#still sad about sot but like. that's my team! that's them!

[marshmarrows]

I don’t think I will ever be able to shut up about MCC 15 Orange Ocelots. The vibes of their team were just too good and I can’t stop thinking about them

[civilianlillian]

UK FINALLY got to air "The Power Inside Her"

I’ll put my thoughts at the end of the post, for now enjoy some live commentary of my ongoing thoughts, featuring @onthespectrumwriting and tested & approved by @call-me-the-cooky-one

• intro so far: love Leo sitting nearby like the concerned bff for April’s sake “look your powers scare me but Donnie getting closer to mad scientist levels is scarier”

• lulu: OF COURSE THIS GOES WRONG spectrum: what did they expect to happen yes poke the big scary unknown force with a stikc great idea!!!!!

• lulu: *ties crystal of destructive power to a leash* bad crystal spectrum: i love raph’s solution to things

• April cuddling up to Leo = awwww now we know the writer’s true agenda; they were faking us out for Aprinardo all along i mean CUDDLING can’t be platonic and that isn’t worry on Donnie’s face, it’s JEALOUSY

• i have yet to see all the “Apritello” people say this episode has aside from them just basically interacting with each other and if it’s his concern over the crystal well then the show must be dropping hints for pairing her with every male in the main cast

• lulu: EEEEEEYYYYYYY MY PUCKHEAD GETS A SPOTLIGHT AGAIN get rekt TC spectrum: yo casey was AMAZING in this ep soak in the glory that is the trash child

• lulu: also just remembered Rahzar is still alive spectrum: somehow even though april killed him lulu: dude can get run over by a train and be fine later like that’s actually scary spectrum: yeeee puckhead can kick his ass tho lulu: he sure grilled Fishface that’s for sure

• lulu: *pokes the crystal with a stick literally instead of figuratively* “I think i’m beginning to get it now” get what that the crystal is bad? spectrum: its never said that donnie practices Safe sciencing

• lulu: April force choking Donnie is what I live for now spectrum: ha ha ha holy fuck donnie lulu: like it should be the go-to for forced romantic advances spectrum: donnie you poor sot

• Splinter being the one to first snap her out of it and not Donnie /clearly/ they’re shipping her with Splinter and we have to call out Nick for grossness ASAP WHY ARE THE PEOPLE SO BLIND

• also holy shit she’s turning into a dungeon boss

• lulu: oh look she’s crying Casey’s name while focusing on saving people IT’S CANON WHEN WILL THE BLIND SHEEP SEE?! (this is totally not me being a biased shipper because that would be hypocritical) spectrum: (oh obvs, but watch how she ignores him the rest of the ep) lulu: (fool, there is only Za-Naron the rest of the ep) spectrum: (i will see you in court on why that’s not entirely true) lulu: (and ignorance obviously means love if Apritello can get away with it)

• we are introduced to Za-Naron https://youtu.be/7jz7rFuZZZc all i am thinking watching this

• (poor casey has no grappling hook)

• me: don don’t say it Donnie: Give me the crystal me: oh my god YOU’D THINK HE’D KNOW BETTER THAN TO ASK FOR IT BY THIS POINT aaaaand donnie go bye bye

((at this point time difference takes a hold and spectrum must sleep, i venture onward alone))

• well April’s sad moment over Donnie didn’t last too long almost like there wasn’t enough time in the episode to really flesh out the seriousness of this arc

• Hun stares death in the face and laughs ajdbwjsndksnxek we need more 2012 Hun he’s such a confident ass

• “but what if April’s still in there?” Casey you are the only one allowed to properly emote in this ep, like relish your spotlight Case 👌 STOP ZOOMING IN ON CASEY’S WOBBLY LIP WE GET IT YOU FORGOT TO HAVE ANYONE ELSE BE SAD OVER THE SITUATION

• OH JESUS SHE’S BLOODBENDING RAPH’S BODY NOW

• “HEY BEFORE YOU KILL ME REMEMBER HOW YOU ALREADY KILLED DONNIE” that’s what I’m getting here nothing that shippy and she only destroys he crystal after Leo reminds her /she’s/ the only one who can APRINARDO IS CANON CRY SHIPPERS CRY THE BASIC INTERACTIONS BETWEEN TWO CHARACTERS DO NOT LIE

• finally she uses that tanto i was beginning to think it was an ornament with how little it was utilised

• “it was /all me/ in a way” oooooooooooooooo now THIS LINE why are people ignoring THIS LINE

• from now on all death will be referred to as Molecular Scattering it’ll be what the Shadow Realm is to the Yu-Gi-Oh dub

• Donnie just letting April flop onto the cement PFFFFFFFT

• Everyone but Splinter just keeping their distance

• CASEY STANDS UP SOON AS SHE’S AWAKE I’M CALLING CAPRIL IF PEOPLE CAN CRY APRITELLO WHEN DONNIE GETS FORCE CHOKED I CAN CRY WHEN CASEY JUMPS TO HIS FEET LIKE SOMEONE WAITING FOR NEWS ON A LOVED ONE AT THE HOSPITAL

• “hey i know you guys are nervous about my powers since i kinda blew one of you up and bloodbended the shit outta Splinter and Raph but CHECK OUT THIS SICK MOVE” *levitates sword from her belt into her hand*

All in all I still enjoyed the episode. I really wish we had some more build up to Za-Naron, or maybe a two-parter for the conclusion of this arc. The boys could have emoted a little more, but I put that down to how much that had time for in the episode and not the writing team trying to make the death of a brother a “no biggie” for the rest of the team (again i really think this should’ve been a two-parter).

Honestly S4 is kind of cramped in terms of story. Space doesn’t feel as important, Karai VS Shredder doesn’t feel as important. IMO they should’ve made space take up the whole season, if only so we could explore it more or have the chance to build some urgency, then had S5 focus on taking down Shredder so we’d have more action there *cough*andShini*cough*. Of course, that would be more in an ideal world, where Playmates isn’t breathing down Nickelodeon’s neck and the writers have no fear of not being renewed for a sixth season.

I’m really hopeful that S5 is a little more focused. From what we’ve heard thus far it sounds like they’re going for more contained story arcs, a little like TMNT 2003 had with their various shenanigans and mishaps. ‘course I probably won’t be too bothered by anything at all so long as we get more Karai and Shinigami. *shakes fist* WE’D BETTER GET MORE KARAI AND SHINIGAMI

disclaimer: my comments on shipping do not necessarily focus on Apritello… mmmostly, i’m just an adult with extra salt who remembers how much one can read into things if it means making it about their ship. i did it with Digimon, i did it with Pokémon, shipping is just a big mess of stockpiling screenshots of your OTP standing within close proximity to me 😶