How would you balance between the serial and episodic nature of the show?

[Luckyday]

Lately season 3 have been improving when comes to having this seasonal plot like it brings up when it needs to and push it back to give a break or it more like the pacing of the plot line doesn't feel off like it did in the earlier half of season 3.

However, if the spoilers are true for season 4 then this show is going to become really plot heavy and that makes me a little worried because even though it's yet another *****, which is sort of the writers' comfort zone at this point, but it's something that is so devastating that would be weird if the characters act normal and fine after it. I am sure that are some reason why that may be the case. The case being that in their mindset that they can still fix it but other then the emotional scale, this thing is really important and hopeful they will also be in a entirely new location which means that every episode has to be connected to the plot line.

But anyways, my question to all you fans and intellectuals is how would you be able to have an tmnt that has stand alone episodes but have this huge plot going on without making it hard for any new comers to get into the show but at the same time keep them invested?

I am sorry if there's already a thread like this.

[neatoman]

I think a good way to balance this out would be to have a few more story centered episodes while letting the more stand alone episodes be used for character development and build up of subplots. Right now it tends to come across like they're just making a lot of episodes just for the toys given some rather repetitive character moments (how many times can they really make "Mikey saves the day through his stupidity" episodes?) or episodes introducing mutants and monsters that are rather quickly forgotten about.

I would also suggest that they wouldn't perpetuate unpopular elements just because they established it as a major thing, like the April/Donnie thing. Just because it was an idea they established early on does not mean it didn't work and it doesn't look like it can be made to work, why they didn't just end it with the Bigfoot episode is beyond me.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by neatoman

I think a good way to balance this out would be to have a few more story centered episodes while letting the more stand alone episodes be used for character development and build up of subplots. Right now it tends to come across like they're just making a lot of episodes just for the toys given some rather repetitive character moments (how many times can they really make "Mikey saves the day through his stupidity" episodes?) or episodes introducing mutants and monsters that are rather quickly forgotten about.

I would also suggest that they wouldn't perpetuate unpopular elements just because they established it as a major thing, like the April/Donnie thing. Just because it was an idea they established early on does not mean it didn't work and it doesn't look like it can be made to work, why they didn't just end it with the Bigfoot episode is beyond me.

Yeah less said about Apritello the better, but anyway do you notice that most center plot lines is "find the macguffin"? Why is that? Granted it might be the only type that they can write, which I hope isn't the case.

[neatoman]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

Yeah less said about Apritello the better, but anyway do you notice that most center plot lines is "find the macguffin"? Why is that? Granted it might be the only type that they can write, which I hope isn't the case.

It is a pretty easy episode formula to use and it has been very common for a long time. The Fred Wolf cartoon used it quite frequently and it might be a throwback to that, although it's probable that it's just because it's a common formula even to this day.

[CyberCubed]

The show is fine the way it is, the 2k3 series did the same thing. The 4kids series had random fillers about Nano, Garbageman, superheroes, monsters, and normal human criminals inbetween all the big Shredder episodes or big event episodes.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by neatoman

It is a pretty easy episode formula to use and it has been very common for a long time. The Fred Wolf cartoon used it quite frequently and it might be a throwback to that, although it's probable that it's just because it's a common formula even to this day.

But it also a really simple outline for a five year old to grasp and the demographic for this show is seven year old boys so it sounds as if it almost mandated to always have "find the X" plot line.

Is it too early to have the next season to be entirely center around Battle Nexus Champion like the Chunin exams in Naruto, because I know that's yet another reference from other adaption but at least it's something?

I don't know. I'll admit there is a huge challenge to think of something that's never been done before in other adaptions of TMNT and not be another "find the macguffin" plot.

[ABrown]

I don't necessarily need every episode to be connected to the overall story line. I just need the show to be entertaining. And to be honest, I don't usually find the Nick series to be all that entertaining. I wish the series was closer to either Batman: The Brave & The Bold or the first Teen Titans series. The creators of those shows knew how to find a good balance.

[miru]

- Have the B-plots elaborated on once in a while. The current big plot is Karai's debilating if not life-threatening mutation (which even "The Creeping Doom" was connected to), but for B-plots, we have the tragedy of Mutagen Man, gang wars, the threat of Savanti, various wild mutants, April's mom, and that's just off the top of my head.
- More trips through the Rogues Gallery, rather than just weekly weirdos. We have Rat King (who might be dead), Newtralizer, Snakeweed, Creep, Savanti, and a few Foot affiliates who can work on their own. SpiderBytez might also work, as could Pizza Face.
- Tie episodes more into the overall plot in subtle ways. "The Creeping Doom" came out of an attempt to restore Karai, and led into "The Fourfold Trap."

[Tarris Vaal]

I think a good way to balance this out would be to have a few more story centered episodes while letting the more stand alone episodes be used for character development and build up of subplots.

Have to agree with Neatoman on this. It gives subplots a chance to develop and breathe without interfering too much with (but giving a bit more flavour to) the main plot arcs.

Stuff like Apritello would probably work much better if kept to subplot specific episodes and not interfere so much with the main plot arcs. Obviously subplots overlap a little, but if it was kept to stuff like the way it was presented in Creeping Doom* that would be a lot easier for a lot of people who weren't fans of certain subplots to accept them.

*the brief look of pride Don gives April during her training with Leo. No dialogue, barely a moment long, but gets the message across.

I guess you could treat it a bit like IDW has with those micro series issues that run parallel to the main story arc?

[IndigoErth]

Imo, just find a way to connect them to the rest (loosely but make it obvious enough), but do them like it happens on an off day. Even if you spend your life fighting evil bad guys you're bound to have a lull here and there, right? Make stand alone episodes those days, but there's still a tie to the rest; like they're still working on a plan to handle an event in the next one... "but meanwhile this happened today."

[Metalwolf]

Originally Posted by neatoman

I think a good way to balance this out would be to have a few more story centered episodes while letting the more stand alone episodes be used for character development and build up of subplots. Right now it tends to come across like they're just making a lot of episodes just for the toys given some rather repetitive character moments (how many times can they really make "Mikey saves the day through his stupidity" episodes?) or episodes introducing mutants and monsters that are rather quickly forgotten about.

This is how I would do it too. These are also the issues that I've been seeing, one of the reasons I haven't been as interested in this show as I used to be.

One thing I'd say is as well that a lot of the more MotW episodes could be jettisoned and the more freed up time for stand alone episodes could be used to show the Turtles doing other things. Also the stand alone episodes could be used to develop the villains more. This show has seriously underdeveloped villains. What are they doing (besides watching cheesy underground mutant obstacle courses) when they aren't involved with the Turtles? What are Ivan and Anton doing to get away from the Shredder? Why is Bradford so fatally loyal? What type of experiments is Baxter running that would have allowed Shredder to 'get rid of those disgusting aliens?' The Turtles would show up at the end of course, but in the mean time we barely know anything about the villains and why most follow this nutbag Shredder.

[ImmaAxolotl]

I don't think this show can handle heavy plots. It never has any real effect on the characters. At this rate, it'll be better off with episodic stories of random craziness (like the Fred Wolf cartoon). It may not be sophisticated, but it works for Nick. While some shows can indeed balance heavy plots with light ones, this version just can't do it.

[TurFlytle]

Originally Posted by miru

1.) For B-plots, we have the tragedy of Mutagen Man, the real Irma.
2.) More trips through the Rogues Gallery, rather than just weekly weirdos. We have Rat King (who might be dead), Newtralizer, Snakeweed, Creep, Savanti, and a few Foot affiliates who can work on their own. SpiderBytez might also work, as could Pizza Face.
3.) Tie episodes more into the overall plot in subtle ways. "the Creeping Doom" came out of an attempt to restore Karai.

1.) There is no real Irma, people have said this a million times already. The "real" Irma thing was never mentioned at all and it's a worthless subplot to waste on a minor character (He/she was a minor character until the Invasion).

2.) Some of those mutants were made just to sell toys, we don't need more pointless filler just for toys.

3.) I agree with that. A problem the show suffers in is ignored plots, so at least mention it.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by ImmaAxolotl

I don't think this show can handle heavy plots. It never has any real effect on the characters. At this rate, it'll be better off with episodic stories of random craziness (like the Fred Wolf cartoon). It may not be sophisticated, but it works for Nick. While some shows can indeed balance heavy plots with light ones, this version just can't do it.

Yeah that's the feeling I get after somewhat many episodes of the third season.
I mean these guys can make so really fun/light and even some serious/dark stand alones but when it comes to some serial story lines, it often a hit or miss.

It might be constraining on creativity, but they should really stay away from certain storylines and only do ones that are flexible enough to deviate and focus on something different.

North Hampton Arc was almost a experiment to do something really different and to do types of stories that only need one episode of each to tell. When looking back a small part of me even admires them of trying to do something really new, but a large part of me is still irritated because it focused on the wrong things or rather it didn't want to have any focus on what I had invested in, which was them reacting towards their hard defeat and the realization of

"Oh crap! There is an alien apocalypse back home."
" What if it spreads all the way to the farm! What are we going to do?!"

Now taking away from North Hampton Arc as a experiment or testing ground for Season 4 when they have their space faring adventure in dimension X or whatever then how are they going to have mandate stand alone episodes when they have go do the thing of the season?

Are they going to have sci fi esque episodes that are not at all connected to the main storyline , because I rather not go through all that again like they did in North Hampton.

[miru]

Originally Posted by TurFlytle

1.) There is no real Irma, people have said this a million times already. The "real" Irma thing was never mentioned at all and it's a worthless subplot to waste on a minor character (He/she was a minor character until the Invasion).

2.) Some of those mutants were made just to sell toys, we don't need more pointless filler just for toys.

3.) I agree with that. A problem the show suffers in is ignored plots, so at least mention it.

1.) Alright. I'd best bury the Irma hatchet, but it's pretty hard to do at the moment. I still have some faith, but I'll shut up about it. The addition of characters like Ninjara, Angel, Venus, Tempestra, etc would let me out the Irma deal to rest. However, another comical character from 87 would earn my suspicion, if not unearth the Irma issue. Also, the other plots, like Mutagen Man, are still pretty interesting, right?

2.) Most of the early Monster of the Week enemies are also meant to sell new toys. The original show made a lot of money off a toyetic rogues gallery. This show could pull it better. Also, one thing under number 1 was meant to rid has if the old Monsters of the Week.

3.) Very good.