Official Episode Discussion: S2 #5 "Mikey gets Shellacne"

[JoshDA7X]

Originally Posted by JH24

Seeing the comment about Stockman in the posts above made me wonder a bit. Do the turtles mispronounce Stockman's name on purpose or do they just don't care enough to say it correctly? I think I heard them say his name correctly when Baxter isn't around.

Even Donatello said it wrong in this episode.

I think they do it on purpose, every episode he is in he gets called the wrong name. Even Karai called him something else in this ep!

[Gwydion]

Man, I feel like the only one who felt this episode was just "meh". I didn't hate it, but I can't say I really liked it either. I think I'm just really disappointed in the amount of low brow/gross out/whatever you want to call it humor this season. I know it's for kids, but the first season didn't depend on it too much, and no one was complaining. Ah well, it is what it is - I'm hardly the target audience, after all.

I do like Dogpound becoming Rahzar (even if the renaming itself seemed a tad forced, lol). I like that Bradford commented on feeling like a ninja again. I never really saw Dogpound as clumsy, but it was clear he couldn't fight the way he wanted to.

I also enjoyed Mikey this episode. Yeah, it's a rehash of the "no one listens to Mikey" story, but I don't always mind that if the writers can pull off decent character moments. The interactions between the Turtles I thought were still good for the most part.

But I do have to say that I'm already starting to roll my eyes at the "shell" puns/slang. I don't mind if it's thrown in there on occasion, but it feels like it's just popping up all the time this season...

[JTH]

Originally Posted by JoshDA7X

I think they do it on purpose, every episode he is in he gets called the wrong name. Even Karai called him something else in this ep!

Pretty much this, the whole point is that no one takes him seriously enough to remember his name.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Jeff

thats not the ONLY reason why they're bumbling idiots. When they're in battle, they're stealthy and all ninja-y, but they opened this episode with that breakfast disaster scene, and in Squirrelanoids (sp? meh) they were knocking everything in their lair down...they're just clumsy and "dumb." And if they're just calling him the wrong name for laughs, doesn't that just make them assholes? They're essentially bullies if that's the case. So what's worse? Idiots or playground ruffians?

I'm not anti-humor, i LOVE lightheartedness, banter, and joking, but "just a joke for kids to laugh" sums up everything wrong about this series.

WTF? You're making a big deal out of a small scene of them cooking breakfast. Who gives a crap?

[JTH]

Originally Posted by Jeff

I'm not anti-humor, i LOVE lightheartedness, banter, and joking, but "just a joke for kids to laugh" sums up everything wrong about this series.

A kid's show making jokes for kids to laugh...boy it boggles the mind why they would do that???

[Metalwolf]

Like many of the others, I thought this was just going to be a filler episode, a little deviation until the more serious stuff started.

But holy crap! I did not expect to see what I did see in it, Bradford's new mutation. He looks so awesomely EVIL! While before I sort of liked his single mutation a bit (as fluffy orange Dogound) and even more his human form, I think I like his double mutation the best.

With the rest of the show, I didn't mind the zit stuff, it didn't come off as overly gross to me. Plus I didn't mind the goofiness, I thought it was cute. And like other folks, I liked how both Bradford and Xever didn't really like being mutants, and were eager to have their human forms back. Usually in the old toons (the 80's one) people got turned into mutants and then suddenly seemed OK with it, even as there was never care about how massively life changing it would be. I like how these two only merely tolerated it, but jumped on the chance to be human once again, because they KNEW it was a negative for their life.

But I have a strong feeling Bradford's going to like this form now over his human one. Especially after his line about feeling the mutagen flowing through his veins...

As for the future interaction now at least with Karai and Fishface, I think Bradford isn't going to be as big a pushover anymore. I think he's likely to become more vicious and feral now and a semi-loner, and likely to not care as much about teaming up.

Overall, I give this a 9/10.

[Technodrone]

I feel the episode was solid. 6/10. It was another one of Michelangelo being a major nincompoop (drinking discarded retro mutagen) and then complaining that no one takes him seriously after making a very stupid mistake. I feel it did nothing for his development. Just a recycled concept.

The Bradford mutation was cool for a change of pace but was it really even necessary? I like throwback stuff as much as the next guy, but I just felt it was a little forced. Rahzar will have plenty of time to win me over in the future but for now, I just see him as a novelty and yet another action figure to sell.

I liked seeing Dexter Speckman again and hope they hold off for a long while before mutating him. He's too much of a fun character as a wimpy human to lose out on. Finally, in the upcoming April episode, I'm hoping her character is developed more WITHOUT the turtles around. I'm hoping her fallout from them lasts for a long time. I think it's great that they didn't just have her let bygones be bygones after one episode. After all, she's dealing with so much grief and she is just a teenager. To expect her to just easily forgive the "people" who ruined her father would be a bit unfair. This thing needs to play out and I feel it would be great TV if it got even worse before it got any better.

[Martin]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

WTF? You're making a big deal out of a small scene of them cooking breakfast. Who gives a crap?

Wow, wow, wow. Hold on a sec. Small scene? dude it was AWESOME. Apart from Rahzar, it was like the only thing I really dug about the ep.

OMG, someone even called parasitica the worst ep of the series. I think I'm gonna cry, haha.

Since we are on topic, I really don't have that many issues with them being 'silly' cause they are being represented as actual teenagers for like the first time ever. Besides, they really make up for it in the fight scenes. There gotta be a balance between goofiness and action packed badassery. Apart from that, I'm sure I got mad about some random thing they did that didn't make any sense at some point, but you know, kids show, fun times, etc. What I do mind is mikey coming across as a complete idiot all the time. I'm glad Ciro is also kind of worried about that, and went as far as removing scenes to make him look less stupid (which makes one wonder what the hell was in those shots he removed, haha). I guess it's too late to undo all the silly stuff they already made him do/say, but I trust his character will get better as the seasons keep coming.

About this ep in particular-since I'm already ranting-I personally don't like the grossness, but kids dig it, so whatever. The baxter thing is getting old though. Rahzar was awesome, the tension between karai and fishface was great, and the kitchen scene with the music playing in the background? freaking hysterical. Loved it. There were some flaws in logic however, that did sort of bother me at the time; like why didn't mikey call his brothers using his tphone when he found baxter and dp? Or why did don waste time drawing explodey zit diagrams when his brother only had hours to live? xD Oh, and let's not forget the 'molecular centrifuge' deal. Come on dude. You had a centrifuge. You got it back on parasitica. They even made a joke about it and everything. But you know, that's just poor writing I guess.

You probably already covered all this, please ignore if so.

[Bossa Nova]

Sometimes I wonder how many teenagers a lot of you actually interact with on the daily. Especially teenagers who have dedicated a majority of their life to self discipline and have faced numerous life threatening situations. I'm totally fine with the turtles acting silly on occasion, but constantly claiming that these turtles are more "realistic" because they're immature and make the same mistakes over and over...and over again, is just...well...really? I don't think a lot of people give teenagers enough credit for just how mature, intelligent and capable of rapid personality growth they actually are.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by Bossa Nova

Sometimes I wonder how many teenagers a lot of you actually interact with on the daily. Especially teenagers who have dedicated a majority of their life to self discipline and have faced numerous life threatening situations. I'm totally fine with the turtles acting silly on occasion, but constantly claiming that these turtles are more "realistic" because they're immature and make the same mistakes over and over...and over again, is just...well...really? I don't think a lot of people give teenagers enough credit for just how mature, intelligent and capable of rapid personality growth they actually are.

Most 15 year old boys are very immature. We're not talking about 18-19 year olds here.

[Bossa Nova]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Most 15 year old boys are very immature. We're not talking about 18-19 year olds here.

How about you reread what I wrote? The turtles are not "most" teenage boys. They can have their bouts of immaturity, but the extent Nick pushes it seems more unrealistic than realistic at this point.

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Bossa Nova

I don't think a lot of people give teenagers enough credit for just how mature, intelligent and capable of rapid personality growth they actually can be, sometimes.

Fixed that for you.

[Jester]

Heck, I'm almost 30 and I still laugh at stupid things like "pith".

Heck, last Sunday i was at my parents house recounting how hard it was the get the "pith off" an orange, and my 50+ year old father nearly doubled over.

Immaturity can sometimes last a life time.

[Bossa Nova]

I'm just saying there's a difference between having goofy, immature moments in life, and genuinely not learning a potentially life-saving lesson after having already stared into the face of death on numerous previous occasions. Big difference.

[Method101]

Originally Posted by Bossa Nova

How about you reread what I wrote? The turtles are not "most" teenage boys. They can have their bouts of immaturity, but the extent Nick pushes it seems more unrealistic than realistic at this point.

Nick pushes it to be more unrealistic than realistic at this point?

Are we forgetting that we are watching a show where there are 4 teenage humanoid turtles with a rat sensei? Can you name me any children's shows we saw as childrens, or even teens that was in anyway realistic?

[Technodrone]

Originally Posted by Bossa Nova

Sometimes I wonder how many teenagers a lot of you actually interact with on the daily. Especially teenagers who have dedicated a majority of their life to self discipline and have faced numerous life threatening situations. I'm totally fine with the turtles acting silly on occasion, but constantly claiming that these turtles are more "realistic" because they're immature and make the same mistakes over and over...and over again, is just...well...really? I don't think a lot of people give teenagers enough credit for just how mature, intelligent and capable of rapid personality growth they actually are.

Eh, I think you're giving teenagers a bit too much credit. Particularly boys. I mean, your token Mr. Serious teenager is given form in this show. His name is Leonardo. He's always trying to make everything a training exercise. The rest of the guys act like normal teens: goofy, temperamental, fun loving, teenagers. If they're too over-the-top for you, you could just attribute their antics to the instability of mutagen, or the fact that before exposure, they were literally animals without any kind of anthropomorphic attributes and are, as turtles, unprecendentedly learning how to be "human-like" teenagers for the first time ever. Hope this helps.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

WTF? You're making a big deal out of a small scene of them cooking breakfast. Who gives a crap?

thats just one example of many of the turtles being clumsy.

[Jeff]

Originally Posted by jth

A kid's show making jokes for kids to laugh...boy it boggles the mind why they would do that???

i know why they do it. children are their demographic and they're doing a great job targeting them. i should've worded it differently.

[Zany Orange Dude]

Whenever Dougpound turned into Rhzar I spazed! His new design is kick ass!

[BubblyShell22]

Nova, we're not saying all teenagers act like that, but a majority of them do and they don't learn from their mistakes. Hell, I know of adults who don't learn from their mistakes and have kept on doing the same stupid stuff. My brother got three DUIs, so he didn't learn from his mistakes. So, to say that everyone learns from their mistakes isn't really the right assumption because not everyone does. And I like how the Turtles don't learn from their mistakes as it makes them seem more fallible and not as picture perfect as we want heroes to be.