Best & Worst of Season 4

[Frogster]

Hey gang, while most of us may not have the boxed set, I'm sure there's enough of us who've seen all 96 episodes to weigh in on what they thought of the last 24. Aside from the last three, some of the better episodes, for me, were Sidebottom Blues, Tune For Two, Red's Blue Dragon, Brush With Jealousy, Gone But Not Forgotten, Wonder Mountain, Wembley's Flight, River of Life, Junior Faces The Music, and Ring Around The Rock.

There's not many episodes that I don't enjoy, but the only ones that stick out in my mind that weren't faves are Trial Of Cotterpin Doozer (Feeny and Large Marvin are hilarious, but sometimes the Doozers lack the ability to keep the story interesting), The Voice Inside (Kinda boring and campy), Riddle of Rhyming Rock (Gobo's already had an episode like this, it's called Gobo's School For Explorers) and Mokey Then & Now (kinda feel bad for Mokey getting an episode like this for her last; she should have also gotten Riddle of Rhyming Rock, since she's a poet anyways). What about you guys?

Also, for those of us who don't have the boxed set, how about those of you who do have it mention a bit about what was cool to you that was mentioned in the extras?

 

[Quazimoto]

I actually really loved all of Season 4. If I had to pick one episode I didn't love quite as much as the others it would be The Trial Of Cotterpin Doozer. Like you said, sometimes the more Doozer heavy episodes have a bit of trouble maintaining the flow of the other shows. It wasn't bad by any means as in my opinion, Fraggle Rock never actually put out a bad episode. Just not quite on par with most the others.

And while I loved the episode, I agree that The Riddle Of Rhyming Rock might have been a bit more effective with Mokey as the central character than Gobo.

As far as extras in the box set go...

I really enjoyed the exteneded piece with the Gorg actors. The wrap party was also really awesome, but I do kinda wish they would have included it all in-tact, rather than edited and pieced together, but that's really a very minor gripe. Karen Prell was particularly entertaining in it.

The spot on the evolution of the Fraggle theme song was also wonderful. It was very interesting to hear some early, nixed versions (in snippets) of what could have been the theme.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I saw The Trial of Cotterpin Doozer in one of the smaller DVDs. I don't know, personally I thought the Doozers carried the story well, lol. I think we sometimes have trouble identifying with the Doozers because they're more into group functioning while we (like the Fraggles) are a more individualistic society. In fact I was always impressed at how well the FR writers got this across.

 

[frogboy4]

The doozers have a harder time emoting due to some of the constraints of their puppet size. There are some fantastic moments with them but everything is just so small with them that make it difficult to carry an entire episode.

I do have the box set and have reviewed it on the other thread. I'm just glad to have the episodes. I haven't seen much of season four so I'm hopping right to that first. I remember talking with Karen Prell and feeling bad for not seeing so many of her favorite episodes. Now I have them all. Wooohahaha. I have missed Red. For me some of these episodes are new. That kinda makes me lucky now.

I like any episode that explores new territory or even old territory in a new way. I like the scenery and story to move. It's the seemingly more stagnant episodes that cause my attention to wander. Some old timers around here know the one character that I don't particularly care for when the show focuses on them. I will never repeat or admit which one. I do admit my great affection for Boober. I always want to give him a hug. I'd de-germ first!

 

[Yva Minstrel]

I guess I didn't like the Trial of Cotterpin Doozer very much because I have never been a big fan of Large Marvin. I always thought that if they were going to use a fraggle to interact with Cotterpin, that it would be Mokey, since the others all had episdoes with Cotterpin. Gobo has 'The Cavern of Lost Dreams', Red has 'Red's Club' and 'All Work and All Play', Boober has 'Boober and the Glob' and Wembley has 'A Tune for Two' (which is perhaps one of my favorite episodes from season 4). I just thought that an episode with Mokey and Cotterpin would have been nice, but maybe too 'obvious about fraggles not being just for playing.

At any rate, I felt that that episode lacked something because Feeny and Large Marvin are too silly in it and I am not a fan of those two characters. Large Marvin also reminds me too much of my brother...in both name and stature.

I loved the final episode, though, but never got to see 'Sidebottom Blues' as it is not on any of my DVDs.

The other episode I didn't like so much was 'Red's Blue Dragon'. It was a cute idea, but Red already had an episode with a Sea Monster and no one believing her, so this was one of those 'I've already seen this plot' things.

Otherwise the season was quite good. I liked where it went.

 

[Redsonga]

I actually sort of like Trial of Cotterpin Doozer..Not for the Doozers (because I am not a doozer fan, at all really) but for the focus on Feeny and Large Marvin...I don't see them as silly at all, in fact I would say they hold up the name of somewhat learning disablied fraggles very well in a sweet way...
And I am a big fan of Red's Blue Dragon, I think that Red has a habit of bumping into magical things and that is cool in itself, plus seeing more of the worlds around fraggle rock is always good...
Really, there is no episode I truly dislike .
I don't really see stories being sort of kind of like such and such story as being a draw back since the characters sort of by nature get themselves in the same sort of messes just by being themselves

I think Mokey Then & Now was a great last episode for Mokey really...After all, what artist wouldn't want to know that deep down the motto of their whole culture in some way made/effected by them? I know I would!

 

[CensoredAlso]

I like Feeny and Large Marvin in that episode; sometimes shows need a shake up where lesser characters take the reigns for a day. And their journey from being kind of slow to being loyally dedicated to helping Cotterpin was very sweet.

I've been desperately trying to avoid watching Gone, But Not Forgotten until I get the DVD, hopefully I'll make it, lol.

 

[Drtooth]

I like Feeny and Large Marvin in that episode; sometimes shows need a shake up where lesser characters take the reigns for a day. And their journey from being kind of slow to being loyally dedicated to helping Cotterpin was very sweet.

Oh yeah... I really do love that one myself, just for those 2. I have it on the Doin' things Doozers Do DVD...

I just love how ridiculously ceremonious the Doozers come off as in that one. I mean, would you want to go to court, about to be banished or punished severely and have them sing a rousing upbeat tune just before they sentence you? The fact that the only time they really seem to cut loose is when they uphold how rigid they are.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Oh yes, say what you will but the Doozers always have very cool songs (or is that Rev? ).

"Yes we do, yes we do!"

And you're right, they're at their most passionate when talking about how strict and solid their society is.

 

[RedPiggy]

Well, I don't have the boxset. However...

The Riddle of Rhyming Rock was probably the most forgettable. I'd tell you why,

...

but I forgot.

Red's Blue Dragon, while covering the same basic territory as Sea Monster, added some fleshing out to a fairy tale/legend previously mentioned in A Cave of One's Own AND gave Red some empathy and respect for Matt. Readers of my fics know I LOVE expounding upon Fraggle legends.

Boober Gorg is interesting just because although Sidebottom isn't mentioned in it, I can't help but feel he took over when Boober got bonked.

Sidebottom Blues was a nice progression for Sidebottom. We go from an arrogant playful jerk who's willing to freeze his new Fraggle friends in their dreams to a guy who is really upset that Wembley is in danger.

Ring Around the Rock touched me. Ma never really seemed to get her own episode much. I had always suspected she felt lonely, but this ep really drove it home.
EDIT: I'm an idiot ... I'm thinking of Mirror, Mirror. But Ring really DID touch me dearly. I would have loved to attend that remarriage ceremony.

Despite my mild dislike of Trial of Cotterpin Doozer, I actually did like Large Marvin and Feeny in it. I like when underdogs can be heroes for a day.

Mokey Then & Now: fanfic fodder for me

I cheered when the Fraggles let Cotterpin sing in Tune for Two. Stick it to the man, er, Fraggle, Cotterpin!

River of Life was great. Pa learns of Silly Creatures and threatens to attack them (I'd LOVE to watch THAT). Boober has some really great scenes. This, to me, is Boober's The Day the Music Died.

Brush with Jealousy I actually didn't care for that much. Seemed like a replay of at least Mokey's Funeral, where she gets upset that others aren't basically kissing her tail. Selfish twit.... (j/k)

Junior Faces the Music WOULD have been superb, had the writers not done a HUGE 180 on the message of that ENTIRE episode in The Gorg Who Would Be King. This episode, as well as the entire series, made The Gorg Who Would Be King seem like Obi Wan's little pep talk on Mustafar where he's been all "Jedi=Good, Sith=Bad" until he faces Anakin, and then it's all "Absolutes are bad". Huh?