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Dragons: The Nine Realms - Cold Open (S4E1)
Tom and the riders discover the Ice Realm and find Buzzsaw inside.
| Runtime (min) | 23 |
|---|---|
| TMDB Rating | 7.0 (3 votes) |
| Air Date | 2022-11-17 |
| Genres | Animation, Action & Adventure |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Hulu, Peacock |
Storyline
In this season premiere, Tom and his fellow dragon riders venture into a previously unexplored region known as the Ice Realm, a frozen territory that presents new challenges and dangers. The icy landscape is unlike anything the riders have encountered before, testing both their skills and their dragons' abilities to navigate extreme cold and treacherous terrain.
During their exploration, the team makes a startling discovery: Buzzsaw, the antagonist who has caused trouble for them in the past, is already present in the Ice Realm. His presence raises immediate questions about his intentions and what he might be seeking in this frozen domain. The episode sets up the central conflict for the season as Tom and the riders must now contend with both the harsh environmental conditions of the Ice Realm and the threat posed by Buzzsaw's mysterious activities in this new territory.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about the importance of exploration and facing the unknown with courage and preparation. Tom and the riders demonstrate that venturing into unfamiliar territory requires careful planning, teamwork, and adaptability. When confronted with the Ice Realm's harsh conditions, the characters must rely on each other's strengths and trust their dragons, showing young viewers that collaboration is essential when tackling new challenges.
The episode also explores themes of vigilance and problem-solving. The discovery of Buzzsaw in the Ice Realm reminds children that obstacles can appear unexpectedly, and being alert to potential dangers is an important skill. Rather than panicking when they encounter their adversary, the riders must think strategically about how to handle the situation, demonstrating critical thinking under pressure.
Additionally, the story reinforces the value of perseverance in difficult environments. The Ice Realm's extreme conditions could easily discourage the team, but their commitment to their mission shows children that persistence and determination help us overcome environmental and interpersonal challenges alike.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the Ice Realm and why do the riders go there? | The Ice Realm is a newly discovered frozen territory that the dragon riders explore in this episode. It represents uncharted territory with extreme cold conditions and unique challenges. Tom and his team venture there as part of their ongoing exploration of the Nine Realms, expanding their knowledge of dragon habitats and the world around them. The harsh icy environment tests both the riders and their dragons in new ways. |
| Who is Buzzsaw and why is he a threat? | Buzzsaw is an antagonist from previous seasons who has repeatedly caused problems for Tom and the dragon riders. His presence in the Ice Realm is unexpected and concerning because it suggests he has his own agenda in this new territory. The episode doesn't immediately reveal his full intentions, but his history of conflict with the riders means his activities in the Ice Realm pose a potential threat to both the team and the dragons they're trying to protect. |
| Is the Ice Realm dangerous for the dragons? | The Ice Realm presents environmental challenges with its extreme cold and treacherous frozen terrain. The episode shows that navigating this new environment requires the dragons and their riders to adapt to conditions they haven't previously encountered. While dragons are resilient creatures, the harsh climate tests their abilities and requires the riders to be especially attentive to their dragons' needs and safety in this unfamiliar setting. |
| Does this episode have scary moments for younger viewers? | The episode contains typical adventure-series tension, including the discovery of an antagonist in an unfamiliar environment and the challenges of exploring harsh, icy terrain. The combination of environmental danger and Buzzsaw's presence creates suspense, but the show maintains its family-friendly tone. Parents of particularly sensitive younger children may want to watch together to provide reassurance during tenser moments of discovery and confrontation. |
| What should I tell my child about dealing with people like Buzzsaw? | This episode provides an opportunity to discuss how the riders handle encountering someone who has caused them trouble before. Tom and his team don't respond with immediate aggression but instead assess the situation carefully. Parents can use this to talk with children about staying calm when facing difficult people, working together with trusted friends, and thinking strategically rather than reacting impulsively when confronted with challenges or adversaries. |
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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