what i dont get about fast forward...

[Lil G]

in fast forward they have this machine in which you could think of an idea and it would come true and work but they never made a time machine. why is that?

[Chris]

Because that would have been way too easy and been a very short season

In-universe maybe the machine just has limits? The fact all the villains are so desperate to get hold of Cody's time portal plans suggests that the tech is extremely rare, possibly unique. Since it was built after the make-anything machine maybe it couldn't be replicated as the machine didn't have the knowledge needed to create it.

[Revan]

Originally Posted by Lil G

in fast forward they have this machine in which you could think of an idea and it would come true and work but they never made a time machine. why is that?

Why didn't they imagine a pill that makes you imortal?
Why didn't they imagine a ray gun that allows you to fly?

Probably because it only works on things that have a realistic function or no function at all. Like a katana. It's just a blade. No function except to slice and dice. Time machine would be extremely complicated even if you did understand exactly how to build one and what you would have to think of.

Perhaps Don or Cody would be able to pull it off but neither of them knew how. My idea is that it can only make your thoughts real if you know exactly what your thoughts are. Cody didn't know exactly how the time machine even worked so he would not be able to imagine how all the parts and peices mesh together to function.

...Oh yeah, and it's a kids cartoon so... yeah

[Jester]

I agree, it does have limitations. Mikey's mech might just be an example. it made it from his imaginings, but soon malfunctioned because the physics just weren't there. If they had made a time travel devise with the Transcendental Lathe, there's no guarantee it wouldn't have malfunctioned and sent them all back to the stone age.

EDIT:
Question: did they use the TL to create anything with moving parts? The weapons are pretty basic, any major device could be too complicated for the poor lathe.

[Spitfire]

Because you have to be able to think of the object. If you don't know how the object works or how to build it yourself it doesn't work. That's why Starlee made the turtles weapons, and why Mikey's broke because he made it himself and doesn't know how a mech works.

Course that's how I'd explain it logically, the other answer is it's a cartoon and it had to happen that way so the series could carry on longer then 2 episodes.

[Coola Yagami]

Of course the bigger question is why didn't Rennet just pop in and take them back home. But yeah... very short series....

[Jelly Bean]

maybe she got lost on the way there. Seriously she was next to useless in most of her appearances. She's the tocken dumb blond

[Casual Matt]

Originally Posted by Jelly Bean

maybe she got lost on the way there. Seriously she was next to useless in most of her appearances. She's the tocken dumb blond

Yeah, there's no reason to think she'd even notice anything was up.

And even if she did, she'd probably overshoot her intended time destination by like a year, so she could still be the way they get home.

Anyway, back on task, yeah, the Transcendental Lathe likely can't make something that neither the user nor the machine knows how to make. Like the Mikeytron 6000, it just wouldn't work.

[Spitfire]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

Of course the bigger question is why didn't Rennet just pop in and take them back home. But yeah... very short series....

Because if she did she would be changing the course of history and she's not allowed to do that. The turtles were supposed to be in the future it's in the journal. I don't see why Cody was so surprised to see the turtles if he read Casey's journal like he claims he did or all of it anyways. Maybe he didn't read it all until after the turtles showed up but he knows what happens when they get home.

Anyways I'm getting off track, point being if she did it would alter time and she's not allowed to alter time.

[Jester]

We are sure the Turtles being shot into the future wasn't a drastic altering of the time stream?

[odupianist]

maybe he read the journal but didn't truly believe it until it was right in front of him...?

[Drtooth]

Originally Posted by Coola Yagami

Of course the bigger question is why didn't Rennet just pop in and take them back home. But yeah... very short series....

Potential... blown. All I'm gonna say. There could have been a good episode in there about Rennet sending them to the wrong time line or universe or something, but it never came to pass.

[Jester]

I've been re watching >> and something dawned on me. Viral mentioned that the Turtles presence in twarting Sh’Okanabo was not a coincidence....maybe the Turtles were meant to be shot into the future, if only to stop Sh’Okanabo's from spreading his gene seeds.

[Revan]

I guess we will never know... or will we. I'll remember what you said, Jest. If it comes up in BTTS, you win!

[Spitfire]

Well Viral will be in the new series it's pretty obvious she's the main villain. Just look at the concept artwork. It almost looks like she will run the "cyber" Foot Clan or something.

[Revan]

exactly. perhaps she will reveal something about how it was no coincidence like Jester brought up