Top 5 Unusually Heavy Episodes of 1980s Cartoons: #3
#3: Worlds Without End, G.I. Joe
Originally broadcast November 4, 1985
Written by Martin Pasko
Plot summary (from AllMovie.com):
Joe team members Flint, Lady Jaye, Airtight, Grunt, Clutch, and Steeler try to recover a matter transmutor stolen by the Dreadnoks. When the device is accidentally triggered, the Joes are hurled into a bizarre parallel world. Upon getting their bearings, they discover that, in this particular world, the Cobras have emerged triumphant over the Joes — and the Drednoks are now the police force.
What made it so heavy (includes spoilers):
Parallel universes are commonly a writer’s way of presenting a worst-case scenario that they could never get away with in the regular continuity. So there’s often an inherent awfulness about the alternate reality. This episode didn’t break that rule. G.I. Joe had been decimated by Cobra.
The Joes returned to their headquarters only to discover it has been abandoned. Of 50 Joes that had been in action, all but six were listed as missing in action; of those six, three died. Steeler, who is suffering from a diseased insect bite, is disillusioned by the futility of the Joes’ unending battle with Cobra. He becomes convinced that they must have died in the explosion earlier in the episode, and now they’re in Hell.
It got even heavier midway through the second episode. Steeler has run away, suffering from a terrible fever that has made him delirious. Grunt chases him down, and in the ensuing scuffle, the two roll down a cliff into a ravine. As they work their way back, they stumble upon a horrifying scene — the bodies of three dead G.I. Joe soldiers.
As I noted on day one, the G.I. Joe cartoon never hinted at death being a consequence of war. The lasers that the rifles and tanks fired might make things explode, but people didn’t get hurt. So it was already shocking that we were seeing the skeletal remains of three Joes. What made it even more intense was that Grunt and Steeler were among the bodies, meaning these two were seeing their own dead selves. I can’t tell you how much that freaked me out.
We eventually find out the Baroness was a double agent, working against Cobra. She had been in love with that world’s Steeler, only he had been missing and she was told he was dead. I debated placing this episode as high as #1, but settled on #3 because ultimately, it has a happy ending, even if the happy ending was also unsettling. Grunt, Steeler and Clutch decide to stay behind in this alternate reality to help rebuild G.I. Joe from scratch. So these characters were forever lost to the regular G.I. Joe universe.
There was something extra eerie about that to me. These three guys were from the earliest generations of the G.I. Joe characters, when everyone’s uniform was a little more basic and military-like. Later generations became more personalized and flamboyant, getting away from the military roots. Leaving those guys behind seemed almost symbolic of turning one’s back on a generation of characters. I don’t know why that disturbed me so much, but it did.
I should note that I originally saw this episode embedded within The Bozo Show on WGN. The contrast was trippy. G.I. Joes see their own skeletal bodies, cut to the Grand Prize Game, cut to characters remaining in an alternate reality to replace their dead selves.
Key Scenes:
The Joes realize the rest of their team has been wiped out.
STEELER: I can’t take it, I just can’t. Dusty? Alpine? Bazooka? I’m never gonna see ’em again?
CLUTCH: How? Why?
FLINT: One way or another, we’re going to get the answers.
Grunt and Steeler stumble upon the bodies of three dead soldiers.
GRUNT: Mother of mercy! They’re Joes! Poor devils — they must’ve gotten caught in one of Cobra’s weapons tests. (looks at dog tags) Steinberg, L.? That’s Clutch’s name! (moves to another body) Graves, R.W.?
STEELER: Graves? That’s you, Grunt!
GRUNT: Yeah, well I know I ain’t dead. Hey … these guys must have been the Joe team from this world. Yeah, that’s it!
STEELER: That one. Who’s that one? (looks at dog tags) Pulaski! Its me!
With the portal open, the Joes have a chance to return to their home world.
FLINT: Come on, let’s go home.
STEELER: Well, Baroness …
BARONESS: So … I’m going to lose you twice?
STEELER: You know, there’s really no one waiting for me back there.
FLINT: Okay, let’s move it.
STEELER: Flint, it really does matter whether Cobra wins or loses. I see that now, and I want a chance to do something about it. I’m staying here.
GRUNT: Well, count me in too, old buddy. I ain’t letting you hold all the glory.
CLUTCH: Flint, I heard what they did to me, I mean, the other Clutch.
FLINT: And you want to stay too?
CLUTCH: It’ll be a challenge, rebuilding G.I. Joe here.
FLINT: You know, you may never be able to go home.
Episode 1, Part 1:
Episode 1, Part 2:
Episode 2, Part 1:
Episode 2, Part 2:
your dissection is incisive and illuminates the truly eerie nature of the episode. well done.
This was the episode I was waiting to see if it made your list. I can’t recall many episodes. But this one always popped in my mind when I thought of GIJoe. It was almost sad, in a cool heroic sort of way. But just before you start to cry, Bozo came on and would say,”HO HO kids… now for the grand prize game…”
Seriously tho, That was a great call, I’e still got a different number one, I’m waiting to see if you see it the same. Great article!!!!
I watched GIJoe a lot as a kid, but I couldn’t recall anything of substance. I remember two images, and that’s it: Cobra Commander turning into a snake in the movie, and some guy getting bit by a bug.
I couldn’t remember why that moment creeped me out, but it was stuck in my psyche. It’s been one of those things in the back of my mind that would bug me once in a while (like when you can’t remember the name of a song that’s stuck in your head). Now I know why it was seared into my brain–because it was a trippy episode!