Worst season of the FW show?

[ToTheNines]

I lumped all of Red Sky together since it just makes up 24 episodes. Feel free to explain if you want to single one out in particular. I know some people hate season 9.

I think my vote goes to season 4. It probably has the worst stinker to banger ratio.

[sdp]

I personally find Season 7 boring, the first Lord Dregg season is also bad. Season 6 is not a strong season either but isn't that one the one that has all the playmates mutants appearing every episode? So that at least made those subpar episodes special even if they weren't particularly strong eps.

Season 4 might have too many "meh" episodes in a row and the fact the season is like 40 eps long doesn't help things but most of those are not truly terrible.

[neatoman]

I suppose you didn't put the first three seasons on the poll because of fan consensus that they have "a lot of 'good' episodes"? If I had to pick on of the pre-selected poll options, I would say 4 because there is a very obvious focus on quantity over quality there, just keep in mind that as far as I'm concerned there really isn't much meaningful difference from season 3 in that regard. They both essentially have the same problems largely stemming from the idea that you can just make over 40 episodes in one season to boost the total episode count, which is a very bad idea. Some might say season 4 has more bad ideas but I really can't tell given how many episodes of the are just built on bad ideas regardless of season, so it's not like I'm actually more impressed by season 3 when it has stuff like "let's reprogram a garbage collecting machine to flood the Technodrome with turtles" and "let's make the single worst Mxyzptlk homage ever".

The show wasn't exactly good even a season had fairly few episodes, season 1 had a bunch of really weird plot problems that people just seem to ignore and the final three seasons seemed to lower the episode count more to keep the budget down than increase quality, but I can at least say they seemed a little more selective about the ideas. A lot of seasons 3 and 4 scripts just seem to have gone into production, not because anyone thought they had good ideas, but because they "needed" an unusual amount of episodes.

[ToTheNines]

I personally find Season 7 boring, the first Lord Dregg season is also bad. Season 6 is not a strong season either but isn't that one the one that has all the playmates mutants appearing every episode? So that at least made those subpar episodes special even if they weren't particularly strong eps.

Season 4 might have too many "meh" episodes in a row and the fact the season is like 40 eps long doesn't help things but most of those are not truly terrible.

Damn, I love season 7. Interesting.

I would say 4 because there is a very obvious focus on quantity over quality there, just keep in mind that as far as I'm concerned there really isn't much meaningful difference from season 3 in that regard.

Crazy work

[sdp]

I've only watched S7 once, and perhaps I had heard so many great things about it that I went with high expectations? I remember being disappointed. I need to give the whole 87 show a rewatch.

[CyberCubed]

I already don't like the first few replies to this thread, so this thread needs to be locked.

As a whole if you count the European Vacation eps as its own thing, then that's the weakest season as a whole due to the writing/animation.

Season 4 is a mixed bag, because half the season is actually great and the other half is meh or forgettable. This is also around the point where the "formula" of Shredder/Krang just trying to repower the Technodrome for the whole show became apparent, the writers just stuck with the same concept. But Season 4 has a lot of gems, so I can't dislike it as a whole. Some of my favorite eps came from this season.

Season 9 is probably the weakest of the final 3 seasons, but even then I don't think it's bad. Some fun eps that season, Dregg trying to convince humanity he was on their side, Carter and the mutations were a nice change of pace for the show.

[ToTheNines]

I've only watched S7 once, and perhaps I had heard so many great things about it that I went with high expectations? I remember being disappointed. I need to give the whole 87 show a rewatch.

Do it! Make sure you use the TMNTEntity episode order and see if you catch anything else.

I already don't like the first few replies to this thread, so this thread needs to be locked.

:lol: thank you

As a whole if you count the European Vacation eps as its own thing, then that's the weakest season as a whole due to the writing/animation.

Yeah, good point. I should have made that its own option I guess. I personally just consider it part of season 4 though.

[neatoman]

While I would have liked to say season 1 as a cruel answer because I genuinely do not consider it good television and can show why, despite a lot of people consider it the "best" season, I can't really do that without lying because in a technical sense it really is the "best" season like they say.

[CyberCubed]

You know the original TMNT show and Pokemon anime have a lot in common. Both "peaked" in their first season which is considered the best season. Season 2 (and Orange Islands) are still considered good but a bit weaker than the first. While Season 3 of TMNT is good mostly.

Season 4 is similar to the Johto saga of Pokemon. This is where the "formula" of both shows kicks in with repetitiveness because the fads exploded and the show had to go on a long time. Johto got plagued with alot of filler and went on 156 episodes, like Season 4 of TMNT is the longest season at 40 episodes. Ash went for badges again with TR blasting off in every episode, whereas Season 4 of TMNT had Shredder/Krang repowering the Technodrome in repetitive plots over and over along with other random eps about mad scientists.

Both seasons essentially went on too damn long that the initial "fad" started to cool off and most original fans even as kids started to drift from the series. After that only really the hardcore fans stuck around (besides whatever new little kids got into them for the first time)

If I were to talk about the later seasons, Hoenn is probably similar to Season 6 of TMNT where it gets a bit of a rebound. DP is similar to Season 7 where the writers try to put more effort into the show again. Then XY is like Season 8 where they attempt to make the show more action oriented (the BW anime is considered the weakest for Pokemon, so I'll skip over it). And then after that the shows continued on until they ended with a change of art style or tone (Sun/Moon similar to Fast Forward of TMNT where they changed the designs and tried to make the show "lighter")

It's kind of funny how my two childhood shows have so many similarities. Both went on far longer than expected due to the worldwide fads making them last longer than they should, and why the anime staff kept Ash for so long before retiring him. Also Shredder/Krang/Bebop being foiled in every episode and escaping by portal or module is basically their version of "Team Rocket's blasting off again" at the end of every episode.

[MikeandRaph87]

Season 9, with no Shredder, no Channel Six crew, and adding in Dregg, Carter, and secondary mutations that make no sense especially since Splinter is unaffected. It only has the one very solid episode, Split Second with the well-crafted one-off Winston Frip/Chronos voiced by Maurice LaMarche. It does have the plot hole of how Fripp learned about Hamato Yoshi and the location of their lair, but no episode is perfect. Season 10 picks up with The Power of Three Arc, but it has Shredder and Krang which hurt season 9 with them missing. I feel like it was a missed opportunity by not having Burne be Dregg's media champion and then redeeming himself.

[sdp]

I also don't consider European Season as season 4, even if you want to it technically takes place after the season ends with that being the set up. I really wanted to love the European season and thought the hate was not earned but it really is as bad as people said. To have the turtles in Europe was a great idea, a new location for stories and yet we get some of the worst storylines. I could've forgiven the terrible animation and even bad dialogue if at least the plots had been interesting.



Do it! Make sure you use the TMNTEntity episode order and see if you catch anything else.


I shall

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Season 5 was the weakest in my opinion.

The most commonly cited Season 4 was full of medicore episodes, but also had alot of bangers.

Season 5 feels like it has mostly medicore episodes, but people are a bit softer on it because of Planet of the Turtleoids which is only 2 episodes but does most of the heavy lifting.

If Planet of the Turtleoids wasn't a thing, I'm very sure season 5 would've been almost everyone's least favourite.

[CyberCubed]

Season 5 is really good. It only has 2 bad episodes, "Donatello's Badd Time" being the worst one, lol.

"The Ice Creature Cometh" is one of my favorite episodes.

"My brother, the Bad Guy" with Shredder's brother is an excellent opener.

"Enter Mutagen Man" is a great episode.

"Michaelangelo meets Mondo Gecko" is a fun one, even if Dr. X is lame as hell

"Muckman Messes up" is a good episode

The second Bugman episode, the Napoleon Bonafrog ep where he mutates and gets muscles.

"Landlord of the Flies" is a fun Baxter ep.

"Leonardo cuts loose" is the Casey Jones ep with the muscle people in the Gym.

The Wingnut/Screwloose ep with Zack in the boys home was fine.

I'm also quite fond of "Donatello's Duplicate" with the Donatello evil clone, the one where Raph thinks he's dying and becomes a superhero, and the Mad Dog Mcmutt episode.

And of course Planet of the Turtleoids.


Man, going over this list I think I love Season 5 more than I remembered. The Technodrome being stuck in the Arctic was also nice.

[FredWolfLeonardo]

Huh, I forgot about many of those episodes. My Brother the Bad Guy was awesome.

I actually found Donatello's Badd time quite funny.

Many of the others weren't bad at all by any strech, but I found them weaker than other seasons (like Season 5's Baxter and Casey episodes being so much weaker than the Season 3 ones).

Seasons 5 and 6 were *good* but I find myself always going back to Seasons 1,2, 3 and 7 when I think of episodes that were downright fantastic.

[Powder]

Can I just cheat & say merely the "European vacation" chunk of S7? Most of those are easy skips for me.

[cammy85]

Season 6 was the least interesting. Though it truly does have good episodes, the fact that S&K only appeared in seven out of 16 episodes ruinined it for me. I;m aware of the reason why; but still. Two weeks in a row/four episodes in a row without them was frustrating as a teen. Season 7 was way better. Again, not that season 6 was bad. Krangenstein Lives, Sword of Yurikawa and Shreeka's Revenge were great S&K episodes. Then factor in Donatello Trashes Slash, Return of the Turtleoid and somehow Too Hot To Handle. Again, remember I was a teenager. My opinion has changed about them since. But it still stands as the weaker season.

Season 9 was mentioned; and I coldn't imagine watching that as a first run seaspn.

[cammy85]

Can I just cheat & say merely the "European vacation" chunk of S7? Most of those are easy skips for me.

Agreed. It wasn't until getting the Turtle Van complete set that I watched those. Edutainment, but of course filler since by the time they aired, the Technodrome had long since left the volcanic asteroid in Dimension X; so we knew any plans there would have failed; though the last one did come close. The same could be said about the first batch of Season 4 episodes since thoise aired during Season 5 or 6 here before being replaced with Goof Troop.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

To have the turtles in Europe was a great idea, a new location for stories and yet we get some of the worst storylines.

That's the thing with interquels. Seing the Technodrome on the Volcanic Asteroid again while the Turtles were in Europe, you knew from the beginning the Technodrome wouldn't move around.

[cammy85]

That's the thing with interquels. Seing the Technodrome on the Volcanic Asteroid again while the Turtles were in Europe, you knew from the beginning the Technodrome wouldn't move around.

Bingo! You knew they weren't going to win, so why both watching? But on the other hand, at least in my area, Plan Six through Back To The Egg-ish, aired during season 6 so we knew the Technodrome wasn't going to moce there either. But the closest they came to succeeding was "Superhero For A Day" where it did kinda bust out of the small volcano before being sucked back in.

[TheUltimateBum]

I dunno if I can answer this properly, but I think seasons three to six are only serviceable but in the end forgettable. There are only a few episodes that I can remember from these seasons (and it's mainly the most off-the-wall stuff like Shredder gaining Mikey's personality, Bebop and Rocksteady becoming TV execs, the Turtles becoming babies and the Turtles meeting their elderly selves through time travel or episodes with pretty memorable guest characters like Lotus, Baxter Stockman, Shreeka, Sherlock Holmes, the Rat King, Leatherhead, Casey Jones, Dirtbag and Groundchuck), but most of them just blend together for me.

So I guess I would just clump those seasons together as my choice for the weakest.

[ToTheNines]

Damn. This season 3 libel is CRAZY!

[sdp]

That's the thing with interquels. Seing the Technodrome on the Volcanic Asteroid again while the Turtles were in Europe, you knew from the beginning the Technodrome wouldn't move around.

Bingo! You knew they weren't going to win, so why both watching?

I don't know, it was hardly a continuity heavy show, did anyone actually think that it was going to happen when you watched a random episode? because I knew it wouldn't, heck that's what made the few season finales the show actually had important since you finally saw some change. that didn't make me not interested in checking out other episodes.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

did anyone actually think that it was going to happen when you watched a random episode?

I guess most of us knew the Technodrome was going to move around when we first saw the Return of the Techodrome title screen..............

[CyberCubed]

One thing I liked the show did as it went on is each Turtle got "solo adventures" mostly focused on them with the other 3 Turtles being background for most of the ep until the end. Like Donatello's Duplicate, Raph vs the Volcano, Leonardo Cuts Loose, the one Michelangelo gets shrunken, Michaelangelo toys around, the first Mad Dog Mcmutt episode focused on Raph, the one Raph switched minds with a taxi cab driver (lol),etc.

The other shows didn't really do this as much.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

The other shows didn't really do this as much.

The 2003 one had Raphael dealing with quick temper during Season 1, and then Leonardo becoming Raphael during Season 4.

[Mad Dog McMutt]

I am a little suprised that I am the only only one who voted for the red sky episodes. I still like them, but I am not a big fan of the vibe or the villains during that period.

[Heyowakka]

This is a hard one for me, because I enjoy pretty much all of the seasons. I’m going to have to follow the example of others and just say that I’m counting the European Vacation episodes as their own season and choosing that.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I am a little suprised that I am the only only one who voted for the red sky episodes. I still like them, but I am not a big fan of the vibe or the villains during that period.

They are three different seasons, not one. Many fans like Seasons 8 and 10, but Season 9 is not that popular.

[ZariusTwo]

I'll go for six and nine. Rock Around the Block is probably the weakest of the Technodrome relocation episodes. The season's sole highlights for me are Super Irma and Adventures in Turtle-Sitting, not much else.

Nine is a weak intro for Dregg and his whole set-up, season ten is where he developed more of a following with the fanbase, and that was probably helped by bringing back Shredder and Krang and raising the stakes.

[CyberCubed]

Rock around the Block is fun, as a General Traag episode. The Shreeka episode is also great, Return of the Turtleoid is fantastic with the Terminator robot hunting Kerma, and it's a fun April/Splinter team-up episode. "Raphael, The Nice Guy" is also a fun episode. Krangenstein Lives, etc

Season 6 was also the return of more action, almost like a preview to Season 7. The only weaker ep for me is the one with Vernon's nephew, the second Prof. Sopho episode.

[ZariusTwo]

Rock around the Block is fun, as a General Traag episode. The Shreeka episode is also great.

I blanked on Shreeka's Revenge. I loved that one, I must have gotten it confused with season seven.

[sdp]

The first season of the show is regarded as perfect by fans, but it's bad and I'm tired of pretending it's not. The fact that they immediately changed the formula in Season 2 proves the pilot was a failure

It's only 5 episodes for a reason, it shows the writers couldn't do more witht he concept. Channel 6 floods in one episode and is perfectly fine later. Literally unwatchable continuity. Ninja Pizza, sure that's great comedy. Shredder just finds baxter because reasons? And baxter just helps him? because of one small problem at work? And they whitewashed baxter, pure trash.
Rocksteady and Bebop go from legit threats to bufoons in literal record time. Krang spends the whole time asking for a body only to not get a body but some type of robot machien, how is that a body?
Oh lets mutate the other gang members only to see them demutated later and then mutated again and never use them ever again.
The turtles save April after knowing her for five minutes. Simps. Shredder's first big plan is stealing... a truck. The mousers eat through concrete, steel, and walls but somehow struggle against turtles with sticks. plinter watches everything happen from the sewer like he's binge-watching a TV show instead of helping. Every episode is basically: 'Shredder needs one more component
Burne Thompson is presented with overwhelming proof every episode and still thinks April is making everything up. The turtles' hideout gets discovered and then everyone just forgets about it.
The turtles are supposed to be secret, yet they're driving around in the Turtle Van by Episode 4. The Technodrome goes from 'we're trapped forever' to 'we almost have enough power' every single episode. Shredder somehow has unlimited Foot Soldiers but only sends four at a time

People only like Season 1 because nostalgia is stronger than good writing. The REAL peak TMNT starts when the seasons have 40+ episodes and everyone repeats catchphrases every five minutes, it's no surprise that its when the highest point of turtlemania happened in the 40+ eps seasons.

[CyberCubed]

This thread needs to be locked right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111!!!!!!!!!!!!111111!!!!!!!!! 111111!

[Heyowakka]

Agreed, I almost got violent diarrhea just now.

[oldmanwinters]

There are a surprising amount of stinkers or just "meh" episodes in Season 5. Despite the CBS deal, several of the episodes just look terrible like they were animated by the worst of the talent the Dublin studio had to offer. Having episodes like that in Seasons 3-4 were understandable given the shear size of those season orders, but by Season 5, the show was being produced solely for a Saturday morning network seasonal schedule, and there was just no excuse to having episodes that looked that bad going head-to-head with the surging FOX Kids Network competition.

[Prowler]

Why didn't you put seasons 1-3 in the poll? Someone might like one of those the least.

Anyway, season 4 for me, too. It's way too big and, unlike s3, s4 has way more bad episodes. Not just in terms of plot of execution but also in terms of cheap animation.

Can I just cheat & say merely the "European vacation" chunk of S7? Most of those are easy skips for me.

Funny enough, those were produced during season 4. But, somehow, they only aired around season 7. How fitting that the European vacation episodes were made during the worst season.

I think the Orient Express episode is fun, personally. The London one with Shredder wanting to become a king is fun as well. The rest are garbage. And the portrayal of my city, Lisbon, is completely wrong. No bulls running on the streets here. This isn't Pamplona.

[CyberCubed]

There are a surprising amount of stinkers or just "meh" episodes in Season 5. Despite the CBS deal, several of the episodes just look terrible like they were animated by the worst of the talent the Dublin studio had to offer. Having episodes like that in Seasons 3-4 were understandable given the shear size of those season orders, but by Season 5, the show was being produced solely for a Saturday morning network seasonal schedule, and there was just no excuse to having episodes that looked that bad going head-to-head with the surging FOX Kids Network competition.

I only remember the Muckman ep looking subpar, the rest of the eps have the standard animation Season 6 and 7 have. But yeah, Season 6 and 7 had the gold standard for animation at the time, every episode looked good.

[Prowler]

I only remember the Muckman ep looking subpar, the rest of the eps have the standard animation Season 6 and 7 have. But yeah, Season 6 and 7 had the gold standard for animation at the time, every episode looked good.

The most well-animated episode was from season 3, though. Turtles on Trial.

Funny enough, Donatello jokes about how they must have wasted their entire budget on that episode where he becomes huge and fights a big gorilla or something? And I don't remember that episode being particularly well-animated. Season 3 or season 4, I forgot...

[CyberCubed]

It's funny how people talk about anime episodes fluctuating in animation quality (especially the big battle shonens where it's most noticeable), yet American cartoons have the same issues.

As I mentioned in my first post, the original TMNT cartoon was a lot like the Pokemon anime of its day. It was basically written as if it could go on forever, and Shredder/Bebop/Rocksteady being foiled in every episode and escaping by module or portal was like their "blasting off again" similar to Team Rocket. And the original TMNT cartoon lasted nearly 200 episodes which was unheard of for an American cartoon back then. Even to this day outside sitcoms like Simpsons or Family Guy, I don't know any other American cartoon that lasted nearly 200 episodes for a single series/continuity.

Like if the original cartoon didn't end in 1996, you could have imagined it going on another 10 years, lol

[Prowler]

It's funny how people talk about anime episodes fluctuating in animation quality (especially the big battle shonens where it's most noticeable), yet American cartoons have the same issues.

As I mentioned in my first post, the original TMNT cartoon was a lot like the Pokemon anime of its day. It was basically written as if it could go on forever, and Shredder/Bebop/Rocksteady being foiled in every episode and escaping by module or portal was like their "blasting off again" similar to Team Rocket. And the original TMNT cartoon lasted nearly 200 episodes which was unheard of for an American cartoon back then. Even to this day outside sitcoms like Simpsons or Family Guy, I don't know any other American cartoon that lasted nearly 200 episodes for a single series/continuity.

Like if the original cartoon didn't end in 1996, you could have imagined it going on another 10 years, lol

Which really shows how big Turtlemania was at its peak. The fact the last 3 seasons of the FW cartoon had 8 episodes each is kinda odd. Especially since Turtlemania's last hurrah was probably Turtles in Time on the SNES in 1992. The 3rd movie that came out in 1993 was panned and they were already having the Turtles back to using their weapons in season 7 again for a reason.

[MikeandRaph87]

I see discussion over duds in seasons 5 & 6. One thing I noticed is in-line with my earlier statement is the lack of Shredder/Krang that hurts the series. Most all of the lesser episodes lack Shredder/Krang and their absence with lesser characters added is what seriously hurts season 9. I also noticed the middle seasons 4,5, and 6 had Turtle focused episodes and every time it lacks Shredder/Krang in it.

Season 5 bad episodes:
Donatello's Badd Time * worst of the season
Raphael Versus The Volcano
Raphael: Turtle of A Thousand Faces
Zach And The Alien Invaders

Season 6 bad epsiodes:
Too Hot To Handle
Snakes Alive
Polly Wanna Pizza* worst of the season
Sleuth on The Loose

[CyberCubed]

I like the two Raph themed eps of Season 5. The Zach ep in that one is probably the most tolerant use of his character with Wingnut/Screwloose taking over the boarding school.

Snakes alive is great. Probably one of the best Leonardo themed eps as it shows his flaws as a leader.

[cammy85]

I like the two Raph themed eps of Season 5. The Zach ep in that one is probably the most tolerant use of his character with Wingnut/Screwloose taking over the boarding school.

Snakes alive is great. Probably one of the best Leonardo themed eps as it shows his flaws as a leader.

Agreed with both, if you can get through the character flaws; necessary as they were to the story. Once we get to the military school in act 2, the story gets better, even if no one wants to believe Zack by this point because he's cried wolf too many times. Luckily, there's enough in the story going on by that point that Zack's story begins to make sense.

Polly Wanna Pizza is more of an action story as opposed to beat up the bad guys story. None of the Turtles even encounter Mugsy or his henchman; but the danger to Michelangelo is real when he follows the annoying Ditto to the condemned hotel that's due to be blown up and has to be rescued. It's grown on me along with other previous duds like Donatello Makes Time, What's Michelangelo Good For and Leonardo Lightens Up.

[Prowler]

I like the two Raph themed eps of Season 5. The Zach ep in that one is probably the most tolerant use of his character with Wingnut/Screwloose taking over the boarding school.

Snakes alive is great. Probably one of the best Leonardo themed eps as it shows his flaws as a leader.

Zach did get less annoying the more he showed up, to be fair. I was fine with him in Shredderville too.

[Antoniocafe]

When you factor in that the European episodes were supposed to be part of the fourth season, I think at least for me I have to say season four. It definitely had some entertaining episodes. But there was just so many stinkers.

[Jephael]

Season 4 definitely had a "Too Many Cooks" situation going!