The Rise of the Great Devourer

 With the season finale upon us, it is time to watch the two episodes I have only ever watched once, due to me being terrified of the Great Devourer.

 With all four Fangblades in their posession, the ninja head for Torchfire Mountain, the only place in Ninjago where they can be destroyed. Just before they can throw the weapons into the fire, however, Pythor reveals himself and steals the Fangblades, before escaping on a tour bus turned Serpentine truck.

Together, the ninja dispatch every Serpentine in their way, but Wu disconnects their cart, deciding to face Pythor himself, as he believes it to be his destiny. Not having the learned the lesson he himself taught Kai about needing to work in a team, he loses rather quickly, leading Pythor to reach Ouroboros and awaken the Great Devourer, just as the ninja catch up. Realizing that he can't control the Great Devourer, Pythor attempt to flee but is stopped by Wu, whereupon the Great Devourer swallows both of them.

 Various Observations:

-We literally open on a dark and stormy night. Can't go wrong with the classics, I guess.

-Can I just say that spoiling the end of the episode in a spirit smoke-induced vision is a really bad decision? Heck, this doesn't even work in-universe, as back in episode 1, the smoke only showed Wu what was happening as he was meditating, not the future.

-Apparently the only place in all of Ninjago with enough heat to destroy the Fangblades is Torchfire Mountain. I would've thought throwing them into the Golden Peaks would also suffice. I mean, we know that the Great Devourer can't withstand the power of Creation, so why should it's teeth be any more difficult to destroy? Then again, maybe the Golden Peaks are just even farther away, and that's why they head for Torchfire Mountain.

-Also, if the Fangblades can be destroyed, why were they only hidden away, rather than being cast into the fires of Mount Doo - er, I mean Torchfire Mountain? Was the guy who designed the tombs involved with this?

-I like the little gag with the salt. Jay's wink really sells it.

-Jay apparently has fun teasing a nauseous Cole. I guess their relationship really is the weakest out of all the ninja. 

-By the way, why is Jay suddenly talking about how surprising it is that Lloyd's the green ninja? He learned that three weeks ago, I'd say that's enough time to come to terms with it.

-Knowing what's about to happen, I really want to scream at the ninja to just yeet the Fangblades overboard. You can cheer Sensei Wu up later, guys! First, destroy the relics that unleash an ancient evil upon Ninjago! It'd take maybe two seconds at most!

 

-I like how Pythor is visibly afraid of Nya. He probably still remembers "Can of Worms".

-Alright, Pythor's fall should definitely have at least griveously injured him, but I guess people in Ninjago are just built different when it comes to falling down.

-So a Rattlercopter is to slow for Pythor ... but a tour bus is faster? I know I'd choose the helicopter, just saying.

-Alright, the scene where the ninja head out on their elemental vehicles is hype.

-For some odd reason, Skales keeps referring to Pythor as "Sir". I guess he really has just become his sidekick. 

-No clue why Pythor does this whole tour guide thing, but I like it.

-Wu blows up two bikes and the Serpentine riding them. His only comment? "This is fun." Are we sure Garmadon's the evil brother?

-I love the interaction between Pythor and the tour guide. It's funny. His parting comment of "I hate snakes" does, once again, seem somewhat racist. Are we sure that the Serpentine aren't meant to be some kind of allegory? If he existed in the real world, I think that tour guide would be wearing a different red hat.

 

 -Why, exactly, wouldn't the ninja just walk all the way to the front of the bus? I mean, if Kai can do it, why do Zane, Jay and Cole go through the inside, where there are a whole bunch of Serpentine?

-We should thank Fang-Suei for demonstrating to us why people shouldn't fight on moving vehicles. That sudden bit of realism is really funny.

 -The bit with Chokun holding Wu's teacup for him is something straight out of a Lego videogame. Those always have some fun humor.

-Good to know, the Samurai X mech can't duck ... but couldn't it just have flown out of the way? Also, Mezmo and Fang-Suei are dead, they should just be a smear on that sign now. 

-Speaking of the sign; what the heck kind of sign is that? It's not even grammatically correct, nevermind it's message being totally redundant. Do they also have "You are now leaving forest" signs in Ninjago? Also, it's written with the latin alphabet, which is unusual.

 -Skales just got hit by a missile from pretty much point blank. I know he's immediately shown to be alive, but I don't buy it. Unless the Serpentine are maybe just more resilient than humans in general? Actually, that would make a surprising amount of sense, given the things we have seen them survive so far.

-Once again, Wu prevents the ninja from following him, so that he may fight the main villain by himself. Kai's right when he says that this is turning into a habit with him.

-Now, putting all my usual humor aside, what the heck Wu?! You know that Pythor will awaken the Great Devourer if you face him alone, that was the whole point of the vision earlier! Why would you leave the ninja behind? They can beat Pythor if they work together, he's just one guy, and both Nya and Cole have already been show to be at least capable enough to make Pythor afraid! Forget my comments about Misako or Kai, Wu is way more responsible for the Great Devourer being freed than either of them, given that he knew what would happen, and still went ahead with it! That makes him probably just as culpable as Pythor himself! I get why Lloyd is considered to be innocent of the Great Devourer's rampage, given that he didn't even know that thing existed, and believed he could trust Pythor, but if Harumi were to go after Wu, I don't think that grudge could be considered irrational or unjustified in any way! Heck, I'd probably cheer her on! Wu's strange obsession with fighting enemies by himself has lead to Garmadon getting the ability to wield all four Golden Weapons, everything the Great Devourer did, and, as a consequence, Garmadon getting the Golden Weapons and turning them into the Mega Weapon, which in turn lead to him discovering the Overlord, and being possessed by him, as well as season 3 and Zane's death, which in turn lead to season 4, which lead to season 5, which lead to season 6, which lead to Day of the Departed. Even season 7 only happens because Wu tries fighting Acronix by himself, and seasons 8 and 9 happen because of the Great Devourer, while season 15 once again only happens because of the Overlord! Everything that happens in those seasons is Wu's fault.

-Ahem. Sorry for that outburst. Lloyd figuring out the Bounty's controls and taking the ninja to Ouroboros is really cool.

-Wait a second, Wu's Spinjitzu wasn't always this bright golden golden color, was it?  Yeah, I just checked, and it was quite a bit less, well, luminous in the pilots.

 

-The scene of Pythor releasing the Great Devourer, once again, feels very lovecraftian. We also learn why he wants to free the great Devourer. Allegedly as revenge for the humans locking the Serpentine away, but actually as revenge for not getting to rule over humans. I would assume that the other Serpentine are more so in it for the former reason than the latter.

-The slow reveal of the Greta Devourer is really unsettling, even now that I'm older. First, the statue breaks apart, only to reveal that there was nothing inside. Only then, as the floor breaks apart and giant glowing eyes appear in the darkness, does Pythor realize that the Great Devourer has been underneath them all this time, slumbering untile the Fangblades awoke him. Unlike what Pythor imagined, it is not 'merely' a gigantic snake, but rather a gargantuan behemoth that will swallow everything it sees, not unlike the Aztec beast Cipactli. In true lovecraftian fashion, the beast turns against those who unleashed it, swallowing Pythor and Wu. Man, that scene terrified me as a kid.