The New Thundercats

Growing up doesn't necessarily erase a particular mindset. History can tell you that.

Yes, Tygra still having a "Cats are superior to all" mindset isn't a good thing (it'd be great if he lost that view as the show progresses and if more people would call him out on it), and I'd bet that one of the key points of the overlying series will be to unite all of the animals against Mumm-Ra and not each other, but Thundera has a caste system for cripes sake. It's a bit hard to not see where Tygra (who grew up in a society where he was treated more favorably than pretty much everyone, especially Lizards) gets it from.

To sum it up, while I would be really offended by Tygra's attitude if it was real life, this is still just a cartoon show, and I understand that this is meant to be one element of his character that will likely change in the future. Racism is not a good thing, but it works for the story here and is a genuinely believable flaw for Tygra to have. If Tygra was actively beating up other races for no good reason, then he'd be crossing the Moral Event Horizon.

In other news, here are the episode synopses for next month:

Episode 20, Saturday, May 5: “Curse of Ratilla” The Thundercats infiltrate a mine shaft filled with fellow cats who are being forced to search for the Sword of Plundarr by the evil Ratar-O!

Episode 21, Saturday, May 12: “Birth of the Blades” Mumm-Ra seeks to reclaim the sword of Plun-Darr.

Episode 22, Saturday, May 19: “The Forever Bag” Wily Kit, Wily Kat, and Snarf track down a thief in Dog City.

Episode 23, Saturday, May 26: “Recipe for Disaster” The Cats discover a magic elixir that can stop Mumm-Ra, but will they be able to gather enough of it in time to defeat him?

So, I guess we'll be seeing Tookit again. Whoopdy doo. But it looks like we do have a connection between the mountain and the sword. Recipe for Disaster sounds like it's going to be filler to me, but I guess we'll see.

edited 30th Apr '12 4:21:11 AM by StarOutlaw

This is a 26-episode season, right? "Recipe for Disaster" sounds like it won't accomplish anything substantial, but who knows?

x @ hollowdheart- Sorry, I was probably responding to a way earlier post that gave me the impression you didn't want to watch some episodes because of some people's opinions online. I apologize for the misunderstanding. I'm pretty sure that such attention is being given to Tygra's negative traits because eventually they will be resolved. And that takes TIME and DEVELOPMENT for him. Or it could be the writer's way of showing how he differs from Lion-O and isn't quite fit to be the leader towards their goal. And Tygra is to me, someone I would meet, bump heads with a bit, but have our common ground and probably be good friends with. He actually reminds me of quite a few of my friends, who I have had the pleasure to watch grow and change over the years - for the better. Of course, such an attitude is wrong, but how do you help someone change their thought processes and values that they've held to since they were children? Beat them over the head about how wrong they are? Again, I'm certainly not excusing his actions, but as others have said, we now know at least WHY he is the way he is. As for the thing with his mother and the throne, somehow I kinda saw it as a dream he connected with his mother, what he felt she wanted for him, and how much he tries to resist that being taken away from him.

I see Tygra's opinions as an echo of Claudus's. Tygra has constructed himself to be what he think Claudus wanted him to be, so he could be the "perfect" son in contrast to Lion-o, whom Claudus found disappointing and hard to understand.This is probably why, as mentioned in "The Trials of Lion-O," Lion-O himself, on some level, feels that Tygra would be a better king, because Tygra echoes their father whose shadow looms large over them both. Lion-O is, in fact, much more his own man than Tygra is, and Lion-O's open mind, compassion, and progressive attitudes make him the leader the Thundercats need NOW, as opposed to Claudus or Tygra, who in this regard represent closed-minded, jingoistic, outmoded thinking. I hope evenentually Tygra can become his own man himself, and stop feeling like he has to be the image of Claudus.

The writers they have for this series are actually top notch; the names I see most often are JM De Matteis and Tab Murphy, both of whom are excellent writers; it's too bad their talents aren't being given free reign. I like a lot of what I've seen, and see a lot of potential for more (though I must say I winced a bit at the painfully obvious toyetic-ness of the Stones-of-Thundera produced armor). I just hope the makers of the show can dig a little deeper.

Finally, the freaking previews are out. Better late than never.

Pics: http://www.thundercatslair.org/2012/05/thundercats-episode-20-curse-of-ratilla-preview-images/

The rats seem unusually refined. And Rataro looks very very close to his OS version. The character page needs some updating.

Glad to see Tygra and Cheetara getting some screen time. And...is that a younger Jaga wielding the Sword of Omens?

edited 4th May '12 5:03:08 PM by StarOutlaw

Interesting that, in the original Thundercats, the Sword of Omens was Jaga's sword, not the heriditary weapon of the Lords of Thundera...

I don't think it was Jaga's sword in the original, I think Claudus just allowed Jaga to wield it after he went blind. In a different flashback you can see them both using it at the same time.

The rat I was expiating Valcherman.

Ugh what a cliff-hanger ending (just watched the new episode)

Well not entirely it's kinda obvious what was about to happen but still...

edited 5th May '12 8:12:27 AM by chloelee12

I felt this was a really solid episode. Had a few funny moments, the action that was there was cool, and every character got some screen time, save for The kittens and Snarf who are probbly still looking for Tookit.

I wonder how old Jaga was. Must have been like over a hundred years. And I can see the Pumyra/Lion-O ship is setting sail. At least it's not as blatant as it could be. Pumyra is still proving to be a cool addition. I like how Lion-O's ideals of mercy are back, and Pumyra is growing on him.

I thought his fight with Rataro at the end was better than some of the other fights lately. The dialogue was actually sort of charming in this one. Panthro got a good line in too.

Yeah this is probably my new fav episode

I just noticed, but the new Ratar-O actually looks more like the original series Ratilla than the original Ratar-O.

Something else I've noticed, but does the Sword of Plundarr already have a power stone on it, right at the end of the hilt/pommel? It's purple, and I wonder if it functions like the War Stone.

I've really got to hand it to the art direction and Dan Norton, they took the original series rat villains and created a whole fashion and aesthetic for the rat race. Blues and reds with gold trim and an eye motif taken from the Rat Eye Daggers, implemented into the updated designs in such a natural way. I love it and it's awesome. The Cats, the Tiger Clan, and the Rats all have their own style, sort of reminding me of the four nations in Avatar and how the citizens of each nation have their own fashions.

edited 5th May '12 10:03:55 AM by StarOutlaw

It might just be a shiny rock.

Eh, maybe, it's probably not significant. I'm just going to assume that it works kind of like a less powerful version of the Eye of Thundera; it could give the Sword of Plundarr power (like changing shape and creating electricity), but pales in comparison to the power of the other stones. It would explain how Ratilla could wield it like he did, slinging around purple electricity and whatnot.

I wonder how Ratar-O got the Rat Eye Daggers. My WMG is that the rats tried to create their own weapon like the Sword of Plundarr and that's what they got.

edited 5th May '12 10:13:19 AM by StarOutlaw

And still no Vultureman.

Well I hope this leads up to the thunder cats Having to deal with all of the uglys at once.

Thoughts

• OMG Tygra and Cheetara managed to remember their superpowers this episode and we got a reminder that Cheetara's got some magic skills. JOY

• I think I'm really going to like Pumyra. That she's almost schizophrenic with her moods here, but understandably so, is pretty interesting. I'm not a big shipper for this show but if they make her Queen of Thundera I will not complain. That attitude might make a decent match for Lion-O's more merciful nature and I can see Lion-O eventually seeking her council about military matters more and more. Not saying it will happen, just that if they did, I'd find the development believable.

• Good, we get Lion-O's mercy trait back.I like how it was almost subverted and then it hits in the end. Good.

• Panthro is officially my favorite character because he said exactly what I was thinking, "okay enough flirting, let's get to work!" Sigh. On another note, did Panthro have a love interest in the OS? If he gets one here should she be pintsized or tower over even him? I think the latter might actually be kind of funny. I'm envisioning a giant laid back warrior woman. Something like Iroh's personality from Avatar: TLA mixed with Big Barda.

I don't think he did.

So Mount Plundar was created back when Jaga battled Ratailla and burried the Sword of Plundar. Fine. But what the hell was that giant skeleton draped over the entire mountain? That thing was huge!

It was a Mythology Gag

Is she a Cougar?

edited 6th May '12 5:27:17 AM by RandomChaos

Mildly interesting to note that in the US cougar, puma, and panther (wildcat, too) are all names for the same animal in different parts of the country.

I made a new AMV. This one is Cheetara's theme. I plan on doing AM Vs for other characters too, featuring their theme songs including Panthro, Tygra, and the Thunder Kittens.

If Pantro gets a love internist it will be an Amazonian Jaguar