The 5 Best Episodes of The Real Ghostbusters
- Thread starter MovieBob
- Start date
Man, this show could be really brilliant. I remember rewatching the episode with the Sandman when I was older, and noting that the reason the Sandman wanted to put everyone to sleep forever was to prevent future wars and conflicts. Holy crap, that was a deep motivation to give a villain in a children's toy cartoon in the 80s. Or portraying Marduk, the Babylonian "god of the city", as a 1940s-esque hard-boiled detective, who wanted to save New York from a demon of destruction. Or the Ghostbusters not being able to capture the ghost of Harry Houdini, because he kept escaping from their traps. Genius.
I've always wondered how much of this we can chalk up to Straczynski's influence. Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, another kid's show made to sell toys that JMS was de facto head writer on, also had surprisingly deep and mature subject matter in between all the simulated laser duels.
I've always wondered how much of this we can chalk up to Straczynski's influence. Captain Power and the Soldiers of the Future, another kid's show made to sell toys that JMS was de facto head writer on, also had surprisingly deep and mature subject matter in between all the simulated laser duels.
"Mrs. Roger's Neighborhood" is one of the best with the haunted house and the demon parrot. But yeah boogieman is by far the very best one and was scary enough that it kept my 10 year old self up at night after watching it.
My kids are 6 now and I introduced them to tnmt but this series is probably too scary for them for a few years.
My kids are 6 now and I introduced them to tnmt but this series is probably too scary for them for a few years.
Man, I loved the Ghostbusters cartoon when I was younger. I liked the art style, the characters, all of it.
Actually pretty much everything that was Ghostbusters was pretty awesome up until the second movie, but even it has some charm. I would never call it a good movie, and it's certainly not a great sequel to one of the best comedies ever made. But, some charm nonetheless.
Actually pretty much everything that was Ghostbusters was pretty awesome up until the second movie, but even it has some charm. I would never call it a good movie, and it's certainly not a great sequel to one of the best comedies ever made. But, some charm nonetheless.
And now I've gotten myself back to watching the series all over again after all these years, still it was a favourite show of mine back when I was a kid.
Yay, someone else has noticed just how good the Real Ghostbusters were, even from an adult standpoint.
I rewatched the series a few years ago, and I was impressed how dark and mature the first episodes were. Even the when it became more childish later as Slimer and the Ghostbusters, it still had some dark storylines, even if they were dressed up as a more cutsy version of the Ghostbusters.
Personal favorites:
-"Knock, Knock" (an accidental starting of the end of the world... as opposed to the purposeful one in "Ragnarok and Roll")
-"Citizen Ghost" (the origin of the new suit colors)
I guess I like how compared to the other 80s cartoons, the Ghostbusters crisis' were always bigger, with apparent death right around every corner. Every other episode felt like the end of the world in one way or another and it was great, especially since the Ghostbusters almost had to purposely sacrifice themselves on more than one occasion to save the world.
I rewatched the series a few years ago, and I was impressed how dark and mature the first episodes were. Even the when it became more childish later as Slimer and the Ghostbusters, it still had some dark storylines, even if they were dressed up as a more cutsy version of the Ghostbusters.
Personal favorites:
-"Knock, Knock" (an accidental starting of the end of the world... as opposed to the purposeful one in "Ragnarok and Roll")
-"Citizen Ghost" (the origin of the new suit colors)
I guess I like how compared to the other 80s cartoons, the Ghostbusters crisis' were always bigger, with apparent death right around every corner. Every other episode felt like the end of the world in one way or another and it was great, especially since the Ghostbusters almost had to purposely sacrifice themselves on more than one occasion to save the world.
You didn't include "The Thing in Mrs. Faversham's Attic"? This ensaddens me. I am ensaddenated.
Seriously, though, that was one my favorites. We got to see so much of Peter's "soft side" after him being established as opportunistic, snide and cynical; we got to see Egon be a little less than scientific ("I say we blow them up real good."), the bust was creative, and that end scene... whenever I think of that last line ("Actually... I think I'd love a cup of tea") with that music, I just choke up a little.
Leave it to Straczynski to write an episode around parental loss and the lonely elderly without wielding either like a club.
Seriously, though, that was one my favorites. We got to see so much of Peter's "soft side" after him being established as opportunistic, snide and cynical; we got to see Egon be a little less than scientific ("I say we blow them up real good."), the bust was creative, and that end scene... whenever I think of that last line ("Actually... I think I'd love a cup of tea") with that music, I just choke up a little.
Leave it to Straczynski to write an episode around parental loss and the lonely elderly without wielding either like a club.
You don't think the same was true of M*A*S*H? In either case, it sure ended up that way. I think most fans who have never seen the movie would be shocked and appalled if they ever did.MovieBob said:
Great list, but the one that has always stuck in my mind is, The Thing in Mrs. Faversham's Attic, so im right there with Wolf. The first couple of seasons are some of my favorite TV from when I was a kid, and it still holds up, unlike so many other things from that time.
Man I loved this show as a kid, this and Teenage Mutant Turtles. The Boogeyman was certainly the one that stuck with me even to this day, he was really scary when you where a little kid.
And now you've got me rewatching the show... it still holds up surprisingly well.
Edit:
Though I have to say Ragnarock and Roll is one I still remember too. Some good messages in that one.
And now you've got me rewatching the show... it still holds up surprisingly well.
Edit:
Though I have to say Ragnarock and Roll is one I still remember too. Some good messages in that one.
I had a couple of episodes of this cartoon on video as a child. The only one I really remember is an episode in which Winston plays in a game of baseball in which he is the only player there who isn't a ghost. It was a fun episode.
Excellent list, Bob, and it brings back a lot of memories, like the time Winston convinced two factions of warring Native American spirits to play baseball, the team's suits from the movie getting slimed (and haunted by ghostly copies of themselves), and the guys going to an alternate dimension called, I shit you not, "Boo York".
Also, did M.A.S.H. have its own Saturday Morning Cartoon, as that opening paragraph led me to believe? That sounds way to heavy for kids.
Also, did M.A.S.H. have its own Saturday Morning Cartoon, as that opening paragraph led me to believe? That sounds way to heavy for kids.
My favorite part was always the New Jersey Parallelogram. Followed by mention of Who's Who And What's That. When I wasn't drawing erotic fan art of Egon and Janine on my Amiga in DeluxePaint. I used to post them on Delphi and they were pretty professional looking if I do say so myself. That was before I got into Compuserve and Prodigy.
Though all of these episodes are fantastic in their own rights, I would have expanded the list to maybe a top 10, and I'd have added Ragnarok & Roll to it. It's one of the most character-driven and emotionally-charged episodes of the whole series, with J. Michael Straczynski once again shining as the best script-writer on the show.
When the team are confronting Jeremy (the big bad) on top of the Carstairs building, proton packs ready for simultaneous overload, saying one last farewell to each other as they know it's a suicide tactic, the one word you hear from Egon is "Janine". As a kid, I never really got the why and how of that one name, but having grown up (nearly 27 now) and having absorbed more of the Ghostbusters mythos, it's a poignant little bit that sometimes gets overlooked. Janine (up until GB2) had always carried a torch for Egon, and in that split-second, we discover that he feels the same way about her.
Just my humble opinion. I'm a big softy at heart, really
When the team are confronting Jeremy (the big bad) on top of the Carstairs building, proton packs ready for simultaneous overload, saying one last farewell to each other as they know it's a suicide tactic, the one word you hear from Egon is "Janine". As a kid, I never really got the why and how of that one name, but having grown up (nearly 27 now) and having absorbed more of the Ghostbusters mythos, it's a poignant little bit that sometimes gets overlooked. Janine (up until GB2) had always carried a torch for Egon, and in that split-second, we discover that he feels the same way about her.
Just my humble opinion. I'm a big softy at heart, really