Quote:
Originally Posted by superstaff
I still wonder why. Anyone know?
|
As far as I know, we never got any confirmation on this. The best speculation I can come up with is that
Jennifer Ventimilia might have undergone gender reassignment around the same time as Season 2 would begin production. Therefore, there may have been friction with Nickelodeon execs (the same execs that were supposedly "no-go" on gay in Legend of Korra), or it may have been a willing departure since she and Joshua Sternin sold a show to ABC reflecting that time in their lives. Either way, I'd be willing to bet that had something to do with it.
Also, something I forgot to mention -- generally I like the characterization in this show. It's the first time I remember Splinter acting like an overprotective stern parent and that actually working.
One of my favorite Michelangelo stories in general is this show's "It Came From The Depths," because it pushes the empathetic side of the character to the forefront as a distinguishing factor versus his brothers -- which is a rare treat among media outside of the comics. An argument could be made at that point in the show that Mikey is the most emotionally and socially mature of the four. But they wasted no time turning him into a complete brain-dead idiot after that. It seriously blows my mind watching, for example, the beginning of "Battle For New York" and wondering how that can possibly be the same character.