Our episode starts with the cats heading back to the Elephants' village. Kit is eager to see her friends again. She says it almost feels like home to her, and Kat reminds her they are still looking for El Dara. Yes, that plot thread ISN'T dead. Of course, I still have no idea how Kat plans to get there, since the Thundercats aren't looking to go there, and he goes where they go. Lion-O explains the gem is in the astral plane, and the shed is the entry point. Cheetara repeats her trust in Lion-O, which irritates Tygra when Lion-O says Cheetara will chose him over Tygra. Tygra feels that like the sword, Lion-O doesn't deserve her. And this segues into a flashback. Tygra is in armor, being a guard at the palace's entrance. Being rather awful at it since everyone ignores him. One wonders WHY he's doing this, alone, when he's a prince. I can understand Claudus wanting to teach him discipline that way, but shouldn't the prince have a real guard with him? He's approached by a young Cheetara who asks him where do the clerics reside. Tygra is immediately smitten, and can't help but stutter at her. She brushes him off and sets off to find the clerics on her own. He catches up to her, and after some banter, points her to the clerics. Cheetara says she wants to join the clerics. She's always dreamed of it. Jaga meets her (and even then, Jaga looks just like he did prior to his death). Cheetara introduces herself, saying she does not have a clan. While Tygra spies from a window, Cheetara tells Jaga she wants to join the cleric, and that she's the fastest cat ever. He tells her to prove it, and so challenges the teenage Cheetara to run through spinning blades unharmed and he might consider training her. And we thought Claudus was the hardassed one. Seems Jaga's even worst on a bad day. Cheetara makes it all the way through. Well, almost. She misses the last blades and gets thrown out of the course. Jaga explains the last obstacle teaches her patience, and that patience is a better virtue than speed. He demonstrate, taking the course himself. With that done he tosses her out. Cheetara protests that she has both nowhere else, and no one else. She decides she won't leave till they accept her, and sits down on the porch of the clerics, waiting. Under Tygra's concerned and stalking eyes.
Back to the present, and Tygra doesn't look any more cheerful. The tank stops as they all see smoke rising from the Elephant village. Lion-O uses the sword to see that the lizards have over taken the village, captured the Elephants. And Grune is leading them, heading in the shed. The vision ends and Lion-O believes they are too late... Only for us to see that, of course, Grune being the incompetent idiot that he is, he sure as hell can't figure something out alone that all of the cats combined couldn't figure out on their own. He screams and comes out of the shed carrying a broom. Asking the elephants where the stone is. We get a nice scene of the Elephant playing their forgetful idiots routine on him, driving Grune nuts by giving him a bunch of non-answers. It is hilarious, and Grune being such a complete fool, he's incapable of figuring out what is going on on his own.
Lion-O, fresh from having learned a few Aesop, makes a smart call: rather than charge in, he decides to sneak in under the cover of night, to avoid endangering the hostages. Tygra, being Commander Contrarian, insists they should charge in with the Tank, even saying he's studied military strategies to back his point. If your people's military strategies includes charging someone who has hostages, then no wonder your species is almost extinct. Cheetara supports Lion-O, and remarks that she always considered strength to be Tygra's greatest strength. And since he can turn invisible that does make sense. Tygra melodramatically remarks "No wonder I've always been invisible to you". We flash back to young Cheetara still waiting on the cleric's porch. From behind a statue, young Tygra approaches and sneaks up to her, discreetly leaving her a flower, before returning behind the statue. She sees the flower, and sees him looking at her. Jaga passes by, seeing Cheetara, telling her to go home, that she is wasting her time. Cue a montage of days passing and Jaga passing by Cheetara and ignoring her. By the third day, she's passing out from exposure to rain and sun and lack of food and water, and Jaga decides that now she probably know patience. Or she's dying. Eitherway, that makes her cleric material. Ya know, Jaga really is a dick. Tygra finds his flower broken where she was sitting, and looks sad. Yes Tygra, I am sorry your flower got damaged as the poor girl was passing out to prove a point to an old fart.
Back to the present and it is night. Lion-O comments on Tygra's Commander Contrarian attitude and that he's always had a darkness in him, and Cheetara comments that Tygra had to live his whole life in his younger brother's shadow. They take out the lookouts (It turns out Cheetara's new staff does what the tree of Evil Dead 1 did) and sneak up to the village. Of course, because the universe insists on proving any decision Lion-O makes to be wrong, his plan just can't work. Sadly, with the Rockbiter dead, they need to find another wrench to throw in the works. So Wilykit jumps out of hiding to threaten the lizards causing one of the retarded elephants proceeds to point Lion-O and the other cats out to Grune. Grune uses his hostages to force the cats to surrender.
Grune takes the sword, and asks where the stone is, Lion-O decides to act like the elephants did to annoy him. Grune plays the hostage card, and Lion-O relents and decides to show him where the stone is. Tygra retreats, deciding to do things his way. Lion-O explains he needs the sword to open the portal in the shed. So Grune gives him, reminding him of his hostages. Lion-O opens the portal, and Grune takes back the sword, ordering his men to kill everyone. Tygra arrives with the thank to rescue everyone. Grune, being a complete idiot as per his idiom, takes his eyes off Lion-O who is RIGHT NEXT to him to stare at the tank, allowing Lion-O to take back his sword, extend it, and begin kicking his troops' ass. (I am guessing Lion-O didn't cut down Grune first because he realized him being alive and such an incompetent worked in their advantage. Better he lives than be replaced by someone with a functioning brain). After a small fight scene, Grune runs away rather than face Panthro, like the useless, idiotic coward he is. Did I mention Grune is the show's worst villain? Seriously, has Grune ever succeeded at something? Shown any competence except as dumb muscle?
After the battle, Lion-O prepares to go to the Astral Plane. Anet tells them that in the astral plane, thoughts become reality. Lion-O wants to go alone, but Tygra wont hear it, and after some chest thumping on both sides, Lion-O agrees to bring Tygra alone. Tygra goes first, and Anet stops Lion-O, telling him he's had a vision. That by evening bell tomorow, he will know the greatest betrayal from his brother. Lion-O disbelieves Tygra would ever go that far, but he's assured Anet's vision hare never wrong. Lion-O the portal.
From a tree, Mumm-Ra, still in bird form, decides to follow the brothers, flying into the portal.
Lets play a guessing game! What will happen of Anet's prophecy? Will...
- Lion-O treat his brother suspiciously because of the prophecy, causing the betrayal? Self-Fulfilling Prophecy ahoy!
- Will Mumm-ra use his shapeshifting to trick a brother in betraying the other?
- No betrayal occurs. It was only a shapeshifted Mumm-ra all along.
- Will the prophecy prove to be all for nothing as Tygra fights the darkness inside of him?
Still, I liked this episode. We learned a lot about Tygra and Cheetara. While I can feel for Tygra's jealousy of Lion-O over the sword, the jealousy towards Cheetara it makes him seem petty. If he's never had the balls to tell her how he really feels about her, then he doesn't get to complain when she decides she wants someone else. Still, it was a very good episode, though I must again outline how terrible a villain Grune is. But still, seems we are getting Mumm-Ra next episode, so that's nice.
