The Germ: The G.I. Joe “Pandemic Episode” That Feels Like COVID Trauma in Cartoon Form
Rewatching “The Germ” as an adult in 2026 is a trip, because it lands less like a monster-of-the-week episode and more like a messy, anxious snapshot of everything modern adults associate with outbreaks: lab security, containment failure, misinformation panic, and the fear that you’re one bad decision away from a chain reaction you can’t stop. Originally airing October 23, 1985, “The Germ” is (depending on the guide you follow) Season 1, Episode 38 in the broadcast order. A simple Cobra theft becomes a global “oh no” The setup is classic…
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