Episode 18: Survival of the Fittest
Original Air Date: April 21, 2012
Episode Written by: J.M. DeMatteis, Directed by: Riki Matsuura
Article by: Purrsia



Purrsia's Synopsis:
While Tygra and Lion-O were off looking for that pass in the mountains, the others are left behind waiting...and hungry. Having run out of their provisions, Panthro and Cheetara decide it's time to teach the little ones how to hunt. They split up by gender, the elder cat trying to pass on wisdom to the younger generation.

When Panthro's efforts to show Kat how to track fails comically, he tries to go simpler and sets up a pretty straight-forward trap. As Panthro prepares the trap, WilyKat flashes back to a time when he had a family to care for him...

At one time, the Wily kittens lived in the country with a mother, father and two younger siblings. Their Papa ran a farm - farming some kind of huge vegetable, and the kids loved to hear about the legend of El Dara. It's a story of an idyllic city from a story book, and the kittens were keen on finding it so their parents wouldn't have to work so hard. Then, a twister came and swept Papa away, leaving the rest of the little family to cope without him.

Back in the moment, WilyKat has second thoughts about the animal trap Panthro set. He thinks the prey is cute, and what's more it's just hungry like they are. At the last minute, Kat spooks the animal. And if Panthro wasn't already angry enough about that, he got outright atomic when he ended up in his own trap no thanks to Kat.

In the ladies' camp, Cheetara teaches Kit about scent masking, much to Kit's chargrin. When Kit is told survival sometimes mean doing something you don't want to, she has her own flashback to the time after her father was swept away by the twister and the tough times that followed. The kittens, still too small to help on the farm, decide leaving is best - two less mouths to feed, plus if they find El Dara, they can help the family that way. So they set off in the night for Thundera, in the hopes someone there will know where to find the city.

In the present, Kit and Cheetara close in on their prey when Kit has a similar attack of conscience to her brother's. She sabotages the hunt, sending Cheetara plunging into the stinky fruit resulting in quite a coating for the elder cat. Before Cheetara has a chance to get too angry about it, she realizes something is out there hunting them. Turns out to be just Kat and Panthro coming back to check up with them. The adult cats decide the two kids need more motivation to make the hard choices. Cheetara gives them each a sharp stick and tells them to either come back with food or they will have to sleep outside.

The kids approach an animal, resolving to complete the unpleasant task until they realize the animal is part of a family. This revelation causes another flashback to the sibling's time in the slums of Thundera, when they had to make the tough choice to steal to eat rather than starve. However, they can't "do what it takes" to survive now - not if it means disturbing the family of animals. Their decision made, they decide to head back to face the consequences. But before they can go far, the thing in the woods leaps out and attacks. But it doesn't attack them, but rather the family of animals the kids had decided to let be. They decide they must intervene, going to work to defend the family.
They manage, with the help of Kit's flute, to restrain the beast. In thanks, the animal family show the kittens the way to a plentiful fruit tree in the forest. Now they can eat and not have to shed blood! Even Panthro and Cheetara are impressed with their haul. Looks as though the kids have always had what it takes to survive on their own.

Quotes:

"It'll be men versus women. Whoever comes back with less meat has to cook." - Panthro's terms for the hunt.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised an orphan didn't have anyone teach him how to survive." - Panthro, regarding WilyKat.

"I worked hard doing it my way, and we survived. And that's what I want you to learn." - The lesson the Wily kittens' father wanted them to learn.

"Cute ones taste the best." - Panthro's response to WilyKat's plea that they can't eat an animal that's cute and harmless.

"Great. Now I smell like Panthro." - WilyKit, after Cheetara smeared smelly stuff on her.

Facts of Note:

Interesting that the kittens are referred to as orphans, yet they are run aways who possibly still have their mother and siblings out there somewhere - especially likely considering they did not live in Thundera.

Classic Compare/Contrast:

A bit of comparison trivia - the OS never had an episode without Lion-O. But this marks the first of the new series where Lion-O did not make an appearance.
Also similar was the "lesson of the day" feel of this episode...a little too familiar with the preachy feel as well, unfortunately. There was good intent there I suppose, showing that at one time they'd steal to survive but they've grown since then and won't hunt, finding other means instead. Too bad it came off so anti-hunting. I'm apt to agree with Panthro - the cute ones are the tastiest! >:)
As far as the kittens' background, the OS didn't really give them one so it's always cool to get a history on characters.

Purrsia's Two Cents:

This was a polar episode for me. As in, on one hand I think it was one of the best character backstory/flashback episodes yet. But yeah, it was another side-story ep taking the arc away from the main theme...again.
The backstory was touching and sweet at times. Those kittens are just the cutest! And while I get that the siblings were demonstrating their father's teaching in that they're surviving their way, it came across as a bit preachy with the anti-hunting undercurrent.
The humorous bits were a riot; you gotta love the willfulness of those kids and the trouble it gets them in. But I'm not sure why they'd be left in the woods by themselves when "something is out there". I guess Panthro really did think it was Kat's imagination, and maybe Cheetara thought it was just Kat screwing around. But still...that was kinda a "huh?" moment for me in this one.

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Captures From Survival of the Fittest

PURRSIA'S SCREEN SHOTS