Official Episode Discussion: S2 #9 "The Kraang Conspiracy"

[Donatello19]

Some thoughts on the episode and what other people have said about it.

To be honest, thinking about it more now, I kind of feel bad for April Derp. She didn't really seem like she was trying to hurt anyone (she was just hugging them, if I remember correctly) and the fact that she was a reject that was probably going to be disposed of by the Kraang anyway just makes it more sad. Anyone else think we're gonna somehow see her again? How did she manage to get her own render and bio on that Nick website if she was going to be a one time character?

I think the Kraang plots would be more interesting if them and the Foot teamed up even more. They have an alliance, sure, but I think it would be a lot cooler if they teamed up directly, having a lair together, etc...would be even cooler if they recruited all the "stray mutants" (Snakeweed, Spider Bytez, Cockroach, Squirrelanoids, etc.) After all, they all hate the turtles, so it would be cool to have one big team of villains, with Shredder as the leader. Deadly ninjas + crazy mutants + alien technology = best villain team ever. I like solo villains too, but I don't consider any of these stray mutants solo villains since they basically disappear after their debut episode. If they're not gonna be doing anything most of the time, atleast have them working for the Foot/Kraang. They don't have to have major roles at all times, just something to let us know they're still around.

I really hated April in this episode. It's like she was annoyed that the turtles were saving her. I get that she wants her independence or whatever, but come on, she was about to get impaled by a needle while tied up...and was annoyed by the fact that Raph was saving her. Come on. I do like that Raph saved her, though, hasn't this been the first time she's been saved by someone else than Donnie (and/or all four of them)?

[Metalwolf]

I sort of didn't care for this episode. It started off great, but it ended up dragging a bit in the Kraang segments. Plus as others have stated, April's origin ends up feeling a bit anti-climatic and even cliche.

For one thing, if they were waiting for a particular strand of DNA, why not bio-engineer it instead of waiting thousands of years?

Secondly, the part-Kraang bit was the cliche part. I don't like "part-alien' copout plot points, even I could have come up with something better. For instance, they could have said that she had the 'right' DNA strand which happens to have a genetic sequence that allows the mutagen to be more stable when combined with it. Due to this April cannot be mutated, and it also allows her to detect Kraang due to this extraordinary ability (it won't react to the mutagen or Dimension X's oddball physics, and detecting Kraang might be a side effect.) And the Kraang, if they capture her, would take her apart cell by cell for this stabilizing purpose.

Other then that, I like the Kraang, but they should be doing stuff with the Foot at this point. Kraang-only stuff is good in small batches, but it's easy to become boring and predictable since the Kraang as a whole have no personal goals other then terraforming. They are better done together with the Foot, since even though their have their own ulterior motives, the Foot forces a more varied use of their technology and 'personality."

[bridgegrn]

Raph's cocky "We've all been there" comment after April talks about having to get saved by him was hilarious.

[Rukitron]

The April part Kraang nonsense is way too similar to the whole Sari from Transformers Animated is part robot mess. It's just an excuse for them to have powers and not be completely useless. I mean Casey doesn't even have super powers and he holds out fights pretty well...

Also anyone noticed poor frozen Timothy in the bg at the end?

[BabyTurtles]

Originally Posted by ElectricN

Yeah the Donnie April crush is getting old. But I don't think it's going anywhere, so I'm not going to complain. I'm just glad April is interacting with the other turtles, and was so glad raph went to rescue her. If Donnie had to throw in a "I was going to do that" I don't mind, at this point it would be out of character if he didn't. And Aprils comment to raph, I at first was upset about "oh great rescued by raph" but she continued "I'll never live this down" and I understood it was just her not wanting to be rescued and with Raphael personality and telling her she's not ready, he would give her the most crap about it.

yea I know, I just wish a few things were done differently........

I just couldn't enjoy April snapping at the turtles for rescuing her when she almost died twice because she wanted to do stuff on her own.

and fine, her desire to be independent is fine, but she could have at least admitted toward the end that she needs a little more help/training?

or an apology for getting them in so much trouble?

[bridgegrn]

Yeah but April is also 16 years old, a lot of us weren't always very rational people at that age. I feel like they are putting emphasis on the teenage aspect for not only the turtles but her. I'm with it, makes them all a bit more unpredictable.

[TigerClaw]

With April's Origin finally reveal, I think its interesting because, in all past incarnation, They never explored April's origins in the previous series, I don't know if they did in the comics, But I find it interesting that this show manage to explore deep into April's past.

[Jester]

I dug the "It's quiet....a little too quiet." bit.

[BabyTurtles]

Originally Posted by bridgegrn

Yeah but April is also 16 years old, a lot of us weren't always very rational people at that age

I knew when to stay outta trouble at 16

if a bunch of mutated ninja turtles told me something was too dangerous, I'd stay home. XD

but that's not fun for a character

if the characters were super realistic nothing would get done XD

[CyberCubed]

Honestly this ep sorta sucked, outside the Kurtzman and April Derp scenes.

Everything about it just felt like a bad and tired rehash of all the previous Kraang episodes.

[blindturtle02]

Originally Posted by Jester

I can see the April reveal anti-climatic and the Kraang plots being repetitive, but the action was spot on and the humor was there. I'd call this a middle of the road episode: not the best but also not the worst.

There ya go buddy. So Jman, do you have a least fav episode so far? I wasn't here during s1. Just curious. And ya know you were right about the Kraang/stormtrooper aim comparison. Love the SW reference there too.

So does anyone have thoughts on where mommy dearest might reside or what could have happened to her? I think we're being lead to believe mom is still alive. Meh, or maybe it's just me. I just didn't get the sense that she was dead dead deadski. And there have been several who have come up with the notion that Kirtzmen is an utrom. Gotta say, love the idea! I'd like to see an Utrom/Kraang war.

I agree with Donatello19 and Metalwolf. Wishing the Foot had appeared. I miss Karai, Baxter, Fishface, and Rahzar. Does anyone remember that one dromer who made the whole 80's Megatron and legion of various Decepticon characters comparison? Shredder should invite all these crazy mutant houseguests to stay with him and really heat things up. I know Donatello19 and Metalwolf stated something very similar, and that I'd love to see. Why not? Casey is with the team now as of last week's ep. The odds would be better for our heroes. Let's just hope Nick airs them in order from now on. Ya hear that, Nick? This ain't SpongeBob or some other one shot episode show! lol

[NinjaMan]

Imagine if Kurtzman ends up being Mortu

[Electric]

Originally Posted by Metalwolf

I sort of didn't care for this episode. It started off great, but it ended up dragging a bit in the Kraang segments. Plus as others have stated, April's origin ends up feeling a bit anti-climatic and even cliche.

For one thing, if they were waiting for a particular strand of DNA, why not bio-engineer it instead of waiting thousands of years?

Secondly, the part-Kraang bit was the cliche part. I don't like "part-alien' copout plot points, even I could have come up with something better. For instance, they could have said that she had the 'right' DNA strand which happens to have a genetic sequence that allows the mutagen to be more stable when combined with it. Due to this April cannot be mutated, and it also allows her to detect Kraang due to this extraordinary ability (it won't react to the mutagen or Dimension X's oddball physics, and detecting Kraang might be a side effect.) And the Kraang, if they capture her, would take her apart cell by cell for this stabilizing purpose.

i dont know, i kinda disagree. yeah the part alien is cliche, but i like how they brought in her mother. ratehr than just waiting for the dna, they altered her mother so that they could get the dna from her daughter. i think that was completely unexpected and a nice little twist. i could even see them delving more into this, explaining what happened with her mother, why they chose her, etc.

[Machias Banshee]

This episode was....weird.

The episode was a strange mix of April trying to fight on par with the turtles, only to get completely trapped, and somehow use telekinesis to destroy the Kraang androids. And then this whole weird thing with Kurtzman, who's magically tracked them for months, And taken pictures, And discovered countless artifacts proving the existence of the Utroms. How he did this is beyond me, yet the kids are so quick to trust him and take and his Illuminati business card - Who the heck is he?

It would have been nice if Kurtzman could have had some little pop-up appearances previously, so we could have an idea that someone was actually tracking them for this Long. And then TCRI is completely rebuilt, and the kids didn't know of Anything in the course of their many trips to the surface. You would think that there would have at least been something on the news...


((Hey Jester, do you happen to recall a certain Archie character that started out as a double agent...? *Plays Jeopardy theme* ))


I think just the fact that everything is so, "Oh, they did this! And this happened! And Nobody had any idea! Oh well...!". This was way too rushed. They could have fleshed this out more and made it a two-parter.

~Machias

[blindturtle02]

Originally Posted by NinjaMan

Imagine if Kurtzman ends up being Mortu

Yes, please. I'd get behind that. I at least hope it's possible that utroms could be introduced in this show. But this time, I hope they'd put up a fight. How are they in the comics? Are they a pacifistic species? Maybe they could give April and the turtles the edge they need. The turtles are out ma uh out mutanted and outgunned. Yeah there we go. Yay for Casey and all, but if our boys are indeed at war like Splinter said in the very beginning, they need more allies. Or else they're gonna be hurtin for certain.

[NinjaMan]

Originally Posted by blindturtle02

Yes, please. I'd get behind that. I at least hope it's possible that utroms could be introduced in this show. But this time, I hope they'd put up a fight. How are they in the comics? Are they a pacifistic species? Maybe they could give April and the turtles the edge they need. The turtles are out ma uh out mutanted and outgunned. Yeah there we go. Yay for Casey and all, but if our boys are indeed at war like Splinter said in the very beginning, they need more allies. Or else they're gonna be hurtin for certain.

From what I remember, the Utroms were pretty much peaceful in the comics and 03 series (minus Chrell). But I'm no expert on them so I'm sure someone else can give more details. Utroms being rivals to the Kraang would be cool to see in this show.

[MsMarvelDuckie]

Hmm, what to say about this ep? First off, unlike most, I loved it. I never felt as grossed out by April Derp as most seem to have been, mostly, I thought that part was hilarious, with the reject holding Mikey up-side-down for a "hug". Or the clones all trying to claim they were the real April, and her getting shoved to the back of the pack until she remembered her tessen. Why didn't the Kraang take it from her, exactly? Her powers seem to be maturing, and I thought that was pretty cool, even though it might make her a little "Mary Sue"-ish.

Kurtzman was cool, he really felt like a conspiracy theorist obsessed with the Kraang, and that cheesy Back to the Future line was epic! (They found me- I don't know how, but they found me..." Yeah, okay, Dr. Brown....) I like him, and I hope he shows up again soon. It could be interesting for the Turtles to have a human ally who can investigate the Kraang during the day or get into places they can't. Actually, he sort of reminded me of Nobody from 4Kids, in his police detective guise.

While the ending was a bit predictable, I was sort of expecting something like that, since it's clear that she's not normal from the Dimension X water spill, her psychic abilities, and how her mother has been absent all this time. Was sort of hoping she'd be part Neutrino, but I'm satisfied that at least they've finally explained why the Kraang need her. And that evil clone- that was just creepy.

[Coola Yagami]

If anything, Kurtzman reminds us that the Kraang were around up to no good in the neighborhood long before the Turtles took that first trip to the surface. Hell, Splinter's origin already had him bump into them when he was human, 15 years ago. It kinda makes sense that SOMEONE was on the case doing something about it.

[billbot85]

Originally Posted by Jester

Only about 7 minutes in myself, but the action seems tight, but I must say that the Kraang are about as good a shot as Imperial Storm Troopers.

I was thinking the same thing. Total use of the Stormtrooper Effect with the Kraang in this show.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by Machias Banshee

((Hey Jester, do you happen to recall a certain Archie character that started out as a double agent...? *Plays Jeopardy theme* ))
~Machias

Um....well...you see...

I have no idea who you mean...