#ice boy if you're reading this this is /aff

[sunshine-and-his-stars]

today on: why is this my best friend

[afreakingdork]

I have a question to ask based off your knowledge on the RotTMNT characters, specifically about Donnie. In most iterations (87, 03, 12) it seemed that Donnie is the "fixer" of the family and the one that everyone else pushes to do things and make things or come up with the brainy solution. Do you think the opposite is the case for 18? They don't seem to rely on him as much b/c magic is avail. so he tries to make himself useful and then feels bad if it doesn't work. I thought it was interesting.

Well you're a talker; I am too✨ /gen /aff

So first off I gotta open with, I don't know much about the older gen shows. I've watched exactly one episode of 87, 16 episodes of 03, and threeish episodes of 12, so I'm off your word in comparison.

Rise is what I live and breathe!

I genuinely think even before mystic magic became avaliable, the others didn't rely him much. I know in Crush Too Much and Sunshine Moonshine I had segments about him building the lair, but I don't put much credence in that.

Lets talk from a canon only standpoint:

I feel like we can pull a lot from the Donnie's Gifts episode and the ongoing drill gag. The boys are happy and excited in a way that read to me that this was a sort of uncommon occurance. It might not be the first time, but it's not something that happens every day. It felt like maybe he's sprung smaller surprised gifts on them before, but the drill is a different reaction. It's big and they make regular note of it which makes me think he never really made them big things, especially for battle. Then there's the moral of Donnie's Gifts: they work good in their individual ways, 'faults' and all, which even comes back at the end of season 1 with the Shredder.

Moreso, I think Donnie doesn't share. From Donnie vs. Witch Town to Smart Lair to Man vs. Sewer, it seems like Donnie more often hogs his inventions for himself. Both for his comfort, but also to make up for how he perceives he's less than his brothers in terms of skill. All fighting equipment he makes is to compensate for his own shortcomings, his tennis ball back massager is usually only for him, and he doesn't even think to share ice from his ice machine. In fact, I think he goes so far as to punish the others if they use his tech without his permission which can be inferred from The Fast and the Furriest.

So yeah, I agree! I don't think the others rely on him.

Donnie never even gave them the chance in the first place.

Add mystic powers and that only deepened Donnie's insecurities about being less.

However, I don't think he sought validation through tech. Instead, I think he uses tech for self-improvement because he feels he isn't enough and is easily replaceable. He may want validation from a parental aged adult, but he wants it for being him. He just wants to be acknowledged in general. He wants attention and not for what he can offer. He says exactly that in Turtle-dega Nights: The Ballad of Rat Man.

So to short answer your question, I can't say if it's the true opposite since I dont know the other iterations well, but it sounds different to me!

This was fun though! Thank you for sending this over ✨