boys watching, would make all of this storyline feel worth it having him (and her) get a more mature perspective on romance, and I think it'd be the best thing for the characters and their relationship besides.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by victory_angel

I don't think so on that. She has more things on her mind then wanting a boy friend. After all she has high school to complete, and she has to consider what college she wants to go to...what sort of career she is going to want. And on top of that she is aware of threats city and the entire world such as the Kraang and Foot Clan. These are things she can't just ignore just because she has school or for favor of having a relationship with a guy. And she knows that anyone who is involved with her will also be involved in the dangers that follow her because of her involvement with the Turtles and because of having Kraang DNA. She enjoys Donnie and Casey for who they are and she knows what she can offer her.

None of that has ever been said out loud or even implied in the show. In all honesty though, most of what we assumed how April's thinks or even feels are sometimes what we like to projected on to her. Most of what we can get are just little tiny soundbites of times she with Casey, meanwhile for Steven Universe, Connie gets two whole episodes dedicated to her interest and view points. There's no mystery of how she feels about Steven among many other things, but unlike April that's not the focal point of her entire character.

[IndigoErth]

Originally Posted by victory_angel

But the hug he gave Renet wasn't romantically inclined. It was more like a mirror to the moment where Mikey hugs April in "New Friend, Old Enemy".

http://screencapped.net/animation/tm...T1_04_0524.jpg

True, however I wasn't speaking of Renet or anyone in particular other than Donnie himself and not really having much in common with April.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Powder

Hey man, sometimes you just can't help it.

Spoiler:

Though it's prolly just the booty.

Nope, that's Casey.