Official Ep Discussion: S3 Ep16: "Clash of the Mutanimals"

[MrTMNT2012]

Originally Posted by Sabacooza

I don't mean to butt in on your conversation but I just have to chime in and say the comics are fantastic! Very well written and a great balance for all of the TMNT. This, I'm totally into so maybe I just need to focus on the comics and not the show if that's where the enjoyment is at.

I can vouch for the comics as well since they're actually getting better and better!

Hopefully the show can be as well written and balanced in the future...

[Sabacooza]

Originally Posted by RandomtasticFantasy

Has Shredder just changed his motives to brainwash Kairi but keep her a snake, change her back but brainwash her, or is he still even trying to change her back at this point? I find it odd he still has no idea that Donnie makes retro mutagen. Or that Donnie wouldn't have been a brainwashing target so he could force him to make it for him.

I almost feel he's more interested in brainwashing her which is what episode 18 seems to be about. Maybe he feels she's a lost cause and because he knows she'll never side with him again. Being the possessive A-hole he is, shredder will put her under mind control so he can make her obey and love him. He's a pretty sick and twisted dude.

Originally Posted by MrTMNT2012

I can vouch for the comics as well since they're actually getting better and better!

Hopefully the show can be as well written and balanced in the future...

Hopefully, they'll change writers and then we'll get the balance we're asking for.

[CyberCubed]

This was a great episode. It wasn't much more than a series of fights but it was enjoyable from start to finish. The action scenes in this show are really well done. Also burst out laughing at Baxter and Pete slapping each other, same with Rockwell causing Don to slap himself.

Shredder taking on everyone by himself was pretty cool, even if a bit unrealistic to take on so many people at once. The human twins at the beginning were interesting as long as they aren't future mutants.

[PangolinFeets]

Hype killed the episode. XD

I was a bit disappointed it didn't last past the episode (I mean, they make Karai a snake for over a season, but Raph becomes Shredder's servant for ten minutes), but whatever. I've gotten over watching this show for anything more than fun cute turts, silly jokes, and good action. This episode had a lot of cool fights. And Rockwell made Donnie slap himself. And Mikey cuddled Leatherhead's nose. Soooo win? XD

And for the people who were talking about the comics, the IDW series is amazing. I've been in love since the City Fall arc, which this episode vaguely echoed.


Did anyone else laugh when Shredder shrank down in his stupid fire circle bunker while everyone else duked it out? XD

[Warhorse]

Originally Posted by RandomtasticFantasy

Do you read the IDW comics? It may not be animated or anything like the show but the writing is great and may be more of what you're looking for. Friend got me into them recently and I have been marathon reading. On #40 now.

No. I simply don't have the lifestyle/home to be collecting books/comic books. I did have a good collection at one time, but my house is weird, where it's partially outside, so it doesn't take much for the elements to start damaging books. But, I have heard good things about the IDW. Not surprised, I also heard Kevin Eastman has a hand in it, and he's been very vocal about Raph being his favorite character to write about.

[CyberCubed]

I think its always interesting when characters are absent for no reason. Like Rahzar and Fishface had no reason not to be there, let alone Bebop/Rocksteady. But since there were so many mutants here they couldn't fit them all in or pay the VA's.

Also did Shredder sitting down with his helmet off from the back remind anyone of Darth Vader?

[Huzzah]

I didn't hype myself up for this, but then again I never hype myself up for this show, because I know the confines of what Nick will allow with it. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy it, I just view sloshed episodes in the way one views most summer blockbusters, a way to kill sometime and don't necessarily expect deep, thought provoking works.

That being said, I would love an episode with just Rockwell and Donatello. Their back and forth is usually hilarious.

[Luckyday]

Originally Posted by PangolinFeets

Hype killed the episode. XD

Did anyone else laugh when Shredder shrank down in his stupid fire circle bunker while everyone else duked it out? XD

It wasn't the episode that I wanted but it didn't do anything wrong so it gets a pass.

It was a bit theatrical for my taste but we're talking about a guy who wears a samurai helmet in board daylight so....not so much a stretch of the imagination here.

Originally Posted by Warhorse

No. I simply don't have the lifestyle/home to be collecting books/comic books. I did have a good collection at one time, but my house is weird, where it's partially outside, so it doesn't take much for the elements to start damaging books. But, I have heard good things about the IDW. Not surprised, I also heard Kevin Eastman has a hand in it, and he's been very vocal about Raph being his favorite character to write about.

but the IDW books are also digital. I think you can read them on your computer through comixology.com.

[Ninturtle]

My theory is that perhaps Shredder will try to control Raphael again once stockman perfects the serum.

[Vicky82]

I finally got to see this episode and I didn't look at any spoilers and I really enjoyed it.

It's a shame it only lasted 1 episode and I appologize to anyone for overhyping it but I don't think it's over yet, obviously Stockman will make the serum stronger because Karai will be under mind control in Deadly Venom. So I'm wondering this is a small taste of big things to come.

back to the episode and it was intense. it had lots of action, loved the fight scenes. The score was just awesome, the animation is getting better and the camera work/angles was great

Loved that the Shellrazor is back.
Mikey picking up that there's something wrong with Slash and Dr Rockwell (Burried Secrets foreshadowed it)
Leo vs Raph was just awesome and the turtles and Mutanimals vs Shredder was awesome too
I like the car chase scene..
Pete vs Baxter was funny
Nice to see Mikey fight Tiger Claw
Mikey worried about Splinter and didn't wan't to leave him, was adorable and gave me feels.
Raph screaming when the worm entering him was frightning and left chills up my spine
Slash appologizing to Splinter gave me feels

[FoxBoxKid]

This was a run-of-the-mill villain mind controls one of the heroes plots. One of those stock plots that almost every cartoon uses, like a brainswap plot or a shrink down and travel around inside someone plot. It was kinda boring and a lot of the dialogue was unoriginal and trite. Worst episode since the turtles got back to New York, IMO.

[RandomtasticFantasy]

Originally Posted by Warhorse

No. I simply don't have the lifestyle/home to be collecting books/comic books. I did have a good collection at one time, but my house is weird, where it's partially outside, so it doesn't take much for the elements to start damaging books. But, I have heard good things about the IDW. Not surprised, I also heard Kevin Eastman has a hand in it, and he's been very vocal about Raph being his favorite character to write about.

I get mine though iTunes, if you wanna try digitally. Dunno if it still is, but the first issue was free when I started getting into them about three weeks ago.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by FoxBoxKid

This was a run-of-the-mill villain mind controls one of the heroes plots. One of those stock plots that almost every cartoon uses, like a brainswap plot or a shrink down and travel around inside someone plot. It was kinda boring and a lot of the dialogue was unoriginal and trite. Worst episode since the turtles got back to New York, IMO.

I don't see how it was boring at all, the fight scenes were a highlight. It also had a number of comedic moments like Don/Rockwell, Baxter/Pete, etc.

[Meliwen]

Originally Posted by PangolinFeets

Hype killed the episode. XD

I definitely agree with you there, I know it dampened my initial thoughts about it. Although I don't think it's surprising it got so hyped up, even if we didn't know anything about it till the promos. You've got the only main character who hasn't had their own episode this season, he's turning dark which is not only a popular plot by itself, but it can be easily compared to an amazing one that just finished in the comics, he shares a fighting style and potentially dangerous flaw as the enemy (fighting with anger) and there's history of Raph and Shredder in the franchise, not just becoming Shredder in the comics but in 2k3, one of Raph's fears was himself dressed as the Shredder, but just like then, this doesn't amount to anything beyond a typical Raph got angry episode. I'm biased towards Raph, but it just felt like there could have been potential to expand on him, but there's no ongoing conflict to fuel any character development from this. Which is my main disappointment.

As for the episode itself...

It did feel strange how Raph was suddenly so angry in the beginning of the episode when he's been doing so well in the season so far. Like it was amped up just because Raph needed to get angry this episode.

Pigeon Pete was great. I loved him in this episode and I thought he had a lot of funny moments.

All the fight scenes were great, especially Leo vs. Raph.

But even taking the whole Dark Raph thing as a one episode deal, it was still very anticlimactic the way he was cured. 2k3 had a dark turtles episode, and I kind of preferred how they snapped out of their mind control, however cheesy it was.

And yes, it did feel like Leo had a more positive look on his character at the end of the episode than Raph did, in an episode where he's supposedly the main feature.

Also I really like how Shredder was training Raph. It would be nice if something came out of that yet.

Overall I like the episode, it's one of my favorites so far this season.

[matteso586]

Why didn't anyone mention how Mikey brings up the fact that the shows they watch always parallel with their missions?

When Pete was on the spiral stairway, I thought we're going to finally see where it leads.

[GoldenFlither]

MAN that was bad-ass. The fight scenes were incredible to watch. Even that slap-off between Stockman and Pigeon Pete.

[Ninturtle]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I don't see how it was boring at all, the fight scenes were a highlight. It also had a number of comedic moments like Don/Rockwell, Baxter/Pete, etc.

I loved Pete reacting to the lair and pizza crust. This episode was great.

[Eurydemus]

The episode wasn't bad, but it also wasn't great, which was a bit of a letdown. It was disappointing in some ways, especially when you compare it to S3's standouts like "The Battle for New York" or even well done fillers like Muckman, though it wasn't terrible by any stretch of the imagination.

Overall, I think the Dark Raph arc would've benefited as a two-part season finale cliffhanger that picks up with another two-part conclusion at the start of the new season. One of the big things I miss about 2K3 are the long, multi-episode sub plots (e.g. Turtles in Space, Battle Nexus, etc.). I really wish Nick TMNT would pick up on that cue.

[neatoman]

The Shellraiser is back? When and how did that happen? It was destroyed at the end of season 2. I believe the writers' sense of continuity is slipping...

It is pretty lame that nobody stayed under Shredder's control, I was hoping Slash or Raph would remain mind controled so there could be a couple of episodes dedicated to freeing them. But no, it's another self contained episode, about the only thing we get is knowing how the mind control works. And why didn't Shredder take the opportunity to ask Slash and Rockwell where the Turtle lair is?

As I suspected, Tiger Claw made up for Bebop and Rocksteady's failure in the last episode, delaying Shredder's plans with no episodes at all. So what's the point of last the episode then? Introducing Muckman? A character we probably won't see for a while (if at all), especially when you remember that Mondo, Renet, Savanti, Fugitoid and Mozar are all bound to show up in this season....

[PangolinFeets]

Originally Posted by Luckyday

but the IDW books are also digital. I think you can read them on your computer through comixology.com.

I love Comixology. I used to be really against digital books/comics for some reason. I think I was just biased because I liked having physical pages (and for my favorite comics, I get physical issues), but I buy every digital issue to TMNT just so I can read it on the go and so I can get it the second it releases. I love reading comics on the phone app. It's awesome for the gym, or on break at work, or when I have any kind of down time.