ThunderCats: "The Duelist and the Drifter" Review

It was a little strange getting another solo Lion-O adventure after last week's "Legacy," but "The Duelist and the Drifter" (based on a story from T-Cats art director Dan Norton) was a unique western/feudal Japan mash-up that once again demonstrated how well this series can blend together so many cool influences into one delicious feast. Of course, I do miss the rest of the team and really hope that next week's chapter brings the Cats back together for some sweet endgame action.

The message of this particular tale was a little slight, but the episode made up for it with a really cool "tone" and style that helped it stand out. Hearing advice like "a strong sword does not make you strong" and "willows are weak but they bind other wood" was fine, but I don't really know how Lion-O was able to practically apply them so as to dodge the Duelist's onslaught at the end. But, like I mentioned, the visuals and throwback Bakshi-style music here distracted me enough to not care about the details.

I loved the idea of the Drifter (who sounded like Stephen Root doing a mix of Burl Ives and Sterling Holloway) blowing around in the breeze and getting caught up on the village fort fence so much that it really didn't matter that it didn't make all that much sense for this apathetic Cheshire Cat-type character to be bumming around the place where his arch-enemy resided when he clearly had the skill to beat him and redeem his life. And yet I still loved how he lazed about and seemed to remain indifferent ("...or don't. I don't care") to the goings-on inside the hodgepodge town of sword swingers. Of course, we all knew he was an important character from the get go since his name is in the title of the episode.

The Duelist himself spoke with a Lee Van Cleef/Lance Henriksen-style gruffness and the sight of all the swords on his back sure was a pretty thing. I don't think I necessarily agree with the Drifter and Lion-O calling him evil since he really bested people fair and square - his only sin being that he goads people into fighting him. Lion-O didn't have to fall for his tricks so maybe the life-lesson here was the one Marty McFly had to learn: not to cave when someone calls you "chicken."

I'm also wondering how much time has passed since the destruction of the ThunderCats kingdom. Lion-O wasn't able to buy supplies with his Thundarian coinage because it was deemed to be an antique symbol of a dead empire. How many months have gone by now? "The Duelist and the Drifter" was a fine entry and I'm all for Lion-O learning hard lessons, but I don't want this show to repeat itself too much. I feel like this was Lion-O's third or fourth lesson in humility and I wouldn't want to feel like these little side adventures are being wasted on a hero who can't learn from his mistakes.

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