Cartoon Network is a channel that is and was in high-demand for viewers who were kids in the 1990s and 2000s, and since then, it’s still remained a great cartoon channel. Still, there’s nothing quite like the throwback shows such as Johnny Bravo, Powerpuff Girls, and, of course, Dexter’s Laboratory. Sure, there’s some good show from the 2010s that are from Cartoon Network, but there’s something about the classics that need to be revisited.
It has been 18 years since the very last episode of Dexter’s Laboratory was released on Cartoon Network, so what better to commemorate the show than to relive the best of the best episodes? Be warned, there’s extreme nostalgia below!
Dexter Dodgeball/Dial M For Monkey: Rasslor/Dexter’s Assistant (7.7)
“Dexter Dodgeball” is the first part of the episode and is centered on Dexter sticking up for himself, in front of three bullies. Since he’s a genius, he builds himself a machine to exact revenge on them all.
In “Dial M for Monkey: Rasslor,” several superheroes wrestle an intergalactic alien wrestler from a comic from the 1980s. Rasslor travels to each world to challenge those around him, but this time, Earth is on the line, and it’s up to the superheroes to end this reign of glory. Lastly, “Dexter’s Assistant” is all about Dexter winning a science fair. Because he’s low on time, he realizes Dee Dee could be of use and decides to make her his assistant.
Filet Of Soul/Golden Diskette (7.7)
In “Filet of Soul,” the family fish is over-worked, and as a result, Fishy the Fish ends up dying, but Dexter and Dee Dee won’t give him a “proper” burial. Instead of staying dead, Fishy arises from the grave and starts to haunt its former owners.
The second half of the episode is about an eccentric professor that opens up a contest to search for a special diskette in his factory. Dee Dee wins the contest and is convinced by Dexter to bring him along. Since Dee Dee doesn’t do well with shiny things, she ends up destroying the professor’s place.
Star-Spangled Sidekicks/The Justice Friends: TV Super Pals/Game Over (7.7)
Dexter and Dee Dee both enjoy Major Glory, a superhero on a TV show. Major Glory is looking for a “sidekick” and will be holding a competition in town. Major Glory chooses Dee Dee the “Diva Dynamite,” but the episode’s villain, Doctor Diablos, busts in to ruin everything. In the end, Dee Dee is still crowned as his sidekick, but Dee Dee chooses to go home with Dexter instead.
“The Justice Friends” make various appearances throughout the series, but they’re not to be confused with Cartoon Network’s Justice League, in this episode, the superheroes realize their favorite shows are being broadcast at the same time. They battle it out to see who will get to watch their show, and in the end, Krunk gets his way and the other two put on a puppet show for him, because the television broke. Finally, “Game Over,” tells the tale of Dexter receiving a video game from his father but ends up getting pulled into the game himself.
Dexter’s Rival/The Justice Friends: Bee Where?/Mandarker (7.7)
Dexter wants to be the center of attention for his creations, but when a new kid named Mandark shows up in “Dexter’s Rival,” things take a turn. Dexter realizes for the first time that he’s not the only kid his age who is a brainiac and has a cool laboratory. “The Justice Friends” are superheroes throughout the series, but when it comes to insects, they are terrified. In “The Justice Friends: Bee Where?” they encounter a bee in their apartment and will do anything for it to go away.
In “Mandarker,” things get a little dark. Dee Dee and Dexter are responsible for the destruction of Mandark’s lab, but Mandark will not lose in the science fair. Instead, he turns to a magic book to wow the judges, which results in bringing a terrible monster out of a dimensional portal.
Unfortunate Cookie/The Muffin King (7.8)
In “Unfortunate Cookie,” Dee Dee tricks Dexter into inserting his finger into a Chinese finger puzzle, which results in Dee and Dexter going on a journey to find a solution. Along the way, they find themselves bickering at one another to no end. In the end, a local Chinatown shop owner finally releases them from their torment.
In “Muffin King,” Dad is obsessed with their Mom’s muffing-baking skills. Dexter and Dee Dee are tasked to guard the muffins so their Dad won’t eat them all. This sends their Dad into a downward spiral as he becomes obsessed with the idea of eating the muffins.
Beard To Be Feared/Quackor The Fowl/Ant Pants (7.8)
In “Beard to be Feared,” Dexter wants to become more “rugged.” To do so, he realizes he must grow a beard. Because he’s a child, he uses a gadget called “The Beard-A-Tron” to help him with this issue.
“Quackor The Fowl” involves show-and-tell and lab animals that Dexter and his nemesis Mandark have created. When the two animals meet, Quackor and Monkey, they get involved in an all-out brawl for domination. In “Ant Pants,” Dexter turns himself and Dee Dee into ants, and visit a colony. When they return to their own home, it’s Dexter who dislikes ants now, and Dee Dee sees how truly great they are.
Dollhouse Drama/The Justice Friends: Krunk’s Date/The Big Cheese (7.8)
“Dollhouse Drama” centers around Dexter spying on Dee Dee and realizing she has a dollhouse in her room. Because of a shrink ray gadget, he finds himself in the actual dollhouse and starts to believe his new life is real.
In the next part of the episode, Krunk from The Justice Friends finds himself taken back by She-Thing, who looks and acts a lot like him. Krunk reads She-Thing a poem, and they fall madly in love. Finally, “The Big Cheese” is about Dexter and a new-found word he’s learned. He uses a new gadget, but realizes it has malfunctioned and the only word he can say is, “Omelette du Fromage.”
Snowdown/Figure Not Included/Mock 5 (7.8)
It’s winter and Dee Dee is torturing Dexter with snowballs. He tries to hide in various spots around the yard to get inside, but to no avail, Dee Dee finds him. Dad is a snowball champion and wants to pass on his skills to Dexter. When Dexter gets the hang of things, he defends himself from Dee Dee, and the whole family gets in on it.
Dexter makes his own Major Glory action figure, but when the neighborhood kids realize they are faux action figures, things get a little sticky for Dexter. In “Mock 5,” Dexter enters a soapbox derby competition but his Dad doesn’t want him to due to Dee Dee crashed and “died” in a race, but he does it anyway. In Dee Dee’s honor, Dexter hopes to be the winner of the derby and prove once and for all he’s superior to Mandark.
Dexter’s Rival/Dial M For Monkey: Simion/Old Man Dexter (8.0)
A new kid named Mandark proves to be just as smart as Dexter, which intimidates him. What’s even worse is that Mandark quickly takes on the title of “the smartest kid in school,” which doesn’t sit well with Dexter. “Dial M For Monkey” is about Monkey saving the planet from an angry monkey named Simion. He plans to seek vengeance on those who wronged him on Earth. Monkey gives Simion a banana to change his mind.
Dexter wants to stay up late to watch movies, so he uses an invention to age himself. The machine ends up turning Dexter into a 90-year-old man, but Dexter is able to undo his mistake and turned himself into a boy again.
Last But Not Beast (8.2)
Finally, the highest-rated episode in the entire series is fittingly called, “Last But Not Beast.” Dexter is a foreign exchange student in Japan and while living there, he releases a giant monster. With help from friends and family, they battle to save Japan.
This episode reveals Monkey’s secret identity and Dexter’s secret lab. In the end, the only person who knows what happened in the episode is Dee Dee.
