The Ren and Stimpy Show

[RD Rockruff]

This show is one I hold slightly mixed feelings on, as while it started off really good, its later seasons were iffy at best and utterly horrible at worst. If I had to rank out the seasons, then I'd say:

Season 2 (has some of the best-known episodes and is just really good all around) > Season 1 (despite some lame episodes here and there, it kicked off the show rather well) > Season 3 (was off to a strong start, got weaker later on) > Season 5 (sometimes it could pull it off, other times it just did not deliver) > Season 4 (the longest, the most boring and has the absolute worst episodes)

[theguysthom]

I'd say Season 4 was kinda bad, but the rest I really enjoyed. Keep in mind, as much as I am a Spongebob fan, I'm just as much an R&S fan. lol

[4EverGreen]

I just want to say that even the WORST, of "Ren and Stimpy", is STILL better than 99% of "Teen Titans Go!" (The one percent would be the episodes "Nean;" and "Laundry Day" which are at least HALFWAY decent). Also, if "Ren and Stimpy" got a re-boot treatment similar to "Ducktales", it would be SUCH a great show!  Enough said! 

[Klu]

Okay, I wanted to post my full thoughts on, no doubt, worst part of original show - seasons 4 and 5, when I will finish season 5, but I saw episode SO bad, so miserably effortless in almost EVERYTHING, that I had to step in and write review about.

Episode in question? No, it's not "Dog's Life" or even "Magical Golden Singing Dancing Fucking Cheeses" nonsense. This episode is fairly rarely talked about or brought up as example of awful R&S episodes.

This is 

When do I even start with this abomination? Like, I really don't know. This episode has so many problems, it's hard to choose from which one should I start.

Perhaps, I will pick the easiest target - animation. This episode's animation is awful. AWFUL. And this is the easiest part to dissect, since I don't even NEED to do any explaining. I will just use screenshot as an examples.

Animation looks even worse in motion, where certain scenes lack any movement at all or it's like they missing frames. But if only animation was godawful, I could've forgive this episode, really. But this episode's main problem is the script. Script is awful. 
Premise itself is hella cliched. Old Ren's friend comes over to visit, only to find out that Ren became much more domesticated and, what a shocker, friends with the cat! Of course, he is shocked and tries to make him more "wild" again like in good ol' days. Like torturing cats (in this case, Stimpy), chasing the cars or playing with poker, parodying that dog painting everyone knows about. Only episode decided to switch this plot half-away through to make this Ren's friend to reveal, that Ren was a loser in school! And he is totally uncool and he doesn't want to hang out with him anymore.

wait

what

this makes no goddamn sense

He came to him over, right? That means that he liked Ren's company, right? What in the actual tarnation? LATER, FOR SOME REASON, Stimpy becomes a jerk too and laughs at Ren's past self. what... Is it commeaupunce for Ren's actions earlier? But... But... BUT?!?!?! It gets better! This dog-friend of Ren's (I don't remember his name and I don't want to look it up.) becomes friends with STIMPY. And at this point, I fucking lost it.

There's no comedy.

There's no sense of coherency or continuity between scenes, acts, plot-points, ANYTHING.

There's awful characterization of everybody, from Ren to Stimpy, to whatever this new dog character supposed to be.

Animation is so trash-tier, it makes "Dog's Life" animation look good.

This was painful. It really was. It was frustrating too. And really disappointing. I expected this kind of trash in s4, but season 5 was doing pretty fine so far, having even one of the best Games era episodes ever (Ren's Brain), but alas, this piece of garbage just ruined everything and brought this season down a lot. Ironically, I wasn't even expecting anything, I barely HEARD anyone talking about this episode. But it turned out much worse than any infamous episode in this show. Irony at it's finest.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Genndy Klurtakovski

[Klu]

Okay, I finally finished watching the whole show, mainly, the worst part of Ren and Stimpy - s4-5. What I can say about those seasons? 

Well...

Season 4:

Hermit Ren - 8/10 - Great special, with some iffy visuals. I really enjoyed how they explored Ren's character here and this out-there atmosphere in cave.  Also the last good special in the series.

House of Next Tuesday - 7/10 - Some gags fell flat, but overall it was pretty good.

 A Friend in Your Face - 5/10 - it was too mediocre and weird for my tastes.

Blazing Entrails  - 8/10 - Great animation, comedy and interesting spin on "Fantastic Voyage" type of plot is make this episode an insant winner in my book. What brings it down is iffy beginning with Stimpy literally falling apart. 

Lumber-Jerks - 6/10 - It just exists, but ending was pretty funny.

Prehistoric Stimpy - 3/10 - Two word: Wilbur Cobb.

Farm Hands - 5/10 - Has some funny moments, but animation is iffy and it mostly boring.

Magical Golden Singing Cheeses - :depressed luigi:/10

 A Hard Days Luck - 2/10 - It was really boring.

I Love Chicken - 7/10 - "To love a Patty" done right.

Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman - 8/10 - Hot take, but I like this episode more than original PTM episode. Fun superhero parody, with little to no Ren and Stimpy in sight.

It’s a Dog’s Life - :depressed luigi:/10

 Eggyolkeo - 2/10 - eh? It exists?

Double Header - 7/10 - Gross-out and iffy Ren's characterization in the beginning bring down otherwise pretty funny episode.

The Scotsman in Space - 6/10 - I kinda like it and kinda don't at the same time. Weird feeling.

Pixie King - 7/10 - Finally, good fairy-tale style episode. It wasn't exceptional, but enjoyable.

 Aloha Hoek - :depressed luigi:/10

Insomniac Ren - 7/10 - Relatable premise and fun execution + cameo of fan-favorite secondary characters.

My Shiny Friend - 8/10 - Relatable premise that builds upon on one of Stimpy's main flaws and explores it in a great manner.

Cheese Rush Days - 1/10 - It's awful, but kind of harmless and ironically can be enjoyable.

Wiener Barons - 2/10 - It's just boring and useless.

Galoot Wranglers  - :depressed luigi:/10

Ren Needs Help - 2/10 - After suicide scene this episode got boring and unremarkable.

Superstitious Stimpy - 8/10 - Dare I say it, funniest episode in the season. Main problem with "Games" era episode is that they take relatively interesting concept and don't do enough with it for episode to be enjoyable. This episode, on other hand, explored every comedic possibility with such concept.

Travelogue - :depressed luigi:/10

Season 5:

Ol’ Blue Nose - 7/10 - Pure style over substance, but I love it for that, I'm sucker for jazz music. 

Stupid Sidekick Union - 5/10 - Terrible Stimpy's characterization, but I like how meta this episode is and some of gags.

Space Dogged - 8/10 - Great way to make fun of infamous space race between USA and Soviet Union.

Feud for Sale - 7/10 - Salesman is hella charismatic character and he is what makes this episode.

Hair of the Cat - 2/10 - Gross-out and dead air.

City Hicks - This episode is Old Man Patrick quality.

Stimpy’s Pet - 8/10 - Pretty overlooked episode, in my opinion. It has great animation and comedy, with some really great lines here and there.

Ren’s Brain - 9/10 - I was shocked upon first watch, this episode was THAT good in my opinion. It's ending is what cemented it as my favorite episode across season 4-5.

Bell Hops - 8/10 - Episode feels like a classic-cartoon with strong comedy and sense of suspense. 

Dog Tags - 5/10 - It's alright, I guess? Not much to say about it besides the fact that it has really sweet ending.

I Was a Teenage Stimpy - 8/10 - Only "Games" era episode that uses gross-out gags properly.

Who’s Stupid Now? - 5/10 - This episode was first I ever saw in this show. When I was a kid, it fucked me up pretty badly. Now, it's just episode with good idea, but heavily flawed execution with many plot holes and almost nonexistent comedy.

School Mates - 10 :depressed luigis: out of 10. - This is absolute bottom of the series and I will stand by that.

Dinner Party - 6/10 - It was just alright.

Pen Pals - 6/10 - ...to be honest, it's really forgettable, typing this I was wondering for a second "did I even watched it?". But overall it was just alright.

Big Flakes - 8/10 - Fun episode with some psychodrama elements that barely present after Spumco seasons.

Terminal Stimpy - 8/10 - Despite depressing subject matter, this episode tackled it in very tasteful and lighthearted manner. Probably the last good episode in the series and it's kinda fitting.

Reverend Jack Cheese - It's too weird for me to rate it. It's basically big inside-joke about how John K is scumbag and terrible boss.

A Scooter for Yaksmas - :depressed luigi:/10

Sammy and Me - :depressed luigi:/10

The Last Temptation of Ren - 3/10 - Really underwhelming last episode that finishes the show on really sour and unpleasant note. 

Overall, season 4 was pretty bad and season 5 was REALLY mixed, but I think that good stuff that those seasons have to offer are good enough to be enjoyable for people that liked goodies of first three seasons (though I think I got some hot takes here and there).

[Honest Slug]

I guess I can give my opinions too. I'll use general word rankings instead of scores since I don't remember the episodes well enough to determine what was a 7 vs 8 and etc. If some opinions seem weird it might be because of that.

Season 1
Big House Blues - Good (Kinda season 2 but whatever)
Stimpy's Big Day - Good
The Big Shot - Good
Robin Hoek - Good
Nurse Stimpy - Good
Space Madness - Great
The Boy Who Cried Rat - Good
The Littlest Giant - Bad
Fire Dogs - Good
Marooned - Okay
Untamed World - Good
Black Hole - Good
Stimpy's Invention - Great

Season 2
In the Army - Great
Powdered Toast Man - Good
Ren's Toothache - Meh
Out West - Good
Rubber Nipple Salesman - Great
Sven Hoek - Great
Haunted House - Good
Mad Dog Hoek - Great
Big Baby Scam - Good
Dog Show - Good
Son of Stimpy - Great
Monkey See, Monkey Don't - Good
Fake Dad - Great
The Great Outdoors - Great
The Cat that Laid the Golden Hairball - Okay
Stimpy's Fanclub - Great
A Visit to Anthony's - Good
Royal Canadian Kilted Yaksmen - Great
Man's Best Friend - Great

Season 3
To Salve and Salve Not - Great
A Yard Too Far - Great
Circus Midgets - Okay
No Pants Today - Good
Ren's Pecs - Good
An Abe Divided - Great
Stimpy's Cartoon Show - Great
Jimminy Lummox - Good
Bass Masters - Good
Road Apples - Meh
Ren's Retirement - Bad
Jerry the Bellybutton Elf - Bad
Hard Times for Haggis - Good
Eat My Cookies - Meh
Ren's Bitter Half - Great
Lair of the Lummox - Bad

Season 4
Hermit Ren - Good
House of Next Tuesday - Good
A Friend in Your Face - Awful
Blazing Entrails - Good
Lumber Jerks - Meh
Prehistoric Stimpy - Bad
Farm Hands - Awful
Magical Golden Singing Cheeses - Awful
A Hard Day's Luck - Okay
I Love Chicken - Good
Powdered Toast Man vs. Waffle Woman - Good
It's a Dog's Life - Awful
Egg Yolkeo - Awful
Double Header - Good
The Scotsman in Space - Bad
Pixie King - Okay
Aloha Hoek - Awful
Insomniac Ren - Okay
My Shiny Friend - Good
Cheese Rush Days - Awful
Wiener Barons - Bad
Galoot Wranglers - Awful
Ren Needs Help - Bad
Superstitious Stimpy - Good
Travelogue - Awful

Season 5
Ol Blue Nose - Okay
Stupid Sidekick Union - Bad
Space Dogged - Good
Feud for Sale - Good
Hair of the Cat - Awful
City Hicks - Bad
Stimpy's Pet - Good
Ren's Brain - Okay
Bellhops - Good
Dog Tags - Okay
I Was a Teenage Stimpy - Great
Who's Stupid Now? - Meh
School Mates - Awful
Dinner Party - Meh
Big Flakes - Good
Pen Pals - Bad
Terminal Stimpy - Good
Reverend Jack - Okay
A Scooter for Yaksmas - Awful
Sammy and Me - Awful
The Last Temptation - Awful

Top 5
1. Stimpy's Fan Club
2. Space Madness
3. Fake Dad
4. Rubber Nipple Salesman
5. To Salve and Salve Not

Bottom 5
1. It's a Dog's Life
2. Travelogue
3. The Last Temptation
4. Aloha Hoek
5. Sammy and Me