Official Ep Discussion S4 Ep 14: Earth's Last Stand

[Aaronardo]

All I hope now is that they don't forget about Bishop. Like how they forgot about Kurtzman and Kirby.

I also love how Max's IGN review doesn't address that crap paradox at the end when he's getting down to the verdict, which easily makes this episode f*ck up literally the whole season, and yet still gives it a 9. Eh, I'll never understand how he reviews things.

[Chabrendeki]

Yes, all this "meet the past selves" plot had no real solution...

If I understand the time travel correctly, the "past turtles" here are from an alternate timeline (emerged in the moment the future turtles travelled back), so even if the past turtles die, the future turtles keep alive.

I wonder, if we get now episodes from both teams of turtles... I'm afraid the series will simply forget the now space travelling turtles, and just drop the whole thing.

But there are certain possibilities... what if at some point an eye-patched Raph and a cyborg Donnie show up, being the only survivors from the space adventure...?

[Vicky82]

Originally Posted by aprilsfan

two sets of turtles i wonder if.....

Spoiler:

the future turtles die in one episode and the past turtles return to take their place after they die

Originally Posted by xenopokemon

Maybe in six months. That's how long the future turtles took to save Earth.

No because Fugitoid took the turtles back in time, while the space turtles become the current turtles, so it be a sort of time loop.

[MrTMNT2012]

The most insulting part about this show now (surpassing getting rid of the Season 1 writers) is that they really can't commit to sh!t.

[Papenbrook]

Originally Posted by MrTMNT2012

The most insulting part about this show now (surpassing getting rid of the Season 1 writers) is that they really can't commit to sh!t.

Agreed. I don't know how to cope with the show anymore... http://i.imgur.com/hbNJ6C0.png

[GoldMutant]

(sigh)

I called it on Splinter a long while back. I said his death was shock value; I said nobody would give a damn about him majority of the time. I knew the whole thing was a waste to just expand the Nickverse entirely.

With that out of the way, man.... this episode leaves a lot to be desired. It's a by the basics episode exactly like Battle for New York; by that, they took a predictable route and brought it up last minute to resolve a matter built up from a previous finale. Personally, that's how I felt this whole time as nothing of interest happens if you're familiar with the source material of the franchise. There's no repercussions of what's happened in NYC last season and nothing here either for the past and future joining forces.

Also, figures Leonardo and Fugitoid are the only two important guys of this arc. I seriously don't understand why Leo has to be the only guy saving the day; I understand it's because Fugitoid indirectly causes Splinter's demise in his backstory. However, it's just a safe play on Auman's part to do so when Raphael or hell, Michelangelo could have done the same thing for near identical impact if not greater. In addition, as much as I hate to see the Fugitoid bite the dust, this whole thing is just summed up in one word... predictability.

For everything in done here in space, there just felt no stakes after a four episode set up for new character reinterpretations. That I'll comment on later how this arc and Northampton failed with the stakes practically thrown away.

I'm giving this a 5/10, it's an average episode, but in terms of a midseason end, it's highly predictable and disappointing to an already mediocre arc.

[Splinter the boss]

Great episode, but Leo needed to chill in this episode. He made conclusions of his own which weren't even true, tried to play the hero which got annoying real quick. That's why I liked what Raph told him, "leaders are supposed to lead a team" not show off and let emotions get in their way.

[TMNTInsighter]

If I were a silly but humorless critic, I'd usually just sit hunched over my keyboard and start typing reviews that read like essays which concern things such as the psychology present in "Slash and Destroy" that makes it the great episode that it is, the similarities and differences between "The Wrath of Tiger Claw" and "The Deadly Venom", the cardinal writing sins of "The Fourfold Trap", what makes "Annihilation: Earth!" the standard by which all the other episodes are measured (not that I count it as the best episode of the series or even the season mind you)--not to mention the impact that "Tale of the Yokai" has on it, the existential questions inherent in "The Cosmic Ocean", etc. etc. Not that there's anything wrong with that, mind you. There's nothing wrong with a cartoon series that takes itself seriously, case in point "Batman TAS". But even that was geared with general audiences in mind, as are all the animated adventures of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
And as Season 4a as I call it, comes to an end, we can't talk about this episode without going back to where the space arc all began. Obviously, how "Annihilation Earth" concluded was so beguiling that you just spent the time between it and "Beyond the Known Universe"--perhaps even episode 13 (or in this case 14)--wondering how the situation with Earth would be rectified. Perhaps a wish from t̶h̶e̶ ̶W̶i̶g̶g̶l̶e̶n̶o̶g̶ Wyrm? Maybe a twist that the BHG actually led those "destroyed" to another dimension? Time travel, or in this case a standard time loop, would almost be as beguiling due to the rules established in "Tale of the Yokai" since it could only lead back to square one.
If this sounds stark it is, even if we knew going into "The Ever Burning Fire" that it was coming--if not from the moment Fugitoid turned back time. "Annihilation Earth" and its predecessor established that the turtles and their allies were wrong about the universe, it's so much bigger than just the Kraang and their mutagen (with a Newtralizer on the side). With this episode, all that they have seen and went through come to a head.
The reactions by each character to Fugitoid's revelation vary between outrage and understanding and while Leonardo's may seem like overreacting thanks to his actions, it's still intact from his character exploration in "The Cosmic Ocean". Edgy, driven, and motivated, a revelation like this provides an understandable turn towards anger and frustration after all that has already happened. Beyond that though, the final act is given over entirely to schematics as the only point from there is to tidy up the finale of 3b to the finale of 4a so that Earth itself is back to square one in terms of existence. Tiger Claw, disappointingly was also back to square one after some great moments of character insight near the end of AE (although it may be disappointing from a personal perspective given this ones predictions going forward this season). That he would be oblivious to the goings on between Splinter and Shredder would seem fitting but it still features as part of the cruelly exposed schematics of wrapping up the time loop.
The story ends amusingly enough with Fugitoid gaining his redemption while allowing his past self to live on with those who made it possible, but shouldn't he make sure to take good care of them lest something terrible should happen to his friends' future selves in turn? Again, just as time travel rules can be both serious and silly, so too does a series like this juggle that same balance.

[Papenbrook]

On the bright side, think of all the Half-Shell Heroes spinoffs Nick can create. It'll be fun...

[NinjaPug]

Pretty weak ending to the space arc. I didn't like that at all.

- Extremely out of character stuff from Leo
- Terrible way to account for the second set of Turtles, April and Casey at the end
- Casey is the worst. Everything he says makes me cringe.
- Having Fugitoid not be dead took away the only emotional impact of the episode (and the entire space arc)

[shredder orokusaki]

Some screenshots itook from my fight with Splinter
Pc specs are 2500k 3,3ghz 12 gb ram gtx 970 g1 gaming 4gb. Capstured from VLC

http://postimg.org/image/q281ibkwn/
http://postimg.org/image/q9l5ores7/
http://postimg.org/image/g20bnhfvb/
http://postimg.org/image/ohd12icgn/

[CyberCubed]

Why are people saying the Turtles shouldn't go with Fugitoid to see space, even if it wasn't to save Earth? You think the Turtles would pass up a chance to visit space if they have a spaceship and robot to let them tour the galaxy?

[Mukouno]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Why are people saying the Turtles shouldn't go with Fugitoid to see space, even if it wasn't to save Earth? You think the Turtles would pass up a chance to visit space if they have a spaceship and robot to let them tour the galaxy?

I think it's more how it was handled... They all just run towards a robot they don't know without a care in the world, without preparations and stuff like that, you know, like maybe asking Splinter or in April and Casey's case telling their family they'll be gone for a while... Nothing is adressed, they just run away because it's awesome and basically... yolo.

[CyberCubed]

Because the Triceratons were stopped, Shredder was defeated, and the other Turtles were there. They knew Earth was safe.

[Mukouno]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

Because the Triceratons were stopped, Shredder was defeated, and the other Turtles were there. They knew Earth was safe.

Sure, doesn't stop this whole thing from being waaay too sudden and poorly written. Seriously, the writers needed the past turtles to go, and that's what they came up with. They didn't even try.
I think most people, myself included, are just disappointed with how the whole time travel dilemma was resolved and thus of course don't like the rushed ending and poor reasoning behind it.

[CyberCubed]

I still don't see the problem. Fugitoid flat out invited the past Turtles, who had never seen space beyond Dimension X, for an adventure. Why wouldn't they be excited?

As said, they knew Earth was safe. Shredder was defeated and taken out and the current Turtles were there just in case anything else happened.

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

I still don't see the problem. Fugitoid flat out invited the past Turtles, who had never seen space beyond Dimension X, for an adventure. Why wouldn't they be excited?

As said, they knew Earth was safe. Shredder was defeated and taken out and the current Turtles were there just in case anything else happened.

I bet at some point during Season 5, the past Turtles, April, Casey Jones and Fugitoid will return to Earth.

in Season 5, I bet Renet will show up and fix the timeline.

[CyberCubed]

Originally Posted by TigerClaw

I bet at some point during Season 5, the past Turtles, April, Casey Jones and Fugitoid will return to Earth.

in Season 5, I bet Renet will show up and fix the timeline.

It would be 6 months later, I suppose. The space arc took 6 months didn't it? Fugitoid set the Earth back 6 months when he restored it and that's how long it took the current Turtles to return there.

[TigerClaw]

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

It would be 6 months later, I suppose. The space arc took 6 months didn't it? Fugitoid set the Earth back 6 months when he restored it and that's how long it took the current Turtles to return there.

Yeah, 6 months would have past during Season 5 and the past characters would have return.

Also take into account that present day Fugitoid would come back to life.

[NinjaPug]

Why would this new space trip be 6 months? None of what happened in the first trip would take place on this one.

This was just an easy way to do away with a second set of characters. More than likely we never see them again.