Episode Talkback "Split-Second"

[Cipher]

"Split-Second", Season 9, Episode 184

I've been staying in my room sick today and just chanced upon this episode online. I honestly don't think I'd ever seen it before. I was amazed. I remember a lot of the Dregg era episodes being kind of a bore, but this is easily one of the most entertaining episodes of the series. Chronos is a great, if slightly derivative, villain and I wish he'd come back. The action is intense, the animation is good for the most part, and it really keeps you hooked until the end.

I also like how it played up Dregg as a peripheral threat despite his short appearance in the episode.

Hands down one of the best episodes of the original series, and it really proves my point that if the red sky era had expanded its horizon beyond "all Dregg all the time" it could've really been great.

[NameGoesHere1066]

just for the hell of it i watched this on youtube, and it is actually pretty good. It almost had a Batman feel to it. I liked how there was some real peril to it.

Though I don't remember the instance where the turtles tyed this guy up in a bell tower. :-? Was this in a past episode or an off screen scrape?

[Cipher]

Was this in a past episode or an off screen scrape?Just part of the off-screen background for this episode.

[shuriken]

Yeah i remember this episode. I like how the dud ebecame completely obsessed by the TMNT and was like WTF when they did their Mega Mutation thing.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I never liked that episode.

[Icebot]

In the beginning of the episode, Leo said it was late afternoon. Later, just after that machine behind the billboard was destroyed, if you notice on the clock at the bank it says 17:22. That means 5:22 PM. Yet the sky was still red and dark as if it were nighttime. I would think the only time it could be dark at that hour is if it were close to the winter solstice. And nobody was really dressed like it was November, December or January. But I guess it was meant to be like that since this is one of the Red Sky episodes.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

In the beginning of the episode, Leo said it was late afternoon. Later, just after that machine behind the billboard was destroyed, if you notice on the clock at the bank it says 17:22. That means 5:22 PM. Yet the sky was still red and dark as if it were nighttime. I would think the only time it could be dark at that hour is if it were close to the winter solstice. And nobody was really dressed like it was November, December or January. But I guess it was meant to be like that since this is one of the Red Sky episodes.

Mot episodes were set in spring or summer. I can't recall any autumn or winter (except Krang's or some crazy scientist's weather expirements..).

[Icebot]

Raphael sorta acted like new toon Raph considering how angry he was (mostly toward that Chronos guy) in this episode. Then at the end of the episode, he was angry with anyone who would talk about time and clocks.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Raphael sorta acted like new toon Raph considering how angry he was (mostly toward that Chronos guy) in this episode. Then at the end of the episode, he was angry with anyone who would talk about time and clocks.

In "A Thing About Rats" it looks like he's going to kill Baxter Stockman, pointing his sai towards him.

[TurtleGuy]

I'm watching this episode right now. Is it just me or does Chronos look a little bit like Jammerhead?

[Cipher]

I'm watching this episode right now. Is it just me or does Chronos look a little bit like Jammerhead?He looks more like Jim Carrey's Riddler than anything (and took a lot of his cues from that role), but yeah, I can see where you're coming from.

[TurtleNinja]

Ahh old retro TMNT... haven't seen this one yet. I guess I should review the entire TMNT saga from beginning to end, I have enough time before TMNT Forever and TMNT 2011 :)

I miss the thrill of new TMNT episodes T_T

[Coola Yagami]

ahh old retro tmnt... Haven't seen this one yet. I guess i should review the entire tmnt saga from beginning to end, i have enough time before tmnt forever and tmnt 2011 :)

i miss the thrill of new tmnt episodes t_t

do eeeet!!!

[TurtleNinja]

do eeeet!!!

I'll TRY!! :P

[MikeandRaph87]

This whole season was lacking but then this episode did not involve Dregg until he was unneccessarily thrown in at the end. Chronos, a man who attempted to rob the City Treasury already a badegg goes crazy thanks to the TMNT though where else would they have left him? The TMNT can't waltz into police headquarters or contact the unless April does after they leave.
Carter's role could have been taken up by Casey Jones easily however the character is put to good use and its bothersome as he can be. The site of the ball drop was cool to see. Its not often that actual locations in New YOrk City are used in this show or anything TMNT really. An odd and interesting threat and good plot with jokes and yet serious ramifications. To me its easily the best of this 8 episode set!

[Sage Ninja]

I'm gonna go on record and say this was one of my favorite episodes of Red Sky right next to Show Down. I really liked Chronos, he was an interesting villian and I would have liked more villians like this to show up in the series instead of all the wacky one shot mad scientists that popped up all the time in later seasons. He is indeed feel like a batman villian. He was like a cross between the Clock King, the Riddler, and the Joker. Also I could be wrong but he sounds like he is voiced by Matt Frewer. All in all he was just a deliciously delightful villian.

Also I liked Raphael's attitide in this episode. He was very 2k3 Raph-esch in this episode. I think this goes to show how well Rob Paulsen could pull off both roles of smart-ass jokster and tough guy.

[Xav]

He is indeed feel like a batman villian. He was like a cross between the Clock King, the Riddler, and the Joker. It's funny you say that because David Wise the person who wrote this episode, also wrote the origin episodes for the Riddler and Clock King from Batman the animated series.

[MikeandRaph87]

Wise has been known to reuse some plots with different situations. I am not sure if he was the writer for both but we saw the turtles deaged to five twice and the villain controlled heat three times once Shredder/Krang, another time Professor Sofo, and finally Dregg. He did not write the last one of course. The same traits or plots in different situations obiviously work. I enjoy the second deaged turtles for example but not crazy over the firs time. He is the best writer the TMNT ever had beyond the original team.

Sage, what is a Mokkori,btw??

[Sage Ninja]

Sage, what is a Mokkori,btw??

OQ0GeTz9ImE

:D :P

[oldmanwinters]

It's funny you say that because David Wise the person who wrote this episode, also wrote the origin episodes for the Riddler and Clock King from Batman the animated series.

The King of Recycled Cartoon Plots strikes again!

The one difference between Clock King and Chronos was that one was actually... cool.

Can't beat the fashion sense of Tempus Fugate.

[Jelly Bean]

OQ0GeTz9ImE

:D :P

WTF? What does this have to do with anything?

this episode was great. I was even able to like Carter a little bit more.

[Xav]

In "A Thing About Rats" it looks like he's going to kill Baxter Stockman, pointing his sai towards him. Yeah but he was only threatening to get sarcastic.

[MikeandRaph87]

Yeah but he was only threatening to get sarcastic.

I hope we get a scarcasatic hothead. Those two traits need to be blended better instead of ignoring the scarcasm part which I enjoy better of the two traits.


Jellybean,I asked Sage what her status meant. After one reached 1,500 post a person can change their status to whatever they which and I did not know what your status meant so she posted the picture to show me. No big deal. I am appreciative of learning what her status meant.

[NameGoesHere1066]

The King of Recycled Cartoon Plots strikes again.

do you think this makes him less of a writer?

[oldmanwinters]

do you think this makes him less of a writer?

No, I think he was just doing what he had to do to make a living at a time when kid's animation writing was not considered to be an especially respectable profession. I still consider him one of the best of his generation.

Wise's stories may not always have been original, but they generally evidence a consistent cohesion of internal logic and certain storytelling techniques that are able to balance exposition and action scenes. He pretty much had the "formula" down pat and just filled in the show-specific details after copying & pasting his story templates.