What is your favorite overall episode from the original TMNT cartoon?

[pannoni1]

For the past six months, I've arranged episode polls throughout the series. Now that I'm through, it's time for you to vote from the "greatest hits" that I've selected based upon the votes received for the best overall episode of the entire original series. I'm not going down quietly with my 1,000th post (and promotion to a Mad Scientist!) Still, there were special considerations to fit the choices down to the limit of 15, since there were more than 15 polls and a few that had ties with regards to the most votes in each poll.

Leatherhead vs. the Rat King was tied for best in its poll, but was omitted since it still leaves the initial Rat King and Leatherhead episodes.
There were 4 season 10 episodes tied at 2 votes, which is the lowest of all winning polls, so those were omitted.
Leonardo vs. Tempestra was omitted. Even though it tied with Raphael Meets his Match, the later is a VHS a-side classic and is more fondly remembered.
Shredder's Mom was omitted since Once Upon a Time Machine is a VHS classic and set the tone for Fast Forward in the 4kids series.
The Old Switcheroo was omitted since even though it tied with the Rat King episode in its poll, you can't deny how the Rat King was introduced to the world of TMNT for most, so I included it.

So dudes, time to cast the best Fred Wolf Turtles episode ever made!

[TurtleTitan97]

Mine's Shredder & Splintered.

[Killer Moth]

Gun to my head, I'll pick "The Shredder Is Splintered" as my all-time favorite. High-quality animation, a time when both sides brought their A-game and offered a satisfying series finale (had the series not been picked up for additional seasons). As cited by many, it provided for many memorable moments that continue to impact the franchise to the present day.

Second would be "Return of the Technodrome" for being an epic season finale in overall tone (except with the animation). And I'll give "The Big Blow Out" as third place, where, weren't for Shredder's outrageous outrage, he actually would have won. Not to mention, it's one of the few episodes where the Technodrome itself really got to show off, so it shouldn't be ignored.

Why isn't "Enter: The Fly" listed? Given all the changes to the status quo and the rare time the series got to be serious without sacrificing its quirks, its omission is a tad surprising. (At least, to me, anyway.) But then, as the OP said, got to go where the hits are, right?

More to say, tomorrow, but those are my choices.

[ToTheNines]

My favorite episode of all time is easily Usagi Yojimbo. I voted for the Big Blow Out though.

[MikeandRaph87]

1. "Night of The Rogues"-I love to see a lot of characters interacting especially villains with each other. I would have rather have seen General Tragg opposed to Tempestra who seemed out of place and Zack was just thrown in instead of Mondo or Usagi or the Punk Frogs. Great premise and loads of fun and a bit of dire threat that should have been explored again had the chance arose!
2. "Get Shredder"-People give james Avery, my favorite Shredder a bad rap, this one episode if anything proves he is not as pathetic as people say. I loved the feel of the episode and everything about it. I do feel that Shredder took the spotlight from Beserko who had ties to Krang and an interesting backstory that we should have gotten more of in another episode. We got that handheld game but he would have been better than generic Dregg!

These two episodes are my favorite TMNT anything!

[Lethal Lullaby]

I liked Night of the Dark Turtle, but I chose the Bigg Cufflink Caper

[MikeandRaph87]

Where is the season 10 set choice? I don't agree with The Showdown over Split Second but the rest are all great choices!

[ToTheNines]

2. "Get Shredder"-People give james Avery, my favorite Shredder a bad rap, this one episode if anything proves he is not as pathetic as people say. I loved the feel of the episode and everything about it. I do feel that Shredder took the spotlight from Beserko who had ties to Krang and an interesting backstory that we should have gotten more of in another episode. We got that handheld game but he would have been better than generic Dregg!

These two episodes are my favorite TMNT anything!


James Avery wasn't in that one, was he?

[MikeandRaph87]

James Avery wasn't in that one, was he?

I was referring to the character overall of the '87 cartoon that Avery did most of the voice work for. The voice actor of Shredder's last seven episodes was William E. Martin.

[DonatelloDomeHead31]

I chose "Shreddered and Splintered" only because I'm afraid of that Retro-Mutagen-Thinga-mabob! (to quote Donatello) :D

[Powder]

I chose the Bigg Cufflink Caper

Big high five to ya! Best episode ever.

[TheCanadiandrome]

Return of the Technodrome although "The Big Trilogy" ties

[Jephael]

No offense, but I don't think a poll was a very good idea for this thread seeing as how there are over a hundred episodes to choose from! This list is basically just the author's top 15. Personally my favorite episode is "Raphael Drives Em Wild", but seeing as how that ep wasn't one of the choices I voted for "Michaelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko"

[koenne]

Mine is the 3 or 4 part episode from season 2 with the crystal , whats it called again ?
Cowabunga!

[Jephael]

Oh yea the Eye of Sarnath saga. It starts with "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles"

[koenne]

Yeah , thats the one! Thx Jephael . I love those episodes .
Cowabunga!

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Oh yea the Eye of Sarnath saga. It starts with "The Incredible Shrinking Turtles"

That was my favorite set of episodes, though the ones starting with "The Big Blow Out" was a very close second, so I chose that episode. Plus, I loved that episode's ironic ending, Rocksteady and Bebop getting the energy packs while Shredder had been distracting the Turtles.

[oldmanwinters]

Big high five to ya! Best episode ever.

Gotta love Wally & the Beaver Cleaver!

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

No offense, but I don't think a poll was a very good idea for this thread seeing as how there are over a hundred episodes to choose from! This list is basically just the author's top 15. Personally my favorite episode is "Raphael Drives Em Wild", but seeing as how that ep wasn't one of the choices I voted for "Michaelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko"

I love "Michaelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko". Mondo Gecko has two cool origins (Archie and his). And I love Mondo Gecko. He was a popular cool, skateboarding and rock music-liking dude who could appeal to kids.

[Jester]

No offense, but I don't think a poll was a very good idea for this thread seeing as how there are over a hundred episodes to choose from!Actually I think these are the winners from the previous "Favorite Episode of Season X" threads, but I could be wrong...I often am. :P

EDIT: Nope...I'm right. He says as much in the 1st post.

[Killer Moth]

Gotta love Wally & the Beaver Cleaver!

As gangsters, no less. I wonder why their scenes haven't become YouTube Poop, and if so, why not? Okay, it's now my fourth favorite, especially as it's also rare to use a vat of taffy as a deathtrap, but the show did both in one episode.

Great, now I have the yen to see if the 60's Batman or any other fiction used a vat of taffy as a deathtrap. Hmm.

[rufus]

The Big Cufflink Caper for me.