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Dragons: The Nine Realms - Follow the Lightning (2) (S2E7)
Tom and the riders help Thunder, who is seeking revenge against the dragons that chased off his family.
| Runtime (min) | 23 |
|---|---|
| TMDB Rating | 9.0 (3 votes) |
| Air Date | 2022-05-05 |
| Genres | Animation, Action & Adventure |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Hulu, Peacock |
Storyline
In this continuation of the two-part arc, Tom and the Dragon Riders accompany Thunder on a mission driven by the young dragon's need for vengeance. Thunder is determined to confront the hostile dragons responsible for driving his family away from their territory. The episode follows the group as they track down these antagonistic dragons, with Thunder's emotional state creating tension and urgency throughout their journey.
As the riders support Thunder in his quest, they must navigate the dangers of encountering aggressive dragons while also helping their friend process his anger and loss. The episode explores Thunder's internal struggle between his desire for revenge and the bonds he has formed with Tom and the other riders. The story examines themes of family separation, loyalty, and the consequences of acting on raw emotion, as Thunder faces critical choices about how to respond to the dragons who wronged him.
What kids learn
This episode offers children meaningful lessons about processing anger and grief in healthy ways. Thunder's quest for revenge provides a framework for discussing how painful emotions like loss and betrayal can drive us to make choices we might later regret. Young viewers see that while anger is a natural response to injustice, acting solely on that anger without considering consequences can lead to more harm than healing.
The story also reinforces the importance of friendship and support during difficult times. Tom and the other riders stand by Thunder even when his emotions threaten to lead him down a destructive path, demonstrating that true friends help each other through pain rather than abandoning someone who is hurting. Children learn that having people who care about you can make a difference when facing loss or trauma.
Additionally, the episode touches on themes of family bonds and what it means when those connections are disrupted. Thunder's determination to find his family shows children the powerful nature of familial love, while also opening conversations about separation, resilience, and finding strength in chosen family when circumstances change.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the revenge theme handled appropriately for young viewers? | The episode presents revenge as an understandable but ultimately problematic response to hurt. Thunder's anger is validated as a natural emotion, but the narrative structure encourages viewers to consider whether acting on vengeance will truly resolve his pain. The story provides opportunities for parents to discuss healthier ways to process feelings of injustice and loss with their children. |
| How intense is the dragon conflict in this episode? | The episode features confrontations between Thunder and the dragons who displaced his family, which creates action-oriented tension throughout. While the show maintains its typical animated adventure style, the emotional stakes are higher because of Thunder's personal investment in the conflict. The intensity comes more from Thunder's emotional state than from graphic violence, making it manageable for the show's target audience. |
| Does Thunder find his family by the end of the episode? | The episode focuses primarily on Thunder's journey toward confronting the dragons responsible for his family's displacement and his internal struggle with revenge. The resolution centers on Thunder's emotional growth and the choices he makes about how to handle his anger, with the support of Tom and the riders playing a crucial role in the outcome. |
| What role do Tom and the other riders play in helping Thunder? | Tom and the riders serve as Thunder's support system throughout his quest, accompanying him into dangerous territory and helping him navigate his intense emotions. They demonstrate loyalty by standing with their friend during his crisis while also providing perspective that might help Thunder make better choices. Their presence shows children the value of having friends who care enough to both support and guide you. |
| Are there lessons about family separation that might resonate with children? | Thunder's experience of being separated from his family creates opportunities to discuss loss and displacement with children who may have experienced similar situations. The episode acknowledges that family separation is painful and that wanting to reunite is natural. Parents can use Thunder's story to validate their own children's feelings about separation while discussing healthy ways to cope with such experiences. |
Writing
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Directing
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| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Moving to an exotic new home, an adventurous teenager meets a new group of kids and discovers a dragon in the fissure. |
| 1 | 2 | Tom forges a friendship with the dragon and discovers an entire world of dragons within the fissure. |
| 1 | 3 | Tom and Jun encounter unexpected dangers and are separated while exploring the Hidden Realm of dragons. Tom introduces Jun to the dragon world, and Jun bonds with a dragon of her own – Wu and Wei. |
| 1 | 4 | Tom and Jun take a risk in revealing the secret of the Hidden Realm to D’Angelo to aid an injured dragon, and D’Angelo bonds with Plowhorn. |
| 1 | 5 | Tom and the others debate how to keep the dragons a secret, even as a rambunctious young “cloaking” dragon gets loose in town and pursues a friendship with a Alex. |
| 1 | 6 | Tom and the Riders try to save ICARIS when it's revealed to be in danger from a monstrous dragon. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | Jun breaks the rules by sneaking a small, adorable dragon out of the Crystal Realm and bringing it home, but finds that her older brother, Eugene, has arrived and watches her every move. |
| 2 | 2 | Tom has to keep his mom, Olivia, distracted while Jun, Alex, and D’Angelo use a new dragon to close off a cave leading to the Crystal Realm, and prevent her from discovering the dragons. |
| 2 | 3 | When Feather is taken by a group of what appear to be zombie dragons, Alex finds her inner hero and rescues her friend. |
| 2 | 4 | Tom and Thunder train a new species of aggressive tidal dragons to help the other riders put out a forest fire threatening ICARIS. |
| 2 | 5 | Tom and D’Angelo must come together to help Alex and Jun escape the clutches of the Spiderwings. |
| 2 | 6 | Tom and the riders go in search of Thunder and must face a gauntlet of dangerous dragons to find their lost friend. Along the way, Tom reveals his big secret to D’Angelo and Alex. |
| 2 | 7 | Tom and the riders help Thunder, who is seeking revenge against the dragons that chased off his family. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | Tom hatches an unorthodox plan to use a Monstrous Nightmare to test Alex's new fire suit, endangering the secret of dragons. |
| 3 | 2 | After a fight with her mom, Jun joins Tom on an adventure into the Fire Realm, where her knowledge of myths saves the day. |
| 3 | 3 | When a tiny Fireworm dragon ends up at ICARIS, Alex must decide between her mom's excitement and keeping the dragon secret. |
| 3 | 4 | During an attempt to get displaced Fire Gronckles back to their native realm, D'Angelo accidentally feeds them Catastrophic Quaken eggs. |
| 3 | 5 | Eugene discovers the Lair and demands a dragon of his own. |
| 3 | 6 | The dragon riders must sneak a very sick Magma Breather into the ICARIS infirmary. |
| 3 | 7 | The Sky Torcher and Flame Throwers invade the Crystal Realm; Tom must conquer his demons and bond with the Fault Ripper to defeat the Sky Torcher. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | Tom and the riders discover the Ice Realm and find Buzzsaw inside. |
| 4 | 2 | Alex and Eugene find themselves at odds with Tom and their fellow dragon riders when Feathers and Webmaster go missing during a blizzard in the Ice Realm. |
| 4 | 3 | Jun struggles to convince Tom to trust her faith in myths over the Book of Dragons when they venture to a place that his book seems to say is extremely dangerous. |
| 4 | 4 | Tom’s leadership abilities come into question by Eugene when his decisions lead to failure while attempting to confront Buzzsaw. |
| 4 | 5 | Tom and Thunder discover a baby Nightlight and must bring him back to Thunder’s home realm. |
| 4 | 6 | When Thunder’s clan of fellow Nightlights is attacked by the Snow Wraith, Tom vows to rescue them. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | 1 | While punished, Tom must sneak out to rescue the Riders from Buzzsaw. |
| 5 | 2 | Tom orchestrates a “safe” tour of the realms to convince Olivia that the Hidden World is safe for them to explore. |
| 5 | 3 | A mischievous new breed of dragons called Vine Tails steal the Book of Dragons. |
| 5 | 4 | Tom and the riders must work together to rescue Eugene from a dragon’s nest. |
| 5 | 5 | Tom must rescue Olivia from the Hidden World when she winds up getting herself frozen by a pack of hungry Speed Stingers. |
| 5 | 6 | When a deep freeze puts the lives of everyone in Rakke Town in jeopardy, the riders must attempt to use the dragons to get the humans through the night without being seen. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | 1 | Tom struggles under the pressure of being the new ‘Dragon Whisperer’ for Rakke Town; Thunder rises to the occasion to help him. |
| 6 | 2 | When the parents leave for the night and tell the riders not to bring the dragons to the surface while they’re gone, D’Angelo and Eugene get locked in the hangar (with the dragons!) after Eugene triggers a security lockdown. |
| 6 | 3 | Jun forms an unlikely connection with Sledkin. |
| 6 | 4 | Eugene’s bond with Webmaster is put to the test when Webmaster leaves the group for a pack of Deathgrippers. |
| 6 | 5 | Tom sets out to prove Sledkin caused an explosion that injured a dragon in the Hidden World. |
| 6 | 6 | When the dragons fall victim to Buzzsaw’s poison darts, D struggles to keep a cool head and find a cure while others panic. |
| 6 | 7 | Tom and the riders “borrow” the bathysphere to rescue a dragon from the depths of the Giant Realm Sea. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 1 | When Phil threatens to shut down D’Angelo’s new dragon hospital and ban dragons from ICARIS, D’Angelo and a little Hobgobbler have to change his mind. |
| 7 | 2 | While Tom struggles with admitting his feelings for Jun, the pair find themselves trapped inside a giant tree with an anxious colony of Woodchipper dragons. |
| 7 | 3 | Thunder must wrangle and lead the Hero Dragons in a desperate attempt to save Tom and the riders from a dangerous new dragon, The Glass Caster. |
| 7 | 4 | When Jun does a Tarot reading for the team, she interprets its meaning to be that the riders will disband! In an effort to defy this fate, Jun forces the group to stick together as they search for a dragon that has breached the Rakke Town eel barrier. |
| 7 | 5 | With the dragon riders disbanded, Eugene attempts to start his own Dragon Club. |
| 7 | 6 | When Thunder accidentally fries Alex’s tablet, Alex goes off on her own and is captured by Buzzsaw. |
| 7 | 7 | Tom and the riders must finally overcome their differences and come together as a team to survive the Dark Realm. |
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 1 | Tom attempts to defeat the World Serpent by emulating Hiccup. |
| 8 | 2 | Tom and the dragon riders foster displaced Hidden Realm dragons in Rakke Town but things get complicated when Mr. Rakke makes a surprise visit. |
| 8 | 3 | The Dragon riders enlist the aid of Carla and Hazel and their scientific knowledge to help them prepare for a mission to neutralize Jörmungandr so they can return him to his chamber and seal him back inside. |
| 8 | 4 | Tom and the riders must rescue Plowhorn from Sledkin when the villain abducts the dragon to help her find the Gods Realm and the Dragonsite jewel. |
| 8 | 5 | Tom’s overconfidence turns to frustration then despair as he struggles to procure the ingredients for Gronckle Iron in hopes of building a trap to stop the World Serpent. |
| 8 | 6 | After a major miscalculation by Tom in 225 leaves the fate of the Realms in jeopardy, Jun and the riders rally behind Tom and Thunder to face off against the World Serpent. |
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