ThunderCats Rewatch Episode 5-6 Discussion

Cartoons ThunderCats (2011)
1

[CENTER][SIZE=6]Episode 5-6: Old Friends, Journey to the Tower of Omens[/SIZE]
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Thundercats_logo_2011.png[/CENTER]

After being saved from Panthro The ThunderCats accompany him to Cloud Peak Mine to search for Thundrilium for the Thundertank. Along the way, Panthro and Grune’s past is explored, from their first encounter to the reason behind Grune’s betrayal. The ThunderCats then continue their quest for the Book of Omens, which leads them to the fabled Tower of Omens. However, they will first have to get past a series of deadly traps in order to reach it. Meanwhile, Mumm-Ra grows tired of waiting and forces Jaga to reveal the Book’s location, and plans to go there himself to take it at all costs

Heya everyone!

A new week and a new set of episodes to watch. Last week was a pair of not so good ones that are very “filler” heavy and it seemed to be that all of us did not like them so much. Be it because it was a bad follow up to the pilot, just the general idea of it or something else.

This week we’ve got some more story driven episodes coming up and i hope the discussion is going to grow with it.

Enjoy!

A few things to remember:

[COLOR=rgb(0, 128, 255)]Spoilers about future episodes are not allowed. In the discussion threads we talk about what we’ve seen up until that point in time.

[COLOR=rgb(0, 0, 0)]Just a friendly reminder to everyone that, whilst fans are obviously welcome to passionately discuss and give their views on these episodes, please remember to keep things on a friendly footing and respect your fellow posters.

[COLOR=rgb(255, 77, 77)]Also, please do not post where or how to find the full episode online. And do not post asking others to PM it to you. You are however allowed to watch the show in whatever manner you want.

2

Episode 5 was quite enjoyable. It was written by Tab Murphy. This episode had a lot of action and a lot of flashbacks with Panthro and Grune.
Before I go any further I must say that Grune and Panthro discovering Mumm-Ta on their quest for the Book of Omens would have been a far better, more interesting and exciting opening to the pilot instead of Lion-O buying mystical tech.
I don’t have a lot to say on this episode other than it was without a doubt the best in the series so far.

Episode 6, also written by Tab Murphy, is quite good…if a little odd. The odd thing is it’s placing in the series. Like the whole concept is of the show is them going on a quest for the Book of Omens. Yet here we are 6 episodes in and they have found the Tower of Omens and the Book of Omens.

1 Like
3

Well, yes, good to be back on the main plot-line again.

Old Friends, exploring the Panthro-Grune relationship, and also Panthro’s initial mistrust and eventual acceptance of Lion-O as leader, is interesting. The ideas are good, but it could have been done a little better. There’s a few too many flashbacks and not that much really happening in the here-and-now. Although it does have some amusing moments, mainly from Panthro. We get our first proper look at the Thundertank, and while it looks sleeker (which is kind of apt for cats!), it doesn’t look as powerful as the original version. I don’t have a problem with thundrillium being pink here instead of gold, it’s not an important detail. Interesting to see the Driller make an appearance - and does anyone else think he looks like a Transformer in this incarnation?

Journey To The Tower Of Omens was the first episode where I really started to think this show might have something the first time round. I remember well, I showed my best friend Andrew what episodes I had when he came over to watch it in 2011, and that was everything up to and including Old Friends - he was hooked from the get-go, I had been a little wary, but a few days later I saw this episode, and wow.

Firstly, this is how you do a flashback sequence! Mumm-Ra’s original overlordship and how he got the stone that became known as the Eye of Thundera . . . helped by the cats! Captain Tygus his chief pilot is the first shocker, and then we see Leo for the first time, as Mumm-Ra’s right-hand man (or cat rather). It raises so many questions!

The plot is perhaps a little basic, but it works well, with each Thundercat being suited to defeat a particular challenge. It reminds me a bit of the first episode of Visionaries when they were questing for magic at Merklynn’s shrine. And indeed, the challenge that Cheetara conquers here is very similar to the one Witterquick overcame in Visionaries! It’s nice that even Snarf here has a contribution, he’s eating some fruit, and accidentally discovers it - maybe not as active a contribution as the Kittens picking the lock, say, but in a way the most important one, because without Snarf, they might never have stumbled on the place.

As for the finale, we get our first proper look at Mumm-Ra’s transformation sequence. They’re trying to make it bigger and more impressive than the original version but it doesn’t quite succeed. It’s OK, but I still prefer the original. Still, he’s showing what a badass villain he is, the cats are no match for him here, and it’s only thanks to Jaga’s sacrifice that he is defeated. With his last ounce of strength, Jaga releases the book . . . only for them to discover that it’s blank! There’s more to this than meets the eye!

The whole point about them finding the tower and the book so soon is that it’s only the first step on a larger quest!

2 Likes
4

He does indeed look like a Transformer. He reminds me of Cyclonus. Having said that, the original Driller looked a bit like a Transformers also. His face especially. I preferred how the older driller looked. He looked more sentient like the original transformers but the newer driller is pretty characterless and just an obedient robot.

5

Good episode, I really enjoyed it.

6

What made you enjoy them?

(I will post my thoughts tomorow, been very busy).

7

I noticed in these two episodes, Tygra and Cheetara do and say very little.

8

So first of. Old friends is a very flashback oriented episode and it feels like the episode itself has a hard time to figure out what it wants to be.

On one hand the episode is about Grune and Panthro as we see a lot and i mean A LOT of flashbacks, way too much. The episode is going back more so than it moves forward which is quite annoying. In the present we have a Lion-O that has to prove himself to Panthro and quite frankly i think this is what the episode should have been about. The reason Panthro finally acknowledges Lion-O as a king is because he drew the Sword of omens and had a quick fight with the driller (which was not very impressive anyway).

I just felt like everything fell short in this episode.I liked the flashbacks in the sense that, it was fun to see more of Thunderas history and i can’t wait to see more, but i don’t feel like it had it’s place here. It should have been saved for a later episode and dedicate a whole 22 min to it.Overall it feels like we again got a very “fillery” episode. There was almost no progress made to the story, and what is that now, 3 episodes?

A small annoyance but i also think the samoflange joke fell short. It was fine doing one mention of it when Lion-O stands on it or what ever, but Tygra asking what it was? I know it’s for the fans only but other people just goes “wtf?” on this. Once was enough.

Then we come to the next episode "Journey to the Tower of Omens" and what happens? MORE FLASHBACKS! Don’t get me wrong i DO LIKE THEM, but my problem is that it happens so frequently and randomly when it’s not needed. When characters talk about something or a new character shows itself we don’t need a 5-10 min flashback to explain things. Sometimes it’s better to NOT know how everything is connected. Now the flashbacks are there for a reason and i suppose we will see more of it in the future as to why.

And that’s the problem with these two episodes. While the flashbacks are good i think they take away from the overall experience as there is almost nothing happening with the main story itself. This might sound harsh but i’d almost rather have a show only dedicated to the flashback(series) because it actually feels a lot more fleshed out. I know it’s nothing like the good old Thundercats we know and love but.. God damn this is getting ridiculous.

When it comes to the Tower of Omens i think this also should have been expended upon better. While i did not like the useage of the flashbacks i think they should have put more thought into the tower itself. At least i think the Thundercats should be able to walk into the tower without problems as it’s their own book. Now, i understand why the tower is what it is but in the flashback we get, they mention that it’s so powerful that other races want it and what we see is only the lizards trying to get it. Either they should have just put more animals trying to get it or show is that there has been other “evil” thundercats who has tried to steal it too for power which is a reason why not Thundercats can walk freely into the tower. The tower itself was also very underwhelming as there was just nothing interesting going in there. It’s the good old standard things that we’ve seen for years in Indiana Jones or other similar movies, tv-shows or games. Also with Lion-o and company progressing with luck is something i don’t like either (Talking about when Panthro was “drowning” and found the right way).

The fight with Mumm-ra was a little underwhelming but overall i still liked it. His transformation here is a little boring but I’m confident that we will see a better one later. What’s good about this battle is that everyone contributed, except the little kittens but they are not like they were in the original anyway so not much to complain about. The book being blank was very obvious but still a nice ending to the episode.

All in all i think these episodes are just fine. I don’t like how they used flashbacks but i still understand why. They have a episode limit and it’s hard to to exactly like you want. You need world building episodes, flashback, character driven episodes and the such, but i still think thye could have done it in another better way.

1 Like
9

Good oint on all the flashbacks.

10

Yeah it really is way too much. Like i mentioned i assume they did not have much of a choice considering the length of the season, but then again, I’m certain they could have made it a lot better. Instead of cutting it up so much just give us a flashback centered episode then. Have Panthro and Grune talk about their past so we as viewers be all like “oh.. THye have history..” and not show us anything until later.

11

First point I made above was that “There’s a few too many flashbacks and not that much really happening in the here-and-now.” Granted, some of that story had to be told in flashback, but they could have cut those bits a little shorter. It’s Panthro’s first proper episode, and it’s right that his integration into the team, and especially his acceptance of Lion-O as leader, be the focal point. But that aspect of the story is just a little too generic. Probably because they didn’t focus as much attention to it as they should have.

Ironically, the most important bit of the flashback, Grune’s betrayal of Panthro and allegiance with Mumm-Ra, while it’s the most interesting bit of the flashbacks, occurs at just the wrong time, because it slows down the episode. Just when the action is about to start, when Panthro and Grune go head-to-head, suddenly we have to wait until this extra bit of flashback has passed.

What they should have done was a shorter flashback section, just in the middle part of the episode, with Panthro narrating it properly, thereby glossing over the dull setup bits. That’s the trouble - so much of the flashback is setup rather than crucial action.

2 Likes
12

I agree, considering some other episodes in series they should have just done a full episode on Grune and Panthro. Although as I said having them out searching for the book and finding Mumm-Ra would have made a better start for the pilot.

13

It would have made a great opening scene, having Grune and Panthro searching for the book and finding the pyramid - then cut to the city, don’t explain too much first off.

1 Like
14

It would have also been a way of having the actual Panthro introduced in the pilot episode.

15

I agree. While i do like the pilot for what it is it’s not without it’s flaws.

I think The Tower of Omens is one of the first episodes that is actually decent. While i think the traps and other things are a bit generic the overall package is still okay.

16

So far there hasn’t been any real standout episodes.

17

Not yet but i think we are in for a treat. I do like the content of the flashbacks and with what we have gotten now it’s just going to get more on that side. I just hope they handle it better down the road.

1 Like
18

I am looking forward to the next two episodes as I have seen both episodes a couple times each and have had different opinions each time so it will be interesting to see what my opinion on them is this time.

19

Oh that’s going to be awesome!

I think that at the end of the rewatch we should discuss the characters in more detail too. What we thought of all of them.

But if we think up until episode 6, which character is your favorite and least favorite?

20

Favourite character so far…well the I guess from the Good Guys it would have to be Lion-O and Panthro so far as they are the only two characters that have been giving a backstory etc. Since the pilot Tygra, Cheetara, Kit and Kat have just been there in each episode.
Pretty much the same with the Bad Guys. The only interesting one so far is Grune.