Official Episode Discussion S4 Ep 6: Journey to the Center of Mikey's Brain

[CyberCubed]

Very bad take on the Neutrinos. I was actually hoping they were inside those robot armor bodies, but no.

So they just made some bland robots and slapped an old name on them? What was the point? They could have been any other generic robots.

And we could have had another alien faction join the Turtles against the Triceratons (similar to how the Neutrinos fought Krang in IDW), but instead we get 3 bland robots.

[Xav]

You're right. They could've just called the robots micro-bots. Which was the name of the robots created by Dregg’s assistant Mung in the old cartoon. At least that would've made some sense seeing how Bellybomb was working for Dregg.

[Casey]

Originally Posted by Vicky82

Twin Peaks reference

I was happy to see that.

[Casey]

Originally Posted by Powder

Making Use Of Our Resources: The Episode

Jokes aside, that was an awesome ride. I really like the "trippy" episodes this show does. Fungus Humungous, Into Dreams, etc. I loved seeing Mikey's action figures come to life, & Vision Quest Leo on Leatherheads back was the coolest thing ever. The rap sequence was pretty funny. Best of all, BELLYBOMB! & that he was voiced by Charlie Murphy made my damn week. Also, reference game on point this time around. I lost count. Oh, & for as much as I like the characters, it was nice to have a break from April & Casey & get back to square one, turtle brothers.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I understand the reasons why some did not like this episode and all, but I don't mind filler episodes as long as they help drive the plot along in some ways and are still as enjoyable to watch. I also loved getting a Mikey-centric episode.

[Powder]

I hate that slice of life episodes are just considered "filler" now, or at least by this new wave of TMNT fans. Not everything has to be story driven. The turtles were built on standalone features & much of their best material is exactly that. So yeah, this episode & others like it are plenty dope in my book!

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Powder

I hate that slice of life episodes are just considered "filler" now, or at least by this new wave of TMNT fans. Not everything has to be story driven. The turtles were built on standalone features & much of their best material is exactly that. So yeah, this episode & others like it are plenty dope in my book!

You and me both, my Turtle Brother!

[Ninjinister]

Back in the day when I used to be heavily into anime, filler was used exclusively for episodes that were placed in between episodes or story arcs adapted from the book, to allow the manga to catch up to their pace, else they be entirely overtaken. Although it was sometimes used in a derogatory manner, the term was far from it by default.

These days it seems to be used as an exclusively negative term referring to any story of any medium that isn't specifically made to move the plot of the current story arc forward. And you're right, "filler" in that sense is what the TMNT is pretty much built upon. Many of Mirage's most well-known stories, as well as a massive bulk of the '87 show's episodes, would fit this definition.

[DVD]

Filler material?? Nah, this and others like it are cool.
This one was weird and cool, and funny, and of course loads of fun.
Lots of visual ref's to keep you paying attention as well.
Only gripe - The lil bots (as someone else said) should have had a different name, unless they appear again later in the more recognisable form of the gang that included Mikey's love interest back in the day.

All said and done, I enjoyed the episode.

[Vicky82]

I wouldn't consider this a filler episode because there was an important infomation in the episode, which was getting the plans for the space ship.

If anyone skipped this episode and went straight to watching the next episode they going to wonder how the turtles got the plans in the first place.

The WYRM episode was the only filler we've had so far this season.

[CyberCubed]

TMNT isn't really a franchise with "fillers" since every episode/comic is just the Turtles on another adventure.

Its like trying to say a Batman episode is "filler" because he fights Riddler in one episode but Joker in another...uh...what? There's no such thing as filler in Batman just like TMNT.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

TMNT isn't really a franchise with "fillers" since every episode/comic is just the Turtles on another adventure.

Maybe as a franchise, yes, but not this show. It has a main plot and storyline. The current storyline is for the Turtles to stop the Triceratons to prevent Earth's destruction. Any episode that doesn't move that story forward can count as filler. In other words, if you can skip the episode and understand what's going on still because nothing important or relevant plot wise happened, falls into the category of being a filler episode.

There's no such thing as filler in Batman just like TMNT.

I can only go by Batman TAS, but in regards to that, you're right. It was an episodic series with an arc tossed in here or there. Filler wouldn't exist for that. Same for the OT.

The 2K3 and 2k12 Turtles series aren't episodic and had ongoing storylines. Episodes that detract from those are filler.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

Same for the OT.
.

Any episode during seasons 3, 4 and 5 + Vacation in Europe that doesn't has Krang and Shredder trying to repower the Technodrome can be considered filler.

[Ravenshell]

Originally Posted by Powder

I hate that slice of life episodes are just considered "filler" now, or at least by this new wave of TMNT fans. Not everything has to be story driven. The turtles were built on standalone features & much of their best material is exactly that. So yeah, this episode & others like it are plenty dope in my book!

Amen. Plus, you can't just keep hammering on the big plotline all the time, or people get plot-exhaustion... If things are 100% tense all the time, eventually you get desensitized and start counting it as the status quo.

Originally Posted by Ninjinister

Back in the day when I used to be heavily into anime, filler was used exclusively for episodes that were placed in between episodes or story arcs adapted from the book, to allow the manga to catch up to their pace, else they be entirely overtaken. Although it was sometimes used in a derogatory manner, the term was far from it by default.

These days it seems to be used as an exclusively negative term referring to any story of any medium that isn't specifically made to move the plot of the current story arc forward. And you're right, "filler" in that sense is what the TMNT is pretty much built upon. Many of Mirage's most well-known stories, as well as a massive bulk of the '87 show's episodes, would fit this definition.

My husband and I have noticed this about anime as well, and we were wondering if there's a term/TV Trope for the last innocent/fun/B-Plot episode before everything gets all dark and really goes to hell in the plot... anyone know of one? Calm before the storm, perhaps?

Episodic as Turtles is, "filler" in it doesn't bother me. At least it's not clips-shows (which I have big hate for). I know there's "Kicking Shell and Taking Names," or whatever it was, but at least they aren't billing that as an actual episode. In writing, every sentence is either supposed to move the plot forward, or tell something about a character... and that's kind of what I feel about the non-main-plot eps... they're more for character development and interaction. And they're a little down-time, so we can catch our breath before pounding the main plot again.


On another note entirely, were the fish with ears in Mikey's imagination straight out of Yellow Submarine??
Also, Mikey, that's the worst password ever... absolutely everyone can guess it.

[LeotheLateBloomer]

Although I enjoyed that April and Casey were to be left behind as well as Charlie Murphy being included, it was an okay episode, nothing interesting.

[Zak The Neutrino]

The episode as a whole was ok. However this is actually the first time this show has pissed me off.

I don't know what those little guys were but they weren't Neutrinos. I was so excited when I heard their name and then biggest let down on a show in awhile when I see what they are.

[Klunk1234]

Me too Tger Claw, I was expecting Kala. Little Mikey was cute, and to see other characters back like Ice Cream Kitty, Leatherhead, etc was fine, but the overall episode was ridiculous. I wish they stop making Mikey so stupid. He is the heart and soul of the team, not an unbearable, ridiculous clown. This an insult to what Mikey's personality really is. Pass the writers of the show some IDW copies, so they realize that Mikey is not an idiot.

Like other reviewer said, I would like to hear an actual kid doing the voice of young Mikey, not the regular actor trying to do a kid's voice.

[Technogeek29]

I wouldn't consider this filler this did contribute to the plot. i just didn't particularly care for it.

[VaughnMichael]

I liked it well enough and very happy they added Bellybomb and the fact that he was working for Lord Dregg.
I'm loving this season quite a bit and can't wait to see what fan favorite comes along next!

[victory_angel]

Originally Posted by Ravenshell

My husband and I have noticed this about anime as well, and we were wondering if there's a term/TV Trope for the last innocent/fun/B-Plot episode before everything gets all dark and really goes to hell in the plot... anyone know of one? Calm before the storm, perhaps?

There is a trope called Cerebus Rollercoaster which is uses when the tonal shift between dark and light plots zig zag. For example how we just went from a relatively dark episode into a light hearted episode, and straight into a dark episode one again.

The best I can give for a light hearted episode that sort of contributes to the plot but doesn't really have any place in the over all story...it's just other wise an innocent/Slice of live/b-plot is a buffer episode.

Filler is an episode that had no real bearing or contribution to the plot at large. So the Wacky World of Wyrm would count as filler because they automatically retcon it so it has no connection to the over all plot.

A buffer is episode is an episode that connects to a minor point in the episode over all main plot (Black whole parts, Dregg, Triceraton Empire) but the story itself is a breather between intense moment and another.

A calm before the storm trope doesn't exist, but there is a trope called "A storm is coming" this where we are given a sense of something ominus in foreshadowing. Mostly this is depicted in the weather such as heavy storm clouds in the horizon.

[THGhost]

I see the Nick writers are on drugs again.

Fun episode, loved all the little cameos from previous characters/villains.

The title of this thread should be "Journey to the Center of Mikey's Mind", not "Brain", btw.

Originally Posted by ObiWanFan4life

Was that a Pulp Fiction reference?

Must've missed it, what was it?

Originally Posted by Vicky82

Twin Peaks reference

I laughed so hard.

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

I thought it was a good episode, but the Neutrinos were not how I expected them, I was expecting this.

http://static.comicvine.com/uploads/...obtxczwbig.jpg

Instead we get this

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CY77EkYWwAA7Gv8.png

That's a GOOD thing!