The 10 Worst Episodes Of Courage The Cowardly Dog (According To IMDb)

First airing in 1999 on Cartoon Network, John R. Dilworth’s Courage the Cowardly Dog has since become one of the most popular animated shows the network has ever produced, managing to strike a chord with old and young audiences alike. Dealing with kid-friendly horror in a similar fashion to the popular Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark? series’, each episode of the show forces its titular dog, Courage, to face his crippling fear and go up against a new supernatural threat.

While the majority of Courage the Cowardly Dog’s run was incredibly well-received however, there are just a few episodes that fail to reach the high watermark set by the show in its prime. These are the 10 worst episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog, ranked according to IMDb.

10 “Courage Meets the Mummy/Invisible Muriel” – 7.9

While most episodes of Courage the Cowardly Dog hold an 8 or above on IMDb, “Courage Meets the Mummy” just misses the mark, telling the story of a vengeful Mayan baker who’s summoned by historian Professor Frith.

It’s “Invisible Muriel” that stands of the weaker of the episode’s two stories, however. The episode follows Muriel as she’s unwittingly turned invisible by a mystical gemstone, only for a shady government agency to abduct her – forcing Courage and Eustace to intervene.

9 “Nowhere TV/Mega Muriel the Magnificent” – 7.9

Featuring Le Quack, an avaricious duck who serves as one of the show’s primary antagonists, “Nowhere TV” sees the villain hypnotize Muriel and Eustace through their television, with the ultimate goal of stealing the town’s lottery money.

“Mega Muriel the Magnificent” is no more exciting than its predecessor. In the episode, Courage’s computer achieves sentience after being struck by lightning, and possesses Muriel, performing increasingly dangerous stunts in an effort to prove his unwavering bravery.

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8 “Aqua-Farmer/Food of the Dragon” – 7.8

In an episode that completely ignores Courage the Cowardly Dog’s trademark creepy atmosphere, “Aqua-Farmer” trades in the show’s ordinarily creepy antagonist for a dolphin, who challenges Eustace to a swimming race – with Muriel being the prize.

Meanwhile, “Food of the Dragon” sees the Bagges terrorized by a flightless dragon, who threatens to eat the family if they fail to teach him to fly. Fortunately, the dragon later discovers that he originates from the water, which is why he isn’t able to fly, subsequently releasing Eustace – who he’d previously eaten – from his stomach.

7 “Rumpledkiltskin/House Calls” – 7.8

Echoing the similarly titled fairy tale, “Rumpledkiltskin” sees Muriel kidnapped by a man claiming to be her Uncle Angus, who as it turns out is actually the episode’s titular villain. With the character being voiced by none other than Alan Cumming, Rumpledkiltskin forces Muriel to make 5000 kilts, under threat of being cooked into a pie.

As if that wasn’t strange enough, the antagonist of “House Calls” is the sentient home of Dr. Gerhart, who plans to destroy the Bagges’ farmhouse out of jealousy after Gerhart expresses interest in the property.

6 “Bride of Swamp Monster/Goat Pain” – 7.8

When Muriel loses her locket in a swamp just outside of Nowhere, it’s discovered by the area’s resident swamp-dweller, who proceeds to rampage across the town in search of Muriel, who he thinks is his bride.

“Goat Pain”, on the other hand, sees the Bagge family come up against an angry mountain goat on their way to visit a hot spring – and are tasked with cleaning up the human waste left behind in the area. Neither episode is anything special, making for one of the show’s most thoroughly underwhelming episodes.

5 “Courage the Fly/Katz Kandy” – 7.8

As you might expect, “Courage the Fly” features recurring character Di Lung as he successfully turns the show’s titular dog into a fly. For an episode with such a similar premise to classic horror movie The Fly, however, the story fails to provide any fun homage or wacky, grotesque antics – instead having Courage use his newfound stature to change the trajectory of a crashing satellite.

“Katz Kandy” is similarly disappointing, charting the villainous Katz’s efforts to steal Muriel’s recipe for the upcoming Nowhere Sweet Stuff Contest.

4 “Feast of the Bullfrogs/Tulip’s Worm” – 7.7

In one of the show’s most forgettable episodes, “Feast of the Bullfrogs” sees the Bagge’s farmhouse overrun with vicious bullfrogs, who insist that the family imitate their behavior or face being eaten alive. While the episode has the potential to be fun, the concept loses its luster rather quickly, making it feel one of the show’s more uneventful episodes.

“Tulip’s Worm” is slightly more interesting, as Courage attempts to help two space-dwelling teddy bears return a small worm to space.

3 “Muriel Blows Up/Profiles in Courage” – 7.7

While Courage the Cowardly Dog has concocted a lot of silly premises over its four-season run, “Muriel Blows Up” easily stands as one of its most absurd. The episode focuses on Muriel, who begins to grow uncontrollably after ingesting a mysterious carrot growing in her yard.

Meanwhile, in “Profiles of Courage”, two silhouetted portraits of Eustace and Muriel are brought to life, both of whom proceed to plot the replacement of their human counterparts.

2 “The Chicken from Outer Space” – 7.7

Created as a pilot for Courage the Cowardly Dog, “The Chicken from Outer Space” introduces the show’s primary characters, and pits the family against an evil, extra-terrestrial chicken, who plans on taking over the planet.

While the episode is one of Courage the Cowardly Dog’s lowest-rated episodes on IMDb, “The Chicken from Outer Space” was actually nominated for an Academy Award as a standalone short animation – but ultimately lost out to the Wallace and Gromit short A Close Shave.

1 “The Fog of Courage” – 7.5

Thanks to the enduring popularity of Courage the Cowardly Dog, a one-off computer-animated special was made back in 2014, which its creators shopped around as a potential revival for the series. The episode, titled “The Fog of Courage”, told the story of a vengeful fog-spirit, who haunts the Bagge farmhouse after his amulet is taken by Eustace.

Sadly, the show’s animation lacked the charm and frenetic energy of its predecessor, and a revival of Courage the Cowardly Dog never saw the light of day.

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