- Title: Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness – Shifu’s Back
- tv.com: link
After two months of being cooped up in the Jade Palace unable to perform Kung Fu for without permits lost in a bureaucratic nightmare caused by the new regulations instigated by superintendent Woo (Ken Jeong), Po (Mick Wingert) and the Furious Five are finally granted permission to return to duty and deal with increased crime rate that has grown in their absence.
When Shifu (Fred Tatasciore) injures his back Po, who is responsible the injury, must stay and take care of his master while the Furious Five go after three not so little pigs terrorizing the countryside. Things get really interesting when Constable Hu (Neil Ross) shows up with Superintendent Woo who is considering shutting down the Jade Palace and replacing it with a new police force.
With an apparently drunken Shifu in no shape to demonstrate his ability to lead the Kung Fu masters due to his injured back and and overdose of a herbal potion delivered by Poe which leaves Shifu loopy, Po assumes his master’s role by presenting himself as Shifu. The result of which is all kinds of wackiness highlighted by Po fighting with Shifu in a baby carrier strapped on his chest.
Of course an incensed Woo eventually discovers the truth, and threatens to shut down the Jade Palace permanently, but when Po and Shifu are able to save his life from the three bandit pigs on Woo’s way out of town (once again with Shifu strapped to the Dragon Warrior’s chest) he reconsiders his position. I’ll admit the set-up for this episode is a little weak (Kung Fu permits?), but the execution is all kinds of awesome and delivers what is, at least so far, my favorite episode of the series.
