Blast from the Past #492: August 30, 2005: Re: TMNT Show 124 ("Night of Sh'Okanabo") Outline

Subj: Re: TMNT Show 124 ("Night of Sh'Okanabo") Outline
Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 1:48:15 AM
From: Peter Laird
To:   Lloyd Goldfine

Lloyd,


Here are my notes on ep124 outline


1.) Re: the following:

"To Cody's embarassment (or so he says!) the guys invite STARLEE to come along in Serling's place. Raph nudges Cody, 'When she gets all scared, who's gonne be the big tough guy?' Okay, so maybe it's not a bad idea…"

Aside from the tired sexist cliche, what makes the Turtles invite Starlee to come along? Why is it necessary for her to be there?


2.) Re: the following:

"They ask Splinter to come along, but something’s bugging him.  He can’t put a finger on it, but decides to stay.  As they guys leave… SH’OKANABO sneaks into Cody’s house.  (Note: at this point, we will not see Sh'Okanabo in his physical form… it will be shadows and fear and sneak up from behind scary stuff … crushing like a shaodwy python, disappearing and reappearing in shadow form behind Splinter, etc.)


Using his shadowy skills and powers, Sh’Okanabo beats Splinter and demands to know where the Turtles are!  Splinter says nothing."

This is pretty silly. Sh'Okanabo is supposedly looking for the Turtles... but he just HAPPENS to arrive JUST as they leave. Not only that, but the way it's written here, the implication is that he WAITED for them to leave before entering the house... which obviously makes no sense. And if Sh'Okanabo has the powers as described here, and he knows where Cody lives AND that the Turtles are hanging out with him, all he has to do is hide himself and watch the place for a little while to find the Turtles -- this bit with him beating up Splinter is a lame excuse for a fight scene.


3.) Re: the following:

"Starlee is totally up for the date, and Cody tries a little 'macho' in his talking down to her…She takes it as a joke and laughs him off."

Ugh. Can we GET more stereotypical here?


4.) Re: the following:

"Inside the theater, the Earth Alien Appreciation Society is a group of about five aliens; they are monsters … literally … but, they are friendly, sweet and a little bit on the nerdy/goofy/droll/academic side.  They have tried to recreate the environment used for the watching of “documentaries” (they have it slightly wrong) with antique equipment.


The 'President' of the Earth Alien Appreciation Society speaks over the movies as they play, 'It would seem that the society of late 20th and early 21st century Earth was one of absolute violence and fear.  Panic was the rule of the day.'


Suddenly, the alien 'President' is pelted with popcorn, 'Down in front!' comes Mikey's voice (slightly cloaked).


Donatello tries to cover for Mikey's rude behavior.  'I'm sorry, sir, but he's simply acting the part of the rude, obnoxious movie goer so common during that time period.'"

I understand the humor inherent in the "Bizarro World"/"reversal of expectations" bit, but I think this is taking it a bit too far into silliness. These aliens would have to be pretty darn stupid to think that these horror movies were "documentaries"... and I don't see a compelling reason to make them that stupid.


5.) Re: the following:

"Mikey and Starlee are smiling really enjoying the movie. Cody looks out from between his fingers, trying to play it off for Starlee. She does the old 'yawn and hug' technique, and he has to admit, he feels better!"

What does "trying to play it off" mean here? I don't get this scene.


6.) Re: the following:

"Getting a moment's reprieve, Mikey formulates a quick plan. He huddles down in the shadows with Cody and Starlee … listens to the movie that he knows by heart '… we go in three, two, one …' the lady on the screen «screams» her horrified horror movie guts out … this momentarily distracts Sh'Okanabo! Mikey, with Cody and Starlee hanging on his back, leaps/climbs up into the dilapidated balcony.  He stashes the guys in the jumbled mess of the balcony.  'Stay here.  I gotta find my bros.'"

This is all nonsense -- the way SOMEHOW Mike (while carrying two kids) is able to evade the same creature that easily took down Leo, Raph and Don... the way that they gain any kind of "reprieve" by huddling in the shadows (oooh, I guess Sh'Okanabo can't see them there!)... the way a woman's scream from the soundtrack of an old horror movie can distract a character like Sh'Okanabo... the way Mikey can hide Cody and Starlee in the "jumbled mess of the balcony" (again, is this REALLY supposed to make it hard for Sh'Okanabo to find them?)... it's all bad.


7.) Re: the following:

"BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH! Sh'Okanabo attacks the turtles and Cody.  He uses the alien 'slime' that he shoots out of the palms of his 'hands' (he is that vampiric, alien, queen-spider kind of guy). He slashes and pounds at the guys, and it looks like they're done for…


… when BIGGLES AND THE PEACEKEEPERS arrive, hot on the battle armor's (and Serling's) trail!


Sh'Okanabo's eyes narrow…again, he hadn't planned on interacting with local Code Enforcement. To do so now would reveal his presence too soon… he has to leave! He spits a final curse at the Turtles, lashing them once more with a TENDRIL that seems to suck a bit of material from their shells, and disappears into the night.


Cody rouses the Turtles, and manages to get them to ninja-disappear before Biggles can show up. They head home, thankful to be alive—BARELY!


At the theater, Biggles is investigating the trashed theater and the green slime.  He is now very serious.  'This is not good.'"

The timing of the action here is confusing. If "BIGGLES AND THE PEACEKEEPERS arrive", why don't they see all the combatants? Even if the Turtles "ninja-disappear" (which they can do on their own, by the way, without Cody "managing to get them" to do it), that still leaves Cody in his battle suit, Serling, and Starlee. What happens to them? Do they slip out a back door? Not only that, but didn't Biggles and his peacekeepers WITNESS the battle armor AND Serling blasting out of Cody's house, and wasn't that the reason they chased after them? If so, shouldn't they be BACK at Cody's house questioning him about it? The way it's written, it's as if that whole bit never happened.


-- Pete