A Top 20 1987 Episodes of hype!

[sdp]

I've relatively recently watched the OT and 2k3 and don't feel like re-watching them for a while, but I definitely feel a kick to watch selected episodes before the new show. I'd like to see what you guys consider the best episodes of the entire OT to help make a Top 20 or what most of you consider the best episodes. You can just make a top 10 or just post your favorite episode, I'm making it a 20 so there's plenty of room for everyone's favorite and more variety, I just want to see what episodes I may have missed from my list.

Some things I'd like to see in lists,.

*Variety- at least one episode from each season since they can/do differ so much. It'd be nice to have variety and not just Season 1 complete, that's 5 episodes taking precious spots in a show that lasted nearly 200. This isn't necessary to have 1 of each season but do take the whole show into account.

* They stand alone - If the episode only makes sense with selected knowledge from specific episodes maybe it's not a great choice since a person who never watched the show wouldn't get it, now that doesn't mean you have to take the previous comment overboard, as long as you could follow the story with basic knowledge you should be fine.

*No multiparters - Again like above, don't take this to the extreme since many great episodes may be a part of multiparters, the OT didn't have many multiparters but if you choose one try to choose THE episode of the multi-part arc and not just have both parts.

[oldmanwinters]

I looked over what I had posted years ago in a similar thread and figured I'd share two lists: (1) The best 10 episodes, (objectively speaking IMO), and (2) my other favorite episodes that don't quite hold up to critical analysis.

Also, I just went ahead and disqualified the first season; all those episodes would automatically make the list because they form one big epic. My favorite one of that bunch is probably Enter the Shredder.

Top 10 Episodes (Non-pilot season)
#1 Turtles on Trial
Excellent TMS animation, characters stay on model consistently, and the plot is both humorous and exciting. Every character has something interesting to contribute to the plot. And we even get to see Krang in action. It is, in my opinion, the perfect episode that showcases the finest strengths of the entire series.

#2 The Legend of Koji
Wow, this episode is amazing! I really makes an effort to dig deep back into the Foot Clan backstory and reminds us that the Foot only became a force for evil after Shredder's corruption. BTW, I love time travel that includes characters essentially creating themselves. LOL
Bit of trivia, this is the only episode of which I am aware that April does not appear in any capacity.

#3 Enter the Fly
The birth of the Baxter Stockman we all know and love! This is still one of the all time watershed moments of the series. A great way to transition a well established character into something completely different yet so iconic that people started to forget he wasn't always a mutant.

#4 The Big Blowout
It's one of the most epic episodes in the series, so I might as well include it. The animation isn't great, but it is the greatest Turtles Vs. Technodrome episode we got. For that reason, I think it is a good showcase episode for the series. Also, it is the culmination of a season long story arc that directly tied into the previous 2 episodes.

#5 The Making of Metalhead
Very funny to see the Turtles sick, & very good animation on Metalhead and the sewer chase scene. Metalhead's weapons effects and the showdown at the construction site were animated very well. The part were Metalhead gets his wires crossed and starts flipping out was amazingly funny, especially when he started talking in all the Turtles' different voices. [In Raph's voice:] "I'll just blast EVERYBODY!"

#6 White Belt, Black Heart
This episode answers the question (in my mind) of just what exactly Splinter was doing with his free time when he wasn't present in the sewer lair. We get a little bit of insight into Splinter's past and we get to see the classic "Triple Cross" in the ninja criminals.

#7 The Mean Machines
Machines gone mad, just like in the 80s classic, OverDrive! A great episode with lots of action and oodles of enemy appliances to fight; the animation just isn't quite as crisp as some later episodes, however. It's got April tagging along with the Turtles without necessarily being a damsel-in-distress, and she actually saves in the day in humorous fashion. Raphael gets a few good lines in too.

#8 Burne's Blues
I think it hits most of the high points of the series; it's almost video game like. Lots of action, good animation. Cheapskates chase the module under the city. April plays the plucky hostage for about 50% of the episode. Weird subplot with the Channel Six folks. I've always enjoyed this one.

#9 Shredder's Mom
Well animated, and it cracks me up. Also, this was pretty ahead of its time in handling the whole global warming angle; unlike today's treatments of the subject, it wasn't quite so preachy and apocalyptic in its treatment ... other than the world possibly getting fried by the sun's radiation that is. Doh!

#10 The Ninja Sword of Nowhere
Outside of the horrible Raphael replacement voice actor it's a very entertaining episode. The animation of the fights and the limbo area is pretty good as far as I remember. We get to see the Turtles' clever side as they try to free their sensei and how Splinter's patience really pays off.

Other personal favorites:

*The Cat Woman from Channel Six
Any time the good guys have to fight one of their own makes for good plot tension. Plus, Irma finally meets the Turtles so it is one of the most significant episodes from a plot standpoint.
The plot is full of holes and the animation can be either hit or miss at parts (lots of mistakes but some impressive work during the climatic sewer scene), but I really love the whole kooky classic monster movie feel of this episode. April is genuinely creepy as a half-woman/half-cat mutant, much more so than the times she got turned into a fishwoman or a hornet. I really wish this episode had got a sequel that revisited any lingering effects of her mutation.

*Leonardo Vs. Tempestra
Three words: video-game-addiction! The animation at the power plant scene is great. And I love the idea that the Turtles sneak out by night to party at the local arcade all night. (With the owner's blessing, it seems!)

*Casey Jones: Outlaw Hero
Casey Jones as Dirty Harry. Krang walks around in a Knucklehead. Lots of appliances going haywire. It's all good.

*Corporate Raiders from Dimension X
Casey Jones gets respectable. Lots of jokes and spoofs of the corporate world. Donatello's running gag with the Retro Catapult. Terrific.

*Raphael Meets His Match
Mona Lisa was a great addition to the show with a great design, which was accentuated with the solid animation of this episode. Too bad she never reappeared. This one is the first episode I remember seeing when the series when to CBS Saturday mornings. I remember there being two Raphael centered episodes for the first two weeks in a row and since he was my favorite, I was looking forward to a Raph-heavy series!

*Usagi Yojimbo
The Samurai Rabbit takes a tour of New York reminiscent of Turtle Tracks. A good introduction to the character. It's really too bad he only showed up in one more episode without resolving his storyline.

*The Sword of Yurikawa
Two words: Ninja-Splinter... oh yeah! It's obvious that he's behind the mask the whole time, but it's still so great to see the old rat in action.

[pannoni1]

My Top 20:

20. Case of the Killer Pizzas: My childhood favorite since it was the very first VHS I had, the long search/battle with the pizza monsters is still very fun and nostalgic to watch.

19. The Dimension X Story: With only two of the Turtles out to Dimension X along with the Channel 6 crew, this required brave work from only part of the team to stop the Technodrome from not only regaining power, but from saving April/Vernon from the volcano.

18. Shredder Triumphant: Although a bit short compared to other season finales, its still fun seeing Irma take out Krang's android body and having quite a cliffhanger with the villains not in the Technodrome as the episode ends, which is why this makes the list.

17. Once Upon A Time Machine: This was the first time we ever had two pairs of turtles in TMNT history, and shows why this was so much better than 4kids' Shredderless Fast Forward. The old turtles' voices are fantastic, I enjoyed the gang scenes, and find it very fun to watch.

16. Tower of Power: The most entertaining of the European Vacation episodes, this was exciting to watch the Eiffel Tower float away by forcing the Turtles to stop Shredder and save the Channel 6 crew.

15. Take Me To Your Leader: This was a good take on how Raphael, Donatello, and Michelangelo could work out as leader of the team. It still amazes me how fast and hard the Turtles can climb up a tall skyscraper just to prevent a planet from freezing.

14. Turtle Tracks: You've probably watched this episode dozens of times, but it just seems so classic. The origin story, the first battle with the punks, saving, convincing, and later rescuing April, and lastly the great escape from the Security Services building.

13. Night of the Rogues: With all those villains brought to destroy the turtles, this proves that they can still defeat even when they are seriously outnumbered.

12. Pizza By The Shred: Very fun to watch to see Michelangelo have his first "job", only to reveal that he was working for Shredder! Also, the Rat King adds an extra sense of danger, which causes quite a stir with Shredder. The sewer battle is also very well done.

11. Enter The Fly: So much more than the fly transition! The two battles with Shredder are among the most enjoying, one resulting in the Turtle Trooper, with the second nearly causing the turtles to get trapped in time, only to see Splinter come out of nowhere, since he has never driven the Turtle Van up to that point.

10. Enter The Shredder: The second half of this episode is filled with critical fighting, from the closing walls to machines to rolling pin to Foot battle to Rocksteady & Bebop battle. But most importantly, Shredder reveals why the turtles are here and by the turtles' command of not joining him, sets the tone for him to be his arch enemy for the series.

9. Planet of the Turtleoids: With a combination of both using the Technodrome and another dimension, this is one of the most entertaining episodes of the whole series.

8. Shakira's Revenge: I really enjoyed the battles of this episode, and the destruction of the proposed Channel 6 building seemed to foreshadow Get Shredder.

7. The Legend of Koji: See oldmanwinters

6. The Power of Three: This episode proves how evil Dregg and Mung are, with even Shredder and Krang under hostage as the episode ends. It's also the start of the season's most critical arc, and is one of the darkest episodes of the whole series.

5. Return of the Technodrome: The Technodrome returns to Earth right in front of the turtles amid Shredder's clan about to stop the turtles, and it got real scary for a few moments when Krang decides to destroy the turtles himself. Also a great final battle with the Shredder vs. Splinter duel and escape.

4. The Big Blow Out: Like in oldmanwinters' description, this episode showcases the Technodrome inside the city the only time in the entire series (it came close a couple times in Season 7, but stayed over the river). It's cool seeing the destruction of highways and a few buildings. The "now! now! NOW!" really brings the arc to a dramatic finale.

3. Get Shredder!- Many may have hated this when they first saw it, but now it gave the series some fresh new life with a new darker, more action-based direction, with improved animation thanks to a new studio. The destruction of the Channel 6 building still makes me cry, and it began a trend where the public started to turn against the turtles.

2. The Big Break In: I like this better than The Big Blow Out since it marks the most critical point in the Turtles vs. the bad guys for the entire season, with the turtles spending two-thirds of the episode inside the Technodrome. Unlike in previous Technodrome battles, the turtles split up into pairs, with Raphael nearly crushed in a factory followed by a battle with Leonardo with 20 Foot Soldiers, and Donatello and Michelangelo encountering Rocksteady and Bebop on the way to stop Krang not just to stop the Technodrome from taking over the earth, but also to nearly prevent April from getting crushed. The episode ends with perhaps the biggest cliffhanger of the whole series with the Technodrome getting larger as the episode fades out.

1. Shredder and Splintered: This is the only opportunity that Splinter could have used to return to his human form, and for such a soft series, it remains the biggest "loss" to the good guys. It also marks the beginning of Krang's evil phase, with his new body nearly trampling the turtles. Let's not forget Shredder nearly de-mutating the Turtles, or the Turtles seemingly getting trapped in Dimension X before escaping at literally the last microsecond. Great animation, plus we still get to see the tougher Rocksteady and Bebop.

[oldmanwinters]

Eh, I guess I probably should have included Planet of the Turtleoids in my list. It is pretty full of toy based enemies, but I don't think it's a definitive showcase for the series since most of the action takes place on a far away planet which allows Shredder to have a field day. All things considered, there really is a lot of filler and lulls in the episode.

[Jester]

I'll throw out 2 underrated, but fun episodes:
New York's Shiniest and Were-rats from Channel 6. Both are fun and have probably the biggest goofs in TMNT history.

That and I love Rex-1, he needed a 3rd appearance.

[Genesis]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

BTW, I love time travel that includes characters essentially creating themselves. LOL

You must love Futurama.

[oldmanwinters]

Originally Posted by Genesis

You must love Futurama.

Heh, I do enjoy that show! It has a lot more creativity and heart that most of the "mature" animated programs on TV today.

[rufus]

Non Pilot list.
1.Return of The Shredder
2.Enter:The Fly
3.The case of the killer pizzas
4.Enter the rat king
5.Cowabunga Shredhead
6.Camera Bugged
7.Return of the Fly
8.Casey Jones
9.Corporate raiders from dimension x
10.Leather head
11.Shredderville
12.plan 9 from outer space
13.Planet of the turtles
14.The big cuff link caper
15.Sword of Yurikawa
16.nightmare in the lair
17.the legend of koji
18.revenge of the fly
19.night of the rouges
20.shredder triumphant

[Genesis]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

Heh, I do enjoy that show! It has a lot more creativity and heart that most of the "mature" animated programs on TV today.

Yeah, I for one do not like Family Guy.

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

Which "other dimension" does Planet of the Turtleoids use? It's just another planet.

[JH24]

My favorite top 10 episodes:


1. Turtles on Trial (Great animation, interesting and entertaining plot)

2. Donatello's Duplicate. (I really enjoyed this one, I liked what the writers did with the duplicate and the VA played his evil role very well. I found it particularly chilling how the duplicate had no problems with killing April)

3. Michelangelo Meets Mondo Gecko (One of my favorites. Very nice art/animation. The "dream" stuff was a bit out there, but this episode really showed me why I like Michelangelo's character. His interactions as well as his comments --with some pretty funny ones mixed in-- were well done and gave a deeper look into his character)

4. The making of Metalhead (I love this episode. It had some good art/animation, voices and character expressions) The sick turtles were very funny and there were some nice moments. Overall very entertaining and interesting episode.

5. The sword of Yurikawa. (An entertaining episode throughout. A little predictable but well executed)

6. The fifth Turtle (This episode is one I remember very clearly from when I was younger. Now I'm older I find Zack a little annoying at points, but still a good character overall. The episode flowed well and kept my interest throughout. I liked how they were able to halt Shredder's plans in the end)

7. Casey Jones - Outlaw Hero (Even though Casey doesn't have much depth in this series he is still a funny character. Almost every line makes me laugh. Good episode overall)

8. Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter (I thought Dirk Savage was quite an interesting and likeable character. One who was actually able to capture Leonardo and Michelangelo without getting his butt kicked. What I especially liked was how Donatello and Raphael tried to get Dirk Savage on their side through peaceful means, wihtout resorting to fighting. Good ep, nice to see Mondo Gecko again too)

9. Shreeka's Revenge (An episode which surprised me. Shreeka is a character who just has that "cool villain" aura around her. Episode had a good pace throughout, and I liked how she escaped in the end, even if she lost what she wanted)

10. Invasion of the Krangazoids (Loved seeing the different clones of Krang and how they interacted. Nice art and animation and overall just very entertaining)


EDIT: I can't believe I forgot "Night of the Rogues." Not in my top 10, but still a favorite.

[MikeandRaph87]

This is harder for me than the 2003 cartoon because this is the heart of my TMNT fandom!

1.Night of The Rogues
2.Get Shredder
3.Shredder Is Splintered
4. Leatherhead:Terror of The Swamps
5.Adventures In Turtle-Sitting
6.The Dimension X Story
7.Planet of The The Turtloids
8. Turtles On Trial
9. Return of The Fly
10.Beneath The Streets
11.Rat King Meets Leatherhead
12. Enter:The Rat King
13. Enter:The Fly
14. The Big Blow Out
15. Coroprate Raiders From Dimension X
16. Dirk Savage:Mutant Hunter
17. Shredder's New Sword
18.The Legend of Koji
19 Wrath of The Rat King
20. Split-Second/Big Cufflink Caper

Man,that was so hard since there so many great episodes! Some are lacking even embarrassing but so many more or classic including a few that did not make te cut on my list!

[Original TMNT Cartoon Fan]

I love how in Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter, Razhar and Tokka are decpited as cooler than in the second movie.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by Swedenfan 1982

I love how in Dirk Savage: Mutant Hunter, Razhar and Tokka are decpited as cooler than in the second movie.

Yes,I agree. They were sympathetic and more intelligent especially Razhar. Forced to be savage-like because of the conditions that surround them and the poor way they are treated. It would have been great to have them in a follow up episode and perhaps discover that Shredder accidently mutated them around the time that Grounchuck adn Dirtbag were and fight off being manipulated by their father. They are not evil by choice which is something to explore. It was done with manipulations by Shredder with the Punk Frogs,Mondo Gecko(Mr.X though),Baxter Stockman,Muck Man & Joey Eyeball, and Mutagen Man but this had potential to be an interesting character study.

[ZariusTwo]

Not exactly a top ten or twenty, just my thoughts on a couple of select episodes

-Sky Turtles: A brilliant action/comedy story that plays about with gravity, the types of which becoming more and more outlandish as Shredder tries to constantly outdo himself. You have to feel sorry for Krang, just as he finally gets his turn on the gravity altering device, everything comes loose and skyrockets...litterally. Throw in some great Shredder/Krang banter and Donatello's hilarious "stupendous dish" exchange with Irma and you get a soaringly fun episode

-Turtles at the Earth's Core: It's a shame we didnt return to this lost world, as it lended itself well to repeat performances. The 80s were all about cutesy over-friendly dinosaurs (evident by "The Land Before Time", Dink The Little Dinosaur, and Denver The Last Dinosaur) and I ate all that up as a kid, so having it cross over with the dish of the day in Turtles got smiles. Nice bit of proactivnesss from the characters as as Donatello at the beggining of the episode wanted to pinpoint the location of The Technodrome, and Krang deciding to yet again take personal charge of things with his mini-fortress, which is again something we didnt get to see a whole lot (though the idea did resurface in the form of the mini-technodrome in the Turteloid two-parter).

-Take Me To Your Leader: A great character peice for Leonardo, and a hilarious game of "you're it" for the other Turtles, all while the Earth freezes around them. I remember reading the adaptation of this before I saw the episode and thus I had pictured it far differently in my head. Again, I enjoy seeing Krang take a more personal stake in a project, as he joins Shredder and his lackeys in utlizing his weapon. The episode also demonstrated Donatello's impeccable leadership skills, it says a lot that he doesnt actually quit the role like Raph does, Mike only becomes leader by default when Don has to nip back to the lair.

-Donatello's Degree: It's no secret here that I am fairly obsessed with Donatello and Irma and I 'ship the s*it out of them. This is probably my favourite story involving the two of them. From the prostitute joke, to Irma's inflated ego and finally her ever so unpredictable bursts of bravery and slightly naive ingenuity showcase just how lovable her character is, all complimented by Donatello's sharp alertness to the situation. It's a shame romance was off the cards on this show for the most part

-Green With Jealousy: ...And whenever romance WAS on the cards, we got hilarious episodes like this. Another showcase of just how gullible and man-crazy Irma is, as well as a situation that goes Shredder and Krang's way for once. Even if the Turtles prevented further drainage of the submarine's energy, Krang had more than enough stored, and it's only due to Rocksteady and Bebop's inane steering that it all falls apart at the end.

-The Maltease Hamster: What starts off as a light parody of Dick Tracy and The Untouchables progresses into a faintly dark little struggle for our heroes, with the heavies wiping the floor with several of them. Donatello being almost killed chilled me as a kid, whilst the quiet little moment Irma discovers him in her office made me a fan of that pairing. The jokes don't slow down even after the story gets more serious, and it really makes the mood evenly balanced, so you have fun while remaning concerned. And who doesnt love that creepy "men's underwear" option on the antique magnet?

-The Big Blow-Out: If it wasnt for a sticker album I had informing me The Techodrome was in the artic I would have been convinced this was the end. Shredder and Krang on a roll with a fully powered Technodrome thwarting the Turtles and the Military at every turn. When Shredder fell down the shaft, I thought he was going to die. In truth, you could do some clever editing so that after Shredder falls, you can have Donatello instruct Raph to fire the missile, blast The Technodrome into Dimension X, cut to Krang saying "Shredder, what have you done" and then see the machine pummeled by Tragg's forces and crash, then cut to the Turtles celebrating. All to create the illusion Shredder was dead, but that's just the dark horse in me. Overall, it's the best finale the show had and it came at the peak of it's powers.

[oldmanwinters]

The Cufflink Caper was also one of the classics that I forgot to mention. I had it on VHS as a kid and it was one of my most watched tapes. Gotta love the Turtles as three-piece suit wearing mobsters!

[CyberCubed]

I'd honestly have to say most of Season 6.

I honestly think Season 6 is one of the most underrated seasons of the show. Last time I watched it on DVD I couldn't believe how much I enjoyed myself.

Even random episodes like, "Polly want a Pizza" were enjoyable.

[MikeandRaph87]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

The Cufflink Caper was also one of the classics that I forgot to mention. I had it on VHS as a kid and it was one of my most watched tapes. Gotta love the Turtles as three-piece suit wearing mobsters!

It was a creative mix of campy and serious and a great sample episode of the series as a whole. It definitely stands out!

I could care less about any mobster that ever crossed the turtles path in any version EXCEPT Big Louie. He has potential and can be a great consolidated underworld leader in the way of the Godfather. Just imagine Don Turtlei under his thumb and Big Louie stating if if had not reduced to silly methods like tickling feet with a feather... Mr.Winters I give you the suggestion and honor of making a thread for this episode. I looked on the Talkback thread and it does not exsist yet.

Also agreed with Zarius's summary of Sky Turtles!

[Xav]

Originally Posted by JH24

7. Meet Casey Jones (Even though Casey doesn't have much depth in this series he is still a funny character. Almost every line makes me laugh. Good episode overall)

That was a 4Kids series episode.

[JH24]

Originally Posted by Xav

That was a 4Kids series episode.

Oops, my mistake. Thanks for pointing that out. I meant the episode "Casey Jones - Outlaw Hero".