I actually happened to like this episode. Sure, it was open ended but the fights were well done and the Ninja Tribunal give a great sense of intrigue and really set you up for the next season.
I really liked the Mokujins in this episode. Not only did they have a cool ominous theme, but they were tough and also fought fair. The turtles really got served big time by them.
As for the new human allies, I don't know what to think of them. I'm going to have to give them a season to see how they fare. :shrug:
Did anyone also get a BIG "Secret Wars" vibe from this whole episode? Only replace the Beyonder with the Ninja Tribunal council members and there you go.
Everything looks so well set up for the battle against the real Shredder next season.
Yet, in 4Kids and all their greed, they want to bypass ALL this just to go for Fast Forward only to sell more toys. I'm with everyone else here now when you all say you are pissed this is happening. They should be saving Fast Forward for the season after the real Shredder, not bring it in now.
TMNT is one of the most successful shows 4Kids even has on its block and they want fudge it up for the ploy of selling more toys? I'd like to see the Fast Forward season captivate my interest.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON SEASON 4:
What can I say? It's a mixed bag for me. The season started off pretty weak with the one shot episodes dealing with the Ellintean backstories. The season got slightly better with Hun returning to the picture and Leo's angst taking control of him only to have him doing something regrettable and seeing the Ancient One to heal his wounds.
The mutant outbreak was handled particularly well but felt rushed and forced at some points. The biggest disappointment is the omission of "Insane in the Membrane" which details Stockman's attempt at recreating his body because 4Kids bungled up the order of the schedule and/or decided that the episode is too much for kids.
Lady Shredder/Karai sucked...bad! Her only achievement in her entire run this season was getting the turtles old lair successfully destroyed. Other than that, she was a big whiner and not even nearly as ruthless as the old Utrom Shredder was. Even her own minions seem incompetent with her around now. I don't blame the foot mystics one bit for being disgusted with putting up with her.
The season continued to dip in quality with the Savanti Romero 2 parter with the turtles going back to the prehistoric period to deal with the magic user. The interest wasn't as great and felt more like a big pitch for the "Paleo Patrol" toys than anything.
Fortunately, after the 2 parter, the show picked up in quality in a big way with Donny's mutation finally coming full circle. Donny's monsterous form and violent nature causing the turtles to strike a truce with Bishop in order to heal him was one of the most powerful arcs the series had to offer and was executed beautifully (who didn't like it when Bishop got used by the foot mystics?).
The one shot episode with Master Yoshi's past, while wasn't regarded as the true episode 100 by 4Kids broadcast standards, stood out as an excellent episode with themes that pushed the limits of Saturday morning toons such as death, betrayal, and revenge. Plus, we got to see Splinter's origin.
The finale's open-endedness serves more as a beginning of a new arc that will lead the turtles to take on the new Shredder.
I'm hoping that next season will cater well and not mark the shark-jump that many people fear to the whole series. It would be terrible if the show got pulled due to bad ratings from Fast Forward and leaving us hanging with the turtles going to fight the real Shredder.
Oh well, here's hoping that "Insane in the Membrane" will get the airing it deserves before the new season begins.
Or, at least I don't expect it to be any other way for the end of our Season 4.
