Did Tales of the TMNT KILL The 2012 Show!? | Series Retrospective (Part 5)

[@JsReviews]

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[@johnnygyro2295]

While I prefer the 2003 TMNT, I'll admit the 2012 TMNT was a heck of a ride. Speaking of cartoons from the 2000's, is there any chance you'll cover Sonic X at some point?

[@jessetorres8738]

I'm a bit disappointed with Season 5 being a bunch of small arcs (while they were ok) that didn't fully resolve all of the story elements & some remain left unfinished. I personally wish they had eother had 26 episodes like the 1st 4 Seasons or cut out 1 or 2 of the small arcs & replaced them with 1 off episodes that gave the series some finality. Examples: What happened to April's mother? Did Donny ever find a way to cure the mutants who wanted to go back to normal? What happened to Pigeon Pete? Is Karai stuck as a transforming mutant? What happened to the TMNT that went into space? While Season 5 wasn't bad, it wasn't the grand finale to this series I would have liked, but as a whole I still loved the 2012 Nickelodeon TMNT series & still say it's both the best & darkest version of the characters.

[@ProfessorZoom2140]

Please review the 2007 CGI TMNT movie. 🙏

[@fmyt2009]

You gotta review rise of the tmnt

[@COMICBOOKGUYS]

Hey you should review a show called downtown it’s pretty underground and canceled but it’s really good you can only watch it on KZbin aswell

[@RebelTrooperHoth]

Tales is the bonus season to me. Stand alone stories as a bonus to stay with the characters a bit longer without changing the ending

[@rickyronny4019]

Agreed

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

I agree

[@aoinatafanboy84]

Because that was always the plan.

[@Woobuggy848]

I didn’t mind this season, even if it ended with the fourth…

[@bostonrailfan2427]

fully agree, it was an add-on in my eyes

[@kingbash6466]

The Mutants Apocalypse is a pretty drastic and dark shift from the show, even with its distrubing undertones, but I kinda appreciate it as the finale. While not exactly the happy ending we got, it's not a downer either, and the fact that the turtles were able to come together despite everything that happened leaves a bittersweet feeling that feels kind perfect for this show.

[@inz002]

I love the apocalypse. It resonated with me so much.

[@aerostrafe1075]

I dont like it since it kind of just kills off April and Casey.

[@ImArTiStIc629]

Turns out the apocalypse isnt canon to the show. It was made as an “what if” kinda thing

[@mitchfletcher2386]

​@@ImArTiStIc629Apparently Ciro Nieli wrote it as his way of making sure others couldn't change the series after it ended. Which feels kinda like gatekeeping.

[@PickyPaige]

WORD!

[@viliamsneakman1508]

It's kinda funny how both TMNT 2012 and Teen Titans 2003 originally meant to have 4 seasons but the studio of both shows renewed them for a fifth season. Also fun fact: Ciro Nieli the creator of TMNT 2012 was one of the directors of Teen Titans 2003

[@bachilles3285]

Another fun fact is Michael Chang and Ben Jones, who *also* directed episodes of Teen Titans (Chang for the entire series and Jones replacing Ciro Nieli for season 3 and beyond), also directed several episodes of the 2012 Ninja Turtles. What can I say? Andrea Romano has her connections.

[@rayshawnwilliams5673]

no way

[@ilikeeverything.5900]

TMNT 2012 is just extremely similar to Teen Titans 2003

[@rayshawnwilliams5673]

yeah i know@@ilikeeverything.5900

[@rayshawnwilliams5673]

and still sucks that the show is never getting a 6 season@@ilikeeverything.5900

[@rickyronny4019]

Tales of the TMNT felt like a filler season to me. And I was fine with that. The main storyline of the 2012 TMNT show had basically been wrapped up, so the Turtles could basically just have random and fun adventures at this point

[@CreativeStoryteller35]

This show was my childhood. I started watching it in like 2nd Grade. Now I'm in 12th Grade. While I'm sad it ended, I'm grateful to have the memories of waking up on Sundays and running downstairs to watch the new episodes. I will always love this show and will never forget it.

[@RemasteringTMNT2003]

Appreciate the shout out! Another great retrospective. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the 2012 series despite being such a 2003 elitist. 😁 You do make a great point. Every generation of TMNT fans seemingly has their own definitive version of the turtles, and I think it's a beautiful thing that Turtlemania comes around for each generation to experience. We're certainly in the thick of it again, but that doesn't mean the old ones have to fade away. The history and evolution of the franchise is really what makes it so special. I'm glad we can continue to talk about our favorite versions long after they're gone. Even if Viacom makes it nearly impossible to enjoy. 🙃

[@JimmyBond85]

I grew up with the o.g. show and although that and the 2003 show were awesome the 2012 show has the superior team imo

[@SpaceChannelDelta]

Mutant apocalypse had such a depressing undertone! Even though there was technically a happy ending it doesn't change that fact that the teenage turtles went through all that effort to defeat the Krang and undo their damage only for it to not matter at all in the long run. Now everyone's been mutated, April, Casey, and Karai are dead, and the Earth is a wasteland. It's cool the brothers reunite, but it also took them 30 years of thinking the others were dead for it to finally happen.

[@domajackthesheepoid3948]

Thankfully it wasn't the ACTUALLY end of the series. The three part 1986 TMNT crossover was the finale of the show.

[@pepitopacquiao]

downer as you say very very downer, i don't think so

[@LearningWithTalal72]

April cant be mutated

[@dippy-19999]

it’s not canon, just a what if idea

[@viliamsneakman1508]

Honestly as someone who grew up with the 2003 series the 2012 is my favorite TMNT show and one of my favorite shows ever.

[@Infantry492]

I'm kinda the same way. I grew up with the 2003 turtles until my interests shifted. I didn't watch the 2012 series until recently. My son who just turned two is really into the ninja turtles so we watched the 2012 series together. I really ended up liking it, I think it's a great series. I remember seeing it advertised and not thinking highly of it back then, but I'm glad to see teenage me was wrong.

[@rickyronny4019]

@@Infantry492 yeah. 2003 and 2012 TMNT are some of the best adaptations

[@alexandkarashrum5791]

It really has that perfect balance between humor and seriousness that's hard to pull off.

[@tophatsquirrel1886]

Same here! I was a die-hard 2003 fan and was initially very reluctant to give the 2012-show a chance because it seemed so different from how I thought the turtles should be portrayed. But after watching the first 2 episodes I was floored by how much I enjoyed it! It's now my favorite TMNT-version ever, with 2003 as a close second.

[@Tweekerss_678]

It’s the end… it’s been an honor 🫡

[@SPYROSTSABOURIS]

🫡

[@Glacierstrike876]

He should review rise of the TMNT next. I love the show with all my heart and I know it’s not for everyone but I would like to hear what he would say on it after watching 2003 and 2012 (tied with rises as my favorite Tmnt). And maybe afterwards he should review the movies. I think he struck a gold mine in his decision to review TMNT in the first place.

[@Rman94]

One missed opportunity Season 5 could've handled was the April's missing mother. An episode or two of April and the Turtles finding out what happened to her to wrap up that plot would've been nice.

[@mitchfletcher2386]

Alas, Brando Auman would go on to say that April's mother died a long time ago.

[@Rman94]

@@mitchfletcher2386 Still would've been nice to have something in the series.

[@AndreK33]

I would’ve had an arc where Baxter Stockman is revealed to have survived the destruction of Shredders mansion and recruits all the Turtles remaining mutant foes so we could resolve those characters conflicts as my other comment made a joke about.

[@raye-raphaelsashay8521]

Since you mentioned other superheroes, let me just say that if you haven't watched the Batman vs the TMNT movie, you absolutely should. It's incredible, mostly because it does a decent job at being its own story while still showing a great deal of love to both franchises. The Batman vs Shredder fight scene is so hype.

[@leithaziz2716]

It's a fun love letter for both Batman and TMNT fans.

[@MrE_]

Yes

[@adventurekitty101]

I just love the fact Troy Baker is both Batman and Joker in that film and I love the turtles dynamic with the Batfam. I also remember meeting someone who did not believe me when I said Joker in that film wasn’t voiced by Mark Hamill. Lol

[@TheDalinkwent]

Seeing Shredder woop Batman's ass gave me so much more respect for how Good the Turtles are in fighting him.

[@shonenbois]

This was a fun season that had a good farewell to Series. Specials like the Alternate Future and The Bebop and Rocksteady One were my favorites. Also I know ppl say the alternate future one gives mad max vibes but I mostly got Old Man Logan vibes especially with Old man Ralph

[@horizon8618]

The ending is a weird cliff hanger but I like the episode too

[@leithaziz2716]

I wonder if this episode airee before the Last Ronin comic came out. I can see some parallels tonally despite the different settings.

[@atavious2491]

Loved the Wanted: Bebop and Rocksteady arc. It was essentially Turtles Forever 2. I really wished that '87 April O'Neil made an appearance in CGI to act as a mentor and mother figure to 2012 April considering that the '87 April voice actress also provided the voice for April's mother in the 2012 show. Also considering that at that point of the show, 2012 April is all alone and has been through a lot with her mutant alien powers. Since classic April has already been through mutations of herself in the original show, it would've made for a perfect bonding moment between the two. Also with the 2012 Turtles informing their 1987 counterparts of the 2012 Splinter's death would've been emotional and probably knock some reality into the classic's head.

[@questworldiangreenknight7455]

I agree

[@hasanthedumb5340]

There were many annoying loose ends that I wish got resolved,particularly with all the random mutants. They’re just…out there, and since retromutagen was now widely available, they could easily have one last arc with the turtles doing the right thing and saving those mutants

[@steelscorpion9114]

What disappointed me about season 5 of 2012 is never getting to see the alternative bright future that both Renet and Lord Simultaneous had allued to in their debut episode. A good future where the turtles are seen, and recognized by everyone as heroes. They become legends. I know in fiction the future is ever changing, however like Mutant Apocalypse, that timeline must surely still be preserved somewhere within the multiverse.

[@djpegao]

They pulled a King Samurai Jack with us again, didn't they?

[@AndreK33]

I would’ve liked that as well as the status of the Turtles Allies and how there viewed in that future.

[@raye-raphaelsashay8521]

TMNT 2012 was my introduction to the characters and is still my favorite iteration. I hope you're right, and as time goes on we get more references and callbacks to this series. I think the world created in the first few seasons, which has elements of both sci-fi and horror, where anyone can be mutated into a new and terrifying form, is so cool and well put together. I hope future people remember it that way.

[@TheTurtleNexus]

"Lone Rat and cubs," the episode you liked the most, was written by Kevin Eastman. In a similar fashion, the Usagi Yojimbo episodes were written by Stan Sakai.

[@soranora4597]

Each era of the turtles has something to like and has something that the other eras don't. You point out the fact that Splinter didn't say anything about running into the krang once before when Mikey said they ran into them. That could just be Splinter doing what 03 Splinter did when the turtles first showed him the foot symbol. Wanting to keep them safe. Then again, once the turtles got more involved with the krang, Splinter never said anything, unlike in 03 after Leo's meeting with Saki.

[@lesterwilliamsjr649]

HOT TAKE: 2012 has the best side villains in the animated TMNT history as well as the most complex Shredder. 2003 has the best Shredder when it comes to being a memorable villain but 2012 makes for a more interesting character breakdown.

[@Infantry492]

I started to rewatch the 2003 series with my son after we finished the 2012 series. I do have to agree with you. I really think 2012 shredder is better. In 2003 he's intimidating and everything you want him to be, until he repeatedly loses. Plus the fact that he's actually an utrom kinda took away from the whole thing, to me at least. Like he's not really shredder, he's just a meat suit for an evil blob.

[@FoxsDumbSeriesMaker]

I like both Shredders, but in my opinion, I think 2003 Shredder edges him out slightly. 2012 Shredder has more depth and was certainly powerful, but he wasn’t the most logical and often sat on his throne until something caught his interest. 2003 Shredder was calculating, manipulative, and very intimidating, having done a lot of evil over the years as an utrom. When he came back from his “death” in Season 1, Leo instantly lost all of his conviction during the rooftop battle, showing how much of a threat Shredder was at the time. His crafty Luthor-like role in Season 3 redeemed his okay role in Season 2, too. I don’t even dislike the utrom twist. It makes this Shredder unique, like he’s both Krang and Saki combined into one character. It added a lot of mystery to him at the time and eventually, he didn’t even care about getting back at his fellow utroms. The Turtles’ constant interference pissed him off _that much,_ making _them_ his ultimate foes.

[@Yono_A1533]

2003 agent bishop> everyone else

[@akilcharles3473]

@@Infantry492 Yeah same here, I always resonate with the Shredder being human rather him been some Utrom alien that makes hardly any sense to me. Not mentioned the origin backstory makes a lot more sense than what we got in 2003 series. Still love it tho.

[@Infantry492]

@@akilcharles3473 I look at it the way I look at splinter. I think it makes more sense for him to be a man mutated into a rat man than I do just a rat who watched a guy and learned how to fight. Both versions are great and serve their story well, but I have my favorite of the two. The episode in the 2012 series where the turtles go back fifteen years in time to Japan really added to splinter and shredders stories in a way that just works better in my opinion.

[@PLAYER42_ready]

Fun fact: for a short time, the monster episodes of season 5 were actually Rated M here in Australia (PG 13 for Americans)

[@lesterwilliamsjr649]

I'm so happy Hun was in 2012 series. The character desveres more adaptations. It's nice to see another character get the Harley Quinn treatment of being good enough for multiple adaptation so we don't end up with the same characters in every version.

[@Psych0_R3d]

Yea but honestly the only thing that made him hun is that they called him hun and randomly made him the new purple dragon leader even though the purple dragons absolutely stunk since their introduction in the show and were never a threat at all, just like with bishop, I like him but he was definitely more of a mortu then a Bishop in this show

[@FoxsDumbSeriesMaker]

Agreed. Hun is an awesome and underrated character. We need to see much more of him in other TMNT content.

[@Rose_Bride]

​@@Psych0_R3d100% agree with you. The 2012 Hun was _not_ "Hun" at all. He was literally "just" a Bruce Lee rip-off. That's _it._ Like you said, the only thing that made this guy "Hun" is the fact that he was called this.

[@Psych0_R3d]

@@Rose_Bride tho I admit he was kinda funny for what he was

[@Rose_Bride]

@ *lesterwilliamsjr649* • But at least with Harley Quinn every adaptation is (for the most part) similar enough to be _recognizable_ as "Harley Quinn"; I.e. some iterations have blonde hair with white makeup, some iterations have chemically bleached skin with bi-colored pastel pink and blue hair, some versions have red and black hair, etc) the "Hun" in the 2012 series wasn't recognizable as Hun at _all,_ and had _no_ discernable features that would identity him as Hun beyond people in-universe calling him such, and the fact that he led the Purple Dragons. 2012 Hun was a completely different ethnicity (Chinese) and build (lanky and slim). I didn't realize that this was supposed to even BE Hun initially when I first saw the character. To me, it just felt like a Bruce Lee rip-off. 😕

[@GoldenJohn70]

I'm happy someone pointed out how franchises often only celebrate the newest or oldest thing, when often it's the stuff in the middle that's the best, but I also aprecieate that you pointed out how, as time goes on, the new nostalgia will rise aswell

[@NovastarDoughnut]

Season 4 was the finale and the sendoff to the story. Season 5 was a victory lap with a set of extra what-if episodes. Episodes that would maybe be too wierd of off the wall for a more conventional season. Post apocalypses, usagi yojimbo doing lone wolf and cub, universal monsters, shredder ressurection via satanic sacrifices. A season of strong genre blending

[@austinforgie1069]

This show went from kid friendly to dark after the season 2 finale with the krrang invasion, the destruction of the earth, splinter dying twice, and the mutant apocalypse shown in this video

[@pepitopacquiao]

zzzzzzzzzzzzz

[@Void-pkm]

i think the 2012 version has the best characterisation of the cast, they all feel so alive expressive and dynamic to me

[@NimhLabs]

So... the whole "Tales of TMNT" title line, is likely a refrance to the OG Sepia comics. Where to get around various contradictions in canon, they opted to suggest that all the stories were just Urban Legends being drawn. The sort of thing that was told via word of mouth to people about events going on and what not This meant that any contradictions were due to the person telling the story either getting a detail wrong, embellishing on various details or just the notion several contradictory Urban Legends about various New York cryptids can exist in the public [German for Time Ghost]

[@thedragonmaster5674]

I’ll be honest, I wish I could see more of karai from this series, I would love to see a solo karai series that takes place after the events of the 2012 tmnt series

[@PickyPaige]

Personally I actually really love the Mutant Apocalypse Arc as the finale of the series! It's very bitter sweet, and I am a sucker for bittersweet endings! The only thing that could've made it better is if we got at least a half a season, exploring that concept and actually seeing the causing of the Mutant Apocalypse!

[@CartoonPostYT]

It also apparently takes place in a different universe.

[@theenderkirby]

After the the shredder revival is my second fav TBH felt very mad max

[@PickyPaige]

@@CartoonPostYT That's what Nickelodeon says, I think the creator's intentions is what is important, and what is cannon!

[@TheSwordsman100]

@@PickyPaige Not only Nickelodeon, while Mutant Apocalpse was Ciro Nieli's intended finale for the reasons given in the video, the writers wanted Owari or End Times to be the actual finale. Noting that Tales of the TMNT are mainly just fun side stories that don't necessarily follow the continuity of the show.

[@PickyPaige]

@@TheSwordsman100 Yeah, Owari or End Times, do feel more like an actual thematic ending to the series and the rest feels like some further adventures but there aren't really any inconsistencies in those Tales of the TMNT that makes them non canon, in fact it further gives character and story endings for a bunch of other characters like Lord Dregg, or Bebop and Rocksteady, and also there are actual albeit small inconsistencies, if you watch the season in the order that it aired! I personally watched it in the production order and it worked better for me! The only plot holes is in the Splinter flashback, where he fights the Krang, and sees what the Kraang are, yet he said nothing in S1!

[@LeviGary]

17:44 To be fair, season 5 didn’t even air on the same network as the first 4 seasons. They shifted it to NickToons instead without even really saying anything, so that could be a real reason the viewership dropped off so much. I missed a few episodes because of it.

[@anthonyhudak9363]

I really enjoy the little bit of humanity that Shredder had in the end where even he realized he deserved to stay dead and forced himself and Kavaxas back to the underworld. When World's Collide was also a big surprise when that dropped

[@SuperRamtin]

22:16 I'm happy you actually made the end of this video feel like a goodbye by showing the 2012 turtles one last time, haha Ngl I loved this season, actually. It felt brand new and it had an amazing intro with the animation and music. It was also able to explore new concepts since most main arcs in the whole show were done.

[@Bron275G]

Great respective, man. I'm so glad you finally gave this show a chance and gave your entire thoughts on it and didn't completely bash on it for no reason. I respect your opinion on preferring the 2003 series to this, as I will admit that one had a lot of good ideas and had vastly intriguing plots that are better than 2012. For me personally, this series will always be my favorite TMNT series of all time. The 2000's show is a tad close second, and we can all agree that both shows are great in their own ways. Once again, fantastic job on covering this series, J. Love your Sonic and Mega Man videos, and I look forward to what you have in store next year.

[@kosaku_kq5601]

The end to an amazing retrospective. I recently picked up the complete series DVD, and it takes me back to watching it air on cable. Good times to when I was 9 years old when it started 11 years ago, and with it's consistent quality it's a show that I'll always treasure even now as a young man.

[@SegaMario]

19:06 This was what was painful as someone who kept up with every episode. The wait between episodes during these times was so *PAINFUL.*

[@bowserbreaker2515]

I love this season. It was a great epilogue and was just as fun as the rest of the show, as well as rapping up many plot points. I also love the new theme song. We got another 1987 crossover, a Usagi Yojimbo crossover, and a rap-up to the Foot Clan story. This is still my favorite version of the TMNT.

[@nachovichoZX]

I remember that once upon a time, the only person who analyzed the 2003 series with such dedication was you. And lately, many people have been making videos and reviews of the 2003 series, remembering them fondly. While I've watched the 2003 series (and the 2007 CGI movie as well) since I was very young, like many other series, I've never watched them in order. It was with the 2012 series that was one of the first I watched in order from start to finish and was more aware of what was going on in the series. I also followed the news and watched online the conferences they held at Comic Con, where they announced new and classic characters and which actors and celebrities were playing them. I think this series was successful because it came at a time when the "geek era" of the 2010s manifested itself, where the advancement of CGI technology allowed the creation of fantasy, sci-fi, and comic book and novel adaptations that couldn't be done before. (MCU, Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead) Animated series became much more respected both artistically and in writing, (Adventure Time, Gravity Falls, Steven Universe) and storytellers respected the properties and their fans, detaching themselves from what was edgy and cool. (Plus, there's an incredible nostalgia for the '80s). That golden age no longer exists in the current decade. Even if there are still new projects like that, there is much less interest from the general public, especially in the recent Marvel and Star Wars productions. The 2012 series had the luxury of rescuing elements of the '80s series that were never considered in the 2000s. However, for this new fourth generation of the franchise, the new film, Mutant Mayhem, had to be completely reinvented, ignoring nostalgia and bringing new things to the table, since the audience is now completely different. Hopefully, in the future, you can talk about the Rise series (which is a very different case from the other series since it was created just when the popularity of the franchise began to decline) and also about the Mutant Mayhem movie, which, for me, has been incredible. Likewise, thank you very much for taking the time to look back, as you have brought me many good memories of my childhood. I hope you and your family are feeling very well, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[@forzgon8194]

14:32 I just wanted to know, What Happened with April and Karai in this Timeline knowing that they’re already Mutants?

[@mrmisterman2874]

16:33. This is just a personal theory, but I believe the reason Timothy wasn’t turned back was because when Donnie froze him with the faulty retro mutagen, he died. I noticed the lights of the mutagen tank power off when he completely froze, so I’d say that’s a good indicator that he’s no longer alive. Like I said, this is just a theory so nothing I said was confirmed, but it’s my only way to justify to myself why he wasn’t turned back, especially as Donnie by the end of the series has made tons of retro mutagen.

[@sonic5993]

Ive noticed that TMNT and Sonic seem to go through the same cycles of popularity, where they blow up for a period of time and then dip in the opposite direction, but never quite enough for the franchise to be canceled before making a huge comeback. Each generation even has its own fanbase. Maybe its tha multiple appeal you mentioned.

[@Junior-t4d9r]

Extra points for remembering to say Frankenstein's monster instead of Frankenstein.

[@bartk1290]

I prefer 2012 to 2003. But moreso than that I'll take them both. For season 5 it was cool seeing Leo fight alongside both Karai and Tiger Claw vs (zombie) Shredder with everything that led up to that. World Collide was my favorite arc. The finale of 1987 & 2012 was solid too.

[@xanderg.1070]

When I finally got to binge watch the 2012 show, I ended up enjoying more than I did when I was younger. And honestly despite being born in 2001, this was my introduction with the tmnt franchise (not counting the 2007 animated movie), cuz I didn’t watch the 2003 series when it came out. But overall, this is one of the two most favorite versions of the tmnt. The other being Rise of the TMNT, which is really good and highly recommend you checking it out as it does a lot of unique and different concepts that wasn’t used before in previous tmnt iterations

[@jeluenhayo2410]

I don't have it in me to actually watch all the TMNT shows past 2003 ones which I adored - so watching this retrospectives is a really cool niche to learn about the series while not wasting hours into it. Keep up the good work, J, and we await the next TMNT show retrospective

[@DigiRangerScott]

It’s hard to say Tales “killed” the series when the he format change was announced at the same time as Rise

[@PixelaGames2000]

I’m glad you enjoyed the 2012 series, it was fun to watch these videos. I’m hopeful and interested in seeing you cover more TMNT stuff in the future, like Rise of the TMNT (seriously tho, that series is incredibly underrated) and maybe the 87 turtles, who knows. Whatever your interest in doing

[@alexanderhalvorsen9287]

This show reinvigorated my love of the TMNT. I started watching during the first season and was hooked. The humor and action reminded me of the 87 and 03 series, both shows I watched growing up.

[@lyka1392]

Mutant apocalpse worked for me because i love post apocalypse stuff, the world looked great but the sky especially and its good that it ended on a happy note

[@MinecraftWorld1954]

Honestly, I actually really enjoyed the Movie Monsters arc most. Probably because I have a lot of nostalgia for it or because I'm a mythology buff, but I can't help but smile every time I watch that Arc. Honestly, this retrospective has been a lot of fun. I said in part one that I like seeing reviews of things I'm nostalgic for but from the perspective who doesn't have that nostalgia. This was fun. I BEG FOR YOU TO DISCUSS RISE OR THE 2007 MOVIE PLEASE!

[@AndreK33]

The Mummy was my favorite monster and I wish he could’ve done more. I would’ve saved his death until the final battle when Dracula gets impaled.

[@alyssamiller9192]

I really like the time traveling arc with the monsters. It was fun to watch.

[@sobhan1218]

facts

[@abbylichti7067]

Please do Rise!! Also keep in mind the Leo changes a lot through the series in a good way. Character development!!

[@GatorRay]

That "this is a kids show" line is extra funny because the 87 versions of Rocksteady & Bebop contributed to 03 Shredder's demise in Turtles Forever. What a great way to end a solid retrospective. Can't wait to see what you've got in store video wise for 2024.

[@Rodrigo_Apgaua]

Now it's rise of TMNT, one of the most misunderstood but awesome show made for the turtles

[@LittleMissLoathing1]

Genuinely hope you do a retrospective on Rise. It's so good

[@mohameddiop409]

It would be cool to see a you do a comparison video between this and the 2003 not as a "which is better" but more to see your thoughts on different characters between incarnations

[@calvinmatthews1527]

Another superb retrospective J, you keep it up. And you are correct, with everything from the 2000s turning 20 now, that is the time for them to be nostalgic. TMNT is just one of those brands that will continue to be popular but also needs to stay fresh with different incarnations. While TMNT doesn't have the kind of staying power other superheroes have, the flavor they have is still unique. Hope next year you can talk about other brands like Transformers or Avatar: TLA. Happy Holidays.

[@Harrymation-productions]

Thanks for covering this whole series. This Tmnt show means a lot to me and i hope nick doesn’t forget it or the rise of series

[@lennyzagara4600]

Thank you for this series man I appreciate it I wish I could do something like this for 2k12 TMNT but I don’t know 2k12 and 2k3 TMNT really brought my interest as an artist and I’ve always wanted to bring out my creativity with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles for sure 2k12 TMNT will be with me forever and for sure this series is amazing I hope one day this series will continue to help me to bring my passion, enthusiasm, and creativity to the internet on what I want to do with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

[@armoredbluejay9364]

Happy to hear you enjoyed my introduction to the series. Excluding the first live action movie and the tmnt movie, since I watched those ignoring the story and just watching for the action

[@megacrashthehedgehog5377]

I feel like, at this point, there really is no point in trying to compare the TMNT shows. Each one has had its own goals and its own ideas. The 87 series introduced the Ninja Turtles to a wider and more mainstream audience. The 2003 series faithfully adapted the source the original comics while giving them their own spin. The 2012 series served as a love letter to the franchises then 25-year long history and grounded these beloved characters. And more recently, Rise hit the franchise with fresh new ideas and concepts that we hadn't seen done with these characters instead of just repeating what came before.

[@xaviergonzalez44]

The one mystery about the 2012 show that I hoped gets brought back and explained in another TMNT conuity is what the heck the ten dimensions are. Lots of Characters mentioned them and I don’t think there’s been a definitive list

[@PickyPaige]

If I had a nickel for every time a TMNT series has an issue with the order of release of episodes, I would have nickels for every single one of the series, cause it keeps fucking happening! How hard is it to release a series in it's correct order of episodes? Seriously!

[@magnusprime962]

For Nickelodeon, very. Releasing episodes out of order is basically expected behavior from them. It’s frankly a miracle that didn’t happen with the two Avatar shows.

[@PickyPaige]

@@magnusprime962 For me it actually did! The local dub of Nickelodeon, had this dumb thing, where similarly to the US version they would just not show the first two episodes and start straight from the third but on top of that, they also would air a season, then before getting to season two, they would start from the beginning of S1 again and then air season 2, then before they air S3, they would start from S1 AGAIN, and only then would they go through season 2, and finally give me S3! They did that for other shows as well! I distinctly remember waiting excitedly for the 3rd season of Big Time Rush to air dubbed for the first time ever, only for the 3rd episode of S1 to air instead! I was so mad that night!

[@AndreK33]

The Turtles: “we have defeated all of our enemies.” Snakeweed, Spider Bytes and other mutant enemies not apart of the Foot Clan: Hey! What about us?

[@mechajay3358]

I considered this season a standalone/antology. It has some nice episodes to wrap-up other side stories. I'm one of the few fans who find both 2003 and 2012 to ve realy great show in their own right.

[@GamerSlyRatchet1]

I loved catching up on past TMNT shows that I also grew up with. I hope you cover Rise of the TMNT one day.

[@RaiginAnimator]

Now we all need to Rise up For the Rise OF the TMNT review

[@MrByo97]

I'm slowly rewatching this series as it's been on my list. I love these TMNT video and am excited or more. I was wonder when the full series retrospective will be out as one video?

[@ZenKrio]

It was a decent show, but there was a weird amount of April butt shots early on, like the first 2 seasons, i remember people on forums asking why. I also hated to odd non plot relevent episodes.

[@jackcollin1811]

For what it’s worth ur retrospective lead to me rewatching the entire 2003 series after not thinking about it probs 14 years, and seems to have made me something of a turtles fan again at age 25😅.

[@SRHunt85]

I watched the 2003 show as a kid, I didn’t watch every episode but the memories I have of watching the show are distinct. So when 2012 came out, I was bitter. Had that horrible mentality of “not my turtles”. However, when the season 2 finale happened, that’s when I hopped on and I came to love 2012, probably my favorite iteration. It reignited that TMNT loving part of my brain and I was hooked from season 3 till the very end. Then Rise came out a year after 2012 ended, and I was bitter about that cause it was barely a year later and Rise changed so much. But then the Rise movie came out and that got me invested in that show, and I adored Rise as well. AND THEN Mutant Mayhem was announced and…I didn’t instantly judge it. After Rise, I decided that I’m giving every Turtles iteration a chance, because I don’t despise any of the cartoons (the 1980s is the only one I haven’t watched a ton of because I really couldn’t get into it, but I respect the nostalgia 80s fans have for it). I’ve been revisiting 2003, I own the complete series of 2012, and I’ll throw on Rise every once in awhile. I wouldn’t be the Turtles fan I am today if 2012 didn’t change my perspective on this franchise.

[@farfaraway4285]

Loved season 5. The finale, chefs kiss. 😘

[@thetheorizermoore7476]

Mutant apocalypse is confirmed to be an alternate timeline

[@rafaelsangel5571]

21:39 Going back to this statement is pretty cool now, seeing as both 2003 and 2012 turtles got their time to shine in the 40th anniversary comic. That and Playmates recently announced doing 2012 reissues of the four turtles and their shell raiser next year, plus NECA finally covering them as well with a recent announcement. Seems like we’ve reached a point where 2003 and 2012 are the new nostalgia hot spots for TMNT, even as the 87 turtles still get plenty of re issues from their massive toy line (seeing as they had so many variants of the characters it’s not even close to being done)

[@JJWolford]

I guess that i never got past the third season and it was apparently a lot stranger and more depressing that I would have thought. Also, just wow, the fact that they literally killed off Splinter is insane and makes me feel even worse about it, but I suppose glad that I didn't directly see it.

[@saiyan4414]

interestingly enough, they never turned Timothy back into a human.

[@Zardont]

You know the ending to this video with the picture of the turtles and master splinter really made me ponder how much of an impact this show had on me when I was younger. It's the reason I love the TMNT. It was my first every series growing up with them as a kid. And honestly, I wouldn't change a thing. Loved this show ♥

[@Maxd_820]

crazy good timing cause i just started watching your retrospective today

[@unidentifiedtoast8076]

Season 5 is a collection of “What If” / “Else World” stories. That’s why it’s called “Tales of” None of it is canon.

[@raye-raphaelsashay8521]

I absolutely agree that Casey and April were underutilized this season. Casey, especially, I felt was a real missed opportunity for the writers. He's always a goofball, but in his introduction we see more empathy and depth in his character. In seasons 4 and 5, it feels like they gave up on any nuance and made him more comic relief. He doesnt have that underlying coolness that made the character interesting.

[@NerdySwede]

I can't wait for another Turtles Forever crossover in like... idk 10 years? Or maybe even sooner where we can have crossovers with all the animated turtles. It would be so fun and nostalgic for everyone.

[@FoxsDumbSeriesMaker]

It was so fun watching you discuss these videos. I overall love watching TMNT videos from you in general. They always put me in the mood for pizza when I watch them. lol While I do feel that the 2003 series is better than the 2012 series, the last couple of 2003 seasons really drag that series down with its tone shift, filler content, and constant changes due to Playmates interference. I agree that 2012 is much more consistent, and it’s an overall great show. I had a lot of fun watching it and would certainly enjoy seeing these versions of the TMNT to be represented again. ^^ I’m also very happy that this is the time 2003 is getting more acknowledgment. Later seasons aside, 2003 definitely deserves the attention. Hopefully the whole series will be put on blu-ray and fix up the quality issues from the dvd!

[@CrayonNinjaAkke]

As a pretty recent fan of TMNT who came in with Rise and have slowly worked my way back into the older iterations these retrospectives and season summaries have been immensely helpful! I've enjoyed them a lot and learned quite a bit about the history of the franchise and the circumstances of the various iterations' production and cultural impact. Your level-headed approach to your own biases and preferences is a large factor to why I'd very much like to see you take a look at Rise of the TMNT at some point if you'd be so inclined, to see what you think of it being so different and what you can piece together of the production story. From what I understand Rise is meant to be something like a hard reset of the franchise, throwing out a lot of established conventions and patterns to make space for new stories that are not beholden to earlier iterations. It was originally slated for three seasons but at some point during the first season the third one got cancelled and then partway through producing season two it got cut in half so the production team had to scramble to rewrite the last four episodes to wrap up as many plot points as they could. And then they had to fight tooth and nail to get movie made which is absolutely amazing and 100% worth a watch even if you skip the TV-series. I don't have any insight into Nickelodeon/Viacom but with how badly they mishandled Rise and then the Mutant Mayhem movie immediately got its own TV-series makes me think someone high on the executive ladder just hates Rise and wants it buried and forgotten. They certainly keep ignoring the Rise fans petitioning to unpause the series. As for the turtles looking so wildly different in Rise… I understand it'd be off-putting to someone like you who grew up with mostly identical-looking turtles but to someone like me it's one of the main things that caught my attention and made me invest time into the franchise; the ability to tell the turtles apart at a glance was huge as I started to get familiar with who's who. The bandana colours was not enough for me, especially in darker environments. All this to say I'd love it if you'd give Rise a chance at some point, if nothing else you can enjoy the absolutely stellar animation in it.

[@Jinaria101]

It’s so weird how when the turtles change up the genre from martial arts to intergalactic sci-fi they loose a bit of their audience but when Pokemon does it they still maintain their audience

[@farfaraway4285]

Ahhh, the crossover, double chefs kiss 😘😘

[@MacNava]

Does this mean you’ll review rise of the tmnt next? That series is underrated and it needs more love.

[@MikhailSamunin]

10:33 To be fair the apocalypse 3-parter doesn't really fit into the continuity anyway as it features elements from season 4 while having the Kraang bomb being responsible for the setting despite the Kraang being no more since the end of season 3 with the death of Kraang Prime.

[@nightbladex6929]

It’s cool how Raphael and Donatello reference the 2012 TMNT in Nick All Star Brawl 2. Raph says 2012 Mickey’s catchphrase.

[@MikhailSamunin]

21:31 If it goes on like this I guess _TMNT_ will just continue to swing back and forth between Mirage's-comic-and-2003-show and 1987-show inspired handling of the brand every decade or so as people who grew up in different parts of this cycle will be succeeding each other as creatives.

[@SmrtPhonRtistCF]

I really did wish Tales was 26 eps and / would've made some arcs only 3 or 2 parters instead of 4 to wrap up some of the questionible things left hanging like original fugitoid's head turning back on, that loose mutated chimera hybrid, et-cetera, as I really enjoyed the arcs, one of my favorites are the Usagi Yojimbo one, 2 worlds collide and the halloween one. Mutant apocalypse was good and a good subversion, even if it felt depressing, like if that turtle team encountered Honeycutt's head, and accessed time travel in the end, the results would change and would've bought a future of humans and mutants living side by side building a strong future thanks to the turtles.

[@NoT_Leo2804]

I still can't watch anything after When Worlds collide bc all my fav villains and main characters aside from turtles are irrelevant or gone

[@nakagamipenguin]

I should note that another likely reason for the shows ratings dropping could be the inconsistent time slots that Nick aired the show in. From the beginning, the show flip-flopped between Saturdays at 11am, Fridays at 7pm, and Sundays at 11am, before settling with Sundays at 9am for the final season and a half. It's a common issue amongst Nickelodeon shows, but with TMNT being a story-focused show, it's especially egregious. It also doesn't help that Nick shafted half of the final season on to Nicktoons (the channel that solely exists for them to burn off anything that isn't SpongeBob), before unceremoniously airing the final three episodes on the regular network. I don't doubt that people weren't losing interest in the 2012 series, but Nick being Nick likely didn't help much. Hell, they also burned off the latter half of Rise of the TMNT in the same manner, and that show only lasted 1 and a half seasons.

[@buildaggedonarmanaziie4462]

I thought that they would continue this series, like Rene said that she was going to meet Michelangelo in the future, and she meets the apocalypse Michelangelo, but then the older turtles getting Rene's help with time travel and things like that to go back in time to stop the mutagen bomb and they do that, and then they continue the stories with the teenage turtles.

[@gyga100]

its amazing that you didnt notice how much this is filled with 80s nostalgia,a lot of the episodes where ether a reference to some 80s movie or character that had their likeness similar to some actor that was popular in the 80s...

[@peachesphillips1323]

13:59 this is another plot hole because in the first crossover with them they were capable of using their weapons and they were more wiser, but all of a sudden in the second crossover in season five they’re stupid and they don’t use there weapons . I still had A lot of fun with these episodes. This comment is not supposed to spread hate I’m just having fun.

[@SaddieMoon]

I remember how you didn’t watch this show at first because it wasn’t like the 2003 series. I was the exact same way when Rise came out.

[@willwidrick8039]

I really enjoyed the USAGI episodes here but I do think this season was all over the place. Agreed doesn’t really matter which series is better but I prefer the 03 turtles. Thanks for the video

[@jaretco6423]

Honestly, I enjoy watching every version of TMNT. I'm always gonna have an soft spot for the 2003 version more. But the 80's, 12's and even Rise of TMNT are fun to watch too. As long as they stay true to it's material, while also being it's own tone that fits, than anyone can watch it and enjoyed.

[@lord_egg]

With the amount of dropped plotlines it would be great to revisit this version of the Turtles in some comic miniseries. To be fair though I like the idea of revisiting all of the Turtles shows in comic book form. After their shows they might appear in some multiverse story later down the line but it always makes it feel like they don't do anything until those multiversal adventures. So they're just sitting around until WAM they're in another universe for a few minutes and then they're back to waiting for the next one. If they do some ongoing series or miniseries of comics it would just flesh out their universe some more and provide some explanation on what they've been up to since their last adventure.

[@skyhook6445]

Like the Timothy stuff and whatever to happened 2012 Baxter stockman

[@zerokura]

When I read "tales of the TNMT" I was thinking "wow there was one of those tell tell games with the ninja turtles"

[@BasementDweller_]

Season 5. The season that gave us the depressing ending for the series.

[@TheRavenArchon]

I love Tales. It's so great as an epilogue to the series to get just a few more self contained stories showing how the brothers are all doing. I love pretty much all the arcs, and just think they're a ton of fun, even mutant apocalypse. I love how dark the writers got with it all too, almost like they knew they were done anyway, so they were just daring Nick to have a problem with it at this point. Like when you know you're going to be fired so you might as well go out with a bang.

[@SerpentHashiraObanaiIguro]

TMNT's generational popularity rollercoaster is also shared with Transformers, but its popularity seems to vary by continuity family.