Official Episode Discussion S2 #15 "Mazes and Mutants"

[Machias Banshee]

DcmZSqAY_EA

I love the ICKitty cameo... :D

So, the boys had a crazy few weeks with Kraang and they've decided to sit down and play with this old board game they fished out of the trash.

I've never played D&D.. my brothers may have 20 or 30 years ago... so some of this stuff is foreign to me. But the boys seem to have picked the game up quick and had themselves a good time. I particularly like the Awesome Ring made with an old hoseclamp... kids know how to improvise.

The vibe I get from Splinter is "don't sit around playing games, go outside or something!" So it appears Leo's set up a tunnel for them to act out their LARPing characters.

The strange critter with the olde English... we'll find out who they are and what they're up to eventually.


WILL THE BOYS ESCAPE FROM THEIR WEIRD LARPING ENTRAPMENT?!
HOW WILL THIS TIE INTO THE MAIN STORYLINE?!
WHAT VOICE ACTOR IS GOING TO GIVE US THE BIRD('s voice)?!


As with before, we'll open this up at midnight for those who can get the episode early. :) The poll will be posted after the show airs on TV.

STAY TUNED!!

[Machias Banshee]

Enjoy! :)




~Machias

[MsMarvelDuckie]

It's airing today? Great, this will be just the thing to cheer me up once it hits you-tube later this week! (As it eventually will.)

[LH]

Leatherhead!!!...:tgrin:

Well, even though it wasn't the real Leatherhead... It was really cool to see him again! His animation in season 2 looks absolutely AMAZING, and it looks like Sir Malachi has an imaginary pal in him and the monkey goblins. :tsmile: I also liked Mikey's reaction to seeing him again...

"But I thought you were gone forever dude!"... A nice throwback to the events of TCRI and how Mikey reacted when he sacrificed himself through the portal...

[Zulithe]

Yay, episode continues to air just after midnight for digital buyers! Loving this trend.

Finished watching it a bit ago.

Love the costumes and all the roleplay and LARP stuff, I played a lot of those types of games growing up.
Raph's Turkey head and the "angry" turkey :) Some fantastic GIF material in this episode guys.
Some CGI model re-use in leatherhead and the monkey... something we have come to expect, but it was pretty clever this time.
Sheesh how many times can you fall through a floor in one episode? A lot apparently! Somewhat disappointed with "the maze" honestly looks like they re-used the same corridor over and over until the very end.
Sir Malachai definitely a very over the top character, was cool for an episode but wonder if they'd find a use for him in the future? He promised the turtles he wouldn't do this again so... when i first saw his design, I was pretty excited. But now that i've seen the episode, as a character I'd rate him similar to The Pulverizer... he's more of a jokey/pathetic character unfortunately.

In the end, this episode will be the source of a lot of great quotes and gifs I guess. But in terms of the plot or action it doesn't hold up to some of the better episodes. It was still a fun change of pace before the turtles return to their ooze-hunting duties for next week. I will always remember and appreciate this episode as the turtles/Dungeons & Dragons homage that combined two of my favorite things.

[Vicky82]

Just watched the episode, it was funny, had some good references but not the best episode i'm afraid. Will post my thoughts later.

[LivingMutagen]

YOU SHALL NOT PASS.
My awesome.

My gosh, all the LOTR references. Even the turtles kinda were
Leo: Aragorn
Donnie: Gandalf
Mikey: Legolas
Raph: Gimli

And Malachi's backstory. And the Rockwell, April, ICK and Leatherhead cameos. So awesome.

(watched it on a stream again)

[TurtleTitan97]

Aw man, I laughed so hard at Turkey Raph.:tlol:

[NinjaPug]

For those that saw it, who voiced Sir Malachi?

[Kanon]

For those that saw it, who voiced Sir Malachi?

Turtlepedia:
Voiced by Paul Reubens

[NinjaPug]

Thanks Kanon.

That's awesome. Pee-Wee Herman voiced Malachi.

[Shark_Blade]

Love it! Lol Mikey's ancient time "I don't wanna live in the 1980s"!

And tonnes of LOTR and Hobbits references! "You shall not pass!" :lol:

I thought Malachi was a sympathetic character, he's definitely a lot better than annoying Timothy.

[ticktack]

I've yet watched the first 8 minutes and have questions
Why would sparrow pick April, put her in as a princess role, why would he have captured her, how, how he knows her, why would the turtles care, how was he sure about that the turtles would pass some tasks built by him with saving or putting as aim of rescuing April, and I'd say for exploiting a person for some reason that sparrow one way or another should pay for that by April or... folks or at least be reasonable, couldn't get anything from him(his reasonability or have a revenge or he to do something for himself to be forgived >:() is shame and/because then you will be seen and/or labeled as a weakling .. by who you'd ask, from a team and from a team that's kinda constantly saves you:toops::tcry: and then a gratitude etc etc. couldn't she all in all save herself during her trouble-time, couldn't the sparrow thought out and brought up other aims, and I'd say like good ones not the ones that are rely/based on the threat? Like bring up for a good reward and they enjoy the game and their time at the same time. What was the purpose for doing or making of this mess all in all?(maybe I will get if I watch the episode fully)

[Vicky82]

I've yet watched the first 8 minutes and have questions
Why would sparrow pick April, put her in as a princess role, why would he have captured her, how, how he knows her, why would the turtles care, how was he sure about that the turtles would pass some tasks built by him with saving or putting as aim of rescuing April, and I'd say for exploiting a person for some reason that sparrow one way or another should pay for that by April or... folks or at least be reasonable, couldn't get anything from him(his reasonability or have a revenge or he to do something for himself to be forgived >:() is shame and/because then you will be seen and/or labeled as a weakling .. by who you'd ask, from a team and from a team that's kinda constantly saves you:toops::tcry: and then a gratitude etc etc. couldn't she all in all save herself during her trouble-time, couldn't the sparrow thought out and brought up other aims, and I'd say like good ones not the ones that are rely/based on the threat? Like bring up for a good reward and they enjoy the game and their time at the same time. What was the purpose for doing or making of this mess all in all?(maybe I will get if I watch the episode fully)

You should really watch the episode before you look at the spoiler.

April is there friend that's why and I guess it was referencing to the OT where April got captured alot. April wasn't really captured, she was an illusion. Also I guess it's forshadowing to next weeks episode were Baxter captures April

[ticktack]

this show gets a ''yellow card'' for
1. trying to shove an axe or threatened with one's life because you were so angry and to a newly appeared antagonist and on tv
2. bird poop. could use the same otherwise i.e. not to be obvious - it's a rock, or skip that?

April is there friend that's why and I guess it was referencing to the OT where April got captured alot. April wasn't really captured, she was an illusion. Also I guess it's forshadowing to next weeks episode were Baxter captures April
no, it's also an overused trope in games. April really being strong or weak they will turn her into she being in need. With princess I can see a justifyment of saving the one who is in a higher position... well, because the kingdom needs her, she's needed, she's possibly a great ruler for her/the kingdom.

Vicky82, April the OT was a busy, working woman, she went to risky places to gain a new storyshe was a news reporter and that she got a boss who was very demanding. Nick April just relies on turtles more(no, I'm not comparing with other Aprils), she's young(I supposed she had a lot of time for herself and have a ninja training if and when she is willing to), and other thing is that she has a Krang plot going on and she got problems with them becausethey chase her for some reason.

[Ninjinister]

Turtlepedia:
Voiced by Paul Reubens

Not 100% sure on that. Someone's been adding that for 2 days without a source. If someone can confirm via credits, I'd appreciate it.

[Vicky82]

Not 100% sure on that. Someone's been adding that for 2 days without a source. If someone can confirm via credits, I'd appreciate it.

Yeah it does say on the credits.

[CyberCubed]

Episodes like this show why CG usage is disappointing. The maze was exactly the same corridors over and over again until the final room. If this were a cartoon instead it would look totally different.

Also did Mikey just say, "Son?" Why are they having him speak in ebonic slang?

It was an OK episode overall, wasn't particularly impressed.

[Jon_Talbain]

This episode was quite a bit different than I first anticipated. And I thought Sir Malachi was going to be more of an actual threat and possibly be at least a century old. It was a bit anti-climatic on who he actually is. I enjoyed the episode mainly because Leatherhead was in it in some form.

[super curry max]

Not 100% sure on that. Someone's been adding that for 2 days without a source. If someone can confirm via credits, I'd appreciate it.

i was racking my brain trying to figure out where i heard that voice before then it hit me. Sounded exactly like BATMITE from Batman brave and the bold who was voiced by paul reubens.

so i think it would be correct.

[CyberCubed]

The line about Mikey thinking medieval times meant the 1980's was hilarious. The 80's are so long ago now yet its when TMNT started. :lol:

[pannoni1]

IMO this episode is akin to Leonardo versus Tempestra in the OT, where this time instead of an arcade machine coming to life its an RPG. But it doesn't too as good of a job using imagination as this one, even including the heavy cliched "use your imagination". At least Splinter does mention about finding more mutagen and the Turtles have recently pounded Shredder/Kraang, so it has that typical episodic yet comedic tone to it. I felt Sir Malachi was ok, but doesn't have that much of a personality. I agree the CG background limitations made the maze seem rather boring in design, and the fighting wasn't as good as other episodes. They could have done a better job with the Raphael as a turkey sound effects, and having just the head covered was something. The cliches of an RPG game were just so predictable that it feels like this episode was written in about 30 minutes. The riddles were somewhat telling but rather meh. I myself enjoyed the 2D show-within-a-show scene better personally.

The Bottom line: Enjoy for some laughs, but not for action and take it as a satire of the main storylines of the franchise.

Overall: 5/10

[bridgegrn]

This episode reminds me of a story my mom's friend told me.Back in the 80s I guess he knew Eastman and Laird, pre TMNT, and while they were playing D&D they told him about the comic they were working on about mutated turtles who know ninja. My mom's friend thought it was silly and didn't think much of it. The rest is history.

[MrTMNT2012]

Lord of the Rings + TMNT = This AWESOME Episode!

Never laughed this hard during an Episode, and the whole set-up was just really fun stuff!

[CyberCubed]

To be honest I never cared for larp or real-life role playing. The whole thing always sounded so awful and boring to me.

Is this what nerds did in real life before online multiplayer RPG's were created? Glad I wasn't born in ancient times.

[Ninjinister]

Also did Mikey just say, "Son?" Why are they having him speak in ebonic slang?


You need to learn what ebonic slang is.

[CyberCubed]

You need to learn what ebonic slang is.

I've never seen anyone use the term, "Son" to describe someone not of relation to them other than that type of slang.

Between that and the dudebro fist-bumps that are working their way into modern society, this is stuff I never saw growing up when I was a kid.

[pannoni1]

To be honest I never cared for larp or real-life role playing. The whole thing always sounded so awful and boring to me.

Is this what nerds did in real life before online multiplayer RPG's were created? Glad I wasn't born in ancient times.

Pretty much, since you can see actual dice being used. If you really want to see, just try out TMNT and Other Strangeness. It can be very creative and forces you to use your imagination more than a digital RPG. But of course not all nerds did this, typically the same audience that does the Multiplayer RPG's today, with traditional RPGs mostly as a form of nostalgia from the original audience who played with them. I'm just disappointed that Nick didn't base this episode off of the Palladium series because it would have been fun to see an animated version of one of the pioneering moments of the franchise. Anyone remember the Heroes Unlimited RPG's?

[Vicky82]

As I said earlier, not the best episode so far this series but had some good and funny moments and had lot's of references But it was a weak/filler episode. It could have done with more monsters/traps and the fighting wasn't great.

Good moments

-The Turtles costumes were great I like how they made them using stuff in the lair. I like Leo's cape it has a duck on it and his helmet with rulers on the side of it. I also like Donny's staff with a snowglobe on it.
-ICK giving Splinter a cheese - sickle
-Cameos (even though only Illusions) of April, Dr Rockwell and Leatherhead
-Leo holding Donny back when they think Sir Malachi captured April
-Sir Malachi backstory - He is a mutant sparrow, turns out he's a kid called Martin Marvin who was obsessed with Mazes and Mutants game,

Funny moments
Mikey thinks the 1980's is the medieval times
Mikey thinks Sir Malachi talking in Spanish
Raph's head turns into a turkey head
Exploding bird poop coming out of Sir Malachi's butt


The Lord of The Rings References
Mikey gettin obsessed with the ring and acting like Gollum,
Donny shouting 'You Shall not Pass'
Sir Malachi saying ' Fellowship of the Turtles'
Raph saying he doesn't do rings

[CyberCubed]

I would have rathered Malachi not be a mutant and simply being a transdimentional being.

[LivingMutagen]

Wait, Raph is voiced by Sean Astin, otherwise known as Samwise Gamgee from the LOTR films. And he said he doesn't do rings was a pretty cool reference to that.

[blindturtle02]

I thought it was a pretty fun episode. Manhattan Project blew me away, so this one honestly felt like a deep breath before the plunge. See what I did there? Loved the new mutant. I was thinking he'd turn out to be another adversary for episodes to come, but it's nice to see the guys hopefully gaining a potential ally later on. Loved all of the LOTR references. Raph would definitely make a great Gimleyesk character. How'd you guys like Paulsen's Ian McKellen impersonation? I was hoping we'd get one of those! ha!

I wasn't expecting the writers to go into Martin's origin but was pleasantly surprised. Hoping we see him again at some point. He needs to be roomies with Pete. I'm curious as to how Martin was able to effect the turtles' minds. Is this some crazy mutant power kinda thing? Or is he taking lessons from Mandrake The Magician? Master of magic spells and elusion, enemies crumble in fear and confusion and all that. Kidding. Seriously though, I'm interested in this guy's abilities. Hope we find out more in a future episode. As always, Ciro and crew had me captivated until the very end. Just got a TV pass on amazon instant vid and am absolutely stoked for what is still to come. Next weekend can't get hear fast enough! Bring on Baxter!

[TigerClaw]

Finally saw the episode, Thought it was pretty good, Loved all the LOTR references.

I don't think we heard the last of Sir Malachi

[Xav]

So how exactly does Sir Malachi have magic powers, and how the heck does he know who April, Dr. Rockwell, and Leatherhead are?
IMO this episode is akin to Leonardo versus Tempestra in the OT, where this time instead of an arcade machine coming to life its an RPG.Nah this episode is more akin to SuperQuest from BTTS.

[snake]

Darn....I missed it. I'm currently downloading it on iTunes.

[ticktack]

I've remembered that the mutant sparrow when saying dragon, he didn't mentioned or said Leatherhead and I like it: it's like unexpected and woah flametrowing LH, is he a dragon? And with an anthromorpopic ape the turtles(Leo) supposed him or them to be monkey goblins in a game and later said he is like a character they met before. Sparrow directly said princess April, he could have said just princess.? And when telling the rules.
Some episodes back April was offended when she was called a princess, Karai called her that way.

Is it that "princess" is a diminishing trait... inahdasshow?

[Ninjinister]

I've never seen anyone use the term, "Son" to describe someone not of relation to them other than that type of slang.

Between that and the dudebro fist-bumps that are working their way into modern society, this is stuff I never saw growing up when I was a kid.

Just because you lived a sheltered life doesn't mean you get to be a racist.

[Xav]

Doesn't Stone Cold call people son?

[VaughnMichael]

I thought it was an ok episode, kind of pointless really.
I liked Sir Malachi but this episodes leaves tuns of questions open.
I guess though perhaps he could read the guys minds and that's how he knew who all of those other characters are?
Mikey's 1980's line was probably the best part of the episode for me.
I actually found this mornings show to be quite annoying as Mikey was really over the top + the commercials that Nick ran made me want to jab my eyes and ears out.

[ToTheNines]

Fun episode. Couple of plot holes regarding Malachi and his powers, but I'm glad they just had a light hearted episode after the epic Manhattan Project.

I want to figure out if they're using an alternate for any of Leo's lines though. It's happened several times this season, and he sounded so weird when he said "that's not the real Leatherhead.



Also did Mikey just say, "Son?" Why are they having him speak in ebonic slang?

I've never seen anyone use the term, "Son" to describe someone not of relation to them other than that type of slang.

Between that and the dudebro fist-bumps that are working their way into modern society, this is stuff I never saw growing up when I was a kid.

You are such a loser.

[victory_angel]

I've remembered that the mutant sparrow when saying dragon, he didn't mentioned or said Leatherhead and I like it: it's like unexpected and woah flametrowing LH, is he a dragon? And with an anthromorpopic ape the turtles(Leo) supposed him or them to be monkey goblins in a game and later said he is like a character they met before. Sparrow directly said princess April, he could have said just princess.? And when telling the rules.
Some episodes back April was offended when she was called a princess, Karai called her that way.

Is it that "princess" is a diminishing trait... inahdasshow?\

Donnie has also called April his "Sweet Princess" as in yelling "Hey guys, my Sweet Princess is Alive...(whispers to April on T-Phone) Please say I muted that.

[blindturtle02]

Fun episode. Couple of plot holes regarding Malachi and his powers, but I'm glad they just had a light hearted episode after the epic Manhattan Project.

I want to figure out if they're using an alternate for any of Leo's lines though. It's happened several times this season, and he sounded so weird when he said "that's not the real Leatherhead.





You are such a loser.

ToTheNines, yeah I noticed that alternate Leo voice in Manhattan Project,"Your real name is Miwa!" And there were a few bits in I wanna say Follow The Leader? Been a while since I rewatched my amazon eps. Yeah, also wondering about Malachi's powers. Hoping they go into more of that later on.

[BabyTurtles]

I actually didn't like it......felt bad for the bird dude though....and the 1980's medieval joke was pretty funny.

but the rest.....meh......it felt weird...IDK.

[Vicky82]

IGN gave it 8.2

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/04/27/teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-mazes-mutants-review

[snake]

Great episode, it was crazy and fun at the same time. I do have a few questions though. Where did Malichi get his powers? Also, did the same guy who voiced Batmite from Batman: BATB voice Malichi? All the LOTR references make me laugh.



10/10

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Sounds like this episode will be right up my alley! When I can finally watch it, that is. So Paul Reubens is the bird? Somehow, that doesn't surprise me. Funny thing, I was just talking about him with my other half the other day, too. Mostly how we hadn't seen him do much of anything since Pee-Wee and his role in the Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie. (That the show was later based on.)

TMNT playing D&D? Awesome! I sometimes run D&D games with a few friends when I can get a group together (Yes, it IS still a thing, and is a lot of fun!) on a regular basis. Our games are done around the table, though- I haven't done any LARPing in YEARS. It was a lot of fun when I did, though. And Raph saying he doesn't do rings is ironically funny, considering who his VA is! (Makes me wonder though- how would that story have been different if Samwise was the ring-bearer?)

[CyberCubed]

I thought it was an ok episode, kind of pointless really.
I liked Sir Malachi but this episodes leaves tuns of questions open.
I guess though perhaps he could read the guys minds and that's how he knew who all of those other characters are?
Mikey's 1980's line was probably the best part of the episode for me.
I actually found this mornings show to be quite annoying as Mikey was really over the top + the commercials that Nick ran made me want to jab my eyes and ears out.

That Breadwinners show looks so god awful. Reminds me the commercials of all these shows airing on Nick reminds you how far cartoons have fallen and gone downhill. I fear for kids growing up today.

[ObiWanFan4life]

Good episode, here's my thoughts:

-The first few minutes of the episode felt like an episode of Seinfeld.

- Props to nick for getting Pee Wee Herman to be Sir Malachi.

- Loved all of the Lord of the Rings references.

- Hmm, I didn't know they made Cheese Popsicles.

8/10. Good episode, but not perfect.

[VaughnMichael]

That Breadwinners show looks so god awful. Reminds me the commercials of all these shows airing on Nick reminds you how far cartoons have fallen and gone downhill. I fear for kids growing up today.
It is, I watched it once waiting for TMNT to come on.

[ObiWanFan4life]

It is, I watched it once waiting for TMNT to come on.

Ugh, you don't know the half of it.

[Asha]

The background music was noticeably great this episode.

[BabyTurtles]

Man I feel bad for not liking the episode......maybe it's because I don't really know much about D&D and Lord of the Rings....so I didn't get the references...

except the obvious ones like Mikey getting obsessed with his ring and "you shall not pass!!" from Don.

[CyberCubed]

I didn't care for the Larp stuff either but that's because I was never into the underground role playing stuff. Feels too 80's.

They should have had the turtles sucked into a videogame instead.

[oldmanwinters]

I enjoyed this episode quite a bit for all its pop-culture & nerd-culture satire. I felt similarly about the SuperQuest from BTTS, even though I would have wished they wouldn't have wasted a filler episode in an already shortened final season.

Some nice flourishes of animation in this episode like Turkey Drawf Barbarian Raphael attacking giant Leatherhead.

Also, I'm pretty sure they included a huge Dragon's Lair (Don Bluth) parody with April standing in for the role of Princess Daphne and Leatherhead playing the role of Singe. Pretty great stuff and very 80s-riffic. I'm guessing the IGN review probably didn't even catch that reference.

[Donatello19]

Not a bad episode...but not really a good one either. It wasn't terrible or anything, it's just that I probably wouldn't watch it again. Seeing LH was cool, even if it was just an illusion.

Next week's episode sounds much better.

[CyberCubed]

At least the Turtles commented that the monkey's looked like Dr. Rockwell. I just thought they wouldn't recognize them and just call them monkey zombies like they did.

Considering nobody mentioned Chrome Dome looked like Bradford in armor or the scene in the garage was blatantly re-used from where they fought Newtralizer.

[electric_sheep]

As much as i harp on this show i loved the heck of this episode. Everything about it, from Lotr to DnD to Reminding me of that South Park episode.

[DarthEmpress]

Man I feel bad for not liking the episode......maybe it's because I don't really know much about D&D and Lord of the Rings....so I didn't get the references...

except the obvious ones like Mikey getting obsessed with his ring and "you shall not pass!!" from Don.

I didn't care for it either :/ I liked the 1980s joke and Raph calling himself handsome, but other than that it's definitely not my favorite, although I liked Sir Malachi. I do think having Casey as the "princess" would've been way more hilarious :D The thought made me do this hideous thing:

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/117/f/1/princess_casey_by_darthempress-d7g8m8v.png

[Shark_Blade]

*reads poll options*

"Wait... so this kid gets left to rot in the sewers alone, yet they search for a cure for Timothy?"

Pfft, who gives a **** about Timothy, he's better off a jello mutant anyway. :lol::tlol:
Now Kirby is at least worth it.

[BabyTurtles]

*reads poll options*

"Wait... so this kid gets left to rot in the sewers alone, yet they search for a cure for Timothy?"

Pfft, who gives a **** about Timothy, he's better off a jello mutant anyway. :lol::tlol:
Now Kirby is at least worth it.

oh yea....about that!

why the heck didn't they help that kid!? XD he looked like he was only 12.

[BubblyShell22]

I thought this episode was all kinds of fun with the LOTR references and the cameos by LH, Rockwell, and April. I felt sorry for Sir Malachi, though I also am curious as to how he warped the Turtles' minds to make them think this was real. Don's, "You shall not pass!" had me rolling as well as Raph turning into the turkey and also saying, "I don't do rings." That was just great. Overall, a fun little episode. I do hope we see Sir Malachi again at some point as it would be nice for the Turtles to have another ally. Can't wait for next week's ep. So glad new eps are airing again!

[LeotheLateBloomer]

I thought the episode was average at best. There were a few funny moments but it was nothing too spectacular. I had a feeling that the fire-breathing LH and April being kidnapped were all fake illusions. Hopefully the next few episodes will be better.

[909 Turtle Fan]

That episode was a trip. I don't really know anything about board games but I liked the lord of the rings stuff. Mike was kinda annoying at times but I enjoyed this episode. Pee Wee Herman! Lol ed at how casually Splinter opened the freezer and had ICK pass him a cheese popsicle. I wonder what kind of coin Mike used for his costume? Leonardo's voice does sound like someone else's at times.

[Raph's Girl]

This was an ok ep. More of a filler than anything else. Im not a LOTR fan in the slightest. I thought the game tho was a reference to the old TMNT RPG's (TMNT & Other Strangeness, After The Bomb, ect).

That ring Mikey wore...the Unicorn on it resembled Princess Celestia a bit.

Im wondering tho how on earth mutating into a bird also gave Martin/Malachi powers similar to Scarlet Witch.

[snake]

I didn't care for it either :/ I liked the 1980s joke and Raph calling himself handsome, but other than that it's definitely not my favorite, although I liked Sir Malachi. I do think having Casey as the "princess" would've been way more hilarious :D The thought made me do this hideous thing:

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/117/f/1/princess_casey_by_darthempress-d7g8m8v.png

That's hilarious. Nice work.

[TigerClaw]

This was an ok ep. More of a filler than anything else. Im not a LOTR fan in the slightest. I thought the game tho was a reference to the old TMNT RPG's (TMNT & Other Strangeness, After The Bomb, ect).

That ring Mikey wore...the Unicorn on it resembled Princess Celestia a bit.

Im wondering tho how on earth mutating into a bird also gave Martin/Malachi powers similar to Scarlet Witch.
Given how TMNT spans many different Genres, They also dealt with magic based characters before.

[snake]

This was an ok ep. More of a filler than anything else. Im not a LOTR fan in the slightest. I thought the game tho was a reference to the old TMNT RPG's (TMNT & Other Strangeness, After The Bomb, ect).

That ring Mikey wore...the Unicorn on it resembled Princess Celestia a bit.

Im wondering tho how on earth mutating into a bird also gave Martin/Malachi powers similar to Scarlet Witch.

I'm wondering that as well.

[Jon_Talbain]

I didn't care for it either :/ I liked the 1980s joke and Raph calling himself handsome, but other than that it's definitely not my favorite, although I liked Sir Malachi. I do think having Casey as the "princess" would've been way more hilarious :D The thought made me do this hideous thing:

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2014/117/f/1/princess_casey_by_darthempress-d7g8m8v.png

That is too hilarious, if only they had done something like this! Another thing I am wondering about is Sir Malachi's peg leg. In the flashback, it only showed Martin's entire body when he had already been hit by the mutagen I think. And it looked like he already had a fake leg, or the mutagen burned it away like acid. I wish Nick would have explained his transformation more and how he got his powers.

[TigerClaw]

Despite the homages to LOTR and the Hobbit. The whole thing with the room full of treasure and the Princess April in that bubble, I think is a homage to the game Dragon's Lair.

http://yosemite-sam.net/DragonLair/dragon35.jpg

[oldmanwinters]

Despite the homages to LOTR and the Hobbit. The whole thing with the room full of treasure and the Princess April in that bubble, I think is a homage to the game Dragon's Lair.

http://yosemite-sam.net/DragonLair/dragon35.jpg

Quite right, TC. I'm surprised how few folks are noticing that. I guess Dragon's Lair really has become quite obscured by time!

[saber16]

Thought the same thing, the glass dome really seals the deal.

[Rukitron]

Despite the homages to LOTR and the Hobbit. The whole thing with the room full of treasure and the Princess April in that bubble, I think is a homage to the game Dragon's Lair.

http://yosemite-sam.net/DragonLair/dragon35.jpg

The crown "April" had was definitely like the one the princess in Dragon Lair wore. Good eye.

[oldmanwinters]

The crown "April" had was definitely like the one the princess in Dragon Lair wore. Good eye.

When Donatello was trying to free her from her bubble, I totally expected her to say some variation on "to slay the dragon, use the magic sword!"

[Shark_Blade]

All the people who doesn't watch LOTR/Hobbit.. :o

What have you been doing with your life? You're missing out on some of the most essential movies of all time! Go watch em NOW.

oh yea....about that!

why the heck didn't they help that kid!? XD he looked like he was only 12.Yeah imagine he's a loner type of guy since young before being mutated, it'll be worse now that he's a mutant. All alone, cast away from society with no one to play with for all his life...

It'll be nice if he comes again from time to time to visit the turtles though.

[CyberCubed]

All the people who doesn't watch LOTR/Hobbit.. :o

What have you been doing with your life? You're missing out on some of the most essential movies of all time! Go watch em NOW.

Fantasy bores me to the point of tears. I never got into Harry Potter either for the same reasons. Don't like stuff with middle earth, trolls, magic, witches, giant gnomes, elves, etc.

Much prefer sci-fi stuff like Star Wars and Star Trek. Or superheroes like DC and Marvel.

[fridaynightdestination]

I loved this episode, I thought it really fun and entertaining. 8/10 :D

[FoxBoxKid]

Fantasy bores me to the point of tears. I never got into Harry Potter either for the same reasons. Don't like stuff with middle earth, trolls, magic, witches, giant gnomes, elves, etc.

Much prefer sci-fi stuff like Star Wars and Star Trek. Or superheroes like DC and Marvel.

I used to hate anime, for similarly arbitrary reasons, but then I watched Dragon Ball Z Kai and Gurren Lagann, and now I'm much more open to Japanimation. You just gotta be open-minded. :D

As for the episode, it was okay, in my opinion. The costumes just screamed "toys!" Sir Malachi, was at least a not-boring character, but I don't think his mind powers were sufficiently explained. However, I did appreciate some of the jokes, like the line about the 1980s. All in all, it was enjoyable, but a bit of a letdown after Of Rats and Men & Wormquake. I think the next couple of episodes look good, though, with actual story development and whatnot.

[BabyTurtles]

All the people who doesn't watch LOTR/Hobbit.. :o

What have you been doing with your life? You're missing out on some of the most essential movies of all time! Go watch em NOW.


I tried! I really did...but I fell asleep....T^T it was so loooong and I don't like how fantasy people speak....it's so....noble?? I don't even know how to put it....

I'm more into Superheroes and Star wars ^_^

[blindturtle02]

Yeah Foxbox, I kept thinking about toy adverts myself. I'm glad to see alternate costumes featured in the show rather than simply being part of a toyline and nothing else. neat

Hear ya about the dragons, Babyturtles. Especially when it's a big fire breathing Lh! Ok so he's a gator. But they both have scales, so that counts for something. Maybe Mikey should have rubbed his belly. Might have calmed him down.

[OrokuYoshiFilms]

This episode was a lot of fun!:tgrin: Felt like a big commercial for the LARP turtle figures coming out soon, but done very well!

Favs:

1. Slow-mo time
2. Fire-breathing Leatherhead
3. "Solo LARP?!? *sob*"

[Sewer Sirens Podcast]

I thought this episode was all kinds of fun with the LOTR references and the cameos by LH, Rockwell, and April. I felt sorry for Sir Malachi, though I also am curious as to how he warped the Turtles' minds to make them think this was real. Don's, "You shall not pass!" had me rolling as well as Raph turning into the turkey and also saying, "I don't do rings." That was just great. Overall, a fun little episode. I do hope we see Sir Malachi again at some point as it would be nice for the Turtles to have another ally. Can't wait for next week's ep. So glad new eps are airing again!

Agreed. Definitely liked the episode for the one-off comedic parts. The LARP aspect was interesting, but not something that really turned me on. It's a cool aspect, but from what I saw, I don't really want to return to the subject. However, would love to see Malachi come back, because I would love to see his character grow and I didn't find him that annoying. And Raph's turkey head ... that was great. Was expecting April being an illusion from the start, along with the other things we saw. Kinda predictable, but oh well, still had fun watching. Loved the LOTR nods and references, that was really cool.

It was a good episode ... but is probably somewhere lower on my list if I would compare it to previous episodes. I'm definitely looking forward to next weeks episode, I'm definitely more excited for that then I was this episode.

[victory_angel]

All the people who doesn't watch LOTR/Hobbit..

What have you been doing with your life? You're missing out on some of the most essential movies of all time! Go watch em NOW.

The books are well worth it.

[Ninja Tiptup]

What the shell turtles, don't you think you should have some way to at least contact this kid?

Do they really think leaving a mind-manipulating mutant who likely used to be ostracized by his peers, by himself down in the sewer wont lead to any future problems? Why aren't they taking him home so he's not alone? That seems pretty cold. How about telling him that you're looking for a cure for mutations? I mean really guys, this kid is in trouble and you're just sending him away?

I do hope Malachi comes back at some point regardless.

Great LOTR references. The LARPing was a riot. I didn't realize the Dragon's Lair homage before but I see it now. Got a good laugh out of Mikey saying the 1980s were the dark ages. Overall an enjoyable episode.

[snake]

I tried! I really did...but I fell asleep....T^T it was so loooong and I don't like how fantasy people speak....it's so....noble?? I don't even know how to put it....

I'm more into Superheroes and Star wars ^_^

I'm into all 3...

[Ninjawolf]

This was a well deserved breather episode honestly, from all the insanity of the last few episodes it was nice for a more fillerish episode. It was an interesting episode though and Malichi has the potential to be a great ally considering his powers border on reality warping... think what tux kid could do if he wasn't playing. But yeah he was mutated from the mutagan rain it seems.

[BabyTurtles]

It was a short.......but I kinda liked the part where Leo told everyone to believe it's not real and Mikey is like "Leo says it's not real! Leo says it's not real!"

Idk I thought that was cute. Out of all the brothers Mikey seems to listen to Leo the most XD It's like a little brother and big brother thing~ :D

[Kanon]

I like how Leos helmet reminds me of Galactus.
And Mikeys face when he talks about his unicorn-ring of awesomeness is priceless. :lol:

[Wildcat]

They never explained how he created the illusions.

Are we just supposed to assume Mutagen gives you magical powers now?

[TheJ-manTurtleMan]

All the people who doesn't watch LOTR/Hobbit.. :o

What have you been doing with your life? You're missing out on some of the most essential movies of all time! Go watch em NOW.


Right!
apparently TMNT is a fandom that brings together all different fandoms, and when they do an episode like this, it shows whose on what side, not that that's a bad thing! I find it very humorous really :tlol: I guess I'm just a "fan of all trades"

I LOVED this episode! Might replace "Cockroach Terminator" as my new favorite. so many awesome references! LOTR, D&D, Dragon Slayer, Laybrith. I think my favorite was when Raph, aka Sean Astin, aka Samwise Gamgee, says he doesn't do rings :tlol::tlol:

[Shark_Blade]

They never explained how he created the illusions.

Are we just supposed to assume Mutagen gives you magical powers now?

Nah it's more of mind power imo, kinda like Rat King.

He has no power in the physical world.

Right!
apparently TMNT is a fandom that brings together all different fandoms, and when they do an episode like this, it shows whose on what side, not that that's a bad thing! I find it very humorous really :tlol: I guess I'm just a "fan of all trades"

I LOVED this episode! Might replace "Cockroach Terminator" as my new favorite. so many awesome references! LOTR, D&D, Dragon Slayer, Laybrith. I think my favorite was when Raph, aka Sean Astin, aka Samwise Gamgee, says he doesn't do rings :tlol::tlol:Me too, I like fantasy and sci-fi alike. :D

I like that Raph "doesn't do rings", it kinda reflects how he doesn't carry the burden of the Ring in LOTR.

[JonesyKitty]

Sir Malachai was pretty awesome. I am a huge Paul Reubens fan so that was really cool. Also that extremely brief Labyrinth reference with the the way he was moving the ball in his hand like Jareth XD I'm happy with this weeks episode.

[Wildcat]

Nah it's more of mind power imo, kinda like Rat King.

He has no power in the physical world.Well Rat King created a mutagen injection that gave him the ability to read minds and control rats.

Here theres no indication of how Malachai created such great illusions. Obviously he'll appear again and they'll probably explain it but the turtles don't even ask him how.

[Rukitron]

re-watching pre-mutation Malachi had a prosthetic left leg.

[JTH]

"I don't want to be stuck in the 1980s!"

I don't know if I laughed more at that because of the 80s Turtles gag or the fact that Mikey says that, then a character voiced by Pee Wee Herman appears. :lol:

[Ninjawolf]

Well Rat King created a mutagen injection that gave him the ability to read minds and control rats.

Here theres no indication of how Malachai created such great illusions. Obviously he'll appear again and they'll probably explain it but the turtles don't even ask him how.

Maybe he had latent powers like April? Plus his powers maybe come from the haze he creates... come to think of it he'd be very handy as a training aid... maybe Splinter can recruit him for that...and speaking of Malachi... what about hid parents? He is a kid judging by his premutation appearence... they must be worried sick! I mean if he was mutated during the Mutigan Rain he's possibly been in the sewers for MONTHS!

And wonder what happened to him that made him lose his leg?

[MaximeLoonatic]

Did you know what else the turtles didn't do? They didn't ask how can Malachi create this ilusions!!!
My HeadCannon: he found this magical stick. It's magic! Real Magic!!!
There's no another explination!

[T-U-R-T-L-E POWA!]

That was a pretty fun episode for a filler. I can't wait to get the toys of them dressed in their LARPing gear. I loved the fact that Mikey kept thinking of his ring like Golem does.

[BubblyShell22]

I've only heard of Dragon's Lair from the movie The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants since Brian plays it in the movie. But that's awesome that they did a reference to it.

[Tabetaira Hamato]

Fun filler episode with a lot of references and quote material :D I'd have liked it to be more main plot related, but a lighter episode in between is good anyway.

I just guessed Malachi got his psychic powers from the mutagen like Rat King, but I did wonder how he knew April, Leatherhead... But again, I guess his psychic powers go beyond creating illusions?

And I'm one of those people who haven't read LOTR... YET. I think because I used to see the old cartoon movie when I was little and kinda left a strange impression on me :lol:

[JH24]

Very nice episode, second half lost a bit of momentum but overall I definitely enjoyed it.

A fun, more lighthearted episode that was a nice change from the darker/more depressing episodes this series can have.

I also liked how we saw Leo's playful side, and was surprised that he was the one who set up the "mazes and mutants" game in the sewers and motivated everyone into roleplaying.


Sir Malechai was a nice and fun character, but also showed how random Mutagen mutations can be. Sure, he isn't human anymore, but considering he still has his mind and memories, can talk and has some nice magic he definitely got one of the better transformation results.

I also liked how Malechai and turtles are friends now, I hope they'll meet again one day, and he's pretty much assured of being cured one day.

[Rooish]

I wonder what it says about me that this was my favourite episode of the series? It was hilarious as I used to play D&D. Malachi was really cute. I agree that the episode lost momentum... most of the one-off episodes do this.

[kelligrafie]

So is Sir Malachi a man child or an actual child?

And is nobody going to talk about that first person perspective shot of Leo running from that flaming boulder? Wowsers.

The echoing on Malachi's voice was irritating though, at parts I couldn't really understand what he was saying.

And btw Cubed, we say 'son' where I come from. As in 'all right son?', greeting a male friend at the local bar maybe. You could interchange it with lad, chuck, c0ck/cocker (believe it or not, you can call someone 'c0ck' and it not be offensive, but it's dying out now to be replaced with the cruder version).

[AdamWarlock87]

My fav part of this episode was the camera work or "shots" they did some cool angles. Seeing Leatherhead again was cool. The costumes were awesome. Wasn't the best episode but it was fun. I really liked the look of Sir Malachi but was expecting more from his backstory either way though he's stultifying a wizard type so hopefully he helps the turtles out later on somehow.

[TheJ-manTurtleMan]

And is nobody going to talk about that first person perspective shot of Leo running from that flaming boulder? Wowsers.

Is that from something? I know multiple action movies have used similar shots like that but this particular one seemed familiar

[blindturtle02]

I wonder what it says about me that this was my favourite episode of the series? It was hilarious as I used to play D&D. Malachi was really cute. I agree that the episode lost momentum... most of the one-off episodes do this.

Yeah I also thought Malachi was rather adorable! I feel bad for the kid. Hope he does alright out there by himself. Like other dromers, I'm wondering what happened to his leg. Actually wondering if this happened to him earlier in life. Neat having a mutant with a disability. You'd think he'd bring it up, he might have had the fake leg for so long that he doesn't think about it much.

[MiBs]

great with all of the references as many of you have already mentioned. Really liked that the Turtles was using a twenty sided dice. A small thing, but cool

[Tabetaira Hamato]

Oh, I forgot. I love the ice cream kitty cameo :lol: Has anyone mentioned it already?

[victory_angel]

What about Splinter echoing the fan base with his "Don't you boys have mutagen to find?" question.

[Electric]

As someone who normally enjoys most episodes, this one i didn't :ohwell: not a fan of sir Malachi, no plot advancements whatsoever, and the whole "i just want someone to play with" ending was a little cheesy and boring. I felt like I had the same attitude as raph throughout the episode. It could be that this episode came after the manhattan project, which was incredible, and just seemed to fall short.

Even so, I still liked seeing Rockwell and leather head again, even if they were imaginary, and am glad the turtles recognized them as each. And was It just me or did leather head look even more badass this season than he did last? (Excluding the fire breathing)

[JH24]

@ ElectriCN

I understand what you mean, it wasn't the best episode but I don't think we should really take this one seriously.

It's more a light-hearted episode for fun after all the crazyness and darker things from before. Sometimes a bit of fun inbetween is exactly what this show needs IMHO, as it has a tendency to be a bit depressing/dark.


I was surprised at the ending though, I actually thought Malachi would have to pay or end up badly for what he did, but the turtles weren't even hostile. Personally I found that a nice change for once, and having a mutant that doesn't need to be their enemy. (loved that little fist bump at the end)


Leonardo's playful attitude in this episode made me smile, and Mikey got some laughs out of me as well. Actually all turtles had some good moments, it's nice to see them trying to relax and have fun as brothers, instead of fighting against the Kraang, Shredder or another dangerous mutant.


The Mutagen definitely gave Malachi some strong powers though. The ability to read other people's thoughts and memories is one thing, but actually using memories against them in illusions is pretty amazing. Some characters get some pretty good mutations (Malachi, Tigerclaw) while others definitely have worse results. (Timothy, Kirby, Rockwell, Snakeweed)

[demonsweat]

D&D, LotR, Dragon's Lair and Labyrinth references?? I'm in nerd heaven. Great espisode, I laughed all the way through. :D

To be honest I never cared for larp or real-life role playing. The whole thing always sounded so awful and boring to me.

Is this what nerds did in real life before online multiplayer RPG's were created? Glad I wasn't born in ancient times.

Ancient?

http://i.imgur.com/Huk476W.gif

TMNT playing D&D? Awesome! I sometimes run D&D games with a few friends when I can get a group together (Yes, it IS still a thing, and is a lot of fun!) on a regular basis. Our games are done around the table, though- I haven't done any LARPing in YEARS. It was a lot of fun when I did, though. And Raph saying he doesn't do rings is ironically funny, considering who his VA is! (Makes me wonder though- how would that story have been different if Samwise was the ring-bearer?)

Nice! I'm in a Pathfinder campaign with some buddies right now. CN Half-orc Sorceress, here. :D

[kelligrafie]

Is that from something? I know multiple action movies have used similar shots like that but this particular one seemed familiar

I honestly wouldn't know, but I'd like to see more first person.

[JTH]

Loved the bazooka gag.

It is amazing the jokes they pull in the show.

[OrangeNinja1987]

I really enjoyed this episode. It had so many lines that made me laugh. I'm not very much into Lord of the Rings/Hobbit, but I caught all of the references to that, and I still laughed really hard when Mikey was saying "My awesome..." to his ring and Donnie shouting "You shall not pass!" So many funny lines I can't name them all. But while this was one of the funniest episodes as of late, there were still things I didn't enjoy. Namely, Raphael's turkey head (don't know why but I just didn't find it funny) and Sir Malachi could be annoying at times but he was a good character overall.
Loved the ICK cameo. I wonder how they're going to handle that ice cream cat. :lol:

[Shark_Blade]

Oh, I forgot. I love the ice cream kitty cameo :lol: Has anyone mentioned it already?
http://i.imgur.com/utesf3w.gif

I'm glad Splinter isn't a least bit afraid of her lol.

[victory_angel]

http://i.imgur.com/utesf3w.gif

I'm glad Splinter isn't a least bit afraid of her lol.

Revealing Icecream Kitty to Splinter must have been part of the "long talk" Donnie had with Mikey at the end of Rats and Men.

[Klunk1234]

Love it! Lol Mikey's ancient time "I don't wanna live in the 1980s"!

And tonnes of LOTR and Hobbits references! "You shall not pass!" :lol:

I thought Malachi was a sympathetic character, he's definitely a lot better than annoying Timothy.


Yes love the LOTR references Leo (Aragorn), Raph (Gimli), Donnie (Gandalf) and Mikey (Frodo with his ring included), not Legolas. Also remained me of the 2003 TMNT episode "Superquest"

Good episode, I laughed a lot!:D

[T-U-R-T-L-E POWA!]

What about Splinter echoing the fan base with his "Don't you boys have mutagen to find?" question.

I also thought Splinter echoed the sentiments of those that find tabletop rpgs to be REALLY dorky. I honestly wonder how old Splinter is supposed to be in this incarnation. Maybe that line also represents the sorta "generation gap" that always seems to exist between kids and parents.

[Klunk1234]

YOU SHALL NOT PASS.
My awesome.

My gosh, all the LOTR references. Even the turtles kinda were
Leo: Aragorn
Donnie: Gandalf
Mikey: Legolas
Raph: Gimli

And Malachi's backstory. And the Rockwell, April, ICK and Leatherhead cameos. So awesome.

(watched it on a stream again)

Well, Mikey was not Legolas, he was Frodo( his ring). But you did well on the other siblings.

[Jeff]

Just posted episode 14 of The TMNT Podcast. In it, we review/give our opinions on the new episode and compare it to BttS' episode "Superquest." Give it a listen, will ya?!

http://www.comiccabal.com/tmnt

http://comiccabal.com/tmnt/tmnt14.png

[victory_angel]

I also thought Splinter echoed the sentiments of those that find tabletop rpgs to be REALLY dorky. I honestly wonder how old Splinter is supposed to be in this incarnation. Maybe that line also represents the sorta "generation gap" that always seems to exist between kids and parents.

It's just that in the first episode of the season Splinter told them they can't rest until they found all the mutagen canisters they had inadvertently dumped over the city. And for the first couple of episodes they were doing that. But the many of the other episodes they have been kicking around the lair, and doing anything but look for the mutagen. Hence the fan base saying "Don't you guys have mutagen to find?"

[rodster6]

Fun episode but another that doesn't really go anywhere.
How did the bird guy get his illusion powers and how did he lose his leg and end up with a peg leg?

I'd Say Mikey was a cross between Legolas and Golum as he was an archer but also got a bit golumly over the ring.

[Asha]

Fun episode but another that doesn't really go anywhere.
How did the bird guy get his illusion powers and how did he lose his leg and end up with a peg leg?

I'd Say Mikey was a cross between Legolas and Golum as he was an archer but also got a bit golumly over the ring.

He already had a prosthetic leg before his mutation.

[JH24]

Fun episode but another that doesn't really go anywhere.
How did the bird guy get his illusion powers and how did he lose his leg and end up with a peg leg?

I'd Say Mikey was a cross between Legolas and Golum as he was an archer but also got a bit golumly over the ring.

The magic powers were probably just a positive random effect from the Mutagen, unless there's an element that also incorporates someone's interests/traits into the transformation but that seems a bit unlikely. (Although Bradford's secondary mutation for example made him a lot more faster and agile, just like he had been wishing for)


As far as transformations go, the Mutagen Milton/Malachi got hit with was pretty "kind" to him, compared to some of the other mutations we've seen.

[raphmike]

wow good episode i like it so far 10/10 raph12 did samething when raph03 turn
into frog superquest episode.

i like
slow motion mikey face.
turtles have fun game like good family
turtles wear costume really cool

[victory_angel]

As for why they didn't mention the retromutagen, I believe Donnie intends to cure every mutant that wants it. But April's dad and the Pulverizer have first dibs.

[Shreddhead]

So I just watched this episode and thought it was great. But I couldnt shake the feeling that I had seen a turtle in that Galactus type hat that leo was wearing... It has been a few years since Ive read the first volume of tmnt comics, and I dont know if this has been discussed here already (dont really have time to go through everyone's posts, as much as id like to), but There was totally a sketch of Don with a Time Lord hat in the Cerebus crossover :tgrin:

https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7305/14070161995_3f512191f7_q.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/nrkfXV)TMNT 08-00ifc (https://flic.kr/p/nrkfXV) by O Shank (https://www.flickr.com/people/47714806@N08/), on Flickr

[demonsweat]

Hm, nice! I was thinking Galactus too, but maybe it was a shout out to the time lord. Kinda hope we might see him and/or Renet in this series eventually.

[victory_angel]

Hm, nice! I was thinking Galactus too, but maybe it was a shout out to the time lord. Kinda hope we might see him and/or Renet in this series eventually.

I think you were meaning Lord Simultaneous. Galactus is a Fantastic 4 Character.

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20131128233530/tmnt/images/4/40/Lord_Simultaneous.jpg

[Shreddhead]

Nah, pretty sure we both meant Marvel's Galactus above. But when I said "Time Lord", I was referring to Lord Simultaneous

[demonsweat]

Nah, pretty sure we both meant Marvel's Galactus above. But when I said "Time Lord", I was referring to Lord Simultaneous

Yup yup

On a side note, I'd also love to see Cerberus return in the show, but I don't think it's likely. If Nick won't pony up for Usagi, I'm not gonna hold my breath for more obscure characters. :ohwell:

[sleeplessknight]

My gf and I LOVED this episode. We laughed so hard we had to watch parts again because we missed them because we were laughing so hard. As far as filler episodes go, this one was a lot of fun. As an old school D&D player seeing the TMNT play role playing games blew our minds. The Mazes and Mutants box even looks like the old D&D Red Box! The quick Labyrinth reference with Malachi playing with his crystal ball like Jareth made my gf squeal. All the D&D, LARP and LotR references were great. Great catch on the Dragon's Lair reference. I didn't notice that one until you guys pointed it out. This is one we are going to watch over and over again.

This episode was also an obvious plug for the new LARP tmnt figures coming out soon. At first, I thought the figures were stupid, but now after seeing this episode, I NEED TO BUY THEM! Well done shameless product placement... you win this time!

So how exactly does Sir Malachi have magic powers, and how the heck does he know who April, Dr. Rockwell, and Leatherhead are?
Im wondering tho how on earth mutating into a bird also gave Martin/Malachi powers similar to Scarlet Witch.
They never explained how he created the illusions.
Are we just supposed to assume Mutagen gives you magical powers now?

Simple, he had enough BIO-E points left over during character creation for some psychic powers. We already know that the mutagen can sometimes grant psychic powers as evidenced by the Rat King and now Malachi. He used his powers of telepathy to learn of April, Leatherhead and Rockwell from the turtles and inserted them as characters into his psychic illusion.

Palladium really needs to pick up the TMNT license again and make a updated Nick version of the old TMNT RPG.

[FlawedCoil82]

Wow....that was....BY FAR...my least favorite episode of the series so far. I am shocked at how much I hated it (especially because I love LOTR). This 2nd season is not holding my interest even half as much as the 1st season. Not one episode has come within the same galaxy of awesomeness that 'The Gauntlet' did. I fear if this show doesnt start getting serious again, then I will lose interest. No more dancing fungus. No more giant worms. No more Dungeons & Dragons spoofs. No more completely forgettable mutants. Just have the turtles start facing some serious threats soon that include some awesome martial arts fight sequences or else I will continue to lose hope.

[Shreddhead]

Yup yup

On a side note, I'd also love to see Cerberus return in the show, but I don't think it's likely. If Nick won't pony up for Usagi, I'm not gonna hold my breath for more obscure characters. :ohwell:

Me too! But I agree that there's a snowball's chance in hell in seeing Cerebus in the Nick show. I could see it working a lot better back in the 2k3 version.

[Powder]

Yup yup

On a side note, I'd also love to see Cerberus return in the show, but I don't think it's likely. If Nick won't pony up for Usagi, I'm not gonna hold my breath for more obscure characters. :ohwell:

It's not a matter of 'ponying up', I am certain money is no issue. It's Stan who doesn't want to bring UY on board. The character was only a part of the TMNT universe to begin with because of his close relationship to Peter Laird. With him out of the property, there's no point (to Stan). Maybe one day he'll change his mind, for fans sake or maybe to help with medical bills (his wife is terribly ill), but I dunno how likely that is. If anything, there'd be a better chance he's seen in the IDW books.

Anyway, this was the first episode of this series I genuinely disliked. I'm really surprised. This has been the only time where I am inclined to agree with some of the more common complaints about the show, particularly with regard to Mikey's intelligence/humor. All of the jokes/gags in this episode were LOLSORANDOM and low-brow. I have felt up to this point that the show stands out among a sea of hyperactive idiotic flashy color cartoons that cater to the braindead, but this episode had that unfortunate modern feel to me. Very little substance on the joke front. & there are some plot-holes I'm concerned with but I know we're supposed to see more of Sir Malachi so I imagine they'll be made sense of later, granted I wonder why the turtles themselves didn't question these things (like how a mutant they never ran into before knew of Leatherhead & April... or was it just a matter of penetrating their psyche? & if so, they're just cool with that? Just a slap on the wrist?).

[nimajneb]

After watching this ep I have to say I wasn't impressed. I really struggled with this episode.
There were bits I loved, don't get me wrong, but for some reason I really struggled with this ep and I thought the ending was a bit sudden

But hey ho, thats just me, and i'm just happy to see more TMNT!

[Eiko]

Watched this episode this morning. I got to say it was almost exactly the same as the BTTS episode, though not as good, but it was nice to see LOTR reference.

[victory_angel]

The episode missed an opportunity for an OT reference.

In the moment where Sir Malachi says "Next one to forfeit shall be turned into a squirrel."

If he had said "Next one to forfeit shall be turned into a gerbil." It would have been reference to the OT episode where Michelangelo gets turned into a gerbil. Though I suppose with all references to D&D, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dragons Lair, ect. And of course a nod to the Back to the Sewers episode "Super Quest" There were enough references without adding an obscure OT reference.

[blindturtle02]

Nice one, Victory_Angel. Yeah, that would have been a great reference. I was thinking Malachi was going to say gerbil a split second before he actually said squirrel. Ah well.

[Ramboraph4life aka Matt]

Wow....that was....BY FAR...my least favorite episode of the series so far. I am shocked at how much I hated it (especially because I love LOTR). This 2nd season is not holding my interest even half as much as the 1st season. Not one episode has come within the same galaxy of awesomeness that 'The Gauntlet' did. I fear if this show doesnt start getting serious again, then I will lose interest. No more dancing fungus. No more giant worms. No more Dungeons & Dragons spoofs. No more completely forgettable mutants. Just have the turtles start facing some serious threats soon that include some awesome martial arts fight sequences or else I will continue to lose hope.

The one with Slash was pretty serious. Why not have more episodes with that kind of feeling? Let alone more with that Slash & Raph dynamic which could go to some great stuff.

'Look in the mirror Raph. What do you see? Yourself, or Me? Maybe both, since we're one and the same...' Or that kind of stuff.

[Metalwolf]

The one with Slash was pretty serious. Why not have more episodes with that kind of feeling? Let alone more with that Slash & Raph dynamic which could go to some great stuff.

'Look in the mirror Raph. What do you see? Yourself, or Me? Maybe both, since we're one and the same...' Or that kind of stuff.Agreed. That was a meaty episode, one of the few that I watched more then once. Mazes and Mutants was OK, but I think it would have done much better as a 'breather' episode at the end of an episode bloc, especially after all of the more plot heavy and serious episodes in that bloc were done first. Otherwise people get anxious to see the 'good' stuff first, and then they might not enjoy it as much as they possibly could have.

[Gabriel GP]

Thought that I was the only one who dislike this episode, but I see that isn't the case. It was the first ep that I really didn't like. It has greats references, but was kinda boring to me.

[BubblyShell22]

The one with Slash was pretty serious. Why not have more episodes with that kind of feeling? Let alone more with that Slash & Raph dynamic which could go to some great stuff.

'Look in the mirror Raph. What do you see? Yourself, or Me? Maybe both, since we're one and the same...' Or that kind of stuff.

Well, Slash and Newtralizer are supposed to team up, so we'll be getting serious with that for sure.

[MiBs]

Well, Slash and Newtralizer are supposed to team up, so we'll be getting serious with that for sure.

I'm really really looking forward to that episode. Hope it will be in the same league as "Slash and destroy"

[demonsweat]

It's not a matter of 'ponying up', I am certain money is no issue. It's Stan who doesn't want to bring UY on board. The character was only a part of the TMNT universe to begin with because of his close relationship to Peter Laird. With him out of the property, there's no point (to Stan). Maybe one day he'll change his mind, for fans sake or maybe to help with medical bills (his wife is terribly ill), but I dunno how likely that is. If anything, there'd be a better chance he's seen in the IDW books.

Huh. That's too bad. I plan on visiting his booth at SDCC this year, maybe I'll politely ask about it. I'm itching to see a 3D model of Usagi.


Anyway, this was the first episode of this series I genuinely disliked. I'm really surprised. This has been the only time where I am inclined to agree with some of the more common complaints about the show, particularly with regard to Mikey's intelligence/humor. All of the jokes/gags in this episode were LOLSORANDOM and low-brow. I have felt up to this point that the show stands out among a sea of hyperactive idiotic flashy color cartoons that cater to the braindead, but this episode had that unfortunate modern feel to me. Very little substance on the joke front. & there are some plot-holes I'm concerned with but I know we're supposed to see more of Sir Malachi so I imagine they'll be made sense of later, granted I wonder why the turtles themselves didn't question these things (like how a mutant they never ran into before knew of Leatherhead & April... or was it just a matter of penetrating their psyche? & if so, they're just cool with that? Just a slap on the wrist?).

Pretty sure that's what they were going for, yeah. I think they let it slide because he was just a lonely kid. Like Don says, he didn't really mean any harm. I think it's weirder that they just let this little kid mutant go off to fend for himself at the end. :lol:

I loved the episode because I'm a hardcore D&D nerd, but I agree about the humor, and Mikey in particular. It's too bad, I really like the character overall, and I love Cipes's VO, but yeah... they seem to be writing him pretty dumb and slapsticky. I'd like to see him mature a bit maybe, or fire off some jokes that are a little more clever.

[tkcom]

A very entertaining filler episode. Although, I was hoping they didn't miss the Leatherhead/Donnie running gag.

[Asha]

do you guys think this episode would of been better if it air the week after Wormquake/The Manhattan Project?

[Tazi]

Worst episode of Nick cartoon to date. It's just so out of character for Raph and Leo to go LARPing, unless all four of them are nerds... The writer probably likes live action rpgs, okay it's his business, but he shouldn't make characters do something like they totally not supposed to. But I guess they also had to sell those action figures...
Oh, and back again with that "monster of the week" stuff, now it's a sparrow, who has a magic wand thanks to the mutagen which is a substance known for giving magic wands to anyone who touch it... great. It's also interesting, how the turtles have absolutely no desire to change him back to human, like with Mutagen Man or April's dad, dispite being responsible for all this mutant break out.
Some of the Nick episodes have nicely choreographed fights, but not this one.
And of course Mikey has some forced anime-style jokes again...

But well, I look at the bright side, it will just be better, after all it can't get any worse then this.
It's especially dissappointing since Wormquake seemed to be a step into the right direction.

[JTH]

Worst episode of Nick cartoon to date. It's just so out of character for Raph and Leo to go LARPing, unless all four of them are nerds... The writer probably likes live action rpgs, okay it's his business, but he shouldn't make characters do something like they totally not supposed to. But I guess they also had to sell those action figures...
Oh, and back again with that "monster of the week" stuff, now it's a sparrow, who has a magic wand thanks to the mutagen which is a substance known for giving magic wands to anyone who touch it... great. It's also interesting, how the turtles have absolutely no desire to change him back to human, like with Mutagen Man or April's dad, dispite being responsible for all this mutant break out.
Some of the Nick episodes have nicely choreographed fights, but not this one.
And of course Mikey has some forced anime-style jokes again...

But well, I look at the bright side, it will just be better, after all it can't get any worse then this.
It's especially dissappointing since Wormquake seemed to be a step into the right direction.
You think Leo isn't a nerd in this show?

You already forgotten that he devoted the entire first season tranced in a Sci-Fi Star Trek knock off?

[Tazi]

Yeah, he liked that show a lot, but that's kind of not enough reason to call him a nerd. Not even being a huge sci-fi fan would automatically make you wanna do LARP. And even if I'm mistaken, they still shouldn't turn him into a nerd, I don't want it like this: "Mikey - Stupidity = Leo."

Oh, and I just watched Ep16, even with it's less good moments, it was A TON better then this episode. I'm glad.

[electric_sheep]

Wait, so i am the only one who like this episode? This one was awesome, it was funny, it was creative there was not annoying love tryingles, there's no douche Casey...

[Kanon]

Wait, so i am the only one who like this episode? This one was awesome, it was funny, it was creative there was not annoying love tryingles, there's no douche Casey...

I like it too. :D
It shows them as teenagers, who have fun playing RPGs. Everyone needs a rest of kicking bad guys butts. :lol:

[Tazi]

There are dozens of things a teen can do to have fun at his free time, and LARP is just one in the million, done by only a few people.
Besides if it's really about exploring what's like being a teen they missed the point. Especially with Mikey, who acts like a 6 years old.

[MiBs]

it may have been a bit of a "weak" start after a two month hiatus, but I really enjoyed it. It wasn't one of the best episodes, but it was a nice little filler. And genuinely funny IMO

[BubblyShell22]

Wait, so i am the only one who like this episode? This one was awesome, it was funny, it was creative there was not annoying love tryingles, there's no douche Casey...

Uh, no. A lot of us DID like the episode. Tazi just didn't seem to like it for some reason.

And Leo is a nerd as evidenced by his love of Space Heroes. Everyone has different interests, and I can see this Leo loving the whole LARPing thing. Raph didn't enjoy it and only went along reluctantly.

[Candy Kappa]

I loved this episode, the references and Sir Malachi was amazing.

Malachi's voice actor was a perfect choice. Paul Reuben was amazing and was a great choice as he was the voice of Bat Mite in Brave and the Bold. And Malachi did the ball play like the Goblin King in The Labyrinth, made me snicker. And the character was just so darned cute.

D20's and the old Red Box, as a D&D fanboy I approve, loved the role-playing moments and references.

I'm curios about 'Malachi's powers and if more mutants of the fall-out mutagen will have similar powers.

[Enscripture]

What a dumbass episode. Worse that that stupid fungus one. Season 2 is a total letdown after the awesome season 1. Hate this stupid episode

[Warhorse]

I like it too. :D
It shows them as teenagers, who have fun playing RPGs. Everyone needs a rest of kicking bad guys butts. :lol:

The RPG aspect was what has me turned off from this episode, so I have yet to even watch it. Never understood the whole thing, seemed kind of dumb to me. And damn, RPG now has a new meaning, it used to stand for Rocket Propelled Grenade. Not anymore?

[NoName999]

Meh

The episode was completely meh.

Also the growing problem of having too many mutants run around. If I didn't know better, I would have said the mutagen is reaching epidemic levels rivaling the plague.

And damn, RPG now has a new meaning, it used to stand for Rocket Propelled Grenade. Not anymore?

Fun fact: RPG is also an abbreviation for a political party in Guinea :tcool:

[Enscripture]

Oh god. Even drunk I can't even get through the mind numbing stupidity of this ****ing episode. I tried. 4 times drunk and I ****ing that this damn episode with a passion more than that stupidass fungus one.

[blindturtle02]

Drunk dialing, I've heard of. Actually had that done to me on more than one occasion and got a few laughs out of it, especially when I told the dialer I was a CIA agent and got a,"Re... really?," in response. But drunk watching? lol That's a new one!

Just re-watched this puppy last weekend and have to say I still think it was a nice ep. I like Martin. Friendly kid. I'd LARP if I actually knew the ins and outs. Looks pretty fun.

[Enscripture]

I got maybe 11 minutes in. This episode is soooo stupid.

[CyberCubed]

What a dumbass episode. Worse that that stupid fungus one. Season 2 is a total letdown after the awesome season 1. Hate this stupid episode

The fungus episode was one of the best episodes of the season.

[Enscripture]

That's not saying much.

[CyberCubed]

That's not saying much.

Majority of Season 2 has been quite good.

[snake]

Majority of Season 2 has been quite good.
Same here. Season 2, while being a bit unfocused story wise, has been good.

[CyberCubed]

Same here. Season 2, while being a bit unfocused story wise, has been good.

Yep, while I understand the mutant-of-the-week stuff is getting repetitive, at least each mutant is still fairly different from each other.

I'm hoping this is just a Season 2 thing and when Season 3 starts the show will move on. Given the constant hinting of Triceratons I think Season 3 will be more about aliens and Dimension X than mutants.

[Enscripture]

Ugh. Finally finished this dumbass episode. 0/10. Never watch again, but love how they shoe-horn that big-headed loser april in every damn episode.

[CyberCubed]

Ugh. Finally finished this dumbass episode. 0/10. Never watch again, but love how they shoe-horn that big-headed loser april in every damn episode.

Because April isn't a major character, right?

[sdp]

I don't think I saw anyone mention this but this episode seemed like a tribute of sorts of to the old figure toyline with their wacky costumes. Even though they were parodying the fantasy genre, the name for Raphael seemed straight out of the OT toyline and Leo's costume seemed to be based off Samurai Leo. This episode had some really nice effects and action however, the actual episode was not my cup of tea since it just didn't fit the show but I did like the ending a lot.

[Zulithe]

I liked the episode (Plan 10). Here are my thoughts, I can't post them in the Official Thread cause it's still locked. It's *NOT* a standard filler episode like it appears in previews!

Plan 10

Woooo spooky music. The Kraang want to switch minds with world leaders. Sounds like a solid plan.
Watching raph block kraang laser bolts with his Sai is pretty sweet
That alleyway scene was great. Loved the lighting and the rain.
Casey hates dubbed anime. What a bro.
"It hasn't been active for months!" Hmmm so we are getting some idea of the timeline of events. The turtles have had the orb for quite some time.
The return of the Turtle Sub!
Dang raph-kraang can kick some butt in that metal body
Hmmm don is working on something... what could it be, some kind of robot?

For an episode most were anticipating as another self-contained filler ep, it actually had a good amount of plot details. Not bad! Definitely sets up next week's season finale quite well with the Kraang Invasion stuff. It was fun to take a more inside peak into the Kraang's world in this episode.

8 out of 10 for me.

[Sumac]

This episode was definition of "filler episode".
Sir Malachi was cute. Otherwise a really unremarkable episode.

One thing, that I must admit, is that so far Season 2 have very broad range of quality. If epsiodes are awesome - they are awesome, if episodes are medicore...then they indeed quite mediocre.