What is G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero? Preppies of the Apocalypse put it best in her review of the episode of “The Gamesmaster”:

“Usually at this point in one of these analyses, I’d take a bit of a detour to give everyone some background info about the show, maybe a broad overview of the plot, perhaps a quick rundown of the primary characters. I’m not going to bother with that this time, because… look, it’s a cartoon designed to sell action figures to small children. There are no subtle plot nuances that are going to be too tricky for G.I. Joe novices to follow. Here’s all you need to know: The bad guys are the members of the terrorist organization Cobra, led by the power-mad yet totally incompetent Cobra Commander, and the good guys are the Joes, members of an elite military organization dedicated to taking down Cobra. It has a huge cast of surprisingly well-developed characters (more characters = more action figures), and while jingoistic American exceptionalism always makes me a little queasy, particularly when packaged as entertainment for kids, the show is a hoot.”

Before I go on, some links:

Knowing is Half the Podcast (newer episodes)

Knowing is Half the Podcast (older episode archive)

Preppies of the Apocalypse: "Skeletons in the Closet" Episode Review

The 10 Most Bizarre G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero Episodes

G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero: The Five Most Insane Episodes