Yeah, I enjoyed this episode despite the bad writing. That’s always the case though; I like each episode and think it’s good until the plot holes are pointed out. It did bother me that Lion-O didn’t think to use his grappling claws, and how everyone *****ed at Lion-O for no good reason. The writers just have to make a character an idiot. I can understand that no one is perfect, but they could at least be more consistent.
What makes this episode really fail to live up to the task is the bad writing that could have been easily avoided. We have the rest of the team whining to Lion-O about going up the mountain without even saying why or giving any alternatives. Panthro says they’re vulnerable only after they’re halfway up. And as someone on another forum pointed out, the whole scene where they get ambushed is poorly done, with the Cats not taking enough action and the villains appearing out of nowhere.
I really think Warner Bros. got all the wrong people to write for this show; all of them seem to be men who worked on Batman: The Brave and the Bold. I guess they needed something to do once that series finished. I can let these sort of things slide in a campy show like that, but not for this. It’s it’s all crap that could have been avoided if they just tried a little harder. The concept is good, execution is poor. It’s like they don’t take the time to step back and look and ask “Okay, is this stupid?” And if it is, they decide not to rewrite it. Thank God the art direction and animation are awesome.
On Jaga appearing in the Spirit Stone; I believe that, as a magic user, Jaga is able to manifest himself as a ghost in some places and situation, just not to the extent he could do it in the original series.
My favorite part of the episode was the first trial, because it felt the least stupid. I think that the fake Kit and Kat and Cheetara are meant to be projections of how Lion-O sees them, and how he thinks they see him. So in a way Lion-O is sort of battling himself in these situations. I was really hoping Lion-O was going to lasso the giant bird with his grappling claws like he did to Viragor, but I guess they decided to cut that out so no kids would ask why he didn’t save himself with his gauntlet earlier.
agreed, it is interesting to see how Lion-O will behave when he deals with the next trials. However, It was interesting to see how Panthro called Tygra out on being King now… and it was a good tactic of Tygra to distract the mutants on his own for the Wilykittens to make their move. And why did Cheetara kiss Lion-O during the trials and saying “an alternate way” ? Was that just Lion-O’s own desire playing or is it a hint to what may develop?
Also, do you think it’s possible when Lion-O awakens, would there be a
time skip and he reunites with the team after a 5 or 10 year span? I know this may be proven wrong in next weeks episode, but was his entire body engulfed by the spirit stone? or just his soul?
One of the spirit twins said that they had taken forms that Lion-O was comfortable with, so I’m betting its them as he sees them. Not an actual stream of consciousness from the gang. I doubt she meant for him to find another way to distract her from his brother’s affection. I would hope Lion-O wouldn’t do something like that anyways. I think the moral was the most obvious route is not always the best one. Which could also feed off of the twins trial, look before you leap.
He’ll probably wake up a few minuets after he died. Why do you think it’ll be years?
Now that is an interesting theory, that I really wouldn’t mind seeing played out. Or if not such a long time span, perhaps just a few weeks- let the team really have a chance to miss him.
ahhh I forgot about that part that they were more of what he was used to.
and about the Time span thing I will elaborate…
The thing is, okay he’s dead DEAD. The mutants have the sword as we all know. The cats are after the sword. OKAY… here’s where I am wondering about. Reading the synopsis’s of the upcoming episodes, in trials part 2 he finishes his trials and presumably confronts mumm-ra in his pyramid. But how?
He does not have any prior knowledge of its location, the tank won’t help him completely in pinpointing its location within what? 25 minutes of story? nor does he have the sword and “sight beyond sight” to help him. Unless the spirit stone is also a teleporter? then that would render the scenes of wilykit leaving track marks useless. Unless Mumm-ra seeks him out on his own.
Yet, “Native Son” talks about his discovery with Tygra on the lost tiger village. So…yea. that’s all I got to bring up about this at the moment…
Wily Kit has been leaving markers in the various rocks so he can follow them. I am sure she feels guilty that it might her fault that got pushed off the cliff and compensating by thinking he must still be alive. We already know he will be alive but they didn’t have the chance to check to make sure.
Intresting, i also wonder what will happen with him/the body.
I suppose it’s all some sort of magic cause of the stone. Astral plane maybe? (not all of it got destroyed i hope) Cause what would be the point in reviving him at the same place he first died? Some how i think his whole body and soul is like “trapped” where he is now.
Btw, did lion-o have the spirit stone equipped when he did the trials?
Yeah it was still in the gauntlet during the trials. I find it interesting that throughout the trials he never took the gauntlet off. I wonder if he even can take it off since the stone is keeping him from passing on.
^ my thoughts exactly. This scene, and the one during the second trial where Lion-O sees the bird above, gets an idea, and then suddenly (with no intervening scene) is riding the bird to victory, appears to me like a few storyboards got left on the cutting room floor. The unanswered question of how Lion-O had the gauntlet but somehow couldn’t use the grappling claws to save himself during a very long fall is pretty hard to get around, and it seems like they just gave up on it at some point. He had to have the Spirit Stone for the trials, and he had to die somehow (but not too violently), so I guess the fall-off-the-cliff-and-drown-in-15-feet-of-water spiel was the best compromise. A mite clumsy.
Suspension of disbelief aside, I liked this episode for two reasons. First, I got the impression that the trials are more subtle than meets the eye. Sure they are about Lion-O learning from his teammates…but I think the settings and the avatars in these trials reflect Lion-O’s perceptions about the cats generally, and where he’s lacking something within himself. Kit and Kat are two rapscallions in the slums of Thundera, mocking Lion-O’s inability to know the basics of street survival; and Cheetara is a big tease in a labyrinth that gives him nothing but frustration, because he can’t see the big picture.
Second, I liked Tygra in this episode and his willingness to take a beating to save the rest of the team. Panthro said “You better have a plan” and Tygra focused on the priority at hand and used the kittens’ talents to good effect. I haven’t always liked his character in this series, but this episode finally showed his better side and what he is capable of. It’s nice to see that as a break from the acrimony about who deserves what.
One question/complaint: Is life earned or given? (Sorry if this question should go to The Void). Aw, well. Anyway, the references to the original ThunderCats were refreshing (like the bird scene).
WB should get some females on board to write for ThunderCats, as it’s just guys writing for it. There are females who write fanfics based on the 2011 series. Why not get some of them on board and actually write for the show?
Solid episode this time around IMO. Kaynar and Addicus have been like a breathe of fresh air for the show.
Kaynar pushing Lion-O off the cliff was awesome. I also thought Lion-O was going to use the grappling hooks to save himself and was a bit when he didn’t. They should have written it where Lion-O takes aim to shoot the hooks and at that exact moment Slythe or one of the reptiles gets a lucky shot and shoots / hits him right on the shield throwing off his aim. Had they gone with a scenario like that we wouldn’t be left wondering why he didn’t use the hooks to save himself.
I rather liked the way they setup the trials; that he’s dead and needs to win another shot at life. The first trial was good I thought but the second one not so much. The original trial of speed VS Cheetara in the OS was epic!! In the NS, not so much. Using the bird was a bit too easy I think. I’ve thought about how else he could have done it. Perhaps just jumped over the “dead ends”?
And lastly I really enjoyed Tygra being the leader. There is more thought involved in his decisions and allowing the mutants to beat on him to give the kittens time was ballsy. I am glad they are giving Tygra some time to shine.
I hope most of you know that after these episodes the show it is almost guranteed to focus on Lion O 95% of the time. Especially considering these episodes are basically training him to be a pure leader.Back to the old format with him and Snarf wandering around. Him getting attacked and calling the thundercats.
Also I am glad I now know why he was always yelling Thundercats and emphasising the ho. Even spirits think Cheetara was a tease. Then it could be interpreted that they were telling him he still had a chance. For Cheetara fans they better hoped that is the case. Otherwise she vanishes into obscurity and becomes a nobody with Tygra in the background. For you see Lion O was like captain kirk running into multiple females in the old series.
Well my point is this show is not that really different from the old series. Which makes it highly unoriginal. They mainly changed the personalities of everyone except the kittens. They turned Lion O into a loser. Tygra into a super douche. Cheetara into a smut. Panthro…well I like his change so they get a pass on him. This series sucks aside for the action and the mutant personality upgrades. Also the better animation…but no s*** it’s 2012 the animation is suppose to be better.
My guess is that for this episode they wanted to highlight Lion-O being mopy and a little on edge. And for Cheetara i guess they need to sexualize her for different scenes and soften her for others dependent on which is important to the plot.
LOL. Good luck with that. One of the reasons why I have stopped commenting. I am bored to tears with 20 minutes of action and 2 minutes of dialogue/character development.
MGP
After watching the episode again the other Thundercats kind of seem like dicks at lunch. Yes they’re giving him sound advice, but only after they bully him and take his food. Food that he had already rightfully obtained for himself. I know Lion-O isn’t perfect and can be a dick himself but it just seemed extra cruel. Even if his head wasn’t a mess right now (and Tygra and Cheetarah not only know it is, but they know why too) who would listen to advice given in suck a backhanded and condescending way?
I don’t necessarily agree with that. From the plot synopses that were released it seems like the episode directly after the trials will focus on Tygra, the next on the twins, and the one after that on Pumyra.
I think it was a very good episode. I just watched it and can’t wait for the next one.
About the trials. I don’t think the trials have to be realistic. The trials are not really competitions. The trials are to teach Lion-O a lesson and to make him a better, a great leader. Without the bird Lion-O had lost the race against Cheetara, so the trials are made that Lion-O is able to pass them. I think it’s not so important how he got on the bird; important is that he learned to use alternatives.
Same with the first trial.
I’m quite new in this forum. I became a fan of the new series with the first episode. I love the show and I have to say that the many complaints really start to annoy me. Yeah, sure, everybody has the right to give ones opinion, but I really don’t understand the complaining.
Bad writing when they walk up the mountain??? Are you serious??? Lion-O made a decision and everybody has doubted his decision but followed him. I actually like the scene when they walked up the mountain; it shows the problem/conflicts in the group.
I can understand that fans are not so happy if they characters act not like how they want it or if they don’t like a storyline, but how can you call it bad writing?
We only discuss about an episode one by, we really shouldn’t complain so much, because we don’t know what the storywriters has planned and we don’t see the whole picture.
It came off as incredibly forced that all the Thundercats would all start vocally disagreeing with Lion-O’s decision to go up the mountain. There was no reason whatsoever for anyone to complain about it, the book said go up and so that’s where they had to go. That and the picking on Lion-O scene were just out of character for the Thundercats and existed only to serve the episodes plot of Lion-O needing to learn a lesson.
We only discuss about an episode one by, we really shouldn’t complain so much, because we don’t know what the storywriters has planned and we don’t see the whole picture.
Bad writing is bad writing. I don’t complain about the big picture or overall story arc, it only bothers me when the writing in an episode feels off.
Aw, well. Anyway, the references to the original ThunderCats were refreshing (like the bird scene). 