Favourite G.I. Joe episodes (Sunbow series)

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

(Mods, I didn't know if this would belong here or in the boomerang forum, but that forum seemed to favour much older cartoons like Tom and Jerry and Hanna Barbera stuff a bit more, so I'm trying it here)

With Sigma 6 hating at an all-time high, I thought it might be a fun time to devote a little thread to the corny masterpiece that was 1980s G.I. Joe!! Come back to a time when parachute sales were at an all-time high, shooting percentages were horrid, and Destro and Baroness would undermine Cobra Commander right in front of his face!

Here are a few of my favourites.

1. There's No Place Like Springfield pt 1-2

I think these episodes made me understand why the TV writers liked Shipwreck more than, say, "cooler" characters like Scarlett or Snake Eyes (who were used in the comic version of this storyline). This two parter is unusually grim for G.I. Joe, and there references aplenty to the old British show, "The Prisoner".

2. Eau de Cobra

People who thought Cobra in Sigma 6 had dumb schemes should check this out. Cobra concocts a plan to have Baroness use a powerful mind-altering perfume (which only affects guys) to help seduce a rich bachelor so they can use his money for whatever reason. Flint, Lady Jaye, Baroness and Destro star in this kooky one-episode love quadrangle with hilarious hijinx involved. Eventually everyone plays hot potato with Baroness' perfume vial only to lose the perfume vial permanently to...a crab! Destro's final line in the episode is classic-- "A fitting end to this absurd scheme." A great "stupid" episode.

3. Nightmare Assault

Lowlight was one of the more underrated characters, but he gets his chance to shine in this one. Dr. Mindbender somehow finds a way to infiltrate the Joe's dreams and they all have nightmares which affect their daily routines. Only Lowlight is able to handle the nightmares, as he is used to having them all the time. There's a memorable Lowlight origin scene here--his abusive father abandoning him at night, leaving him with only a rifle and telling him not to come home until he kills 20 rats.

4. Worlds Without End pt 1-2

Not my absolute favourite, but a classic among most fans. A bunch of G.I. Joes--including 3 Joes we've barely seen before (Clutch, Grunt, Steeler) but we see a lot in these episodes--find themselves warped into an alternate dimension by some Cobra transmuter machine. In this dimension, Cobra has ruled the world, and all the Joes are in this world are dead. They have to get out of there, and find help from an unexpected ally.

5. The Wrong Stuff

Cobra has taken over all the TV stations in the world and is now bombarding children with pro-social programming! A chilling episode, especially considering how the children's programming market has evolved over the years. Some great stuff here, including learning that Cobra Commander wanted to rule the world since he was six, and a great parody of those Smurfs and Care Bears type of shows in the 80s.

[Juu-kuchi]

I have to say also that the two-parter There's no Place like Springfield and Worlds Without End are my favorite GI Joe episodes. I can't really remember many other GI Joe episodes that stood out to me like those two did.

[Chris Wood]

The original mini-series is still my favorite. It has the strongest military vibe. Plus there's Snake Eyes' dramatic brush with death.

I've never seen them, but Eau de Cobra and The Wrong Stuff sound great too.

[Beat]

For sheer entertainment value- Once upon a Joe- Shipwreck's messed up story told via superdeformed Joes and Cobras? Teh win.

On storytelling- There's no place like Springfield. Definetely one of the strongest written, and eeriest of all the shows. It's conicidental that's it's another Shipwreck-centric episode, but the writing and concept are too well done not to include.

And the original series gets props, due to realistic gun sounds and the sight of Scarlett digging her cowboy boots into Destro's foot.

[Daikun]

And the original series gets props, due to realistic gun sounds and the sight of Scarlett digging her cowboy boots into Destro's foot.

Yeah, the sounds of lasers zapping sure are realistic.

[Beat]

Yeah, the sounds of lasers zapping sure are realistic.

Actually, in the first miniseries, there's the distinct sound of bullets being fired. The original idea was for the Joes to use real guns and Cobra to use lasers, but this was changed.

By the time the second miniseries rolled around, everything was firing lasers.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I should find the DVD copy of the 2 mini series sometime--I remember the second one well, but memories of the first one is very dim, but it seems to be very well received here.

Yeah, I forgot about Once Upon a Joe. Accoding to Buzz Dixon, it was DEFINITELY anime inspired, and he said he got the inspiration from the SD anime/Gundam shows that were popping up in Japan during the 80s.

[Chris Wood]

I should find the DVD copy of the 2 mini series sometime--I remember the second one well, but memories of the first one is very dim, but it seems to be very well received here.

You can't forget this heartbreaking moment:
"At the Sea of Ice, Major Bludd activates a fail safe device that releases a deadly radioactive cloud that sweeps forward to the front of the cave. Snake Eyes stops the cloud by shooting a sensor that drops a protective shield from the ceiling to the ground, unfortunately, he is caught on the wrong side. After saying their good-byes to Snake Eyes, the other Joes escape by climbing up a ladder that hangs from an opening in the ceiling."
(from QKTheatre.com)

I'm ashamed to say I haven't bought any of the Joe DVDs yet, but when I do the mini-series will be first.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

WOW! Thanks, Desslar, I DO remember that scene VERY clearly! I've always remembered the scene of Scarlett banging on the glass shield in grief. I always thought that was in a different episode in the second season I missed, but NOW I KNOW...and...

That was the only time they hinted the relationship between her and Snake Eyes that was done in the comic, but they changed that over time to her and Duke.

[Chris Wood]

That was the only time they hinted the relationship between her and Snake Eyes that was done in the comic, but they changed that over time to her and Duke.

Good point. I do think the first miniseries came as close to the comics as Sunbow would ever get. Snake Eyes's apparent death in this scene is a mirror of his apparent death in issue 12 of the comic, which happened about the same time.

Snake Eyes should have kicked Duke's butt. It's weird that Hawk doesn't really show up until later on.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I would assume they changed it because it was tougher to make a relationship between a mute masked guy and a hot girl work on TV. But then again, Duke and Scarlett never seemed to get much time together or generate chemistry-- unlike Flint and Lady Jaye who actually did look tight--so making Scarlett like Duke was essentially pointless in the long run.

They did shortchange Snake Eyes in the cartoon somewhat, but you can see it was because of his limitations as a TV character in a long running series. I'm unsure of how I would feel if Sunbow actually went into his origin and his true identity. I know I was very disappointed with the comic when they finally took the mystery out of him and took his mask off

Spoiler:

A normal-looking blonde white guy!?? (okay, a bit dinged up, but you get it) Ughhhhh..

[Chris Wood]

[Leaping Larry Jojo]I would assume they changed it because it was tougher to make a relationship between a mute masked guy and a hot girl work on TV. But then again, Duke and Scarlett never seemed to get much time together or generate chemistry-- unlike Flint and Lady Jaye who actually did look tight--so making Scarlett like Duke was essentially pointless in the long run.

Yeah, no doubt a mute hero made the writers nervous. The thing that got me was that Duke had only just appeared in the comic and suddenly he was the star of the cartoon. That irked me a little. Of course, he didn't devour screentime like his Sigma Six incarnation.

I know I was very disappointed with the comic when they finally took the mystery out of him and took his mask off

Spoiler:

A normal-looking blonde white guy!?? Ughhhhh..

.

Well... but what should he have looked like? It's not like he was going to turn out to be Luke's father or something. I eventually became a little disappointed that so many other characters tied into his origin. It was neat at first but soon became ridiculous.

[Beat]

Scarlett's dynamic with Snake-Eyes worked in the comic because she did manage to make the guy open up despite the fact that he was a mute, sort of a testament to her relationship with him. The toon version came off as a poor copy of the Flint/Lady Jaye dynamic.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

Well... but what should he have looked like? It's not like he was going to turn out to be Luke's father or something. I eventually became a little disappointed that so many other characters tied into his origin. It was neat at first but soon became ridiculous.

This is a judgement call, but for such a "cool" character I expected him to look more...I dunno, badass? Gritty? I dunno. Overall, it would be like if in "The Return of the Jedi", Darth Vader took off his mask and we see Hayden Christensen's face...

I agree that I didn't like how they tied Snake Eyes to Cobra's creation.

The comic was OK up until they got too mixed up with Snake Eyes this, Snake Eyes that, and ninja everything and all that.

[Michael24]

The original mini-series is still my favorite. As for individual episodes, some of my favorites are...

* "The Funhouse" (Dusty's hallucination of Cobra Commander turning into a slithering shape of snakes always creeped me out)
* "Haul Down the Heavens"
* "The Synthoid Conspiracy, Part 1 & 2"
* "The Phantom Brigade"
* "Battle For the Train of Gold"
* "Worlds Without End, Part 1 & 2" (one of the best, storywise)

Haven't finished "Season 1, Part 2" yet, so I still need to see the "There's No Place Like Springfield" two-parter.

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I also have to list the "Gamesmaster" as a favourite episode. Something about seeing Baroness running around the entire episode while wearing nothing but a thong and bikini has to be worth several points.

[I.R Joey]

Wow not much love for the five part movie huh?

Well to that I say "Lies! Lies and deceptions." and "Cobralalalala"

I agree with those who put Worlds without end and No place like Springfield up there.

[sag_2002]

For sheer hilarity, nothing tops the Funhouse episode. I never saw the episode, but I read the review at X-Entertainment.com, and man. Cobra's antics make even Skeletor look like a mad genius. Here's the link to X-E's classic article, for those who have never seen this fiasco:

http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/401.html

[Michael24]

Wow not much love for the five part movie huh?

Well to that I say "Lies! Lies and deceptions." and "Cobralalalala"

Well, that was a movie, and this thread just for episodes. But I would put the movie up high if I could. I finally saw it for the first time last year, and it was awesome. Kinda strange, but the action was awesome! The opening is, IMHO, the best (cel) animation action sequence ever made.

[Hordesman]

For sheer hilarity, nothing tops the Funhouse episode. I never saw the episode, but I read the review at X-Entertainment.com, and man. Cobra's antics make even Skeletor look like a mad genius. Here's the link to X-E's classic article, for those who have never seen this fiasco:

http://www.x-entertainment.com/messages/401.html

Yeah, you can't top the Funhouse episode. I rented it from Blockbuster some years back and it defies belief. But yeah, this is how I picture Cobra because it's just so messed up. And it inspired me to write Yu-G.I.-Joe on ff.net. Because what works better with a show where a terrorist organization sets funhouse traps and sends its lawyers to fight arny soldiers? Why a show where corporate intrigue plays out with cards and giant penguins! Xamot and Tomax vs. the Paradox Brothers...