The Traitor

Bobby and Hank are taken by Orcs straight to Venger, while the rest are rescued by the Cloud Bears - a sweet and friendly race of peaceful creatures. Luckily, Hank is found, but he's overheard plotting against them. Has he really turned traitor?

It feels as though the bubble has burst - the purple patch has gone green. Epic fantasy and tales of dragons and magic have turned into... Care Bears. I tried to enjoy it, I really did, but it's hard to feel tension when you're surrounded by creatures who look like they should be handing out friendship bracelets.

Sheila descends fully into the grumpy older sister role, moralising her way through every scene - does she think she's Man-at-Arms? What should have been a tense, emotional story about loyalty instead plays out like a clunky snooze-fest, as if the writers were too polite to let the characters actually misbehave.

The Traitor feels uneven. The idea of Hank - the golden boy of the group, the moral anchor - being accused of betrayal is an intriguing one. He's basically He-Man without the biceps, the eternal good guy, so the thought of him turning bad is almost too much to contemplate.

The so-called Care Bear types add a dash of eerie sweetness, but they're hopelessly out of place here - all fluff, no fangs. I'm almost relieved when Venger appears; his cool stoicism takes my mind off the cuddly chaos. He may only glide in for a few brief moments, but he brings some much-needed menace. Without him, the whole thing risks feeling like an after-school special about trust and teamwork.

An average instalment in an otherwise strong run - not every adventure can be an epic masterpiece, but fewer bears would have helped.

6/10.