Which season is the best?

[TMNTFan1989]

Not sure if this has been discussed already and it if has I apologize...I was wondering which season of the original cartoon do you think was the best one?

[CyberCubed]

Season 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are my favorites.

They're all worth watching though if you're a fan of the original cartoon. I'd just watch them all in chronological order.

[Cipher]

Season 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8 are my favorites.I'd go with this, except replace season six with season five. I'm just a sucker for all the mutants.

But yeah, it's hard to really answer this question because the quality varies drastically not just from season to season, but from episode to episode.

I also like season nine and ten a lot, but it's definitely not the same feel as most of the show.

[MrPliggins]

My favorite seasons are 1, 2, 3 and 7 (non-Europe episodes). It all really depends on your personal taste, though.

[DrSpengler]

I think the first season, even with but a meager 5 episodes, is the strongest in just about every way. Consistent, impressive animation (aside from the ocassional bandana miscoloration). A harder edge to the action and characters but maintaining the overall sense of camp and fun.

Season 2 wasn't half bad, either. The animation took a noticeable drop, but it wasn't too awful on the eyes and the ongoing story arcs and continuity went a long way.

After that, things sort of got ugly. Way too many episode produced per season, meaning a drastic reduction in overal animation quality and a lot of very rushed, subpar scripts. Seasons 3 through 7 are just all over the place. Very little episode to episode continuity (the 3-part finale of season 3 being the last we'd see of that for a while) and the stories are more hit or miss than ever before.

Season 8 was a step up. Fewer episodes, more consistent animation. But the season was way too unfocused to be good, with that inane HAVOC arc randomly distracting from the primary season-long story arc in the middle for no good reason.

Seasons 9-10 I can't speak too strongly on as I haven't seen most of them since their original broadcast, but they did have tighter pacing and more focused story arcs.


But yeah, for my money's worth, seasons 1 and 2 are where its at, with only a random selection of episodes from seasons 3-7 being any good.

[Cipher]

Season 2 wasn't half bad, either. The animation took a noticeable drop, but it wasn't too awful on the eyes and the ongoing story arcs and continuity went a long way.You must be watching through rose-colored glasses. The animation in that season is the most consistantly poor and off-model throughout the entire series. Yes, there are worse looking episodes tossed in here and there, but I can barely think of a good looking shot to come out of season two. It's really jarring.

That, and the show was really trying to find its footing then. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be serious or slapstick and everything just falls flat as a result. Not a huge fan of season two.

[CyberCubed]

Season 1 is the mini-series we all love and cherish.

Season 2 was fun to see Shredder and Baxter work together for awhile. You have the 4-part eye of sarnath story and some good individual eps toward the end.

Season 3 is where the shows plots really kicked into high gear, its basically when they perfected the formula of the classic show.

Season 4 was more or less the same, but a lot more duds were thrown in the mix.

Season 5 has some good mutant stories, but I also noticed this season had the least amount of actual fighting. Its like the censors were in full force this season.

Season 6 is a major step-up in the action department. I like this season almost as much as 7. The action and humor are top notch.

Season 7 is great all around, and a nice send-off to many of the shows characters.

Season 8 was pretty good and set a darker tone of the show.

Seasons 9-10 have Lord Dregg, your opinion of him sets your view on the seasons, but there is continuity here and some nice fights.

[Scandia]

I like 1,2,3,6, and 7.

Four had a good idea in doing the individual Turtle episodes, but it had one too many episodes that just were not so good.

Five was the weakest one IMHO.

Not too fond of Red Sky.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Season 2 was fun to see Shredder and Baxter work together for awhile. You have the 4-part eye of sarnath story and some good individual eps toward the end.



I liked that. Some episodes with Shredder and Baxter Stockman on the Earth, and some with Shredder, Bebop and Rocksteady, and it changes in "Enter the Fly" when Shredder gets tired of Baxter Stockman when they are on a boat on a river.

[Icebot]

I'm gonna go with Season 7. Season 10 comes in 2nd place for me since there's that 3 part episode with Shredder and Krang and then there's the destroyed technodrome in the last episode and the turtles decide the only way to defeat Dregg is to use Krang's android body. Season 9 probably would have been my favorite if only Shredder and Krang were in it. Not having them for an entire season really wasn't a good idea and I would have to put Season 9 on the bottom of the list.

[CyberCubed]

Season 9 and 10 were so short that it didn't really seem like Shredder/Krang were gone for a long time. Considering they're in a 3-parter in Season 10, its only 13 episodes that they missed out on at the end of the show. And besides, there were many Season 4-6 episodes that they weren't in either.

How many times was there an episode about a mad scientist or some random nutcase?

[DrSpengler]

You must be watching through rose-colored glasses. The animation in that season is the most consistantly poor and off-model throughout the entire series. Yes, there are worse looking episodes tossed in here and there, but I can barely think of a good looking shot to come out of season two. It's really jarring.

A-1 was no Toei, for sure, but I didn't think their animation at the beginning of the season through the Eye of Sarnath arc was as awful as most season 3 episodes. By the end of the season the quality was definately slipping, but compare any of their work to the non-Toei season 3 episodes (I think Toei only did "Turtles on Trial", anyway) and they're leagues ahead in my book, no rose colored glasses involved.

That, and the show was really trying to find its footing then. It couldn't decide if it wanted to be serious or slapstick and everything just falls flat as a result. Not a huge fan of season two.

The show just hadn't quite sunken into total self parody by that point yet, I think. No antique-magnets or love potions or things like that, though it still had its fair share of humor. For my money's worth, I'll take a comedy with a hint of an edge over the flat-out self-aware color-by-numbers plots we got for seasons 3 through 7.

I like David Wise, but the guy's tendency to recycle scripts was a bit obnoxious.

[ToTheNines]

Season 3 is where the shows plots really kicked into high gear, its basically when they perfected the formula of the classic show.

Season 3 was for sure the best.

[oldmanwinters]

I really appreciated the greater animation consistency once the series moved to CBS Saturday mornings. I especially liked Season 6 and 7, which looked great and had generally interesting plots. Some of my favorite episodes come out of Season 7 like "The Legend of Koji."

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I really appreciated the greater animation consistency once the series moved to CBS Saturday mornings. I especially liked Season 6 and 7, which looked great and had generally interesting plots. Some of my favorite episodes come out of Season 7 like "The Legend of Koji."

Another good one from season 7 is "White Belt, Black Heart", but I also like "Combat Land".

[themaxonline]

I haven't seen the last two seasons more than once and that was 7 years ago so I won't judge those ones now.


For obvious reasons, I love season 1.
Season 2 I don't care for as much as I used to.
Season 3 and 4 both have a lot of filler and while that doesn't fit into the overall storyline, there are a lot of random episodes from both that I do like.
5 I don't care for a lot overall.
6 is a step up.
7 is great!
8 is a huge step away from the entire series. I think if season 8 used more familiarity with the characters instead of relying so much on those new mutants, it would be awesome. My favourite episode of season 8 was the last one where they went to Dimension X and Krang and Shredder found the Technodrome again. It was huge! I think among my favourites of the entire series.

I would probably say Seasons 1 and 7 are my favourites with 3 and 4 nearby.

[lethrhd]

season 7 non europe episodes were great, they perfected the formula by that point. were the sight seeing episodes really season 7, or were those "lost episodes" created earlier. Becuase those were absolutley horrid.

I also loved season 1 & 3. Something was a little off about season 4 tho...

[themaxonline]

Just a thought but I was just thinking, if I made a poll (whether on here or on my own webspace), with a list of each episode from every season, maybe we could determine the most loved episode among us here?

How could I go about doing it? Any thoughts? I was thinking of maybe getting people to pick their favourite X number from each season and then pitting them against each other but that doesn't really seem fair.

Maybe a process of elimination instead?

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Just a thought but I was just thinking, if I made a poll (whether on here or on my own webspace), with a list of each episode from every season, maybe we could determine the most loved episode among us here?

How could I go about doing it? Any thoughts? I was thinking of maybe getting people to pick their favourite X number from each season and then pitting them against each other but that doesn't really seem fair.

Maybe a process of elimination instead?

It think it's "Cowabunga Shredhead". It also looks like it has some kind of cult status.

[Weapon X]

The 5 episode mini-series, for reasons already stated in this thread and numerous others.


Mostly consistent animation.
A darker tone mixed with humor.
Great action sequences.
Nice tight continuity.


Seasons 2, 3, 6, and 7 are my other top seasons.

[Genbu]

I really liked seasons 1,2 and 5. The rest I just liked.

[Cipher]

season 7 non europe episodes were great, they perfected the formula by that point. were the sight seeing episodes really season 7, or were those "lost episodes" created earlier. Becuase those were absolutley horrid.They were produced between Seasons 3 and 4, and in a rare bit of continuity, actually continued from an episode where the Turtles won a free trip to Europe. However, the episodes didn't end up airing until much later.

So no, they are not part of Season 7 proper. That's why the quality is so different. The Europe episodes are terrible, Season 7 proper is one of the best runs on the show.

[CyberCubed]

Some of the Europe eps were ok, but that season was ruined by:

- Really bad animation
- Raph's voice is different for all 13 eps, but its a bit more tolerable than in those two Season 3 eps
- Shredder has a different VA for most of those eps

That, and the plots were kinda mindless.

[themaxonline]

It think it's "Cowabunga Shredhead". It also looks like it has some kind of cult status.

I watched it the other night. I do love it.

And is it just me or does anyone else LOVE the substitute for Krang's voice? hahaha! I LOVE it!!! It's another reason why I love Green With Jealousy. hahahaha!!

[ryukenden]

My absolute favorite is the first season of course. I wasn't very happy that Mikey had to lose his nunchaku down the road. I always frown whenever Leo's swords and Donny's bo always get destroyed in those same seasons.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

My absolute favorite is the first season of course. I wasn't very happy that Mikey had to lose his nunchaku down the road. I always frown whenever Leo's swords and Donny's bo always get destroyed in those same seasons.

The entire action is much better during the first seasons. The Foot robots allowed the TMNT to hack and slash them into pieces, and kick them into a river (Return of the Technodrome), and the 1987 cartoon would still remain a children's and family show back in the 1980's.

[Dejablue]

Even Next Mutation gave mikey an acceptable substitute with tonfas.

[TurtleGuy]

The entire action is much better during the first seasons. The Foot robots allowed the TMNT to hack and slash them into pieces, and kick them into a river (Return of the Technodrome), and the 1987 cartoon would still remain a children's and family show back in the 1980's.

Things really improved drastically during the 7th season.

For example in The Legend of Koji there was a really good fight scene in the museum. I think there was even a scene where Leo sliced up a foot ninja to pieces(or maybe that was a different episode in season 7).

[ryukenden]

Even Next Mutation gave mikey an acceptable substitute with tonfas.

True but I don't remember him actually doing anything damaging with them. One of the first things I think about when it comes to Season 1 is pretty much the only time that Mikey does some major damage with his chucks.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Things really improved drastically during the 7th season.

For example in The Legend of Koji there was a really good fight scene in the museum. I think there was even a scene where Leo sliced up a foot ninja to pieces(or maybe that was a different episode in season 7).

Season 7 was still a humor sason, even if it was action. In season 8, the show became more action-focusing agatin.

[holy_guacamole]

Season one was really good just because it was a nice mini-series. It had the most action (Michelangelo actually using his nunchucks), Bebop and Rocksteady were actually a legitimate threat (yet, still easily beaten) and the animation was really well done.

The second season was fairly decent. It was really a good continuation of season one: The animation styles were similar and Shredder had yet to become comic relief (although this started to change around the episode with the Neutrinos). They used the story-arc approach with the Eye of Sarnath storyline. Really, the second season is on par with the first up until the finale, "The Return of the Technodrome." In terms of production quality, that one was really the beginning of the end. Looks more like a season three episode than a season two one.

Season three is interesting. It contains some of the best and worst episodes in the history of the show. "Sky Turtles", "Cowabunga Shredhead", "The Great Boldini", "20,000 Leaks Under the Sea", "Turtles, Turtles Everywhere" and "The Old Switcheroo" were some gems, while the less said about "The Mutegen Monster", "Attack of the Big MACC" and "Mr. Ogg Goes to Town", the better. In terms of quality, season three is the worst: Donatello's bandanna, knee pads, elbow pads and wrist...things, go from purple to pink in many episodes, the Turtles themselves going from a deep, true green to a cafeteria-peas-baby-puke-green; still images are often used in lieu of actual animation, the storylines are hit and miss (more often a miss) and this is the only season (I think) where the voices of some of the characters change without warning. James Avery, Barry Gordon and Pat Fraley all had multiple sick days during season three.

Seasons four, five and six all blend together for me. I don't know why. Before any of this series came out on DVD, when I closed my eyes and remembered the Turtle cartoon, I remembered seasons one through three. Even now, after watching them on DVD, I can't recall anything really good standing out about these three seasons.

Season seven, on the other hand, was spectacular--after you wade through those atrocious Turtles in Europe episodes (again, these look more like season three than season seven) "The Legend of Koji"? Best episode in the series. It seemed more like an episode from the 2003 series: Serious in tone, with action--and not lasers and slapstick action, but good old fashioned ninja action.

Season eight begins the Red Sky thing, which I am not a fan. I've yet to even finish season eight. It doesn't feel like the old Turtle cartoon.

So yeah, the short answer is, seasons one, two, three and seven.

FYI, season three would also be on my list of worst seasons.