Casey really did the RIGHT THING?

[D-ray]

Greetings comrades!
I recently rewatched the 4th season of the 4Kids adaptation (it's really nice, not the best season, but sure very interesting for the philosophical thoughts) and I stumbled across the classic episode of "Dragon Rising".

For whoever doesn't know the episode (which you should by the way), it basically tells the adventure of the turtles and Casey Jones trying to stop Hun from stealing technology from a plane.
The episode itself is good, nothing too special, except the protagonist who is Casey this time. In fact, the episode tells some flashbacks of his childhood, reminding the viewer the death of Casey's father and his life dedicated to avenge him.

Close to the end of the episode, Casey gets a chance to finally kill Hun and avenge his father, but gets dragged by a "flash of mercy" and spares the big guy. Obliviously Hun, being an a*****e, tricks Casey and tells him that his father was a fool and then escapes.



The episode ends with Casey turning back to the graveyard, "talking" to his father about "how he was right about doing the right thing".
Here, this is the point...

Did Casey actually do the right thing sparing Hun?
I mean, the flashbacks show how Casey's Father fought back Hun and the Dragons by telling the police about them, even after the Dragons told him that they would have burnt his shop in that instance. This was his action of doing the right thing, which is kind of ok.
Casey's Father very lickely sacrificed himself to free atleast his family from the Dragons and Hun.

Casey's "right thing" was sparing Hun (now a local very powerful burglar) just because he felt it like so. I don't know, it sounds very stupid to me.
But thinking about it, Casey is pictured as a naive guy other than a hothead, so maybe he thought that sparing Hun could have made him think about his bad actions or something.
Again, is ok is not a BAD thought, but the problem is how right it was to do so?

As I said, Hun is now a public danger, and he always has been: killing, exploiting and maybe even stealing people.
Casey's right thing to do was very likely end him, not only to avenge his father (which remember he gave his freaking life for his mother and him) but also to do a favor to New York itself (or even the world).

I know I over think about this cartoon, but I just refuse that some episodes are pulled off just because "EH", so I want to analyse them.

What do you guys think about Casey "right thing?"
You think he was right sparing him or not?

Let me know! Discuss!
(I highly suggest you to watch the whole episode in order to understand better, I'm not a god in grammar so I might not explained myself correctly).

[CyberCubed]

Usually the moral of kids shows is that good guys never kill bad guys, no matter how bad or evil the villains are. Good guys sparing the villains lives is a staple in fiction and usually gives the moral that people are supposed to, "do the right thing" and if they killed them they would be just as bad as they are.

Batman's entire character runs on this philosophy.

[Icebot]

I think Casey wanted vengeance on Hun for killing his dad. It was said in a later episode that you gotta be careful with vengeance because it’s like a splinter and can poison your mind

Spoiler:

and that’s exactly why Hamato Yoshi named his pet rat Splinter, to remind him of that

My guess is Splinter told Casey how vengeance is a bad idea so he may have had that in mind when he faced Hun.

[TMNachoT]

I think that, for a kid´s show, he did the right thing. Good epiosde.

[ABrown]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Usually the moral of kids shows is that good guys never kill bad guys, no matter how bad or evil the villains are. Good guys sparing the villains lives is a staple in fiction and usually gives the moral that people are supposed to, "do the right thing" and if they killed them they would be just as bad as they are.

What about Leonardo cutting off Shredder's head in Return to New York Part 3. Since he was an utrom, it didn't actually kill him. But Leonardo didn't know that at the time.

[Shark_Blade]

Love that Leo decapitated him. We got that in IDW comic too.

[D-ray]

Originally Posted by Icebot

I think Casey wanted vengeance on Hun for killing his dad. It was said in a later episode that you gotta be careful with vengeance because it’s like a splinter and can poison your mind

Spoiler:

and that’s exactly why Hamato Yoshi named his pet rat Splinter, to remind him of that

My guess is Splinter told Casey how vengeance is a bad idea so he may have had that in mind when he faced Hun.

Sure that's a nice point, but considering what Hun does, couldn't it be considered like "ignoring justice?"

Is basically like not interfering during a robbery, and you are a cop.
If Casey was just like "ah yes I would kill him so I could avenge my father" I'll be ok with that because killing Hun will sure not give your father back.
But still, considering the fact that keeping Hun alive is dangerous, I think that Casey's action was """egoist""".

Of course, as CyberCubed said, the show being for kids would easily avoid that teaching the kids that revenge is not good.
But picking it on a different, maybe more adult way, I think it was just wrong to do so.
One punch and he could have got rid of a public danger, saving other lives.

[D-ray]

Originally Posted by TMNachoT

I think that, for a kid´s show, he did the right thing. Good epiosde.

Well that's sure.
But try picking that chance out of the show.
If the same thing happened in the reality, what would have been a good thing to do to you?

[Teddygaming reviews]

personally this is my favourite episode of the season. I would like to say he did the right thing. if he did kill hun he would be no better than him. i will say this, if he did kill him it would have been a very interesting story arc and could of followed the story where casey felt guilty for killing a kid.

As it was said in my interview with chuck patton, he said that with these kinds of storys they wanted to push the heroes to edge but then relise that they are better than that, and that the censors would allow these kinds of story as a way to teach kids but i am guessing this pushed the censors to the limits.

[D-ray]

Originally Posted by Teddygaming reviews

could of followed the story where casey felt guilty for killing a kid.

Casey killed a kid? When?

[CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy]

Originally Posted by D-ray

Casey killed a kid? When?

Mirage Volume 1, "Shades of Gray"

[D-ray]

Originally Posted by CylonsKlingonsDaleksOhMy

Mirage Volume 1, "Shades of Gray"

Ahh in the comics! I thought he meant in the 2003 adaptation.
It was kind of unbelieveable if he meant that.