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Leonard Starr Reviewed by Prokopis Email: propanag@hotmail.com  In the beginning of the last part of this adventure, the time has finally come for the rejuvenated Mumm-Ra to set a trap for the ThunderCats. According to his plan, the bait involves something of the Lunatacs' and so he leaves Ma-Mutt behind to guard the pyramid as he takes off for the Dark Side. At the Tower of Omens, Snarfer's quickly proving to be faster and more useful than Snarf, while above, Lion-O's talking with Panthro via vidscreen about how all the 'Cats should meet to coordinate a counter strike against their new enemies. Meanwhile at Sky Tomb, the Loonies are ready to switch to automatic fuel supply and can't wait to finally dump those slothful slaves they've kept working at the furnaces. But what to them is "dead weight", to Mumm-Ra, it's the ideal bait for his trap and he appears in time to explain it to his dim-witted allies and make sure the workers remain captive. When the felines come to their rescue, they'll be waiting. Assembled at their new outpost, our heroes now ponder over ends and foes yet left to tie up and it seems once again they'll be fighting on multiple fronts at the same time. Able to sense evil in more ways than any other of their peers, Cheetara and Lynx-O will be heading for the Black Pyramid to find out what has lately become of Mumm-Ra, while the rest (except Bengali, who'll be stuck on guard duty just like the 'Kittens) are going to travel to the Dark Side in a more direct attempt to free the slaves and kick some bad guy ass. As the time comes for the ThunderTank to enter the Canyon of Mists and Panthro to try the new fog lights he installed, the psychic duo land the ThunderClaw and enter Mumm-Ra's miserable residence. Instead of finding the ancient mummy though, they happen upon a talisman (more like an ugly wooden chess piece with carvings on it) which Lynx-O feels doesn't belong in a place of such evil. In the mean time, the 'Cats expedition to the Dark Side has reached its destination and Lion-O bids they split up to locate Sky Tomb faster. Mumm-Ra informs the Lunatacs the ThunderCats are close by, but RedEye protests the sensors aren't reading anything. Mocking the shortsightedness of their technology, the ancient wizard uses the old "we got by without that, back in the day" line and it's enough to convince Luna it's time they send out their own welcoming committee. Moments later, Tygra runs into RedEye outside and promptly pulls his usual Houdini stunt like the wimp that he is. Little does the silly rabbit know though that tricks are... well you know. RedEye has no problem spotting the tiger in whatever spectrum and quickly returns the surprise by shooting and capturing him - one point for the Loonies. Back in the pyramid, Cheetara and Lynx-O reach the sarcophagus chamber, where Mumm-Ra is of course not to be found. To their horror however, they're attacked by Ma-Mutt and four animated statues of the ASOE. In a wise move, Lynx-O gives the talisman a try and, luckily enough, it reacts to the evil before it in a most brilliant fashion, repelling both the statues and the infernal pooch (just as its entanglement with Cheetara was getting... interesting) and whooshing the two outside all too mysteriously as the grandest statement of its power - yet. Still baffled, the old geezer proceeds to deduce that the talisman's life force seems to be a power that fights evil (gee, you think?). Elsewhere, Panthro discovers a rude Alluro making himself comfy in the 'Tank and he doesn't seem to want to leave quietly either. We may've seen this match-up before, but it really gets better every time and now Alluro has little trouble putting the "primitive" blue ThunderCat under his spell. Thus, the suave mind bender makes for home with a cat and a tank in the bag - one (and a half?) more point for the Lunatacs. After Chilla does her part icing Pumyra and taking her back, the SoO finally decides to let Lion-O know how good his teammates proved to be in this whole infiltration gig. Before the Lord can put the signal in the air and call for backup though, he's duped by the oldest trick in the book and is grabbed by Amock while Luna plays mini-damsel in distress - the sword growling at the time no less (hey that rhymes with LFS!!). Two more points for capturing the other team's leader. Cheetara gets a premonition of this (and almost crashes cause of it) and with no time to waste calling the others, she and Lynx-O alone will have to cross to the Dark Side with no fog lights or Braille Board to everyone's rescue. One gloating session later, the Lunatacs spot the daring twosome heading for Sky Tomb and a few seconds later yet, see them with their own eyes coming through the wall. This wakes up the unconscious Lion-O, who calls to the sword to come to him, much to Mumm-Ra's dismay, and then breaks free to finally raise that insignia as he should have long ago. The Lunatacs lose it, the ThunderCats pull it together and shake their bonds, while Mumm-Ra moves in to attack the head Cat. But just as things are about to take their usual course, Lion-O's astonished to find that mirror tricks no longer work on his arch-nemesis and, worse yet, that's not the only thing different about this mean, mofo-ing servant of evil. Down, but not all beaten, Lynx-O produces the Talisman of Good and walks up to the caped relic to shove it up his face. As everyone else is thinking to themselves "WTF mate?", the trinket works its lightshow and soon sends the mummy packing. The Loonies take the hint and jump Lynx-O to grab the latest in uber-tool technology, which he's more than happy to throw to them in order to buy all of them enough time to make an exit (and even the score). As a moral lesson to be taught from this adventure (courtesy of Mr. Starr), the ThunderCats - safe at the Tower of Omens - conclude that their true strength is not in their numbers or physical abilities (Tygra admits the Lunatacs can do most things better), but in their good teamwork. The Kittens and Bengali may whine about missing the fun all they want, but it's that fact alone that makes them better than their enemies in the end, as the adults point out; should the Lunatacs learn to work together, the 'Cats had better watch out. - RedEye has little problem seeing Tygra even when he goes invisible - damn that IR signature! - Alluro puts on an even better show in this ep, playing mind games with Panthro again. Seems pretty evident by now that his power is primarily dictating to his victim what they're supposed to be seeing and then making them believe it's real. - Lynx-O and Cheetara discover a talisman just lying around inside the Black Pyramid that proves to be a powerful force of good. Aside from Lynx-O's hunch that it doesn't belong in the horrid place it was found and the ancient writing it has carved on its one side, there's no other information about its origin or history offered in the ep. It is strong enough to save the two Cats from their pyramid predicament as well as defeat the more powerful version of Mumm-Ra though. Somebody said no more uber-tools plz? Yeah right. In the end of the ep though, Lynx-O throws it to the Lunatacs to stir up a mess and give the 'Cats a chance to escape, so no more talisman for the side of good. "The ThunderCats have the foolish notion that all life is precious." (Mumm-Ra) "Let's you and I go to the Dark Pyramid." (Lynx-O hitting up on Cheetara) "Nothing you invent would dare not to work!" (Lion-O to Panthro) "Are you going to go the easy way, or the painful way?" (Panthro to Alluro sitting in his tank) "So primitive these ThunderCats..." (Alluro) "I'll ice you yet ThunderCat, or my name's not Chilla!" (Chilla, indeed) "We're a team; that's our strength." (Lynx-O)
-1, for neutering the Mutants, now a mere shadow of their former selves. Total score: 4 +'s, 3 -'s. I'd say he's won it. I pretty well agree...this series is an overall five with the exception of the dispensable part 4 and definitely an improvement in some areas over ThunderCats Ho!. Biggest kudos indeed go to Starr for getting rid of Mumm-Ra's reflection weakness, especially seems how it was the plot resolution more often than not in the last dozen or so eps in season one. Way to spot a played-out plot idea! Shay Leona: I'm sorry, I meant that they arrived at Sky Tomb on the ThunderCLAW! not the ThunderSTRIKE. Then they left Sky Tomb in the ThunderTANK leaving the ThunderCLAW at Sky Tomb. Ugh, Too many thunders! leppardra: I hope Leonard Starr wasn't the one who screwed up here. The 'Cats go to SkyTomb to free the Lunataks' slaves and end up getting captured themselves. But they escape without freeing the slaves?! Or were the slaves already gone and the Lunataks made the 'Cats believe they still had them just to lure the 'Cats into a trap? And as Shay Leona points out, Cheetara and Lynx-O arrive at SkyTomb in the ThunderClaw to help their captured comrades. But then all the 'Cats make their escape in the ThunderTank, leaving the ThunderClaw behind! Shocking how two plot holes the size of the Grand Canyon can make their way into a story and not be caught by the writing staff. It's inexcusable! Cougar: Okay, I'm sold as it relates to joining the Alluro Fan Club. He's by far one of the coolest and CLAMEST heels on the show. "Put your weapons down, Panthro-- you're just a mere ThunderCat, and I am a Lunatac." Alluro is definitely the personfication of an oxymoron; he's a villain, but he's so PEACEFUL. Cougar: In response to what Shay Leona said about how Lynx-O and Cheetara arrived in the ThunderClaw and left in the Thundertank-- I noticed that also. By the way: I just realized that I misspelled CALMEST. Nick: Maybe I'm the only one with this perception, but I am VERY partial to Snarf and Snarfer! I'm down with the Snarfs! 5 of 8 comments (part 1) [ » ] [ * ]
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The Show
