Classic Episode Talkback: Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter

[Mondo_Gecko]

I'm surprised there wasn't a thread for this already.

First off; I loved the idea of this episode. I loved that there is a mutant hunter. I loved seeing an animated version of Tokka and Rahzer, albeit more intelligent.

But because of the lack of continuity, this episode just seemed like a missed opportunity. Where where all the previously introduced mutants? Why include a bland evil villain that also happens to be a slug? And why animate unknown mutants with no background or development that we will never see again?

Let's start with Dirk Savage. Other then an obvious Nick Fury/Punisher ripoff, why couldn't he have been Captain Hoffman from the Anti-Turtle Squad or one of it's other members?

I'm glad to see two of the Punk Frogs and Mondo Gecko represented but where was Mona Lisa, Muckman & Joe Eyeball, Slash, Dirtbag & Groundchuck, Leatherhead, Ray or even Bebop & Rocksteady? The Turtles having to save an enemy would have been an interesting quandary. Where was Attila and Rasputin when they learned their two brothers were kidnapped? This was a great opportunity to showcase all the mutants previously seen.

As much as I liked seeing Tokka and Rahzar, they felt added in and really serve no purpose. The Turtles running into Bebop, Rocksteady, Leatherhead, Slash, Ray, Dirtbag or Groundchuck would have served the same purpose. A scene even involving Savage skulking the sewers and running into Mondo Gecko, Muckman or Ray would have been nice and added to the sewer world.

Maybe I'm biased because I love mutants and some of my favs were left out but I felt short changed.

What did everyone else think? Were there mutants you would have liked to appear or were you happy with the episode as is?

[CyberCubed]

I but where was Mona Lisa, Muckman & Joe Eyeball, Slash, Dirtbag & Groundchuck, Leatherhead, Ray or even Bebop & Rocksteady?

Shredder/Krang weren't in that episode, so why would Bebop/Rocksteady be? They were in the Technodrome not out on the streets.

And you actually mention Dirtbag/Groundchuck, two characters who aren't even on Earth? They were on the Shell-Ri-La planet and the same episode in the season shows them team up with Captain Dredd and they get captured there. Where did you get the idea they were on Earth?

As for Slash and Leatherhead, since David Wise had them in "Night of the Rogues" he probably didn't want to have them in another episode in the same season.

Otherwise this is indeed a great episode, and I loved seeing Rahzar and Tokka.

[MikeandRaph87]

I don't feel that Razhar and Toka were wasted and could have easily been substituted for as they served a generic purpose. I do believe that it was a wasted opportunity not using the duo a second time. So much to build off of! Finding out like Donatello did in Secret of The Ooze that they were just random accidents and their finding Shredder, their "father".

Not wanting classic characters we loved as kids and still do as adults? Leatherhead made two of his four appearances within seven episodes.

I don't understand why the bird and the female giraffe and two others were used as background characters when it could have been a couple of others. Ray and Mona Lisa would have been the best choices for this particular episode as background characters with speaking parts.

The concept was great,but the randomness of the slug wanting to rule all mutants I didn't care for much simply because he could have been as mentioned above the backroller of the anti-turtle squad. The man could have given the city treasurey the finances for the project. Hoffman would not have worked because the slug-man was rich and Hoffman would be one with more of a military character.

I got a little irritated with Michelangelo and Leonardo getting constantly captured forcing Raphael and Donatello as the rescue team. They should have mixed it up some.

Multiple missed opportunities but still a great episode!

[CyberCubed]

I love Rahzar in this episode. This proves that Rahzar and Tokka can be more than the "dumb babies" they were in the second movie.

Rahzar can be a vicious wolf mutant, there was so much potential there. I find it funny how small Tokka was though compared to his movie counterpart.

I really hope Nick brings them back.

[cammy85]

One of my all time favorites, and from the already awesome Season 7. :)

Tokka and Rahzar make their sole OT appearance and were portrayed the same way Bebop and Rocksteady were in the first season. Pretty dangerous, even without machine guns for backup.

Having the frogs in an episode without Shredder and Krang (ignoring Leonardo, Renaissance Turtle) was pretty cool and having Mondo Gecko there was icing on the cake, showing that he does get along with the other Turtles well.

Dirk Savage was well done and a dangerous threat and A.J. Howard's revelation was cool. I will always remember when this episode first came out and Grandma was watching with me. When he revealed he was a mutant slug, she first thought he was an alien and laughed. :)

One of my favorites for sure. :)

[DVD]

I'm into disc two of S7 now. This appears later, perhaps disc 3. I can't recall this, and it all sounds really good, but decided to watch the next episodes in order.
I'll probably be the whole set in a week.
I'm expecting to watch seasons 8, 9 and 10 in single hits over three nights.

[cammy85]

It's on Disc 4 of Season 7. Trust me, it's one of the best episodes of the OT!!

[DVD]

Got onto this one last night.
Great episode. The disc it was on starts with the rouges episode, so there two episodes which made use of a bunch of old enemies and other characters.
The Dirk Savage character looked good. He should have been a figure.
The SOTO characters appearance was a nice touch, and their interplay was amusing.
The episode had a lot going for it, and overall I really enjoyed it.

[KG5000]

One of my fave eps.

I actually mistook Dirk's manly tones for Steve Blum's.

The moment when Dirk casually punched AJ Howard in the side of his head caused me and my sister much hilarity.

[miru]

In the 2k3 series, any time mutants were shown en masse, they were all.mindless bug monsters. Would it have killed them.to have Groundchuck and Dirtbag, the Punk Frogs, Bebop and Rocksteady, Jagwar, or even Walkabout?


Also, I would like a similar episode in the Nick show. Amongst the mutants Dirk (or whoever) gets would include Snakeweed, Spiderbytez, Pete, Tyler,,Leatherhead, Chong, and some from the old Toon who debut here. Also he would confuse Usagi/Sonic for a mutant, kicking off a crossover.