I like that idea of hinting at weaknesses before showing it in full in an episode. Even then, I think Tygra’s weakness was at least addressed in like 3 episodes and a little bit differently.
For Panthro it was the same energy bat used twice. He didn’t seem afraid of the giant bat that Snarf rode in “Snarf Takes Up The Challenge”. Maybe it would have been better to have Panthro being afraid of spiders/insects. That would have made things interesting in his interactions with Bushy and with Spidera as well as the Kite Monster and Forest of the Giant Insects.
I don’t recall Cheetara’s weakness (fire, lightning and energy bolts) ever being used effectively in any episode. It was always her Sixth Sense that the writers used to target.
I don’t recall Tygra’s weakness being addressed before or after SJ. As many people have pointed out, he swims well in “Fireballs of Plun-Darr”, even when he lost his bolo whip. The other time I can think of it is in “Turmagar the Tuska” when he falls to the sea and is rescued by Cheetara, but even then it might be more because of the fall than to an impossibility to swim.
I would have liked to have seen a more confident version as well. I believe that if a second season would have been produced we would have seen this as part of his development.
Confidence yes. He didn’t have to be the smartest, strongest, fastest etc but as a leader he definitely should have been more confidant and showed more authority.
I think he was too young in the one season of the 2011 series. Maybe with him being a bit older in the second season it would have helped him be a more experienced leader.
Maybe instead of leaving Pumyra and Tygra behind in Third Earth to look after it (for nothing, because anytime there was a problem in Third Earth, the TCs made all the trip back from New Thundera), the writers could have taken them as well and, you know, use them in some episodes instead of Benagli, the kittens or Cheetara, and if they wanted to, write them off of most of the eps; after all, they did that while all the TCs were in Third Earth anyway, so what would have been the difference? Unless they wanted to prevent fans from complaining about why they were written off so much, so leaving them in Third Earth was an excuse. For example, have Tygra and Pumyra in just 10% (1 or 2) of the New Thundera episodes to keep fans happy, and for the remaining eps they could say they stayed in Cats Lair or were in some recognition/exploring mission, but in New Thundera (with the others). It wasn’t that hard and fans wouldn’t have been left with this team-desintegration feelings (and Pumyra and Tygra fans wouldn’t complain), and also it was a good way to have them in the final episode.
About the leaving the Thundercats behind on Third Earth to look after it. Didn’t the cats think the people of Third Earth were capable of taking care of the planet themselves?
Even more, wy Tygra and Pumyra (I know the real why, not the show why). I mean, these two characters interacted like NEVER during the show. It was the most awkward choice. Better leave the three new TCs, or the Noble ones and take Lion-O and the others to NewThundera so he learnt from there, like someoene has previously said.
ANd even more, why not at least leave them together in the same building to make each other some company? The Tower was destroyed anyway; why rebuilding it? To have some place to leave Tygra and Pumyra alone? And let’s not start talking about maintenance and cleaning work, cooking, etc. Between that and taking care of Third Earth, monitoring screens, and all that, at what time were they supposed to sleep? At least if they stayed together in CatsLair they could have taken turns for mindnight guard.
I’d re-write, or at least add aline or a scene at the end of “Crystal Canyon” where Lion-O and Lynx-O comforts and reinforces Tygra’s self-esteem, and he understands he’s a valuable member of the team (because in the episode he compared himself to Panthro). Kind of all those Snarf-centered episodes.
Just watched “Mongor” again, and while it’s among my favorite episodes, I’d re-write some things.
[ol]
[li]Mongor is a demon of fear, so it0’d have been great if he could read the TC’s (or any of his opponent’s for teh amtter) fears. Like: Panthro is afraid of bats and insects, Tygra maybe afraid of getting drown in water, and Cheetara maybe fire? This would also make a link to “Safari Joe”.[/li][li]Was it my imperssion, or did Mongor got a little bigger eevery time he defeated a TC? I think no (didn’t see it) but the episode’s reviews say he did. This would mean the TCs were afraid of what he could do next, amybe even killing them, and I think the TCs, knowing their business, might not be that afraid of dying (I know everybody is in some degree, but I guess TCs knew that risk comes with the business and have prepared themselves for that… you know, like the Jedi or any other honorable heoric character back in the time).[/li][/ol]
He definitely did grow in size. He (or was it Mumm-Ra?) even says that with each victory he grows. I’m surprised that you didn’t see it because the cartoon actually shows a number of times Mongor actually growing in size. When the Kittens release him he is about their size but by the end, when fighting Lion-O, he is a giant!
I haven’t seen that episode in a while but I thought for sure he was bigger when being defeated than when he was unleashed. I guess I will have to watch again to see if he is shown to incrementally grow after each victory. If I remember his facial features changed a bit also.
As far as dying I don’t know why they wouldn’t fear it or even getting hurt. I mean they are courageous and that supersedes their fear but I always assumed it would be a fear although it is a good point as I don’t have an example. Jaga certainly faced death with courage.
Yes, I remember him growing in size after defeating the kittens, but not after defeating the other TCs (or at least, he didn0’t grew as much as with the kittens, but he did seem giant when confronting Lion-O). Again, that’d be odd too becasue the TCs fight Mumm-Ra and the Mutants all the time, and have faced other threats, so what was in Mongor that scared them that much? In fact, Tygra’s and Panthro’s expressions after being tied to those trees or anchored to the ground was more an expression of anger/frustration rather than fear IMO. That’s what I’d have added to the episode by making Mongor able to “read” their worst fears.
That’s why I said everybody is afraid of dying at some level
For example, in “Fireballs of Plun-Darr”, Tygra did seem scared to death at the idea of being torn apart by the Four Winds, but I think it was in part due to the fact of suffering such a painful death (being desmembered slowly) that of dying itself (whic, again, might scare them as well like eveerybody).
He does grow in size after each victory. With Tygra, it is right after he throws the Bolos back at Tygra and Tygra starts to climb the strings that have wrapped around the trees. With Cheetara it is when he says, “Cute trick ThunderCats, but only a trick!”. With Panthro it is right after Mongor says, “No more light entertainment, ThunderCat”. This is one of my favorite episodes and so I’ve watched it a gazillion times!
Good point, but this is what I think. The Cats have gotten used to Mumm-Ra, though Lion-O was pretty scared when he saw him first in “Unholy Alliance”. Same for the Mutants and the Cats have defeated them both numerous times and know their weaknesses so the “fear factor” is pretty much nil.
On the other hand, we have Mongor, who as it is is pretty damn scary at first sight. Then the fact that none of the ThunderCats’ weapons/skills worked against him make him even more scarier. As for Tygra and Panthro’s expressions, that I think comes down to maybe not a very good job by the animation department.
Now that you say it, I do remember those moments when he gows up in size. I was paying more attention to the end of their battles and the growth doesn’t take place there, but you’re right. Still though, I don’t find it 100% reasonable that they got so frightened in those moments. That kind of portrayed them as wusses LOL
I was just stating it would have been a great episode if Mongor could have used their worst and biggest fears against them, linking it to other episodes like “Safari Joe”. Like I said, Panthro being afraid of bugs and animals, Tygra of water/drowning, Cheetara fire? And Lion-O reviving the destruction of his planet… maybe Third Earth this time? THe kittens seemed pretty scared of many things in several eps, so they could just have made something up for them LOL.
Also, “Dream Master” could have been a good chance for that. Instead of Mumm-Ra only capturing their sleep-selves, take their worst nightmares. Other point for doing this is that “Dream Master” was pretty much alike “Mumm-Ra Berbil”, so going with the nightmares thing could have set those episodes apart and link DM to SJ and Mongor.
