Blast from the Past #617: May 31, 2003: Re: FW: Stuff, and June 1, 2003: Re: FW: Stuff, profile 034 and 1st draft 036, and Outline for Ep. 38 ("What A Croc!")

Subj: Re: FW: Stuff
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2003 12:50:31 AM
From: Peter Laird
To:   Lloyd Goldfine

Lloyd,

I'm not crazy about the idea of connecting the Entity from the Underground with the Big Brawl concept, for a number of reasons, primary among them being that doing so brings a "tech" emphasis/direction to the interdimensional travel required for the set up of the Big Brawl, and that's something we both agreed we'd rather not do. I believe we both agreed that it should be mystical rather than tech.

That being said, I agree that there are any number of things we can do with the Entity, including the options listed below. Starting with the premise that the Entity lied to the Turtles, the possibilities are almost endless.

-- Pete

In a message dated 5/29/03 10:51:56 AM, Lloyd writes:

<< Hey Peter -

In talking with the writers about the "Return to the Underground"
episode, the following ideas came up that might be fun to mess with down
the road (specifically in "The Big Brawl" episodes).  I'd love to know
your thoughts:
________________________________________________________________________

It seems like the best way we can use the Entity and his race is to help
set up the Big Brawl coming up.  Somewhere in the episode, Don should
stumble on some evidence that this ancient race was dabbling in
interdimensional travel.

Perhaps the race died out because they inadvertently brought some
interdimensional plague back to the city.  Or conversely they started
experimenting with interdimensional travel in an effort to find a cure
or a new environment where they could survive.

Another possibility is that this race (guess it needs a name) has its
origins in another dimension and this city is merely a colony.  Perhaps
only the colony died out.  The rest of the race is thriving in another
dimension.

Another possibility is that the Entity was lying to the Turtles; that
his race didn't die out, they just moved away to another dimension, but
left him behind because he was (a) a notorious criminal, (b) dangerously
insane, (c) really annoying.

Another possibility is we discover the Entity at the end after the
Turtles and Test Subjects have left, having observed everything.  He
communicates with an interdimensional being, declaring the Turtles
worthy of the "upcoming challenge".  We could even give mention here to
the Ultimate Ninja as well.  In the future episodes, we could learn that
the Entity and/or his race is involved in the Big Brawl (as organizers
or participants or both).

Having the Entity pop up at the end would probably require the least
amount of shoe-horning, so that would be my preference. >>


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Subj: Re: FW: Stuff
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2003 12:20:57 AM
From: Peter Laird
To:   Lloyd Goldfine


In a message dated 5/31/03 3:28:46 AM, Lloyd writes:

<< Hey Pete -

Thanks for the note.  I just wanted to point out that, at least to me,
nothing the Entity did was really hard "tech."  He did stuff with
"crystal moons" and his strong "bond with the earth."  Most of his stuff
was crystal or stone based.  My impression of the Entity and his world
was that his whole explanation about his people and their existence was
kind of double-speak "spiritual," and the "powers" he possessed were
actually quite "mystical."

Anywho, that's my 2 cents!

Have a great weekend!

Lloyd >>

Lloyd,

That's interesting. However, I still think that most of the stuff we've done with the Underground/Entity and the associated stuff (the Turtles' lair, the crystals they find there, the secret elevator) have a real tech feel to me... Don's investigations of the crystals, the cable cars, floating scooters, the chrysalis devices, etc.

I'm open to being convinced otherwise, but I think it's going to take some doing.

-- Pete

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Subj: profile 034 and 1st draft 036
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2003 12:27:07 AM
From: Peter Laird
To:   Lloyd Goldfine

Lloyd,

I read the profile 034 and 1st draft 036, and liked them both a lot... only  have a few comments.

Profile 034:

1.) I thought it might be fun if, in the last outtake, after April says "You guys all look alike!", we had the following:

MIKE: Hey, maybe we need, like, initialed belt buckles!

RAPH: (groans) Awww, man... different-colored bandanas are enough! 

LEO: (a little grumpily) At least YOU got to keep the original color, Raph!

It's funny to me and I think the true TMNT fans would dig it, but it's also fine as is.

--------------------------

First draft Ep. 36/"The Ultimate Ninja":

1.) In Splinter's line 67, I suggest changing "... while the Sheriff fought to protect himself and defend his honor" to "... while the Sheriff fought to protect his friends [or family, or loved ones] and defend his honor".

2.) I suggest changing Mike's line 109 to "See? Raph DOES hate everything."

3.) I suggest changing Casey's line 130 to just "This is too weird!", leaving out the "It's like water! I -- I can't swim!" for two reasons -- one, it's obvious that it's like water, and two, I don't think Casey not being able to swim is a good idea.

4.) Just above Leo's line 150, there is a line which starts "He's dare not move..." -- I think it should be "He dares not move..."

That's it!

-- Pete

P.S. How about that Outline for Ep. 38? 


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Subj: Outline for Ep. 38/"What A Croc!"
Date: Sunday, June 1, 2003 11:49:06 PM
From: Peter Laird
To:   Lloyd Goldfine

Lloyd,

I read the outline for Ep. 38/"What A Croc!", liked it, and have a few comments.

1.) The bit with April freaking out Mikey by using his valuable comics is hilarious, BUT... it doesn't make a whole lot of sense that April, owner (or at this point, FORMER owner) of an antique shop would not know and respect the value of collectible comics. And even if she DIDN'T know about it, once Mikey made it clear that they WERE valuable, April would most likely feel really bad about it, not act so casual. Now, if CASEY did it, that would work.

If we can't somehow work it so Casey is the one who does it, then I suggest that either (a) April is having fun with Mikey, pulling his leg by pulling a fake-out (she's actually tearing and crumpling up newspaper and making believe she's tearing pages out of his comics, OR (b) Mike's upset not because the comics are so rare or valuable, but because the one she's tearing up is the final issue of a special Silver Sentry vs. Malignus five-issue story arc, and he had yet to read that one.

2.) When Mikey is about to be attacked by Leatherhead, instead of Leo's katana slicing the air between them and sticking in the wall, I suggest one of Raph's sai. (The katana's not really a throwing weapon.)

3.) It is stated that Leatherhead "has the advantage in the water". Why is this? Aren't the Turtles at home in the water? Is it just that he's an alligator, and in nature alligators prey on turtles?

4.) It is stated that "Leatherhead was exposed to the mutagenic ooze". Inquiring minds want to know -- was this exposure accidental (like the Turtles') or deliberate on the part of the Utroms?

5.) How large is the metal ball that Stockman throws at the Turtles (the ball which morphs into the Turtlebot)? I think we need to establish some kind of logical connection between the perceived mass of this ball and the resulting Turtlebot. Perhaps instead of one ball, he throws several. Or maybe instead of just a ball/sphere, he throws several different shapes -- sphere, pyramid, cube, cylinder.

6.) There's a line right after the defeat of the Turtlebot which seems to belong to no one ("They're not exactly your hands..."). Who says this?

-- Pete

P.S. I'm not sure if I told you this before... this past Tuesday I tried to Segway up Mount Greylock (highest mountain in Massachusetts -- 8.5 mile drive to the top). I wanted to try to get up and down on a single charge, but could only make it about 2/3 of the way. Still a lot of fun, though! I'll attach a photo I took from about where I turned around... nice view!