ThunderCats Roar - ThunderDogs (S1E43)
| Air Date | 2020-11-11 |
|---|---|
| Genres | Kids, Animation, Comedy, Action & Adventure |
| TV Rating | TV-Y7-FV |
| Network(s) | Cartoon Network |
Storyline
In this episode of ThunderCats Roar, the ThunderCats find themselves transformed into dogs through magical or technological means. The transformation forces Lion-O, Tygra, Cheetara, Panthro, and WilyKit and WilyKat to navigate Third Earth and their heroic duties while dealing with canine instincts and behaviors. The episode plays with the physical comedy and personality shifts that come from the team experiencing life as a completely different species.
The ThunderCats must work together to reverse the transformation while managing their new dog forms, which likely include heightened senses of smell, an urge to chase things, and other dog-like tendencies that conflict with their usual feline grace and combat skills. The episode uses this body-swap premise to explore how the team adapts to unexpected challenges and maintains their bond even when their physical forms change dramatically.
What parents say
Parents note that ThunderCats Roar takes a much lighter, more comedic approach than the original 1980s series, with slapstick humor and exaggerated cartoon violence that some families appreciate for younger viewers while others miss the more serious tone of the classic show. Many parents have commented that the show's fast-paced, zany energy keeps kids entertained but can be overstimulating for some children.
Parents have complimented the series for maintaining positive messages about teamwork and friendship even within its silly scenarios. Some parents appreciate that the rebooted series makes the ThunderCats franchise accessible to a new generation without the darker themes of the original. However, other parents have expressed that the show's constant noise and frenetic action can be exhausting to watch alongside their children.
Parents generally find the cartoon violence harmless and clearly fantastical, with no realistic consequences shown. The show's humor tends toward the absurd rather than mean-spirited, which many parents prefer for elementary-aged children.
What kids learn
This episode teaches children about adaptability and maintaining a positive attitude when facing unexpected changes. When the ThunderCats are transformed into dogs, they must learn to work with their new limitations and find creative solutions rather than giving up. Kids see that even when circumstances change dramatically, friends can support each other through difficult transitions.
The transformation premise also encourages empathy and perspective-taking. By experiencing life in a completely different form, the characters gain understanding of what it's like to navigate the world differently. Children learn that trying to understand others' experiences, even when very different from their own, builds compassion and patience.
The episode reinforces that identity and friendship go deeper than physical appearance. Even though the ThunderCats look and act differently as dogs, they remain a team with the same core values and loyalty to one another. Kids learn that true friendship endures through changes and that who we are inside matters more than outward circumstances.
Parents' top 5 questions
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Is the transformation scary or upsetting for young children? | The transformation in ThunderCats Roar is played entirely for comedy rather than drama or horror. The show's bright animation style and silly tone keep the body-swap premise lighthearted and fun. The characters treat their dog forms as an inconvenient but amusing obstacle rather than something frightening, which helps younger viewers see it as a playful adventure rather than a threatening situation. |
| Does the episode make fun of dogs or animals in a mean way? | The episode uses dog behaviors for physical comedy but not in a cruel or mocking manner. The humor comes from the ThunderCats adjusting to canine instincts like chasing and sniffing, not from portraying dogs negatively. The show treats the transformation as a fun exploration of different animal traits rather than suggesting one species is superior to another, maintaining a respectful and playful tone throughout. |
| What age group is this episode most appropriate for? | ThunderCats Roar is designed for children ages six to eleven, and this episode fits that target range well. The transformation concept is simple enough for younger elementary students to follow, while the teamwork challenges provide enough substance for older kids. The cartoon action is clearly fantastical without realistic violence, making it suitable for the intended age group without being too intense. |
| Are there any educational elements about real dogs or animals? | While the episode is primarily comedic entertainment, it does touch on recognizable dog behaviors like enhanced smell, different movement styles, and social instincts. These elements aren't presented as a science lesson, but children may gain casual awareness of how dogs experience the world differently than cats. The focus remains on storytelling and humor rather than educational content about animal biology. |
| Does the episode resolve with the characters returning to normal? | ThunderCats Roar follows a episodic format where each story typically resolves within its runtime, returning characters to their baseline status. The transformation premise serves as the episode's central conflict, and the narrative structure of the series suggests the ThunderCats work toward and achieve a solution. The show maintains continuity by ensuring characters are ready for new adventures in subsequent episodes. |
Writing
Directing
| Season # | Episode # | Episode Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Fleeing the destruction of their home planet Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats land on the world of Third Earth. But their enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr have followed them and it turns out Third Earth already has a Mumm-Ra problem. |
| 1 | 2 | Fleeing the destruction of their home planet Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats land on the mysterious, dangerous, all-around awesome world of Third Earth! But their enemies, the Mutants of Plun-Darr have followed them and it turns out Third Earth already has a Mumm-Ra problem - can Lion-O learn the ropes of being a leader in time? |
| 1 | 3 | Lion-O has gotten ahold of the last jar of Thundersnaps - the best cookies Thundera had to offer! But a difficult to open cookie jar sends Lion-O and Cheetara chasing down the legend of Boggy Ben. |
| 1 | 4 | Lion-O wants to prove to the ThunderKittens that he's not just some boring old adult like Tygra, even if it means ignoring his instincts and messing with an obviously evil crystal. |
| 1 | 5 | Panthro becomes fed up with having to constantly fix things around the Cats' Lair, which proves to be a problem when an unstoppable drilling robot plans an attack. |
| 1 | 6 | A crying unicorn appears at the Cats' Lair and tells the ThunderCats that all of her unicorn friends have been captured; Tygra thinks he's just the unicorn expert to help the last of the unicorns. |
| 1 | 7 | Vultureman has got a brand new invention but there's one big problem: he stole the idea from Panthro! Oh, also Vultureman is using his invention to take over Third Earth. So, there are two big problems. |
| 1 | 8 | Third Earth is being overrun by super tough, super buff Warrior Maidens and it looks like the ThunderCats are next on their hit list! It's gonna be up to the ThunderKittens to save the day even though the kittens are so small and the Warrior Maidens are so big. |
| 1 | 9 | Barely escaping the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth, home to the evil Mumm-Ra and a bizarre host of other creatures and villains. |
| 1 | 10 | Barely escaping the sudden destruction of their home world, Thundera, Lion-O and the ThunderCats crash land on the mysterious and exotic planet of Third Earth, home to the evil Mumm-Ra and a bizarre host of other creatures and villains. |
| 1 | 11 | Feeling underappreciated by the other ThunderCats, Tygra starts hanging out with Mumm-Ra and cleaning his black pyramid. Whaaaat? |
| 1 | 12 | Cheetara is the fastest living being in the universe, until Monkian beats her in a race! Now Cheetara has to find something else to be the best at, while the rest of the ThunderCats find out how Monkian got so darn fast! |
| 1 | 13 | Lion-O "accidentally" releases a whole space prison-full of space criminals and winds up on the wrong side of the law. On the right side of the law is Mandora the Evil Chaser, a no nonsense space cop. Lion-O's gonna have to work real hard to prove he's not a criminal, just a little bit of an oaf. |
| 1 | 14 | Lion-O is tasked with mapping the beaches of Third Earth, which leads to him somehow draining the oceans of all water entirely. Woops. But a mysterious scientist with a robotic frog says they can fix everything by traveling under the earth, which is just the kinda crazy adventure Lion-O is all about. |
| 1 | 15 | Lion-O never pays attention during Tygra's training sessions so when he's asked to do a pop quiz on "sword magic" he accidentally opens a portal to the Astral Plane and releases the Nether Witch. The Witch imprisons Lion-O and Tygra in her nightmare realm and it's gonna take a lot of studying to figure out a way home. Wonder if the Astral Plane has any great teachers lying around. |
| 1 | 16 | Every time Mumm-Ra gets a hold of a magic artifact to restore his powers, the ThunderCats just smash it and turn him into a dinky skeleton again. Until today that is, because Mumm-Ra just remembered he's got the Ancient Spirits of Evil, and now he can get swole whenever he wants. |
| 1 | 17 | The Cats' Lair is attacked by gold-loving robot pirates, the Berserkers. This is a good thing, really, since it means Lion-O and the ThunderKittens can ditch their chores and fight robo-pirates instead. Just don't tell Tygra!!! |
| 1 | 18 | Freed from the Astral Plane, Jaga, ghost of the ThunderCats mentor, is now free to visit the Cats' Lair. Which means he can finally tell them why Thundera, their home world, exploded. It's story time. |
| 1 | 19 | While flying with his new invention, Panthro hits it off with a new friend, Barbastella, the Queen of the Bats. Now Panthro needs help getting ready for his big date with her, because it turns out Panthro is terrified of bats. Lion-O and Cheetara are happy to help but, wow, that is a lot to unpack. |
| 1 | 20 | After a battle with the Mutants, Jackalman gets confused and accidentally returns to the Cats' Lair with the Thundercats, he is the dumbest mutant. Jackalman pretends to be a Thundercat so his enemies won't catch him and the Thundercats pretend to play along because they feel bad for him. |
| 1 | 21 | The Thundercats are exhausted from fighting bad guys all the time so Lion-O suggests they spend a relaxing summer fun day at the beach, with no fighting. Unfortunately the beach is home to the Crabmen, giant, clawed humanoids that fight anyone who steps on their sand. Looks like summer fun day might involve some fighting. |
| 1 | 22 | While minding her own business, Cheetara is caught in a trap set by Safari Joe, the famously annoying hunter. After escaping, she rallies the other ThunderCats to help her stop Joe once and for all, by turning the tables and capturing him. |
| 1 | 23 | The ThunderCats have gotten so good at defeating the Mutants of Plun-Darr that it's basically become routine. That all changes with the arrival of the Mutants' old leader: Ratar-O, wielder of the Sword of Plun-Darr. Uh-oh. |
| 1 | 24 | Lion-O is happily playing with Snarf in their "Frolicking Field" and doesn't have a care in the world, unfortunately he's accidentally stomping all over the miniature village of the Micrits. The tiny people want to defeat the "giant orange monster" but such a quest would require a brave hero. Luckily, the Micrits have such a hero: Prince Starling. Now, let us the tell you the epic tale of Prince Starling as he journeys to find the fountain of growth and defeat the wicked Lion-O, who has no idea any of this is going on. |
| 1 | 25 | Lion-O and the other ThunderCats are thrilled to meet a brand new Thunderian: Lion-S. She's cool, good at fighting robots and, most importantly, thinks Lion-O and his Sword of Omens are really neat and interesting. Looks like the ThunderCats have a new best friend. Maybe even, a new ThunderCat????? |
| 1 | 26 | Hey everyone, it's Snarf's monthly day off. That's right, Snarf leaves the Cats' Lair to get a needed vacation by transforming into a normal cat and hanging out with a nice old lady on a farm. But his relaxing day is threatened when Snarf and the nice old lady cross paths with Mumm-Ra. |
| 1 | 27 | The Thundercats' worst nightmare comes true when their worst enemies, Mumm-Ra and The Mutants, team up after Mumm-Ra acquires The Sword of Plun-Darr. |
| 1 | 28 | Chaos reigns over Third Earth now that the Mutants and Mumm-Ra control the Cats' Lair. The Thundercats' only hope is to sneak back in and get a super secret weapon, Panthro has hidden at the heart of the Lair. |
| 1 | 29 | Tygra creates a bunch of new laws for Third Earth so Mandora can finally arrest the Mutants. Unfortunately, the ThunderCats are really bad at following their own rules and the Mutants are really good at working around them. |
| 1 | 30 | When a crate containing fifty Swords of Omen lands on Third Earth, the ThunderCats rush out in the ThunderTank to find then. Unfortunately, The Mutants and Mumm-Ra want the swords too so it's going to a race to get to them! A wacky race, you might say. We won't say that, but you might. |
| 1 | 31 | The Cheetara Corp Employee Retreat gets canceled when Baron Karnon, a mysterious corporate raider, buys them out! Now Cheetara and Jan-Jan must brave the wilds of Third Earth's most dangerous jungles to find the Baron's office and demand a meeting with the man who stole their company! |
| 1 | 32 | |
| 1 | 33 | |
| 1 | 34 | When the ThunderCats tell the Berbils to stop building things for the Mutants, they build a giant Berbil named Berb-cules, who takes back everything they ever built. |
| 1 | 35 | |
| 1 | 36 | Barbastella reunites with her ex-girlfriend, the elitist Queen of the Rats. A jealous Panthro installs AI into all the Lair's appliances, to become King of the Machines. |
| 1 | 37 | When a local sword shop sells an ultra-powerful sword to Ratar-O, Lion-O decides he has to steal it before Ratar-O can come pick it up. Unfortunately, Lion-O is completely against stealing, but luckily, he knows someone who loves to steal... Lion-S! |
| 1 | 38 | |
| 1 | 39 | |
| 1 | 40 | |
| 1 | 41 | |
| 1 | 42 | The ThunderCats freak out when a spooky ghost dressed like a pharaoh appears in their mirrors! They quickly set about to getting rid of every reflective surface in their lair because that ghost is scary and no one wants to talk to him! |
| 1 | 43 | |
| 1 | 44 | |
| 1 | 45 | The Thundercats invite a super cool swamp man into the Cat's Lair who is on the run from some scary looking aliens. |
| 1 | 46 | |
| 1 | 47 | |
| 1 | 48 | |
| 1 | 49 | |
| 1 | 50 | The ThunderCats face the greatest threat of their lives: Grune the Destroyer! He's the ghost of an evil ThunderCat and he wants revenge! HOW ARE THEY GONNA BEAT GRUNE??? You'll have to watch the episode! |
| 1 | 51 | |
| 1 | 52 |
This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.