Official Episode Discussion: "The Incredible Shrinking Serling"

**Machias Banshee** · 10-21-2008, 10:09 PM

Greetings, Organic...

I suppose you're here for one of that reptilian woman's 'teasers', yes? I suppose it is being left for me to take care of, of course. It is not as if I have anything important to do...

I guess I must explain how I am here in this time. When we were finally sending the turtles back to their own time, Viral appeared and pulled them through a rather nasty chronological gauntlet. I was overtaken by the wretched woman and forced into the time window, and we had a dreadful accident involving the Master Splinter. We ended up in this time and I have been stuck in this underground cesspool ever since.

I can assure you that spending these past weeks here 100 years in the past have driven me to the end of my fiber optics. At least in my time, when the turtles ere too much, they would leave with Cody for a time and give me some sort of respite...

Cody... I worry for my young master. I was separated from him at the most dangerous time I can ever recall in his young life. Between Mister Darius and those cretinous clones, I've hardly been able to recharge without some dreadful thought tormenting me. I suppose I can relate to the turtles losing their mentor. Young Donatello has been relentless in his search for the scattered fragments of his father. I would suppose young Master is trying to do the same..

That is not to say that I have been sitting on my laurels like an overgrown paperweight. During the weeks that I have been trapped here, I have made myself familiar with Donatello's Laboratory. The technology is Archaic, to say the least, but I have managed to put together a makeshift window. My hope being that I can get back to 2105 before any irreparable damage is done...

Oh, I long for the order and relative peace of my time. It gave me great joy to meet Ms April O'Neil and Mr. Casey Jones, but I am needed in my own time. Unfortunately, if there is one thing I have learned, it is to expect Something to go wrong. The title of this alone fills me with a deep dread. It seems I will have made a slight miscalculation in my setup of the time window.

Oh goody... Do I get to battle insects and nearly drown in a bowl of cereal while risking being eaten? Or will I end up in some unknown orifice that will haunt me until the day I am decommissioned?

I swear I was made to suffer...

Hmm.. It seems there are some questions for you to consider before watching this episode. Why in the world does she write this in all capital letters? I am an anachronism, I am not BLIND....

'WILL SERLING MANAGE TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF HIS OWN TIME?
COULD DONATELLO USE THIS WINDOW TO PREVENT SPLINTER'S DEATH?

My word... why would anyone read this drivel?

heheh... And even though Serling wants to tear out his servos whenever I say it...

STAY TUNED!!!

**Machias Banshee** · 10-25-2008, 08:32 AM

I love it when I'm right....

Thread OPEN!

*VaughnMichael* · 10-25-2008, 08:33 AM

I'm sure most people are going to hate this episode, the only thing I really didn't like is how easily the turtles went for what Serling was up to, but we wouldn't have much of a story then would we.
On the other hand I'm sure fans of the Buck Toothed Looney Tot Turtles will enjoy it, *vomits*
Hah I agree with Serling though, I'm totally sick of dinosaurs.
I wonder if that little boy was supposed to be someone famous, and boy Serling sure got himself in a bind with that one.
I'm seriously not a fan of these Tot Turtles, Splinter is a nice balance to it all though.
That Toy Guy is seriously Nuts, I have to wonder if the turtles treat Serling the way they do because of the events of this episode.
Well it wasn't much of an episode but it was different from the usual, fight thugs stuff we usually get out of turtles.
This Episode makes me glad I have a Serling figure now though lol

I think the best part of this episode was the ending and having Serling running across the roof tops with the guys.

*Kunoichi_Haruko* · 10-25-2008, 08:36 AM

Ugh. Just ugh.

Best part: Seeing Splinter kick a bit of robot butt. Liked little Leo's voice, but that's about it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaughnMichael

I'm sure most people are going to hate this episode, the only thing I really didn't like is how easily the turtles went for what Serling was up to, but we wouldn't have much of a story then would we.

That annoyed me as well.

syk_skillz · 10-25-2008, 08:38 AM

Most annoying episode ever!

*CyberCubed* · 10-25-2008, 08:40 AM

It was a decent filler ep, no more no less. We get one of these almost every season, (along with another Turtle Titan episode)

This episode almost seemed like a remake of the old toon's, "Michaelangelo Toys around."

If you're going to borrow plots from the 80's show, I guess it had to be one about evil toy robots?

I did like seeing Splinter again, it really reminds you he's been absent all season.

*VaughnMichael* · 10-25-2008, 08:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syk_skillz

Most annoying episode ever!

I don't know I'd say it's a tie between all the other toddler Turtles Episodes.

notebook · 10-25-2008, 09:08 AM

Ugh, indeed.

I dont mind the Turtle tots and it was nice seeing Splinter again, but this was a lame episode.
Not just cause Serling's one of the most annoying charcters ever, but that toy guy was way over the top. The "examination table" with the saws and drills, the army of homocidal toy robots, his tossed off rehabilitation at the end of the episode...lame, seriously lame.

I dont get it. We had such a wonderful opportunity to write Serling out of the show. I hope this is the last time he gets center stage.

teacher fan · 10-25-2008, 09:18 AM

I thought this episode was good. One of the things I like about Ninja Turtles is it's ability to do serious stories and funny stories (just as long as one side isn't done too much during a season). To me what made this episode great was seeing the Turtles as little children. It was very surprising and very funny. Plus seeing Splinter again with the ability to really fight was great. It was also pretty interesting to see time travel finally used in a little Turtles story, rather than present it as a flashback like it has been done before. Good episode.

*Drtooth* · 10-25-2008, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VaughnMichael

I'm sure most people are going to hate this episode, the only thing I really didn't like is how easily the turtles went for what Serling was up to, but we wouldn't have much of a story then would we.

I didn't so much hate the episode, as much as I just felt like it really didn't do much. I mean, it was a good character study of Serling... and at least he didn't use a pencil as a weapon, and get chased by a cat, like I thought (Come on, I've seen every 1980's cartoon there was. I'm on to the "Obligatory Shrinking Episode" bit by now). Can't so much say it was bad (I liked how it linked the time frames he visited), but it seemed like a left over FF script mixed with a late season 3/ early season 4 episode.

Quote:

On the other hand I'm sure fans of the Buck Toothed Looney Tot Turtles will enjoy it, *vomits*

At least they were only in ONE episode. They could have easily gone with the series in which they were in every episode, interacting with their future selves (like that forgotten Bruce Willis movie).

Quote:

I wonder if that little boy was supposed to be someone famous, and boy Serling sure got himself in a bind with that one.

Dude stepped on too many butterflies there.

Of course, the one thing that slightly bugged me was that screwing around with space and time turned him into a fat chibi version of himself. There must be some explanation in that somewhere... just don't know what it is.

Blade Raider · 10-25-2008, 09:42 AM

Is...is it 1990? Seriously, this feels like an episode from season 4 of of the OT. In, fact, they should have named it "Funny, They Shrunk Serling". Also, a toy villian? Really? That's lame no matter what fiction it is. This is a really weak episode for such a short season.

Casual Matt · 10-25-2008, 09:45 AM

Did anybody else notice that Splinter's design was changed slightly from that of the first episode of this season to look more like he used to?

Hooray for continuity within the animation itself.

Casual Matt · 10-25-2008, 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blade Raider

Also, a toy villian? Really? That's lame no matter what fiction it is.

Batman The Animated Series. "The Mad Bomber" episode. You should check it out.

Also, in Superman The Animated Series, Toy Man was just creepy.

Shred Head · 10-25-2008, 09:54 AM

Wow I knew this episode was going to suck but man I never thought it would be this bad. The thing that saved this episode from being the worst Turtles episode ever was probraly Splinter and the Serling running on the rooftops with the guys ending.

*CyberCubed* · 10-25-2008, 10:00 AM

The toy maker reminded me of all those mad scientists from the old toon. Serling had the best humor of the episode, his "NO!" when the Turtles handed him back over to the toymaker was hilarious.

gothangel · 10-25-2008, 10:04 AM

Ugg I really did not like this to much. I do not like Serling that much to begin with. I am not a fan of the Turtle Tots either. I just liked the Title because it reminded me of the 90's episode the incredible shrinking Turtles.

AND I HOPE TO GOD THEIR IS NO MORE TURTLE TITAN EPISODES! Just thought I would throw that in their lol.

Blade Raider · 10-25-2008, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Casual Matt

Batman The Animated Series. "The Mad Bomber" episode. You should check it out.

Had to google that since my DVD collection is missing that episode. That said, I have no doubt Batman did it right, but good toy villians are in a very small minority.

Quote:

Also, in Superman The Animated Series, Toy Man was just creepy.

Yeah, creepy, but nothing else. Ever episode he's in is boring.

*Drtooth* · 10-25-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

The toy maker reminded me of all those mad scientists from the old toon.

You too? It really seemed to have a feel of one of those random episodes (I.e. Rebel without a Fin) with a nonrecurring villain that comes out of no where. Plus, of course Back to the Egg...

I think Serling really did carry the episode. it was a pretty weak one, and it probably will be the worst of this season... but Serling was a lot more enjoyable than the kid turtles.

rayfillet101 · 10-25-2008, 10:49 AM

that episode was terrible. why does time travel always equal dinosaurs??

*tOkKa* · 10-25-2008, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CyberCubed

The toy maker reminded me of all those mad scientists from the old toon. Serling had the best humor of the episode, his "NO!" when the Turtles handed him back over to the toymaker was hilarious.

-->> ..o please, that show made me hungry.

I couldn't believe the guest star was the guy from Cinnamon Toast Crunch !!

View Poll Results: The Future looks bright indeed...?
Perhaps the Miscreants aren't so bad after all...	5	12.20%
"It is kinda ugly looking..." "And you Smell!"	20	48.78%
I've never felt so alive!	5	12.20%
Turtle Tots!	11	26.83%
Voters: 41. You may not vote on this poll

10-21-2008, 10:09 PM	#1
Machias Banshee Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 17,163	Official Episode Discussion: "The Incredible Shrinking Serling" Greetings, Organic... I suppose you're here for one of that reptilian woman's 'teasers', yes? I suppose it is being left for me to take care of, of course. It is not as if I have anything important to do... I guess I must explain how I am here in this time. When we were finally sending the turtles back to their own time, Viral appeared and pulled them through a rather nasty chronological gauntlet. I was overtaken by the wretched woman and forced into the time window, and we had a dreadful accident involving the Master Splinter. We ended up in this time and I have been stuck in this underground cesspool ever since. I can assure you that spending these past weeks here 100 years in the past have driven me to the end of my fiber optics. At least in my time, when the turtles ere too much, they would leave with Cody for a time and give me some sort of respite... Cody... I worry for my young master. I was separated from him at the most dangerous time I can ever recall in his young life. Between Mister Darius and those cretinous clones, I've hardly been able to recharge without some dreadful thought tormenting me. I suppose I can relate to the turtles losing their mentor. Young Donatello has been relentless in his search for the scattered fragments of his father. I would suppose young Master is trying to do the same.. That is not to say that I have been sitting on my laurels like an overgrown paperweight. During the weeks that I have been trapped here, I have made myself familiar with Donatello's Laboratory. The technology is Archaic, to say the least, but I have managed to put together a makeshift window. My hope being that I can get back to 2105 before any irreparable damage is done... Oh, I long for the order and relative peace of my time. It gave me great joy to meet Ms April O'Neil and Mr. Casey Jones, but I am needed in my own time. Unfortunately, if there is one thing I have learned, it is to expect Something to go wrong. The title of this alone fills me with a deep dread. It seems I will have made a slight miscalculation in my setup of the time window. Oh goody... Do I get to battle insects and nearly drown in a bowl of cereal while risking being eaten? Or will I end up in some unknown orifice that will haunt me until the day I am decommissioned? I swear I was made to suffer... Hmm.. It seems there are some questions for you to consider before watching this episode. Why in the world does she write this in all capital letters? I am an anachronism, I am not BLIND.... 'WILL SERLING MANAGE TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF HIS OWN TIME? COULD DONATELLO USE THIS WINDOW TO PREVENT SPLINTER'S DEATH? My word... why would anyone read this drivel? heheh... And even though Serling wants to tear out his servos whenever I say it... STAY TUNED!!!

10-25-2008, 08:38 AM	#5
syk_skillz Foot Soldier Join Date: May 2004 Location: Flint, Michigan Posts: 248	Most annoying episode ever! __________________

10-25-2008, 09:42 AM	#11
Blade Raider Mad Scientist Join Date: Dec 2006 Posts: 1,221	Is...is it 1990? Seriously, this feels like an episode from season 4 of of the OT. In, fact, they should have named it "Funny, They Shrunk Serling". Also, a toy villian? Really? That's lame no matter what fiction it is. This is a really weak episode for such a short season. __________________

10-25-2008, 09:45 AM	#12
Casual Matt Foot Soldier Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Newfoundland, Canada Posts: 148	Did anybody else notice that Splinter's design was changed slightly from that of the first episode of this season to look more like he used to? Hooray for continuity within the animation itself. __________________ << Casual Matt's Random Corner of Internets >>

10-25-2008, 08:32 AM	#2
Machias Banshee Super Moderator Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 17,163	I love it when I'm right.... Thread OPEN!

10-25-2008, 08:33 AM	#3
VaughnMichael I'm Baaaaaaccck! Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 11,833	I'm sure most people are going to hate this episode, the only thing I really didn't like is how easily the turtles went for what Serling was up to, but we wouldn't have much of a story then would we. On the other hand I'm sure fans of the Buck Toothed Looney Tot Turtles will enjoy it, vomits Hah I agree with Serling though, I'm totally sick of dinosaurs. I wonder if that little boy was supposed to be someone famous, and boy Serling sure got himself in a bind with that one. I'm seriously not a fan of these Tot Turtles, Splinter is a nice balance to it all though. That Toy Guy is seriously Nuts, I have to wonder if the turtles treat Serling the way they do because of the events of this episode. Well it wasn't much of an episode but it was different from the usual, fight thugs stuff we usually get out of turtles. This Episode makes me glad I have a Serling figure now though lol I think the best part of this episode was the ending and having Serling running across the roof tops with the guys.

10-25-2008, 08:40 AM	#6
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,694	It was a decent filler ep, no more no less. We get one of these almost every season, (along with another Turtle Titan episode) This episode almost seemed like a remake of the old toon's, "Michaelangelo Toys around." If you're going to borrow plots from the 80's show, I guess it had to be one about evil toy robots? I did like seeing Splinter again, it really reminds you he's been absent all season.

10-25-2008, 09:08 AM	#8
notebook Hench Mutant Join Date: Apr 2008 Posts: 275	Ugh, indeed. I dont mind the Turtle tots and it was nice seeing Splinter again, but this was a lame episode. Not just cause Serling's one of the most annoying charcters ever, but that toy guy was way over the top. The "examination table" with the saws and drills, the army of homocidal toy robots, his tossed off rehabilitation at the end of the episode...lame, seriously lame. I dont get it. We had such a wonderful opportunity to write Serling out of the show. I hope this is the last time he gets center stage.

10-25-2008, 09:18 AM	#9
teacher fan Random Punk Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 23	I thought this episode was good. One of the things I like about Ninja Turtles is it's ability to do serious stories and funny stories (just as long as one side isn't done too much during a season). To me what made this episode great was seeing the Turtles as little children. It was very surprising and very funny. Plus seeing Splinter again with the ability to really fight was great. It was also pretty interesting to see time travel finally used in a little Turtles story, rather than present it as a flashback like it has been done before. Good episode.

10-25-2008, 09:54 AM	#14
Shred Head Hench Mutant Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 341	Wow I knew this episode was going to suck but man I never thought it would be this bad. The thing that saved this episode from being the worst Turtles episode ever was probraly Splinter and the Serling running on the rooftops with the guys ending. __________________ "Cold steel meets hot flesh! Thats why they call me Slash!"

10-25-2008, 10:00 AM	#15
CyberCubed Overlord Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 43,694	The toy maker reminded me of all those mad scientists from the old toon. Serling had the best humor of the episode, his "NO!" when the Turtles handed him back over to the toymaker was hilarious.

10-25-2008, 10:04 AM	#16
gothangel Random Punk Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Ohio Posts: 24	Ugg I really did not like this to much. I do not like Serling that much to begin with. I am not a fan of the Turtle Tots either. I just liked the Title because it reminded me of the 90's episode the incredible shrinking Turtles. AND I HOPE TO GOD THEIR IS NO MORE TURTLE TITAN EPISODES! Just thought I would throw that in their lol.

10-25-2008, 10:49 AM	#19
rayfillet101 Mad Scientist Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: NYC Posts: 1,454	that episode was terrible. why does time travel always equal dinosaurs?? __________________ "When you scream my name, pleading for the pain to stop, you may call me...Bishop."