OT Talkback thread- Enter the Rat King

[Coola Yagami]

Another claissc, and one of the first eps to not have Shredder and still have an awesome villian in his place. And Splinter being controlled to attack the turtles was cool.

[Cipher]

"Classic?" It was good, but I don't think any of the episodes so far can be considered "classics" yet. Let the series run a while longer before we decide which ones truly stand the test of time.

Also, how did you see this again so recently? I checked TV Guide and it isn't up for re-runs for a while. Is there a VHS release I missed?

[Hordak]

Yeah I would agree another good classic episode. Rat King is cool character who grew on me as years went by. Wasn't a big fan at first. I like it in the Red Sky seasons when he rocks the hat & trench coat like in Future Shark storyline from Archie comics.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

"Classic?" It was good, but I don't think any of the episodes so far can be considered "classics" yet. Let the series run a while longer before we decide which ones truly stand the test of time.

Also, how did you see this again so recently? I checked TV Guide and it isn't up for re-runs for a while. Is there a VHS release I missed?

1989 is already 20 years ago.

[oldmanwinters]

Rat King came across as simultaneously creepy and kooky in this episode. I loved how April kept smarting off to him, like kicking that bowl of slop he was offering her. And seeing Splinter fighting against the Turtles was a very interesting concept. Splinter really was upset that he could be manipulated so easily against those he loved. It's cool they revisited this theme again in "Were Rats from Channel Six." At least that time Splinter got his revenge!

BTW, I recently acquired the UK illustrated story book for this episode. And I also own the manga adaptation of this story. I'll have to post some scans sometime.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

It's one of the best episodes of season three. I liked how it was set in the sewers.

[shreddinghead]

OMG! Did the Rat king reply With "You're quite attractive when you're angry. Especially for someone without whiskers." when April kicked the ratatouille Soup bowl? :o:o XD

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

"Classic?" It was good, but I don't think any of the episodes so far can be considered "classics" yet. Let the series run a while longer before we decide which ones truly stand the test of time.

Also, how did you see this again so recently? I checked TV Guide and it isn't up for re-runs for a while. Is there a VHS release I missed?

The show had already been off air for 13 years when this thread was started.

[Pterobat]

It's still odd how creepy the Rat King comes off as: he's a Fred Wolf villain, but there's something disturbing about him that goes beyond his ability to control Splinter. Especially the crush he seems to have on April.

I guess the whole Pied Piper thing is a little dorky, but even still...

A supervillian able to control Splinter is a pretty cool and scary idea, though. Poor guy.

(I also can't help but notice that Splinter's features are completely different from those of the real rats we see in the sewers.)

BTW, I've never been able to look at the name "Rat King" the same way after finding out that the term was sometimes used to refer to a mass of rats that had become permanently entwined at the tails, sometimes with a lot of bonus disgusting substances. Their veracity is doubted, though.

http://www.weird-encyclopedia.com/rat-king.php

[Icebot]

I remember when the movie Ratottuei came out in 2007, it always reminded me of this episode, when the Rat King tried to serve the ratottuei to April. I used to think the Rat King made up that word until the movie came out.

[oldmanwinters]

The thing I like about the Fred Wolf version of the Rat King (at least in his early appearances) is that he's just so strangely content with being lord of the sewer rats.



BTW, I've never been able to look at the name "Rat King" the same way after finding out that the term was sometimes used to refer to a mass of rats that had become permanently entwined at the tails, sometimes with a lot of bonus disgusting substances. Their veracity is doubted, though.

http://www.weird-encyclopedia.com/rat-king.php

Good night, that is nasty. Just ewww...

[MikeandRaph87]

I have always wondered and if anyone knows why,of all the villians to be incroporated or created why The Rat King? There were a few others than this 18 month old one-shot. Why make him the #2 villain? Not complaining because I love his character and want to see him as close to this version as possible. Even if "I,Monster" was adapted in the 2003 cartoon I felt jipped that it was not The Rat King but The Slayer, Agent Bishop's inperfect clone.

[Pterobat]

I have always wondered and if anyone knows why,of all the villians to be incroporated or created why The Rat King? There were a few others than this 18 month old one-shot. Why make him the #2 villain? Not complaining because I love his character and want to see him as close to this version as possible. Even if "I,Monster" was adapted in the 2003 cartoon I felt jipped that it was not The Rat King but The Slayer, Agent Bishop's inperfect clone.

Probably because the Rat King lives in or near the Turtles' home turf and has the potential for some connection to Splinter, so it's easy to write stories about him being an antagonist for the Turtles.

"I, Monster," was a nicely creepy episode, though I wasn't really het up about there not being a "real" Rat King in the 4Kids Universe.

[oldmanwinters]

I know the Nick toon is about to give us a new incarnation of the Rat King, but I would totally love it if we something like WookieDookie Dan's version in official media one day:

http://wonderdookie.deviantart.com/art/Rat-King-137612111

(He's got a lot of the Fred Wolf charm but with a whole lot more creepiness!)

[MikeandRaph87]

I know the Nick toon is about to give us a new incarnation of the Rat King, but I would totally love it if we something like WookieDookie Dan's version in official media one day:

http://wonderdookie.deviantart.com/art/Rat-King-137612111

(He's got a lot of the Fred Wolf charm but with a whole lot more creepiness!)

It would be a meeting in the middle of '87 cartoon and Nicktoon versions. Just give him boots and a quick shave and I'm fine with it.

[shreddinghead]

I know the Nick toon is about to give us a new incarnation of the Rat King, but I would totally love it if we something like WookieDookie Dan's version in official media one day:

http://wonderdookie.deviantart.com/art/Rat-King-137612111

(He's got a lot of the Fred Wolf charm but with a whole lot more creepiness!)

He reminds me more of Gollum than the Rat King in many ways, his posture for starters.

[FlogginMcMurryZombiePizza]

Maybe it's just me but I always thought The Rat King should have been English (UK) since he's so close to being the Pied Piper.
Also... he's just disturbing! haha

It's interesting to see the new 2013 Rat King is a bit more bokor looking... almost a zombie

[Shark_Blade]

I just watched the episode.

I know April got kidnapped a lot of time before; but when Rat King carried her on his shoulder in the sewer, with the shadow silhouette on the sewer walls and April's hair flipped over.. the depiction is very creepy to me, very well done.

The jokes are entertaining in Vol.3, in this episode, the one I remembers:

1.
*turtles jumps on April who they assumed an enemy*
April: That's the second time you did that!
Raphael: And we'll keep doing it again till we get it right!

----
*Irma offers herself as hostage instead of April but got rejected*
Irma: Men! They always go for the red heads!
*kicks the Rat King*

:lol:

And I like that the new TMNT took inspiration from this episode. Master Splinter being mind controlled is fascinating to watch.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Maybe it's just me but I always thought The Rat King should have been English (UK) since he's so close to being the Pied Piper.
Also... he's just disturbing! haha



The Pied Piper of Hamelin is from Lower Saxony acording to Wikipedia.

[Taartru]

Just rewatched this ep. It was pretty cool not to see shredder in a bit more early episode.

My favourite part was the fight between the turtles and splinter, It was a good concept too.

[blindturtle02]

I remember seeing this one around April of 91 for the first time. I'd seen RK on CBS but since we didn't have cable, I missed some of the older episodes and had to catch them at a friend's house. Had no idea he got a debut episode until then. The cool thing about the 87 toon was that most of the time, they would give villains a chance to leave a first impression. I wish Scumbug and Antrax had gotten episodes like this, but that's another thread entirely. One of you authors of fanfic should write them btw. I'd read them.

Rat King is still one of my favorite villains. I loved his action figure as a kid, and I always got excited when he'd show up in the series. I think I enjoyed him so much because he was usually unpredictable. Controlling Splinter one episode, and attempting to take on Shredder and the turtles in order to swipe a pizza in another. This episode is probably my favorite involving RK. It felt a bit darker than some episodes, and I loved the Turtles VS Splinter fight. Townsend Coleman did a great job making the character creepy from an auditory perspective. Always fun to listen to this guy playing a villain.

[Lisardo]

OMG! Did the Rat king reply With "You're quite attractive when you're angry. Especially for someone without whiskers." when April kicked the ratatouille Soup bowl? :o:o XD

Yeah I always thought that was creepy, and funny how it slipped over our heads as kids watching it. Those OT writers - kind of perverted sometimes, :roll:

[Wesley]

One of my favourite eps. The Fred Wolf Rat King is my favourite version of the character and he was introduced well here.

[cammy85]

Excellent job for the first Non-Shredder episode of the series!! It's too bad he got too goofy in his later appearances save for Wrath of the Rat King even if he was just as dangerous.

[oldmanwinters]

Excellent job for the first Non-Shredder episode of the series!! It's too bad he got too goofy in his later appearances save for Wrath of the Rat King even if he was just as dangerous.

Honestly, I had no idea it was the first episode in which Shredder didn't appear at all!

[MikeandRaph87]

Honestly, I had no idea it was the first episode in which Shredder didn't appear at all!

Really? This is what made me think Rat King was the number two adversary. I always wondered 'why Rat King? Of the choices from the comics or ability to create original characters' thanks to this.

Rat King was a mysterious character,but I never liked how people thought he was neutral for the one good deed based on his attraction to April.

[cammy85]

The networks were very selective in the syndicated episodes they aired. I didn't learn about "The Great Boldini", "Pizza By The Shred" or "Return of the Fly" until a few years later. And overall, there were four syndicated episodes (not counting Europe or out of order) that didn't have Shredder and Co. at all.

[pferreira]

I loved the Rat King's psychedelic music, one of my main memories of the character.