Thunderstone – Episode Three (1999)

Fifteen-year-old Noah (Jeffrey Walker) is from the futuristic underground community of North Col. Attempting to time travel to the past, he is trapped in a desert, where he is captured by the Nomads, a group of children led by Arushka (Mereoni Vuki). They are hiding from the evil warlord Tao (Stuart Halusz) who is hunting for slaves for his Thunderstone mines. In the underground tunnels, Noah sees something familiar and realises this is the ruin of his home North Col. He has been wrong – he is not in the past but in the future! He is devastated. What happened to everyone, to his family?

This episode, number three of a 52-part series, showcases the fabulous production design and high production values that are the feature of this quality children’s series. The settings – the futuristic community of North Col, the caves and underground tunnels, and the Mad Max 2-like desert settings of Haven – are superbly created, including the junkyard-look vehicles. Thunderstone’s intriguing plot has a significant revelation in this episode.