OT talkback thread: Turtles on Trial
 

To sum up (without having wasted time to establish the context), this is one amazing episode to behold. The Toei Studios-approved animation is exceptional, the plot is exciting, the humor is both charming & witty, the fight scenes are epic, and stuff blows up REAL GOOD!!!

This is, far and away, my favorite non-pilot-season episode and my vote for the #6 best overall episode of the series!

Behold the majesty!
http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_142.jpg
Now that's a fearsome ninja master!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_073.jpg
Lots of emotion and extra animation effects in April trying to break free of Shredder's grasp. Shredder just ignores her like the edgy villain he is . . at least until Krang makes him pout like a little baby.:lol:

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_164.jpg
'splosions!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_198.jpg
This whole bit with Michelangelo fiddling with his chucks just enthralls me.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_222.jpg
Even more 'splosions!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_240.jpg
ditto

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_268.jpg
I LOVE motion effects!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_289.jpg
It's cool when heroes walk off into the sunset. But the nighttime streets will have to suffice for the TMNT!

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a56...T/PDVD_293.jpg
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that an episode which ends with Raphael making a remark into the camera, must be among the best episodes of the series!

I remember when I started this thread, I was hoping for an outpouring of love from the fanbase, but nobody bothered to comment. Ah well... such is life.

Thinking back on this episode a couple of years later, I really really think it holds up as the best single episode to represent the best aspects of the Old Toon's formula. Given that qualification, I would place it as my #1 favorite episode of the series, even above any single episode of the pilot season.

Okay, then, thoughts?:tgrin:

I agree it is a wonderful episode and one of my favorite from season 3.

It is done really well! Sorry, I just don't normally comment in threads like these.

I do agree with everything you've said, though.

Nice job with the photos and captions! And yes most of my favorite episodes involve breaking the fourth wall, lol.

just watched this ep again after seeing the thread, i like it, but not one of my favorites, lots of one liners.

This was also the episode that established the Turtles having to wear those rubber masks that makes them stick out less when in disguise. A xenophobic and trash-talking talk show host spreading propoganda is certainly believable in any medium and in real life.

i really hate those masks, lol.

Great episode!!!
1) You got that parody of Morton Downey Jr. (a true icon of the late 80s and
90s) in Clayton Kellerman.

2) You got one of the five episodes with the best animation from Season 3 (the best season of all).
The rest are:
Mutagen Monster.
The ninja sword of nowhere.
The making of metalhead
The fifth turtle.

3) You got Shredder, Krang, Bebop Rocksteady, Rock Soldiers, Irma, Vernon, Burne, April, Clayton and of course the four turtles.

Speaking of Morton Downey Jr., I recommend you the episode "Television Terror" from Tales from the Crypt, Season 2 (1990).

Ahh yes my friend, this is definitely one of the best episodes of the series. I love the ending, and I think it is one of the stronger moments in the OT show. The idea that the Turtles be forced to choose between their calling (defending their city) and their image is one of those sadly too rare moments where the old cartoon showed itself capable of a slightly more weighty type of entertainment.

Agreed on all counts!! One my favorite parts is where Kellerman tries to stand up to Krang and Krang says he's going to teach him some manners, as if he's sick of him too!! :)

I noticed this too. All of those eps have the exact same artwork/animation, so my guess is it's the same studio/animators. Either way, that group of eps have superior artwork.

I think this episode looks better than any single episode from the 4Kids series.
(somewhat washed out colors aside... cel dirt, whatrya gonna do?)

So the next commentary is...:P

Man... we should recruit Peter Laird to watch this one with us.

We'd have better luck getting Andrew Modeen...:P

What I loved about this episode is that they finally acknowledged fully that the city was aware of their existence. Sure, for the end of Season 1 and most of Season 2 it appeared that NYC knew about the Turtles, but we didn't know for sure.

This episode made it obvious once and for all that the Turtles were known to exist in NYC. I also loved Krang in his giant robot and the Turtles fight against Shredder in the history museum was one of the series best.

Agreed! A strong episode of characterization,cool weapons,explosions, and a tough villain.

You know,Shredder is whiny and a little inept with Krang BUT on his own he is a capable, arrogant jerk ready and capable of taking down an opponent and making eleaborate plots all of his own. This episode seems to showcase that among a few others throughout the series.

It also has a great joke in the dialogue. Rocksteady:All we ever do is go up and down,up and down: Krang:"It sounds like the perfect job for a couple of yoyos!haha".

Kellerman,had a Jerry Springer prototype show a couple of years before it exsisted.Kellerman reminds me much of his boss station manager Burne Thompson in the way he looks at the turtles. Whether it likes them or not its all about the ratings and if putting a message of hate in the TMNT's direction gets the ratings then he will put on an act against them no matter the good they do towards him.

I think this episode was where the Shredder and Krang banter really started and became a staple of the series. It was quite hilarious.

This is probably my favorite episode.

The man who wrote the script for this episode is Michael Reaves. He was one of the best writers in television animation back then.

It has some pretty cool brutal scenes in it, like when Krang goes above ground in the robotic walker and steals a giant mech to wreak havoc on the city, blasting two helpless guards in the process. It makes me wish that Krang would do this more often, instead of just hiding like he usually does. The villains look like they really pose a threat this time around, which heightens the tension and makes the show more engaging.

The fight choreography in this episode is superb. When the Turtles are fighting Bebop and Rocksteady in the museum, I'd say it ranks in the top 5 coolest battle scenes in the show's history.