In the fifth episode, Old Friends, the Thundercats are are made “whole” with the highly anticipated addition of Panthro. This week saw some great flashbacks, insane action and some nods to the original series that should get fans smiling.
Read on for our review of Thundercats Episode 5 – Old Friends. The Episode
This week’s episode has two concurrent stories running. One set in the present, and a series of flashbacks showing the relationship of Grune and Panthro. Let’s tackle these two separately.
The Thundercats watch on as their newest member, Panthro, works tirelessly on the damaged Thundertank. Lion-O steps up, hoping to bond with their new member. However, it’s clear that Panthro has serious doubts about Lion-O’s role as Lord of the Thundercats. Panthro states they need Thundrillium to power the Thundertank. He plans to obtain it from a mine system in a nearby mountain. Lion-O insists on helping, but Panthro is less than thrilled by his tagging along.
When they reach the base of the mine, Panthro sees that Lizards are guarding it. Lion-O wants to attack immediately. But Panthro dismisses the young leader’s notion, stating they shall wait until the night. As the group leaves, Lion-O attempts to prove to Panthro he is worthy of the titles of king. He attacks the two lizards and defeats them quickly. Just as quickly, though, Lion-O is surrounded by a large group of Lizards. As Lion-O prepares for his demise, Panthro strikes, taking out the entire group himself. Agitated at the young Lion-O’s brash arrogance, Panthro instructs them to follow his lead. Inside the mine, Grune is leading the lizards as they harvest the rich resources of Thundrillium that will power Mumm-Ra’s army. We are briefly introduced to Driller; a robotic worker drilling deep within the mine to pinpoint the locations of Thundrillium.
The Thundercats sneak through the mines and witness Grune and the lizards drainign the mountain of its Thundrillium. Panthro instructs them to follow his lead for the attack. The ‘Cats lure some of the lizards into a mine shaft and take them out. As hey emerge into the light, Grune prepares his attack. Panthro sneaks up behind and the two have a stand-off. As Panthro is about to attack, Driller surprises them by emerging under their feet. This distracts the group long enough for Grune and the army to retreat. As Driller mounts a confusing and relentless series of attacks, Lion-O jumps in. Using the power of the Sword of Omens, Lion-O is able to defeat the robotic enemy, showing Panthro that he is capable of leading by example. Unfortunately, the moment of tranquility is short lived as the mine begins to collapse due to Driller;s numerous holes. As they escape, Cheetara is able to swipe a small handful of Thundrillium to help power the Thundertank. Panthro shows his respect and pledges his loyalty to Lion-O.
Throughout the episode, we are treated to a series of flashbacks. This side story shows the meeting of Panthro and Grune as grunt soldiers. Their heroics quickly propel them through the ranks of the Thundercats army. Over time, they become some of King Claudus’ most trusted soldiers. They are even tasked with training the very young Lion-O and Tygra in combat techniques.
As Grune and Panthro prepare to be promoted, Claudus informs them he is placing Lynx-O in charge of the army as General. Grune is incensed at this, and Panthro attempts to calm him. Claudus informs them that they have a greater task…They are to go on a journey for the Book of Omens. The two embark on a long, perilous and, ultimately, fruitless journey. As time goes on, Grune becomes more angry, feeling betrayed by his king.
As they rest one evening, Grune hears a voice calling to him, promising him power and to make his dreams reality. Panthro does not hear these calls. However, when Grune runs into the night to follow the voice, Panthro follows his friend. After many days of walking, they come upon their destination…Mumm-Ra’s tomb! Grune is able to gain access as the voice begs him for help. They reach the main chamber, and Grune pries open the tomb of Mumm-Ra. Now awakened, Mumm-Ra promises to reward Grune if he can bring him the Sword of Omens. Grune begs Panthro to join him, but Panthro refuses. A fight ensues, seeing Panthro thrown from the ledge in which they were standing. The victorious Grune stands with his new master, Mumm-Ra.
Review
The best way to describe this episode is with a simple “wow”. In my opinion, this is the best episode since the premiere. The entire episode is filled with info that fleshes out the world of the Thundercats. Panthro adds a welcome dose of battle hardened wisdom and gruff. Unlike the rest of the younger ‘Cats, Panthro has years of battle experience, and refuses to bend to Lion-O’s demands simply because Lion-O is the de facto leader. He gives respect to those who earn it. And Lion-O is determined to earn that respect, though he hits some rough spots early on trying to prove his worth.
The flashbacks were a welcome bit of character development. It allowed us to see a younger Panthro and Grune. By showing their friendship and respect build over the years, it makes Grune’s betrayal all that more angering and gut-wrenching. Plus they were spaced out near perfectly in the episode. Each flashback unfolds to add meaning to the scene that precedes or follows it. Plus seeing more Claudus and the kingdom of Thundera is always going to be a welcome treat.This episode feels like a solid step in their journey together. By the end you feel like they are ready to actually look for the Book of Omens.
If there was any downside to this episode, it was the lack of payoff to the Panthro/Grune build-up. Plus, Mumm-Ra still remains a background figure. They are clearly being very deliberate in their approach to the character, showing only tidbits here and there. But those are minor quibbles in the shadow of another thoroughly enjoyable episode.
Bottom Line
This was one of the episodes we were waiting for since the premier. The base Thundercats team is now together. Panthro is the straight up “bad-ass” many fans were hoping for, plus he’s already got some great character development thanks to the flashbacks. Plus, the nice nods to the classic series with the Driller apparance, he Lynx-O name drop as well as Thundrillium will put a smile onto the older fans’ faces. So that makes Thundercats a solid 5-for-5, as there hasn’t been a clunker yet.
Score: 9 out of 10
- Thundercats Old Friends Review
Thundercats Episode 5 - Old Friends Discussion
You can talk about this week's episode here.
I am anxiously awaiting the brawl between panthro and grune tonight. Panthro going to open a six pack of whopp a$$ on grune haha. Hooooooooooooo
I'm ubber excited for what looks to be an amazing episode. What with Panthro, Grune, flashbacks explaining what happened on their mission, Thundrilium, and the DRILLER! Should be interesting to see how they pack all of it into just one episode.
Since spoiler codes don't seem to work, please, beware of spoilers!
This is so much fun!
The swords glowing effects are great! 
In the first five minutes... samoflange!
The Driller is still great! He's like a cross between Cyclonus and Gurren Lagann!
I'm surprised how many dead soldiers are shown, including a horse.
More Larry Kenny!
Mumm-Ra's pyramid
Lynx-O's a general?!
Another awesome line from Panthro!
I really like the ancient technological look of the inside of the pyramid.
The music is awesome!
So is Mumm-Ra's entrance!
Nice! It's the cauldron!
I love the colors!
Well, that was another awesome episode!
I can't wait til next week!
Watching the full Flashback and noticing Grune's missing a tooth now...yeah I'm gonna assume that Panthro's lack of a tail is a battle scar. Which is pretty cool IMO.
I caught the Lynx-O reference too!
I hope Lynx-O, Pumyra and Bengali will be in this!!!
I hope Lynx-O, Pumyra and Bengali will be in this!!!
samoflange FTW
Driller looked cool didn't care that he was essentially a mindless robot.
When I heard the samoflange reference I laughed so hard. I then called my brothers to tell them about it.
Each of these episodes gets me more excited for Mumm-Ra's Ever Living Form! Something tells me that is going to be like a season finale thing. So excited! I also cannot wait for a full on Kick A** fight between Grune and Panthro!
Great Episode. I really liked the back story between Panthro and Grune. Also, the fact that Lion-O had to prove himself to Panthro before he would acknowledge him as king.
5/5
SPOILERS the tags aren;t working for me
What a fantastic episode! The only niggle i have is minor continuity errors. Like Lion-O and Tygra know Panthro quite well it seems. Why were they still discussing his appearance as if they had never seen the dude before?
Panthros younger look was spot on to Classic Panthro! Also did you spot his tail? so cool!
Grunes greedy nature is apparent even as a grunt! Plus Mummras Spaceship type pyramid has me wondering if he's an ancient alien.
What the phuck is a samoflange?
It's a sumoflange!
I have to do that again!
Helluva line and shows that the creators and writers are aware of the rich history of the Thundercats
Yet another Lynx-o reference
and the effing DRILLER!!
Oh man, that have to release him as a figure!
DRILLER. I WANT THAT.
TOY NOW PLEASE.
Another great ep. I think they referenced "Who's the King here?" and the word "Thundrillium" a bit much for one ep, but I guess they wanted to drive the point home.
So, we saw some backstory, but didn't get to see how Panthro got his scar, or how Grune lost his tooth. Guess we have some more flashbacks down the road.
Sword of Omens at the end was great too, animated real well.
Happy we are still getting quality into the show. Can't wait for that mid season arc, can't imagine how epic that's gonna be.
Out!
Thundercats Episode 5 - Old Friends Review
TOY NOW PLEASE.
Another great ep. I think they referenced "Who's the King here?" and the word "Thundrillium" a bit much for one ep, but I guess they wanted to drive the point home.
So, we saw some backstory, but didn't get to see how Panthro got his scar, or how Grune lost his tooth. Guess we have some more flashbacks down the road.
Sword of Omens at the end was great too, animated real well.
Happy we are still getting quality into the show. Can't wait for that mid season arc, can't imagine how epic that's gonna be.
Out!
Great episode. Almost forgot to comment on it, lol. If I were to have one complaint, it would be that there was so much packed into just one episode. I'll definitely be rewatching this one a couple more times before next week's episode airs. Only other thing that even comes close to a complaint, would be the lack of any explanation for Grune's missing tooth and Panthro's eye injury. Would've been nice to see what caused those two injuries. Who knows, maybe those flashbacks will come into play later on in the series.
Panthro was great. It's nice to see what lead to his and Grune's mission, and what happened on said mission. It's also interesting to see a Panthro that won't blindly follow the new lord of the Thundercat's every command. Hopefully Panthro will be a good teacher to Lion-O.
Grune was really good in this episode too. His growing anger with Claudus was well handled. I like how Mumm-Ra called to him like that. Sort of reminded me of the Basilisk in HP:CoS. Was nice to see Grune's first betrayal.
Mumm-Ra was really good too, if a bit short-lived. Was nice to see his tomb, and his cauldron thingy (wasn't sure if the new show was going to have that in there). Hopefully the next episode will have him turning into his ever living form. Feels a little weird that we're five episodes in, and still haven't seen him as more than just the mummy.
The tank looks like it's going to be great. It's nice to see that the compartment in the back of the toy is something show-related. It sort of reminds me of the troop carrying APC's. Should be interesting to see Lion-O and Tygra riding in the ThunderRacers for the first time, and the twin's on their boards for the first time.
The Driller was a really nice cameo, and I can imagine him coming back sometime later in the series. He's definitely injured, but I doubt he's dead. Also, add me to the list of people that want to see him made into a toy. Most especially if they could make him at the 6" scale (the more I think about it, the more I think I'll go with the 6" figures).
I can't wait to see next week's episode. Though I think I might miss it's airing like I did last week's episode, so I'll probably have to catch it via online sources (most likely youtube). Should be interesting to see the Tower of Omens, and what all happens on their journey to it.
This episode was the best thing i seen lol i love it:d i told you grune and panthro was not going to fight and prolly will not until like 5 more episodes from now
Wow really awesome show this week! It has me pumped up for next weeks!
Another thing that I realized this ep, was that the whole Mumm-Ra / Grune angle reminds me of a Star Wars-esque Emperor / Vader thing. Today's flashback with Grune being called to Mumm-Ra, then the battle, then him knocking Panthro from the platform reminded me of SW Ep 3 when Anakin turned, mixed with a bit of Jedi end scene.
Not a bad thing, just saying.
Reload this Page Thundercats Episode 5 - Old Friends HD Screen Caps
Over 120 HD screen caps to check out.
Old school Panthro FTW.
Wow, another great episode! They suceeded in making Driller awesome! Panthro has a topknot, love it! And the flashbacks are great! Although I have one question in them; when did Panthro lose his tail? He doesn't have it in the present, was it a casualty of war? The Black Pyramid and Mumm-Ra's return were amazing! I could swear I heard the Transformers noise when Grune activated the pyramid. And they even put the yellow blur behind Cheetara, sweet! And yeah, tvtropes is right; Panthro is Jet Black for furries.
But I honestly have to say my fave thing is Lion-O using the sword; yes it has some shield capabilities, but he uses it primarily as a sword. Definite improement over the original series.
I missed the very beginning. Does someone have a link for it?
This was the best episode since the premiere. It's nice to know the backstory of what happened b4 the first episode. I liked that they mentioned Lynx-O by name and that Driller was included in this episode.
No complains, a very good episode and very much like how they balance the action scenes with Lion O and Panthro (keeping in mind this episode was all Panthro)
There is a plot hole in the story. If it only took a few seconds for Cheetara to run and take ONE piece of Thundrillium from the mines....then why didn't they had her do that in the begining?
If the Original plan was to wait at night...then why did they storm in instead of a stealth sneak attack?
Those were my only issues...no biggie, I still enjoy it the episode.
Edit Note: Now that I think of it....not really a plot hole. The Mines were well guarded.
Great episode.
One thing; when did Thundrillium become a pink crystal-type substance?
before it was a gold substance, now this???
Over 120 HD screen caps to check out.
One thing; when did Thundrillium become a pink crystal-type substance?
before it was a gold substance, now this
http://www.thundercats.ws/news/attac...8902_thumb.jpg
Man this show was epic.
I wish they'd do an "avatar" version of thundercats. Its got that avatar tech, writen all over it. A world like pandora, ..home of thundera. The lair, the thundertank. mumra's pyramid and thse extras, man, that would get so many awards, u have no idea if done right! As a live action movie, that is.. but in avatar-mode
This show is just getting more awesome with every episode. I loved how Lion-O and Tygra were having the "Why don't YOU go talk to him" moment.
(I'm cool with it 
)
Then poor Lion-O is telling the Lizards; "Drop your weapons....please?"
He just hasn't quite grasped the fact that not everyone cares that he is the Lord of the ThunderCats. (Well at least not in a good way)
Oh and Driller....ok I was like: "Wha....why the heck is there a Transformer in the ThunderCats episode!?"
And then they show little Lion-O and Tygra: Lion-O was so CUTE!!! Tygra, well he's cute too!
But anyways, loved it, so much better than the old, can't wait for more and still waiting to find the figures at my wal-mart.
Long live the ThunderCats, ROOAAARRRRRR!!!! (cheesy, I know)
Panthro is blind out his right eye..
Episode 5 - Old Friends (180 MB)
Will post the HD version when it is available.
sure does look that way huh!
and i am really curious to know if no tails is something ritual now or not, lol
at the beginning they had tails...
at the end they did NOT!
AWESOME! Great episode really looking forward to more flashbacks to fill in the gaps. I'm sure they're coming the guys that are putting this together are too smart to leave us hanging.
I agree with a previous poster....I think mumra is an alien to the planet. However I also think that his pyramid is a space ship that is possibly powered by the eye of thundera. Someone obvisiouly sealed him in the tomb most likely with the aid of the eye and it makes sense that without his "ship" at full strength he couldn't open the tomb himself since it seems to run on power based on the inside of it. I will be watching this all week.
Also anyone else think that in the battlefield flashback when grune and panthro meet and they load the "cat"apolt that grune was actually aiming for Claudus?
Will post the HD version when it is available.
Grune stated during the battle he was going to be king. Not being a Lion it was pretty clear if he was serious he meant he was going to overthrow Claudus, so who's to say he wasn't aiming for Claudus?
It wasn't epic or the like. However it was a very solid episode that lay the groundwork for stronger character episodes later, gave some other elements of backstory their starting point, and had many fun references to the old series. The Samoflange and The Driller in particular.
It was still a pleasure to watch and it was a good episode.
I'm pretty sure Lynx-O was just the final straw, not the only reason he betrayed the King.
He didn't just spontaniously go bad. He'd been ambitious his whole life, Claudus refusing to make him general and sending him away was just the last he could take. The only reason Mumm-ra sought him out was because of proximity. I'm sure there's others out there that hate Claudus more, like the hordes of Lizards, but Grune was closest
First of all, I loved all of the little throwbacks this episode had -- Did anyone notice that Tygra was wearing a costume that was very similar to his original series duds when he was fighting Lion-O in the flashback?
!
Grune wielding an old school mace, his helmet, and his armor also looked like homages to the original series -- And obviously, we all saw Panthro looked like 80's Panthro and Samoflange
This episode had so much going on, it really felt like the first 2 episodes in the fact a lot of important parts were unfolding. I'd easily say a 9/10 -- No real complaints, I just don't wanna say 10 out of 10 just yet
Dude if you think grune was loyal to the crown from the beginning I think you missed the whole point. The very first flashback has him talking about a quick way to the top.
Did anyone else out there think that the new look (2011) Driller looks amazing! I can already imagine what the toy itself would look like if they did bring one out .....
My thoughts:
I bet we'll see the robot again, it was not completely destroyed, they can dig him out.
- Grune was a bit too one-dimensional here, considering from the moment we see him he wants to be king. Still, I loved his descent into maddness for power, something that Clancy Brown is adept at portraying. Mumm-Ra's entrance was awesome too. I have to wonder, though, whether he also worked some spell on Grune, as he turned on Panthro too fast.
- The Driller is a Transformer! Heh... he transforms into one of those double-drills Doctor Wily uses in Mega Man.
- Considering Jaga indeed knew the location of the Book, this makes me wonder that it was him, not Claudus, who wanted Grune and Panthro gone?
-Lynx-O mentioned was great! And he is a general...
- After a while, I start to feel sorry for the lizards. They always get their tail kicked. The "Drop your weapons!... please?" line was pure win, though.
I am glad Jaga is not dead, he is awesome! This episode was cool.
One thing that is eatting at me slightly though. Grune to me sounds a little like mr crabs from spongebob squarepants. I looked it up and its the same voice actor. Its a little hard to take Grune serious thinking that. He is an awesome character and a great villain.
Just my 2 cents