TMNT Talkback: Episode 4.14:"The Ancient One" (Spoilers)

[Ian]

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Episode 4.14: The Ancient One
Original Air Date: December 10, 2005
Written by: Steve Murphy

Previously on TMNT: Leo is an ass. Repeatedly.

Today on TMNT: Realizing that his particular brand of Sensei-ism wasn't reaching Leo, Splinter sends his son to the greatest teacher who's not Mr. Miyagi or that guy from Kill Bill: The Ancient One. So taking only his katana and a nifty hat/duster ensemble, our favorite brooding leader makes his way to Japan. There, he turns into a Gamera "homage" and fights the Justice Force.

Discuss.

 

[Duke]

Eh, it was an OK episode. Still upset that Leo's anger has nothing to do with Karai though.

 

[maczero]

My thoughts:

The Good
1) Further character development for Leo. The tension between Splinter & Leo was great. I'm also thinking that Leo on a good day could take Splinter.

The Bad
1) Leo slashing Splinter was over the top. I mean who intentionally cuts their father. The reason why I say it was intentional was that Splinter was unarmed and at Leo's mercy.
2) The Ancient One. The farting was beyond disgusting. A few of them actually sounded wet.

Random Questions
1) If turtles are cold-blooded, shouldn't Leo have been severely affected by the cold? I mean a normal human couldn't walk around in that weather wearing just a trench, so it makes less sense that Leo could stand the cold.
2) Were the flashbacks exact scenes from last season's finale or was Leo's guilt making him remember those events differently?

 

[CyberCubed]

Don didn't even get one line in this episode. :/

I found a few of the Ancient One's wisecracks amusing. He seems like an interesting character, I hope we get to hear about Hamato Yoshi sometime.

They really got to make it clear when Leo cuts someone. These slashing marks make it look like Splinter lost an ear, but instead it was just the top of his head.

Oddly enough, I have nothing else to say about this episode.

Guess this was the last new one until after New Years right?

 

[Simpler Simon]

2) Were the flashbacks exact scenes from last season's finale or was Leo's guilt making him remember those events differently?

They were new scenes.

Pretty good episode considering it doesn't stray AT ALL from the typical cliches and even tossed in some from STar Wars for good measure. Teen Titans also did a similiar episode earlier this year and the two are pretty much interchangable.

I thought they could've handled the travelling to Japan scene differently. It didn't need to take any longer (and in fact shouldn't), but the transition didnt work for me.

I won't say the ancient one's voice was offensive, but it didn't rub me the right way either. Maybe a bit too high pitched.

The last line about Leo condensing his long self-realization was pretty funny.

And yes, this is probably the last new episode before the holiday break. There's a possibility the ancient one will show up again, if only because a scene from the season 4 preview (him balancing on one foot on a pile of rocks) wasnt in this episode.

 

[King_of_doom]

The ancient one farting was disturbing but the rest of him talking with Leo was funny, well it appears angry Leo as dissapear .......or is he?

 

[Dark Fact]

Okay, this episode was pretty good but it wasn't slam bang perfect. I'm glad to finally see Leo deal with his anger head on and getting over it.

I knew it was a matter of time when his thirst for perfection will wind up getting one of his own family members hurt and sure enough, it did. Boy, that was a huge wake-up call if I ever saw one.

How old exactly is the Ancient One? If he taught Hamato Yoshi, that should make him pretty old.

The toilet humour in this episode was pretty cheap and pointless. Seriously, it's old!

Wet farts? Eeeewwwwww!!!

Unfortunately, we're going back to the cousin Sid season premiere after this episode. Oh well, I can't wait to see what happens next in the new year.

 

[CyberCubed]

How old exactly is the Ancient One? If he taught Hamato Yoshi, that should make him pretty old.

Knowing this show, and how old Shredder and Bishop are, it wouldn't surprise me if the Ancient One has been here for hundreds of years either.

Who wants to bet that now that he's introduced we'll see a statue of him in the Battle Nexus Tournament?

 

[Dark Fact]

Don didn't even get one line in this episode.

Sam Regal, the voice of Don, lives in L.A. now. He would have to fly in all the way from L.A. to N.Y. just to record a few lines of dialogue and that's it. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Don gets a voice recast next season. This is the same reason why Saffron Henderson who voiced Shippo in Inuyasha, also had her voice recasted.

 

[CyberCubed]

I don't think I'd be able to live with a new Donny. No wonder why Don has been pushed into the backround for most of this season.

Very disappointing.

 

[Duke]

Sam Regal, the voice of Don, lives in L.A. now. He would have to fly in all the way from L.A. to N.Y. just to record a few lines of dialogue and that's it. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if Don gets a voice recast next season. This is the same reason why Saffron Henderson who voiced Shippo in Inuyasha, also had her voice recasted.

Technically, no. American cartoons do the voice recording first, so they could simply record his lines via telephone. It happens all the time on Justice League, Teen Titans, Dexter's Lab, and most American shows, especially when there's a guest star.

 

[maczero]

How old exactly is the Ancient One? If he taught Hamato Yoshi, that should make him pretty old.

Why does that make him pretty old? Yoshi appeared to be in his thirties when Shredder killed him. Since Splinter discovered the turtles shortly after Yoshi's death, then it's safe to say that Yoshi's death took place 17 years ago (give or take a couple of years). We can also assume that the Ancient One started training Yoshi as child which wouldn't have been more than 30 years from the present. Conceivably The Ancient One could be as young as 50, so him training Yoshi doesn't really qualify as pretty old.

 

[Simpler Simon]

I don't think I'd be able to live with a new Donny. No wonder why Don has been pushed into the backround for most of this season.

Very disappointing.

I'm not really seeing how Donny has been getting less airtime this season? And if he is, mostly likely its just an inadvertent side effect of shoving the character drama on Leo.

Reminds me of the fan speculation surrounding Michael Rosenbaum's absence from the first season of JLU. Voice-acting has the same contractual obligations as any other acting job. Either do the role when you're needed to perform it, or get booted. Moving across country shouldn't prevent Mr. Regal from vocing the character or the writers from giving him lines.

Conceivably The Ancient One could be as young as 50, so him training Yoshi doesn't really qualify as pretty old.

Well he wouldn't really have earned the title of ancient one at age 50, would he? Though he hasn't really done anything so far that would make us think he's not human, I'm willing to bet he passed his 100th birthday awhile back.

 

[Dark Fact]

Ancient One? 50 Years old? I dunno...I was kinda guessing 70.

Technically, no. American cartoons do the voice recording first, so they could simply record his lines via telephone. It happens all the time on Justice League, Teen Titans, Dexter's Lab, and most American shows, especially when there's a guest star.

It would have to be a pretty clear signal phone for his lines to come out well without muffled interference.

If they could do that, why couldn't Viz have Saffron Henderson do the same for Shippo? Are they worried about long distance charges?

 

[Duke]

It would have to be a pretty clear signal phone for his lines to come out well without muffled interference.

If they could do that, why couldn't Viz have Saffron Henderson do the same for Shippo? Are they worried about long distance charges?

Because you have to match the mouthflaps and do all that typical anime dub stuff, which you can't do over the phone.

Ever watch Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker? Dean Stockwell (Older Tim Drake) recorded every one of his lines over the phone.

 

[Brettfern]

The Ancient One. The farting was beyond disgusting. A few of them actually sounded wet.

I wish I had kept track how many times that farting noise came on. Oh bummer!

 

[SirLemming]

Except for the fact that they used the "Yes, I 'know' who the wise teacher is, I'll 'take you to him'" cliché, this was a strong episode. (And the cliché wasn't as bad as it could've been, since they didn't try to really play up the "mystery".) Leonardo slashing Splinter was pretty shocking. I mean, he never slashes anyone, since this is a kids' show after all!

 

[Sketch]

Pretty good episode and I'm glad Leo finally got over his funk. And I must say I too was surprised that Leo slashed splinter.

The backgrounds in this episode were simply fantastic. When they showed up on the temple grounds I swored the show had flipped over to Avatar or something. And the colors, I loved those colors. Season 4 of TMNT may not be the best story wise but the pollish on it is undeniable and that makes for a great experience of it's own.

 

[maczero]

Well he wouldn't really have earned the title of ancient one at age 50, would he? Though he hasn't really done anything so far that would make us think he's not human, I'm willing to bet he passed his 100th birthday awhile back.

True, but my post was in response to someone using the fact that he trained Yoshi as a qualifier that he was pretty old.

 

[BCVM22]

There's a possibility the ancient one will show up again, if only because a scene from the season 4 preview (him balancing on one foot on a pile of rocks) wasnt in this episode.

It was in the episode. He was doing it as he was begging Leo for food.