New Alliances

New Alliances is the fourteenth episode of ThunderCats 2011 TV series.

Synopsis

WilyKit is seen riding down a ravine on a Hoverboard. She’s soon joined by WilyKat on his own Hoverboard, who wonders aloud how they ever lived without them. The Thunderkittens continue to glide down a series of connected ravines, laughing and giggling as they test out their new Hoverboards.

The fun abruptly ends when WilyKat and WilyKit come across a tank surrounded by a small troop of lizards. Upon being identified as ThunderCats, WilyKat and WilyKit quickly turn around and retreat with the tank hot on their heels. The Thunderkittens soon find themselves trapped when they reach a dead end. The lizardmen believe they have WilyKat and WilyKit cornered, but it’s soon revealed that the Thunderkittens had actually led the lizards into a trap.

Lion-O reveals himself on top of the cliff. When the lizardmen fire the cannon at Lion-O, he uses the Spirit Stone to create an energy shield, deflecting the attack and causing an avalanche of rocks to land on top of the tank. As Lion-O runs down the steep incline, he deflects another attack with the Sword of Omens. The lizardmen exit the tank and prepare to attack Lion-O when they’re suddenly knocked over by Cheetara. A lone lizard is preparing to take Cheetara out with a rifle when his weapon is struck by Tygra, who’s armed with his own rifle.

After all the lizardmen have been captured, Lion-O decides to set them free, believing they worked under Mumm-Ra long enough to know they don’t want to live like that. Lion-O says if the cats and lizards don’t unite against Mumm-Ra, they’ll fall before him. The head lizard laughs at this, telling Lion-O he’s a fool. Lion-O then gives the lizards a choice: return to the battlefield or to their families. After a brief discussion, the lizards choose the latter and leave the ravine, leaving their weapons behind.

Tygra criticizes his brother on his decision to release the lizards, but Lion-O points out that ever since they obtained the Spirit Stone; there have been mass desertions in the lizard army. Cheetara rewards Tygra for watching her back earlier with a kiss on the cheek. WilyKat and WilyKit are clearly disgusted by the show of affection, but Lion-O claims to be happy for Tygra and Cheetara. Lion-O suggests they go back to the Berbil Village to check on Panthro.

Inside one of the huts, Panthro is seen lying on a table with his new arms covered by a white cloth and Ro-Bear Bill working on them, with Ro-Bear Bella, Snarf, and two other Berbils watching the procedure. Panthro's relieved that the Berbils can put him back together and states he can still feel his arms, adding that the worst part was having an itch and nothing to scratch it with. Ro-Bear Bill announces that he’s done and Panthro removes his arms from under the cloth, revealing them to be Berbil arms. Panthro is clearly livid about this, while Lion-O thinks they’re adorable. Lion-O reports that they had another successful ambush and at the rate they’re going, there will no longer be a lizard army to prevent the ThunderCats from finding the next stone. Panthro angrily demands for someone to “get these things off of me!”.

Inside the Black Pyramid , Mumm-Ra’s criticizes Slithe over his poor leadership and how his troops easily retreat at the mere sight of the ThunderCats. Mumm-Ra wants warriors who will fight for blood, not for treasure. Mumm-Ra shows Slithe images of Addicus and Kaynar on the casting pool, revealing the two are wretched souls, currently incarcerated for crimes even vile to him and that he wants them both as his new generals. Slithe doubts that the lizardmen would ever follow orders from a monkey and a jackalman. Mumm-Ra wants to show the lizards there’s severe consequences for abandoning him, and have the opportunity to recruit Addicus and Kaynar’s people. He orders Slithe to free Addicus and Kaynar.

High in the treetops somewhere on Third Earth, the leader of the Birds is preparing to sentence Addicus, who’s tied upside-down from a tree branch, to death for his crimes against the Bird Nation. After Addicus requests a last meal (preferably the leader of the Birds), the hooded executioner cuts the rope, sending Addicus to plummet to his death. After a few lingering moments, and to the Birds’ utter astonishment, Addicus emerges from the clouds, having landed on top of one of three SkyCutters operated by the lizard army. As the lizards aim their cannons at the Birds, Slithe cuts Addicus free from his bindings. Slithe tells Addicus that he works for Mumm-Ra now and if he refuses, Slithe will push him off the platform. Addicus agrees as soon as he gets the meal owed to him.

Back in the ravines, the ThunderCats have successfully forced another lizard battalion to surrender. As Lion-O carves the ThunderCat insignia into the side of the tank, Cheetara approaches him and suggests they continue to keep up the pressure. Lion-O confesses that he still doesn’t understand how he misread Cheetara’s signals. Cheetara thought that Lion-O was fine with her and Tygra, but Lion-O reveals it’s quite the opposite. Cheetara eventually reveals the truth: Jaga had requested for her to keep a vigil on Lion-O. Lion-O starts to question whether Cheetara’s encouragement towards him was real or merely just doing her job. Cheetara says she believes in Lion-O, but her heart belongs to someone else. Cheetara claims that this doesn’t change their relationship, but Lion-O bitterly points out that it changes everything. {C}

Back in the Berbil Village, Ro-Bear Bill is finishing a new set of arms for Panthro. After Ro-Bear Bill finishes his work, Panthro stands up and inspects his new arms, and tests them out by throwing a few punches in the air. Suddenly, the arms malfunction and start punching Panthro in the face. The arms stretch out and flail all over the room uncontrollably as Panthro shouts for someone to turn them off. {C}

At an underground prison in one of Third Earth’s deserts, two burly Mastiff guards are escorting Kaynar, who’s strapped to a gurney, to solitary confinement. Kaynar claims he was sorry, pointing out that they should thank him because there’s now eleven less prisoners to tend to. Kaynar laughs dementedly, commenting that at least the voices in his head will keep him company as he and the guards reach a large metal door. Once the guards open the door, they are bombarded with firepower. Slithe and two armed lizardmen emerge from the doorway. At first, Kaynar declines when Slithe offers him freedom in exchange for working for Mumm-Ra, but when Slithe mentions cats, Kaynar’s interest is peeked. After being freed from his restraints, Kaynar decides to say goodbye to his “pals” before leaving, referring to the guards that brought him down there. {C}

As night falls over the ravines, Lion-O’s studying a group of imprisoned lizards being forced to walk in front of a tank through a telescope, recognizing them as the same lizards he and the others convinced to desert the army. Lion-O wants to help them, but Tygra points out that the captive lizards aren’t their problem anymore. Cheetara takes Tygra’s side, much to Lion-O’s disappointment. Lion-O instructs WilyKat and WilyKit to return to the Berbil Village, which they do reluctantly. As Lion-O runs down the hillside, Cheetara shouts that they have to stick together. Lion-O tells Cheetara that she and Tygra can stick together and he’ll rescue the lizards alone. {C}

As the captured lizards march down the ravine, followed closely behind by the tank piloted by Slithe, Lion-O steps in their path, prepared to fight. Slithe comments that the cowards are worse than the cats for abandoning their post, but Mumm-Ra’s newest generals managed to find them before they got too far. As Kaynar and Addicus approach Lion-O, he comments that Mumm-Ra finally figured out that Slithe can’t handle the job. Slithe claims they’re just here to make an example out of the traitors and points out it’s Lion-O’s own fault that the lizardmen are in that position. {C}

As the three generals prepare to take out Lion-O, darts are flung in their path. Slithe looks up at Cheetara, who had produced the darts from her staff. She and Tygra are both standing there, prepared to even the odds. Tygra goes after Kaynar, who soon disarms him of both his whip and his energy pistol. Cheetara faces off against Addicus, who comments on her discipline. Addicus gets the upper hand by using his prehensile feet to grab Cheetara and throw her into the cliff wall. {C} {C}Slithe is firing his weapon at Lion-O, who’s blocking the energy blasts with the Spirit Stone’s shield. As Slithe charges towards Lion-O, he brings the shield down and engages Slithe in a swordfight. The captured lizards choose to flee rather than assist Lion-O just as he blocked Slithe’s weapon with his gauntlet.

Back in the Berbil Village, Ro-Bear Bill finished making the final adjustments to Panthro’s arms. Panthro tests his new arms out by successfully punching a deep hole in the hut’s floor. WilyKat and WilyKit run into the hut, revealing that Lion-O’s in trouble. Panthro shouts for the Berbils to fuel up the ThunderTank. Ro-Bear Bill reveals that they also made adjustments to the ThunderTank.

Meanwhile, Kaynar is trying to locate Tygra, who had become invisible. Using his sense of smell, Kaynar successfully punches Tygra, knocking him to the ground. Cheetara’s still fighting Addicus, and Lion-O’s down on the ground, exhausted as Slithe gloats. With Tygra now tied up with his own whip, Kaynar threatens to kill him if the others don’t surrender. Lion-O refuses to, but to his dismay, Cheetara drops her staff. Slithe then knocks Lion-O down, while Addicus grabs Cheetara in a choker hold.

As the three generals prepare to finish off the three ThunderCats, a large fiery explosion distracts the generals long enough for Cheetara, Tygra, and Lion-O to get away from their captors. The now modified ThunderTank appears over the hillside and stops in front of everyone. Panthro appears on top of the ThunderTank and uses the extreme flexibility of his new arms to punch out Addicus, Kaynar, and Slithe. Once they’re down, Lion-O, Cheetara, and Tygra escape into the ThunderTank, where the Berbils are manning the controls. As the ThunderTank takes off, Panthro assures Lion-O that they only lost the battle and not the war, but Lion-O’s concerned that with Kaynar and Addicus, Mumm-Ra’s army will be more powerful than before. Panthro says they’ll get through this as long as they stick together.