[SnowCat]

I've noticed recently that Season 2 has been getting a lot of flak on the boards. While Season 1 is definitely much better, I still think there's a lot going for the second season. Episodes like "Last Hour to Doomsday", "Cobrathon", "Not a Ghost of a Chance" and "Sink the Montana" are top quality episodes and there's still tons of great dialogue in almost every episode of the season. Other episodes like "Ninja Holiday" are just a huge amount of fun (Hey, it's basically Bloodsport with Cobra Commander behind the Kumite, how great is that?)

Granted, some of the writing/editing staff had changed, and some of the animation is rough, but it's still GI Joe, and in my book, it's still awesome.

So, why do you like or dislike Season 2?

[AWOL]

My only complaint about season 2 is how it teased The Coil. Cobra Commander looked poised to retake Cobra, then...well...we know the rest.

[SnowCat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AWOL

My only complaint about season 2 is how it teased The Coil. Cobra Commander looked poised to retake Cobra, then...well...we know the rest.

Totally agree. I love that Cobra Commander was able to regain the support of literally everyone in Cobra. Even Mindbender seems like he's had enough of Serpentor's nonsense. Would've loved to have seen a CC & everyone else vs Serpentor & the BATS civil war or something like that. What could have been...

[BizCopperhead]

Because Serpentor ruined Sunbow GI Joe. Serpentor and Mindbender replaced CC, Destro, Baroness, and Tomax/Xamot as the main players. Nobody wanted that. Replacing fan favorites with other characters will always get shit on.

[TheOverlordCorp]

There was less unity/camaraderie in the storytelling, with more rivalries between Joes. Wet-Suit bickered with Leatherneck, Beach-Head was butt-hurt over his lack of authority, Hawk seemed feeble, Dial-Tone lacked Joe potential, Slaughter was the new Snake-Eyes, and Lifeline was a wet blanket on most episodes. Iceberg & Beach-Head deserved better and many of the new Joes seemed like lesser copies of the originals. The animation got sloppy, too. There are a couple of episodes that are unwatchable from that perspective. BUT there were some solid episodes like Nightmare Assault, In The Presence of Mine Enemies, and Secondhand Emotions (and others you mentioned @SnowCat). Low-Light remains the best character to come out of the second season.

[Sean_C]

It was fine to shake things up with Cobra. Because otherwise it's the same old thing again and again...back stabbing, but everybody's reset the next episode. How it was done...not how I would've done it. I'd have had CC get captured during the last episode of "Arise..." and GI JOE would go to him for information. Maybe he escapes at the end of the season.

I did miss Destro and Zartan's mutual hatred of each other.

Promoting new characters over old was always going to be a thing. Stalker didn't do much after The MASS Device. But due to less episodes, most of the 1984 and 1985 JOES were reduced to non-speaking background roles after Arise, Serpentor, Arise. Some would get use in the animated movie, though.

They did use the new vehicles drivers, though. Can't say that about non-speaking Crankcase, one speaking role episode Frostbite and Heavy Metal, brief bits Tollbooth and nothing for Keel Haul. Lamprey barely got a cameo, but Strato Vipers and Motor Viper got a lot of screen time, and of course, Thrasher, too.

Some of the super weapon of the week episodes were...I mean, youth/aging machine and beauty stealing machine...not so great. Plus a useless time travel episode, something they'd avoided before and Iceberg turns into a whale in their Dr. Moreau "homage."

[AWOL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheOverlordCorp

there were some solid episodes like Nightmare Assault, In The Presence of Mine Enemies, and Secondhand Emotions (and others you mentioned @SnowCat).

I forget the name of episode where Mainframe nearly caught herpes from Zarana.

[sisco]

Backstabbing, scheming, Cobra commander from Season 2 is my favorite version of the commander. Season 2 is still great to me.

[EvilMeanie]

The biggest problem with Season 2 for me is that there are quite a few episodes where you can tell Serpentor was shoehorned in, and, in one or two of them, they didn't even bother. Last Hour to Doomsday is probably my favorite ep of Season 2, and it gives us a Cobra that's clearly still being run by CC.

Other than that, I didn't like that General Hawk got the "he's been here the whole time!" treatment. Cobra's change in leadership got a whole five part saga. After an entire season with Duke as the leader, it was beyond weird for Hawk to just be there. And, honestly, I think the writers blew an opportunity by not making Arise revolve around the leadership change in both Cobra and G.I. Joe.

It's really not its fault, but Season 2 was always a bit of a downer for me because I knew what was coming next.

[Bac]

Season 2 put more effort into fleshing out some of the new characters, even if those characterizations weren't enjoyed by everyone.

Keep in mind the primary objective of the cartoon is to sell toys. If Hasbro saw sales of CC, Destro, etc. dwindling then they probably felt it was best to refresh the ranks.