Rebooted (Suits)

The third season of Lego Ninjago introduces ... well, between two and four sets of robes, depending on how you count it. Look, let's just start with the robes we all agree count.

The first of these sets of suits would be the Techno robes, given to the ninja by Cyrus Borg in "The Surge" to protect them from the facial recognition software the Overlord had installed in all of Borg's machines and, presumably, the Nindroids.

Now, unlike any previous sets of gi, the appearance of these robes drastically differs from ninja to ninja, with only a single exception: Jay and Cole share the same "type" of robes, so to speak. Outside of these two, the only unifying feature of the Techno robes is their face mask, a feature shared with many other sets of robes the ninja wil wear in the feature. Being fully honest, I hate the fact that these suits look so different. If there were some kind of cohesive theming tying them together, such as the emblem of their Honor robes, dragon symbols on the Legacy robes, or straps of the Digi robes, or simply a general aesthetic like the Resistance or Island robes, they'd look much better. As things stand, however, they're just all over the place. Furthermore, the blank leg pieces even makes the individual robes less interesting to look at, particularly when contrasted with the overly detailed torsos. And why does Zane's robe place the emblem representing his heart on the wrong side of his chest? Lastly, there is the fact that Lloyd's robes, while reflecting his golden power, fail to represent the fact that he is the golden ninja at this point, not the green one. Full score? 1/10. They're that bad.

 

Now, the other set of robes, used during "The Titanium Ninja" by most of the time, but during all of Project Arcturus by Lloyd, is the Stone Armor.

Quite unlike the Techno robes, this suit goes hard! The simpler design, owing to a lack of leg printing, actually works on these robes, as the torso has a less intricate design. Really, it's just a piece of armor over a simple and unremarkable gi in each ninja's color, with only Zane standing out, as two extra straps across his chest hold the armor in place. Honestly, it just works. The grey beautifully contrasts the bright colors each ninja wears. These suits are clearly bulky, and the show acknowledges it. The entire point of the Stone Armor is to act as, well, armor. The sole complaint I have with them is that, once again, Cole is clad in the unappealing combination of grey and black he keeps ending up with. Unlike his previous robes, however, the shiny metal still stands out against his black gi, making it more appealing to look at than his ZX and elemental robes. Being fully honest, I think this set of robes deserves a perfect 10/10. It's a shame we never got to see them again ...

 

The next question is, do the golden versions of the Techno robes count? And what about the spacesuits? To settle this question, I am going to introduce three qualifications all sets of robes must pass, unless they exist in physical form, in which case they immediately qualify.

One: They must be meaningfully different from each other. Pallette swaps like the singing outfits from "The Royal Blacksmiths" still fulfill this requirement, the spacesuits do not, as only small the color of tiny dots on their chest is different.

Two: They must be worn outside of battle. The Stone Armor was still worn at Zane's funeral, for example, and the Techno robes were the default outfit for the first six episodes of this season. The golden versions of the Techno robes are only a brief power-up during a single battle, so they do not count.

And finally: They must not be a disguise. Think of the Stone Warrior disguises, or the musician outfits. Those do not count.

 

But, that tangent aside, let us tally up this season's score. 4 plus 1 plus 10 ... divide by three ... Oh, it's 5/10. Mediocrity! How wonderful! Certainly better than the score the season would have gotten without the Stone Armor. 

Rebooted (Season)

Season 3, huh? Alongside season 13, it has the second shortest runtime of all seasons, beaten only by season 10, which is more of a movie than a season. Still, as we'll come to see, Master of the Mountain managed to tell a solid story in the time it was given, so surely Rebooted must have fared similarly, no?

Well, that's ... debatable. When you ask people for their least favorite season of Ninjago, they'd usually answer with Hands of Time, Secrets of the Forbidden Spinjitzu, or Crystalized. Some would also offer Skybound as a candidate, but that season has just as many defenders as detractors, making it more divisive than the other seasons, which are generally agreed to suck.

In my own humble opinion, however, Rebooted is the season that most earned the spot of "Worst Pre-Movie Season". I'll have to rewatch season 11 to see if it is worse, so I can't say it's the worst season of all just yet.

Now, you might ask yourself what this season has done to earn such heavy criticism. After all, it has Sensei Garmadon, who is more or less universally beloved, and Zane's death is deservedly considered to be one of the best sequences in the shows's history.

Tragically, I have to say that most of the characters feel out-of-character to the extreme, which is of course understandable, as it had been a year since the Hageman brothers last wrote for the show, but it is still very noticeable.

Jay, who was a dorky inventor that hid his pessimism and insecurities behind bad jokes was turned into a toxic and possessive jerk that's obsessed with Nya. While he already argued with Cole in the previous seasons, he has now come to genuinely hate the guy, even though they considered themselves brothers before. Any other aspects of Jay's personality have fallen to the wayside as soon as the love triangle plot began, and only the obsessive macho jerk remained, like a twisted parody of the boy we have come to love.

Cole, for his part, is less obessive and controlling than Jay when it comes to Nya, but still lost his caring and grounded personality, as he now engages in a childish feud with Jay, even when their lives are at stake. I'm more sympathetic to him, as Jay was the one who suddenly lashed out at Cole, but the old Cole would have attempted to settle the conflict, rather than escalating it.

Kai suddenly hates modern technology, which is very odd, but other than that he remained in character, which was actually very surprising to me. This had the side effect of making him into the most reasonable member of the group most of time, which was a very odd experience. By the time of the Project Arcturus, he's basically fully returned to his original personality, which was very welcome to me.

Zane is ... well, he's odd. And not in the sense he's intended to be. He is very close to his original personality, yes, but he's also more focused on his status as a robot. He is first fascinated by PIXAL because she is like him, and he frequently talks about probabilities or his mechanical body parts. This feels off to me, because the point of his True Potential was that it does not matter what his body is like, as he's still the same person. This makes it kind of strange that he initially falls in love with PIXAL due to her status as an android, when he should not care about such things. It is like Cole said in "Tick Tock", Zane is the same as his brothers, he just has more gears. Sadly, this season is the start of Zane being written ever more robotically, a trend which not only goes against his character arc, but also actively makes him less interesting.

I don't actually have a problem with Lloyd's characterization. He has little screentime compared to the other ninja, but the scenes we do get are consistent with what we have seen in the previous season.

Nya's character was mishandled particularly badly in this season, as she is reduced to a mere prize for Jay to win. Before, she was smart and confident, frequently being more effective at what she's doing than the ninja themselves, and her stubborness was both a strength and a flaw. Now, however, she constantly agonizes over whether she loves Jay or Cole and struggles to fight Nindroids even when she has her mech. Furthermore, Cryptor constantly talks down to her and belittles her ability as a fighter, but she never gets to prove him wrong and kick his ass. It feels almost like the Hageman brothers agree with Cryptor's gross comments? I know they probably don't, but that's why you need to pay attention to what you're writing!

Wu hardly appears due to spending most of the season in captivity or as an evil cyborg. When he is on the side of the ninja, he appears just as useless as before, however, so I suppose nothing really changed.

Pythor has also changed as a character, but that is a direct consequence of what happened to him, so I don't have a problem with him now prioritizing vengeance over conquering Ninjago himself. Yes, his season 1 version would have betrayed the Overlord, but he naturally progressed as a character, so I have no problem with it.

The Overlord is ... mostly the same. Hard to get a being of pure evil wrong, really. He seems weirdly obsessed with becoming the Golden Master, rather than just getting a body in general, but I suppose it makes sense he'd want to be strong enough to win against the ninja.

Now, there are some characters that stand out, those being Cyrus Borg, Sensei Garmadon, and PIXAL. All three of these characters are newly introduced, so there was no previous personality to contradict, which made them much more compelling than even the ninja.

Borg is perfect in the role of the haunted genius, having accidentally given the Overlord the perfect opportunity to return by building his tower at the site of the Final Battle. Throughout the season, he is determined to make up for his mistakes and help the ninja, despite the fact he is clearly terrified of the Overlord. After "The Surge", his body is permanently altered by the Overlord, which must surely be incredibly traumatic. His dream of technology solving all problems was twisted before his very eyes, and he was trapped in Borg Tower, a monument of his own foolishness, for years. Lee Tockar did a splendid job at portraying him.

Garmadon, aside from his odd characterization during the first half of Project Arcturus, deals with similar struggles as Borg. Just like the inventor, he too had lost sight of the balance in the past, leading to the Overlord being unleashed. Whenever he and Lloyd talk during their journey, his wisdom and love for his son become apparent immediately, but so does his stubborness. He fails to trust anyone but Lloyd, worried that they might seek to take the power of Creation for themselves. This distrust and stubborness are a natural result of his time as Lord Garmadon, who was the embodiment of all of Sensei Garmadon's fears.

Lastly, there is PIXAL. First, she was the Overlord's assistant, a role later claimed by Pythor. When Zane hacked her with his Techno Blade, she lost nearly all her personality and acted far more robotic than before. Despite this, her original personality occasionally came to the forefront, and by the time of Project Arcturus, she was back to her delightful polite yet sassy personality, making her more compelling. I cannot tell you what the actual reason behind these shifts is, but I have already discussed my theory in the individual reviews. I must say, however, that I consider her romance with Zane to be rushed and unneccessary. Perhaps cutting it out would have given us more scenes of her sassing the ninja. I would have loved that.

Lastly, there are the Nindroids ...

Now, I have never made it a secret that I consider them to be horribly disappointing. Due to the wak action scenes, they never seem like an actual threat, unlike the Stone Army the ninja faced one season earlier. Just think of how cool they could have been. They could have combined Zane's intelligence, Cole's strength, Jay's speed, Kai's agression and Lloyd's resillience Instead, we got Cryptor, the sexist and ableist arsehole that I wish Nadakhan would make disappear, and his band of disposable mooks. I will say, Min-droid was fun, simply because that guy got consistently beaten up and destroyed. 

With all major characters having been discussed, I think it's time I look at the plot. Or rather, at the plots. Because, honestly, it feels like this a five-episode season and a special, not one cohesive story.

Surprisingly, the quality of these stories is drastically different as well, to the point where I legitimately have to wonder if the first five episodes were even written by the Hageman brothers at all. The first arc can't even remember whether or not the ninja have elemental powers, and has two icky romance subplots, as PIXAL's consent is highly dubious and Jay, like Jacob from Twilight, suddenly turned into a possessive bastard during the third installment. At least there's no sexual assualt ...?

The third and fourth episode of this season are basically filler outside of Lloyd being captured, which makes things worse. You could jump from the power plant being destroyed to "Into the Digiverse", and not really miss anything.

Project Arcturus, meanwhile, is a tightly plotted story with a clear beginning and endpoint, and episodes that directly lead into each other. Only Nya, Jay and Cole are still majorly out of character, the action scenes are actually fun to look at, the music is gorgeous, Zane's death is tragically beautiful, the Golden Weapons, Temple of Light and Tornado of Creation provide continuity, etc ... 

Strangely enough, it is only in Project Arcturus that Zane actually feels like the main character of the season, as the first five episodes put more focus on both Jay and Lloyd than on Zane, despite him being the focus ninja according to the boxes. 

Speaking of boxes, let's talk Lego sets! Most of the sets are either ninja or Nindroid vehicles, with the only exception being the Battle for Ninjago City:

Now, this wouldn't be a problem under normal circumstances, however the ninja's vehicles only really appear in "The Surge", or "Codename: Arcturus" in the case of Kai's car, as, while they make brief appearances two other episodes, they are immediately destroyed both times. The Nindroid's three vehicles fare better, but still. If five out of nine sits only appear in on out of eight episodes, there's something wrong. The moon rovers really feel like they should have been featured in a set, as does Garmadon's monastary, Borg Tower and possibly the power plant.

Furthermore, a lot of the Nindroid's vehicles are physically unavalaible, as only the hacked version is sold. This especially sucks with the mechs, which are shown quite frequently in the first five episodes.

Now, considering everything I've watched, I'd say the first five episodes would have earned a two out of ten, but with the addition of Project Arcturus, I'd actually double that score to a nice 4/10 points! Yeah, that's still not a lot ...

The Titanium Ninja

 The episode that shook little me to the core! Get ready, everyone, because at the end of this episode you will be crying!

The ninja manage to build a small rocketship from the remnants of the Arcturus Rocket, but by the time they get back, the Overlord has taken over New Ninjago City with the power of Creation.

Donning Stonne Warrior armor for protection, the ninja attempt to feed the Overlord a shrinking pill, but Pythor intercepts it, getting shrunk instead. As the Overlord captures the ninja, Zane evades him and grabs onto the armor forged from the Golden Weapons. Using his own body, he channels the power of Creation from the armor to boost his powers, killing the Overlord, but dying as a result.

Still, his conciousness survived somehow, and the episode closes on him rebuilding his body at Borg Tower. 

Various Observations:

-Why are there random Nindroids on the conveyor belts? Won't they get in the way of the production of his golden armor? Did the animators reuse the shot from the end of episode 1 of this season and forget to remove the Nindroids?

-I'm a touch confused as to why the Overlord just lets Borg go. The guy's a genius, why would the Overlord want him to be able to help the ninja?

-And now Cryptor is ableist as well as sexist. Wow. You know, I suddenly have to urge to take my Cryptor minifigure and leave it dangling upside-down from somewhere.

-Garmadon admits that his previous behavior was wrong, which is great. I guess there's only so long you can take him out of character before he'll become too unlikeable.

-Of course Wu only offers an empty plattitude, but apparently it's enough to motivate Lloyd.

-The "Build-your-own-rocket kit" joke has a classic setup, but it's still funny.

-I like that every ninja contributes to their escape plan, even if I feel like it goes over too quickly. We only get one brief shot for each of the four original ninja, and that's it.

-Hold on, Zane's power source was located where a human would have their heart, no? So why is it now apparently on the right side of his chest?

-Additionally, I struggle to believe that half of Zane's heart would suffice to power a small rocketship, when we have already seen that it's output is less than that of human heart, since he was unable to use Spinjitzu without the other half.

-So the ninja use "elemental shields" to survive, which they can apparently only use when they have air ... What? Since when is that a thing? It's mentioned so casually, too, like we're expected to be familiar with the concept! I suppose we did see Kai do somehting similar when he obtained his True Potential, and Lloyd does frequently use his powers to form a shield, but for elemental shields to be treated like an established concept ... Well, it feels very odd, to say the least.

-The Overlord being able to wield the power of Creation itself certainly makes him more threatening, I have to say. The shift to darker colors is also a good move, as the episode feels more serious now. Also, it makes the ninja's powers stand out more.

-Having the team assembled like this is hype, even if Dr. Julien or Cyrus Borg sadly can't be with them.

-So the Overlord's temple has a sacred seal? It was clearly added by the Overlord, as it makes the temple resistant to the First Spinjitzu Master's power of Creation, but why would it be sacred? The Overlord is literally the embodiment of evil! Unless ... Perhaps my theory about him being a Source Dragon does have some merit ...

-Good on Nya for saving a civilian! Of course, she immediately gets downed by a single hit. She just can't win this season, can she?

-Since when does Zane hesitate to safe his family because it diminishes the probability of success? Remember the falcon back in "Island of Darkness"? Zane did not hesitate for even a moment to save his dear friend!

-You know, it's never confirmed, but I'm fairly certain the Overlord uses the Tornado of Creation in this scene. It just makes sense to me. When else have we ever seen a Spinjitzu tornado that is powered by Creation and capable of absorbing things?

-Seriously, Cryptor? Will you be able to go for a single encounter with a woman without calling her a "little girl" and doubting her fighting ability? It doesn't even make sense, here! Nya's arguably a better fighter than the ninja, given that she tends to get better results even without her powers. So sexism really is the only explanation for this behavior!

-Stop it, Cryptor! Do we seriously only get a respite from your ancid eprsonality when we cut to the ninja? I hate this!

-Man, Borg's non-effective diet pill is locked away so tightly, you'd think the last Retsnom was sealed in there. 

-I love that Garmadon is actually excited over a diet pill. It's endearing.

-Borg confirming his insane plan with an enthusiastic "Precisely!" is golden.

-You know, if the shrinking plan worked ... What good would that do? The Overlord would still have the power of Creation, he'd just be tiny, too. This doesn't help in defeating the guy!

-So the plan ... is to give the Overlord a shrinking pill by making two old men play baseball. This feels really jarring and tonally out of place.

-Why is Nya getting curbstomped by Cryptor? She's taken out more Nindroids at once with nothing but a paper fan! Now that she actually has her armor, this should be child's play!

-Stop it with the sexist comment, Cryptor, I swear to god!

-Why is Min-droid just carrying a TV, a laptop, a keyboard and ... I think a game console? Is he a gamer? I thought if any Nindroid would be, it'd be the sexist arsehole.

-So the ninja want to use the armor of the Stone Army to protect themselves from the power of Creation ... when that power is the foremost weakness of the Stone Army. Did a guest writer take over for this episode and just not tell anyone?

-So the Stone Armor turns into a new sets of gi in a flash of golden light? I thought they belonged to the Overlord.

-The Serpentine helping to save the civilians is a hype moment, I have to say.

-You know, I just realized that it's implied the falcon kills Pythor off-screen. I guess by this point they hadn't planned to bring him back next season. Still, kind of dark, no

-Predictably, the Stone Armor fails to hold off the full power of Creation.

-Man, Zane's death ... I ... What can I say? The beautiful music, the flashbacks to Zane's life and his bonds with his family, the gentle smile as he accepts death, the pain in his voice as he struggles to speak - to exist for just a few more moments so his family can be saved ... It's probably the best thing I have ever seen on TV. Zane had always been my favorite ninja. He is the one I empathized with the most, and his death hit me hard. This quite honestly surpasses even many death scenes in more mature media, like Fate, Danganronpa, or Fire Emblem. Goodbye, Zane.

-Do you think, Zane's gentle acceptance of his demise, and happiness that he was able to save his friends, was meant to contradict the Overlord's thrashing and screaming? One faces death with dignity, knowing that his family will now be safe, thanks to his sacrifice, while the other struggles to hold onto life for the sake of endless conquest, reduced to helpless screams as he writhes in pain.

-Hallelujah, Cryptor is dead! He's frozen and shattered, so he's not coming back! Thank Sothis, I don't have to put up with the guy anymore. 

-Wow, Creation sure gave Zane's powers a boost. Understandable, really. Creation is almost  omnipotent, after all. The only thing it cannot do is destroy, but that's it.

 -It's unfair! Why do Borg and Kai have to give such good speeches! I'm tearing up again!

 -You can really feel everyone's grief and sense of loss. Jay can't think of anything to say, he doesn't even get possessive over Nya when she hugs Cole. Everyone mourns Zane. Just like the viewers.

-Whoa, the proportions of the guy behind Wu are ... really off, right? Just look at his head! It dosn't look like he's made of Lego!

-You know, I really feel Zane's survival shouldn't have been teased at the end of this episode. Having it jammed in like this just feels off. Like the writers were desperate not to end on a tragic note, but I think this just cheapens his sacrifice. Having him actually believed dead until the next season would have been a brave move, and I'm not sure Lego would have approved of it, but it would be much better from a storytelling perspective.

-Also, I would like to ask how Zane got into the systems at Borg Tower? Like, he's trapped in the systems and builds himself a new body at the end of the episode. Why? How does that work? It just feels like a deus ex machina. I could believe Chen having the remnants of his heart tracked down, and that being how his conciousness survives as he's given a new body, but this just came out of nowhere. 

The Void

 We're going into space today! A ... curious departure, true, but it certainly has a lot of potential.

 In space, the ninja struggle to stay on the Arcturus Rocket after the booster they were using gets detached, forcing them to fight Nindroids in the void of space, wearing spacesuits Zane retrieved for them. 

At the same time, Borg Tower gets stormed by the Overlord's forces, forcing Wu, Garmadon, PIXAL and Nya to flee to Garmadon's monastary.

As the rocket lands on the asteroid containing the Golden Weapons, the ninja follow the Nindroids and, after an incredibly cool chase scene on moon rovers, steal the launch key from Cryptor, planning to abandon the Nindroids on the asteroid, only to find that metal-eating aliens have already destroyed the aliens, and that the Nindroids can use the jets integrated into their feet to return to earth with the Golden Weapons ... and without the ninja! 

Various Observations:

-So, uh, why are there windows and an air supply in the rocket part? Nobody's supposed to be in there, and it'll detach pretty soon, so why build it like this?

-In fact, why is there air anywhere on the Arcturus Rocket? The Nindroids shouldn't need it, right?

-I love that Jay, the sci-fi fan, is the first to adjust to a zero-gravity environment. Kai, as has become a trend in this season, struggles the most with the change.

-Ooh, so Lloyd first introduced Jay to Starfarer? That actually explains why he didn't seem interested back in "Child's Play". I guess that was just before Lloyd got him hooked on the series.

-"If my memory banks serve correct"? Zane, when did you start referring to your memory like that?  That aside, nice pun.

-I love Lloyd's constant struggles in the background. It's funny.

-So, how exactly did PIXAL or Nya establish communications with the ninja's part of the rocket? Are they hackers now?

-Also, why is there a screen and keyboard in this booster rocket? And here I thought the windows were the most unneccessary part ...

-There are spacesuits on board? For whom? The Nindroids have no need for them! Was Pythor supposed to come along at one point?

-Garmadon, stop ranting about how they're already doomed. What happened to you? I'm starting to think he really was replaced!

-There's an airlock in the booster too? Why? What's the point of implementing all these features when nobody's supposed to be in there, and it'll just be detached?

-Man, Zane almost drifting off into the vastness of space is terrifying! His desperate breaths and the dissonantly beautiful view of earth and the serene music are powerful stuff! And unlike Kiperina he doesn't even have the Storm to deal with! 

-I like that he uses his elemental power to propel himself forward. Nice move.

-Zane uses trial-and-error to crack the password? But that could have taken ages, even with how quick he was typing! Granted, it's not a very secure password ... Also, it's the same as the Overlord's phone number. That's random. Did the animators just use 1234 as a placeholder? Because it feels like they forgot they already used the gag before.

-Hold on, what's up with Cryptor's countdown? After you're at two, you say "one", not "disengage". There's still one second left! Throwing that in defeats the entire purpose of a countdown!

-Wha - Of course Nindroids have expressions! Cryptor might have a disgusting personality, but he does have one!

-Oh, maybe Nya and/or PIXAL aren't master hackers, after all. They just broadcasted their communication on the same channel the Nindroids use, meaning they can hear it too. Great job, guys.

-I've listened to "Eye of the Storm" so much, that I expected the song to start after Pythor finished speaking. It's a good song, though! I recommend it! Granted, I recommend nearly all Ninjago music, but that's a different matter altogether.

-The zero-g battle is really fun to look at! It's slow-paced, but the ninja all get to look cool!

-That said, Jay is still the MVP.

-Sheesh, Min-droid was incinerated by the rocket's boosters. That's surprisingly violent.

-And now Jay is willing to let Cole drift away and die? Jay, I've changed my mind. You're no longer my third favorite ninja, and I won't support your relationship with Nya anymore. It clearly brings out the worst in you.

-Finally he goes and saves Cole! And, of course, he uses the opportunity to demand that Cole stay away from Nya. I honestly think Christian-fricking-Grey was able to go for longer stretches of time without being a possessive bastard! He's still the worse person all around, though. Jay hopefully won't ever beat him in that aspect.

-On the one hand, I feel like getting into the aseroid's tail to hit the ninja with comets was a smart move by Cryptor, but on the hand ... Won't those comets damage and possibly destroy the ship?

-Now there are Nindroids marching through New Ninjago City? How? All the Nindroids we saw at the base boarded the rocket, and the Overlord can't hijack any factories, since he's confined to his half-formed body. Where'd they come from?

-Where'd Pythor, Borg and the Overlord come from? They weren't in the previous shot.

-The Overlord's body looks a lot more solid now, than it did in the last episode. He was just a swirling mass of energy back then, so what happened to make him more corporeal? I thought that was the entire reason why he needed the power of Creation.

-You know, Garmadon has a point. Yeah, sure, there are a lot of Nindroids, but Wu, Garmadon and Nya should be able to defeat them, Pythor and a powerless Overlord if they work together. Good job getting your proper personality back, Garmadon.

-Ah, Nya's fan is made from paper again, but still deflects laser blasts. Consistency? Whatever could that word mean?

-Hey, I just noticed that the spacesuits' chest units have dots in each ninja's color! I think this might be the first time orange is associated with Cole? I always thought that particular honor fell to his deepstone suit.

-I like that the ninja think to take the ship and bail. It doesn't work, since they don't have the launch key, but it's pretty smart.

-You know, I was going to ask why the Nindroids left a rover behind, but that one was probably intended for the Nindroids the ninja launched into a space earlier.

-Eh? What is Cryptor on about now? The Overlord can withstand the power of Creation? No he can't! He was disintegrated by them in the finale of last season! Only the First Spinjitzu Master, Lloyd, and presumably Wu and Garmadon can withstand them, since Creation is their own power!

-Oh, a cameo from Misako. I guess now that it doesn't put her in danger, she can help out. Why yes, I am bitter, how could you tell?

-I ... think whoever studied the fossilized aliens might have been a bit of an idiot. Parasites don't eat metal, they infest other life-forms and feed off them. That's what makes them parasites! These bugs aren't parasites, as far as I can tell.

-Since when does Zane talk about his "exoskeleton"? He's being way more robotic today!

-Couldn't the ninja just use Spinjitzu to get rid of the aliens? That seems like the first thing they should try, no?

-Why do the alien's obey Lloyd's order to attack the Nindroids? Well, I guess maybe they just sensed there was more metal to be found with them.

-Ooh, I love the chase sequence! Probably the best action scene in this entire season.

-Actually, I just realized something. The Nindroids are legitimately good at one thing: Being disposable mooks! There's no limit to their number, and they're decently tough, but not too strong. Plus, due to their, usually, non-sentient nature, they can be shown being destroyed and blown up! They make for great action scenes, even if they're not that intimidating!

-Man, the wrecked rocket is such a gut-punch!

-Are the Nindroids seriously going to float all the way back to Ninjago's earth with their feet jets? That'll take them years!

-Wow ... the ninja are stranded on an alien world with no way home ... and it feels like they really might not come back. Of course, we know better, but the episode presents their situation so well that it truly feels hopeless!

Codename: Arcturus

Codename Arcturus, or "Projekt Arkturus" as it is known in the German dub, is a three-part story intended to form the second half of season 3. Back when it was originally broadcast in Austria, all three parts were aired in direct succession, and it was even marketed as a movie of sorts. Were you to ask me, I would always recommend this "movie" over the actual Ninjago Movie, even if I am not all too impressed with this season.

After the events of the last episode, Lloyd split his powers amongst the team, and the ninja are searching for Borg and the Nindroids, leading them to learn about a project by the name of Arcturus.

As he follows a Nindroid convoy, Kai is taken captive by them in their base under the city of Ouroboros, leading him to be chained to a rocket as it is about to take off. The other ninja, having deduced that the Overlord wants to obtain the Golden Weapons that have been launched into space back in "Wrong Place, Wrong Time" arrive to save Kai and manage to stow away on the rocket as it takes off.

Various Observations:

-It's really cool to see the Temple of Light again.

-You know, the official explanation is that the ninja gave their powers to Lloyd back when they first visited the Temple of Light, and that he now gave it back to them. I disagree. We already saw Lloyd use their powers before they ever went to the Dark Island, after all. Additionally, the ninja clearly used their elemental powers in the past five episodes, most notably when activating the Techno Blades. Instead, I believe that Lloyd simply split the power of Creation and bestowed it onto his brothers. This gave their elemental powers the boost they needed for the ninja to access their full potential without using the Golden Weapons or Elemental Blades as a conduit.

-I love watching the ninja goof off and have fun with their powers.

-What happened to Garmadon? Not only is he suddenly opposed to Lloyd sharing his powers, calling it "foolish", but he also grumbles about how children should obey their fathers? What? Where did any of this come from? Was he replaced by Those Who Slither In The Dark? This is entirely out of character for him!

-Why is the re-mechanized Cyrus Borg evil? The last time his body was unconscious and he had his machine parts puppetted by the Overlord, but that's not the case here. Instead, it seems like the machine parts turned him evil? But he still had those installed in the last three episodes, where he was his normal self.

-Cryptor's "drones" are asking questions? Since when are the Nindroids sentient? I thought Cryptor was the only one!

-Speaking of the Overlord ... he's a dust cloud now? But he already had a body in the last episode! And why doesn't he want the Nindroids to see him? Does he fear a mutiny? But they are literally programmed to obey him!

-The camera panning to the rocket is a cool reveal.

-Since when do the ninja use Borg Tower as a base? Don't they have a school? And now that I mention it, is Dareth still their sole teacher? Or did Wu hand it over to someone actually qualified to run a school? 

-Why's the postman suddenly part of the team? That's really random.

-Nice worldbuilding, with Arcturus having a constellation named after him.

-What's up with the sound design in the movie Jay, Cole and Nya are watching? Did a mosquito voice Fritz Donnegan?

-Look, the Hageman brothers! I think this is their first cameo ... unless I've missed one.

-Wha - Hold on, why didn't anybody fix the window Borg was abducted through? Hasn't it been a while since the last episode?

-I love watching Kai try and flirt. He's so awkward!

-That aside, the girl he's trying to woo has the same hairstyle as Skylor! I guess Kai has a type. 

 -Kai, why are you pretending to be a secret agent? People know you're a ninja. You literally get fan mail! Heck, Zane has a fan club that went to see him off in "The Last Voyage".

-Kai seems surprisingly angry at Cryptor in particular. Does he know the guy was being sexist towards Nya?

-Kai's way too cocky, but he's also kind of endearing. He literally puts on sunglasses and winks at the camera! It's adorable how hard he's trying to look cool.

-PIXAL accidentally distracting the cyclist is funny.

-And now PIXAL is sassing Kai! I love it! PIXAL really does have more personality ever since she had some alone time with Borg. I'm guessing he really did remove the Techno Blade's hack, which is why she's closer to her original personality now. Plus, it also makes her romance with Zane significantly less gross.

-And Garmadon's angry that Wu "can't control [his] team". Sheesh, why's he so obsessed with mindless obedience today? 

-I'll admit, sending that other driver spinning was a dick move from Kai.

-Oh my god, it really is original PIXAL! "This car is worth far more than you", oh, I love her. 

-Kai and PIXAL bickering gives me life. I need more content with them!

-Can I just say, this one episode has already made me like PIXAL more than all her previous appearances combined? She's gloriously sassy, why didn't we get to see this side of her more often? Just imagine if she'd stayed evil! We'd have gotten this for an entire season!

-Oh my god, the cut to black as the Nindroids crash into the roof of the tunnel got me! Wonderful editing!

-That aside, I did not expect to see anyone decapacitated. Particularly since all Nindroids are apparently sentient now.

-It annoys me that the roadworker's mouth doesn't move when he humms. Why wasn't that animated?

-Of course Min-droid's the one to get slammed into a sign and then run over by the Prototype X-1 Roadster.

.Also, good on you Kai for destroying half of the Overlord's shipping.

-Wait, the Overlord's phone number is 1234? Seriously?

-Kai goes down to a single punch from Pythor? PIXAL actually held the guy off, and she's not a trained combatant! I call foul!

-I love how shocked Jay and Cole are when Nya chooses "Jole".

-Oh my god, did Nya just imply she's going to reprogram the clearly sentient Robo-Usher 3000, excuse me, I mean Jole, to be her boyfriend? Why couldn't it have been me? Er, I mean, that's ... bad. I don't condone smart and confident girls brainwashing me people to be their boyfriend. Yeah. It was definitely never my fantasy.

-Did you hear Nya's heartbroken sigh? She really loves Jole ... Why can't she a have romantic sublot with him? It'd be so much better than the stupid love triangle.

-So if the Overlord wants to launch Project Arcturus that night, wouldn't missing half the fuel hinder him? I mean, the rocket won't actually able to get back like this, right?

-Wait, Lloyd actually has a new outfit? I thought that was just an animation error earlier. Well, damn, now I've gotta delete that paragraph. Why does he already wear the Stone Armor, though? The team only gets it in two episodes. I guess maybe his new outfit just happens to look like the Stone Armor?

-Oh, don't remind me of your time travel adventure, it broke and twisted the plot so many times that it now resembles a pretzel.

-Why does Garmadon expect the launch to take place in Ouroboros? The ominous lightning right after really makes it seem like he's going to reveal that he was working with Pythor all along.

-So the Arcturus rocket was built in the space the Great Devourer was imprisoned in. I do wonder when they had the time to install all the machines and repair the city above it.

-Man, now that the ninja can use their powers, the Nindroids just aren't even a threat anymore. It actually feels kind of cathartic? The Nindroids were never particularly threatening, so having them treated like these unbeatable opponents was ridiculous.

-Sheesh, Garmadon. Could you stop being rude to everyone around you for, let's say ... two minutes? Is that feasible? You know, when I compared him to the Doctor, I didn't mean early-Hartnell.

What are the Techno Blades?

 Since I just finished the first arc of Rebooted, I felt it was appropriate to talk about the main McGuffin, meaning the Techno Blades.

 

 

They are tools created by Cyrus Borg for the purpose of purging the Overlord's conciousness from the hard drive it was possessing at the time. To facilitate this, they are capable of hacking anything the holographic blade part touches. I would presume that the original intent was for one of the ninja to simply hack the hard drive, something that became impossible after Pythor stole it, leading them to instead reboot the hard drive from withing by entering the Digiverse.

Now, you might ask what I find so intriguing about this. After all, they are pretty straightforward, no? Cyrus Borg created all the machines we saw being hacked, so it figures he probably programmed a backdoor into their systems the Techno Blades could exploit. I eould be inclined to agree with this, but there is something that leaves me thinking there might be more to these blades than what meets the eye.

Look at their deactivated form for a moment and tell me what you think.

 

They still look more or less the same as their activated version, right? The only difference is that the chain on Cole's version is not extended and, much more importantly, that there is no blade.

Like Zane already mentioned in "The Surge", these aren't blades. But the ninja can turn them into blades. We see them getting activated in multiple episodes, such as this one:

Whenever a Techno Blade is activated, it happens in a burst of elemental energy. The same occurs during a hack, as whatever is being affected transform in a similar burst of energy. What's more, the affected machine will, with the exception of PIXAL, take on an aesthetic appropriate to the element of the Techno Blade's wielder.

 

 

Now, this brings up a number of questions. Why can the blades appear and disappear as needed? Where do the particle effects come from? How come the Techno Blades just so happened to land with the ninja of the corresponding elemental power, when their deactivated form offered no hint as to their elemental affiliation?

Well, my dear fellows, I do believe I have a somewhat plausible explanation for all of this. First off, as mentioned in my review of "The Surge", I believe the Techno Blades didn't actually end up with the correct ninja. Just look at their shapes!

 For reasons I already explained in the mentioned review, I believe the Techno Blades, going from left to right, were developed for Zane, Kai, Cole and Jay respectively.

Now, you might be asking yourself why the blades correspond to the ninja's colors and appear to use their elemental power, if they're not the intended wielders. The anwer to thies question lies, from what I can tell, in season 2. Yes, before the Techno Blades were ever introduced.

Do you recall the Elemental Blades? Golden, dragon-shaped hilts that could manifest a blade made from crystallized elemental energy when activated. These weapons enabled the ninja to wield their dormant elemental powers, even though they were incapable of accessing them the normal way. The metal from their hilts presumably came from the Golden Peaks, as we know that this kind of gold can carry and conduct elemental powers, since it was also used to forge the Golden Weapons. Unlike the Golden Weapons, however, there is no indication the Elemental Blades are capable of manifesting their blade if the wielder possesses no elemental powers themselves. As such, I propose that, unlike the Golden Weapons, the Elemental Blades do not have any power stored within them, but rather aid their wielder in manifesting their power.

As for the Techno Blades, I believe that Cyrus Borg reverse engineered the Elemental Blades. Yes, you heard that right. He built his tower at the site of the Final Battle, and presumably has plenty of access to footage from said battle, meaning that he could see the power of these blades. As such, he used metal from the Golden Peaks to create his Techno Blades. The reason for this? To prevent anyone but the ninja from using them. Think about it for a second. Ninjago is a futuristic nation, there is technology everywhere. By controlling its technology, the Overlord could take over all of Ninjago entirely off-screen. If the Techno Blades were to fall into the wrong hands, such as those of the Overlord himself, their wielder could control every piece of technology, even those not connected to Cyrus Borg's servers.

To prevent anyone but an elemental master, which to most people in Ninjago at this point means "anyone but the ninja", from using them, Cyrus Borg created the Techno Blades in such a way that only an elemental master can activate them, as the Techno Blade creates its blade-part from their elemental energy. This actually makes the Techno Blades more powerful as, rather than exploitng a backdoor Borg left in his creations, the Techno Blades instead infuse their target with elemental energy, transforming it into an equivalent of the vehicles the ninja could turn their Golden Weapons into, leaving it disconnected from any wider network, including the Overlord's.

Of course, this is all just a theory. But it does make sense, doesn't it? 

Enter the Digiverse

The season finally alrady? Well ... kinda. This season has two finales, as the first arc and the second arc were released with a wide gap between them, and the Overlord is beaten at the end of either arc. This episode concludes the Techno Blade arc, but not the whole season.

Using the power from Zane's heart, Cyrus Borg sends the ninja into the Digiverse, a digital realm he created for his inventions. This way, they will be able to delete the digital Overlord without obtaining the hard drive containing his data.

At the same time, however, Pythor, Wu and the Nindroids march onto Borg Tower, aiming to stop the ninja from accomplishing their mission, and Lloyd gets his powers drained.

In the end, he manages to share his powers with the other ninja, enabling them to purge the digital Overlord from the system, but Borg was still abducted by the Nindroids, Pythor got away, and the Overlord stole enough power to create a body for himself. 

Various Observations:

-Huh, the title card just reads "Digiverse", but the narration still calls it by its proper name. Odd.

-Wait, the ninja already know that Lloyd was abducted? How? I guess maybe Garmadon told them through the falcon, but I'm not even sure the falcon was around, since it didn't show up in the last episode at all.

-Aw, Jay is back to being the lovable dork  we've come to know. Let's hope he doesn't turn into a possessive jerk again.

-Oh, wait, look at Borg's hand! It's still the cybernetic hand we've seen the last few episodes, even though the rest of his body seems like it's back to normal. Could it be that he simply put clothes over his cybernetic parts? His entire right arm had been replaced, after all, and I do not believe it would be feasible to remove his other implants without access to technology. That is, if it is even possible to remove them. Knowing the Overlord, I wouldn't put it past him to have replaced vital organs.

 

 

-Why does Jay randomly jump onto a chair after being reminded that people have multiple lives in video games? It feels like there was some kind of disconnect between the animators and the script writers.

-So ... why do digitized people die in real life if they die in the Digiverse? Wasn't it developed for video games? I feel like a video game that kills the player in real life wouldn't be particularly popular.

-Ooh, look, the screen has a mouth! Tenna, is that you?

-Ah, my bad. It's not Tenna, it's the guy from Saw! Although he sounds more like a Dalek ...

-Sheesh, the citizens of New Ninjago City have seriously sunk to a new low. Well, I suppose their anti-Serpentine rally might have been worse. Still, trying to destroy the only way to beat the Overlord out of envy is not a good look.

-Alright, the Overlord still forms his body from golden particles, while Lloyd's powers appears as lightning. At least it's not evil purple lightning anymore? Still, it feels like those effects should be swapped.

-So why exactly does Lloyd's drained energy activate machines all over Ninjago? You'd think it would go straight to the Overlord. Then again, I suppose maybe he has to let some of it escape to avoid getting disintegrated like Samukai or that one pirate.

-The Techno ... Weapons?  The Techno Blades are pretty clearly not weapons, something their creator should know very well.

-Er, Nya? You ... do remember that you're a very skilled fighter, right? Because you could also help fend off the Nindroids, just saying. There's no reason to leave it all to the roleplayers.

-You know, PIXAL shows a lot of concern for the ninja in this episode. A far cry from her robotic personality we saw in "The Art of the Silent Fist" and "Blackout". Maybe Borg helped her figure things out. Or maybe he removed the Techno Blade's hack off-screen.

-Borg casually admitting that he's not sure the ninja won't just instantly disintegrate is really funny.

-Jay's back to being a jerk. Wonderful. 

-Look at how stiff Cole's Techno Blade is! What's up with that? You know, if it stays like that for more than three hours, you should see a doctor.

-The ninja goofing around in the Digiverse is fun, I have to say.

-Guys. You're in a world made entirely of code. You have tools that can hack anything they touch. Use them to escape the quicksand-code-thing! Why does nobody ever use the Techno Blades?

-Jay's pun made me chuckle, though.

-Damn, this is actually tense. Things are looking really bad for everyone, and we get to see it from four different angles.

-Ooh, the transitions between the Digiverse and the real world look really good.

-Finally Nya gets to be a badass again! It only took sixteen bloody episodes! If you count her driving skills in "The Last Hope" it's only six, but since she was turned into the classic damsel in distress at the end of that episode, I won't count it.

-Also, Cryptor's still sexist. Why is that a part of his personality? 

-Jay imagines his Techno Blade turning into a vehicle? That ... might actually be some nice continuity, since the Nunchucks of Lightning did the same.

-Everyone else just summons their techno vehicles. That's boring.

-Wha- Why is Pythor just holding a bone? Where did that come from? That's so random, I can't stop laughing!

-Also, it looks like my theory about Borg just covering up his implants was right, because now that he lost his jacket, we can clearly see them.

-Huh, PIXAL actually briefly gets one over both Wu and Pythor. Granted, it's because she surprised them, but still.

-I'm still sad the Techno Blades can't actually fit together like that. It's kind of disappointing if you want to recreate this scene with your toys.

-I love that PIXAL just explains to Pythor how he can forever trap the ninja in  the Digiverse. Is the return of red-eyes PIXAL at hand?

-Whoa, Garmadon just threw evil Wu out of a window! If he hits the ground, he's dead! So much for pacifism ...

-Garmadon actually beats up Pythor! We never saw him get beat up like that before! Protective Garmadon is awesome!

-Zane's weird psychic stuff actually saves the day for once! He can reach out to Lloyd and Lloyd shares his powers! It's awesome to see the team working together again after being seperated, I have to say. Particularly since this is the culmination of the ninja growing together and becoming a family. Lloyd knows for certain that he is never alone now!

-Wait, where'd Borg's spider-weheelchair go? It's just gone!

-That aside, the ninja have already failed , like they so often did when they were up against the Overlord, but then Kai finally sets aside his doubts and accepts Lloyd's powers, becoming able to change things and delete the Overlord.

-Also, the ninja reflecting the light mirrors the scene at the Temple of Light where Lloyd first obtained the power of Creation.

-The Nindroid just getting yeeted is incredibly funy to me. Although I do wonder why it didn't turn good.

-Why'd Wu's cybernetic parts just disappear after he turned good again? That didn't happen with Borg! 

-Urgh, Cryptor keeps the sexist comments coming. Who decided it was a good idea to write him like this? Terry Nation? Wait, no, then the good guys would be making similar comments ...

-Aww, PIXAL's last line sounds kind of ominous, but it's also sweet. 

-You know, this episode has a pretty kickass bittersweet ending. The digital Overlord is no more, yes, but the Overlord now has a physical body, Pythor escaped, and Borg was abducted. A pretty good set-up for the next arc, no?

The Curse of the Golden Master

Sheesh, this episode already marks the halfway point of Rebooted. Time sure does fly, doesn't it? 

In New Ninjago City, PIXAL is reuinted with Cyrus Borg, while the ninja investigate the white scale, leading them to find that the Serpentine have been living under the city, rehabilitated. 

Acidicus tells them that someone with the power of the First Spinjitzu Master, the Golden Master, will conquer all of reality according to an old prophecy, implying that it is Lloyd he's talking about. Suddenly, the ninja are attacked by nindroids, which are now powered by the electric eels the mysterious stranger stole from the aquarium. 

After the battle, Skales reveals the mysterious stranger to be Pythor, just as the Serpentine in question reveals this to Lloyd after capturing him. With Lloyd captive, the Overlord has Garmadon thrown into the ocean and heads back to the city, ready to drain Lloyd's power. 

Various Observations: 

-I love that the seeming post-apocalyptic civilization is actually just the result of the people of New Ninjago City roleplaying because they're bored. I guess when you have the ruins of a cyberpunk city all around you, it does make sense to go for a postapocalyptic, loss-of-civilization theme.

-The people getting upset that Borg doesn't stay in character implies that he actually went along with the rp before this scene. That's a funny mental image.

-Oh, I almost forgot to mention it, but Cyrus Borg is still clearly a cyborg, meaning that the Overlord most likely permanently altered his body. His right arm, at the very least, has almost certainly been amputated.

 -How does Cole know that the Serpentine are locked in the Stone Army's former tomb? Only the Overlord and the Serpentine should know that part.

-You know, the ninja should probably think to retrieve the Elemental Blades from wherever they stashed them after the last season. Actually, they might just be at Wu's school. The ninja probably took them with them, right? There was just no reason to take them along on a field trip, and they never went back to the school afterwards. 

-Jay and Cole's bickering gets tiresome very fast. 

-The Overlord seeks the power to "rule this world - and beyond!" I know the existence of other realms has already been established, but it's still interesting to see it acknowledged like this before season 5 fleshes the concept out a bit more. Of course, maybe he's just referring to other planets, since the ninja go to space pretty soon, but I prefer to imagine otherwise.

-The interactions between Lloyd and his father continue to be the best part of the season. Both of them do have a point, and they can see that the other is not neccessarily in the wrong, merely too immature or too pessimistic. It also helps that you can feel their love for each other in every line.

-Wait, how old is Skales Jr.? He seems like a four- or five-year old. Assuming that Serpentine pregnancy takes nine months too, and that Skales got busy right after being sealed away, at least four years and nine months must have passed since "The Day Ninjago Stood Still", giving us a rough estimate of how much time has passed between the seasons.

-By the way, why is Skales Jr. the only Serpentine until Dragons Rising to wear clothes? It wasn't weird for them to be naked until one turned up with clothes. Now it is. Are they all nudists? 

-"We may not have power ... but we still have sharks!" Funniest line of the season? Quite possibly.

-Brad wants to take a field trip to the toxic bog? Wasn't that the place where the Venomari were sealed? If so, nice callback. Of course, I do have to wonder why Brad apparently hasn't aged a day in what must have been at least four years!

-Oh, having someone invisible pass by is nice foreshadowing. Invisibility was the Anacondrai's power, after all.

-Wait, that's the cop that arrested four random children for the theft of giant golden sarcophagus! I'd recognize that face anywhere! Looks like he got fired for it. That's how you know this is fiction.

-Ah, he continues to be completely inept. I guess I have been asking for more consistency, haven't I? 

-Wow, Dareth actually got a win for once. Granted, it's probably because the shark realized he isn't a seal, and therefore not something it wanted to eat, but still.

-Now Pythor's hiding out in the sewers? But isn't there a risk of another Serpentine encountering him?

-Whoa, the Serpentine sure fixed this place up nice. Hard to believe it was originally a completely flat and empty chamber.

-Ah, Kai's comments on Serpentine-rehabilitation once again puts me in an allegorical frame of mind, but I'll shelve that for now. Instead, I would like to point out that Kai suspects the mysterious stranger of being a Fangpyre because of their white scales ... while talking to a Hypnobrai with white scales.

-Acidicus is the expert in mythology? But the Constrictai have already been established to be the ones with the most knowledge of Serpentine mythology! Shouldn't this role go to Skalidor?

-Ew, his staff looks like a cheap knockoff! Where'd Acidicus' actual staff go?

-Wait, hold on a moment! This is some serious revisionism! Most of the stuff I'm fine with, it makes sense, but the Great Devourer was unleashed to scare the humans underground? That's total BS! We all went through season 1, and there the Great Devourer was always meant to be a tool for revenge against the humans! And it's not like this episode is trying to say the Serpentine we saw had always been good people like their ancestors, they literally have to learn to be good people, so what's with this weird Devourer story?

-I love that Borg is a supportive dad, immediately understanding that PIXAL is her own person and telling her to be free.

-The Nindroids just charge in and attack everything in their path? Why not use their invisibility mode?

-Nya's fan is now made of steel. More sensible than fighting with a paper fan, that's for sure.

-The ninja shutting off a battallion of Nindroids should feel triumphant, but they're just not threatening enough for it.

-Why does the Overlord suddenly gloat to Zane specifically? I guess he hasn't been obnoxious enough this season, since he couldn't fly into incredibly suspicious and unsubtle fits of rage at Garmadon all the time. And what's up with his weird non-temptation to Zane? How is Zane "fighting for the wrong side" when he was never affiliated with the Nindroids? It's not like this is a robots versus humanity situation, this is very specifically an Overlord versus all of reality situation.

-I do love that Zane just rips off the electrocobrai tank. Garmadon never shut the Overlord up, no matter how annoying the guy got, so this is cathartic. Plus, it's pretty badass that Zane just casually shut off the embodiment of evil's physical body.

-Pythor has a history of "being fond of using electrocobrai"? Since when?

-So, Lloyd manifested a bike from his powers. I don't think he used Creation, it's clearly themed after his green energy, so that's probably the power he used, but how? The other ninja needed the Golden Weapons to do the same with their powers, but back then I theorized that it may be a proccess similar to the creation of an elemental dragon, with the Golden Weapons' power of Creation helping out. Since Lloyd possesses the power of Creation as well, I suppose it does make sense he would be able to do the same. With Creation acting as a crutch, the user seemingly does not have to be free of fear, like when summoning an elemental dragon, so it might even be the superior option.

-Eh? The snake-shackle-thing blocks Lloyd's powers? So is it made from Vengestone? Can it block the power of Creation itself? That seems ... unlikely. Particularly given that both Creation and Destruction work on Vengestone in season 15.

-Man, Pythor's return was a huge shock back when I was little. Although I don't recall him sounding quite so breathless in the German dub ...

-Garmadon promising to find Llyod is hype. Nothing else to be said. Just hype. 

Blackout

 After the ninja split up in the last episode, we'll now see how the writers handle balancing their screen time in a full episode. I think I recall both groups getting about equal attention, but we'll have to see if I'm not misremembering things.

Lloyd and Garmadon are travelling across the mountains in this episode, hoping to reach the dense jungle called Hiroshi's Labyrinth. Garmadon attempts to teach Lloyd the value of balance, and that Creation alone is only part of a greater whole, culminating in Lloyd using the power of earth to move a mountain and save his father from falling to his death.

At the same time, the other ninja are at Ed and Edna's junkyard, when Jay learns that Cole is Nya's perfect match from PIXAL, who had been revived with half of Zane's power source. This causes a fight between the two ninja, which impacts their teamwork when a mysterious stranger working for the Overlord attacks, having used electric eels to power nindroids and a cybernetically modified Wu.

While the ninja prevail, Zane is unable to use Spinjitzu by himself, as he now needs PIXAL's assistance, and the mysterious stranger managed to track down Lloyd and Garmadon. 

Various Observations: 

-Huh, the last episode seems way more epic in the recap. Why does it make me want to look up an episode I already watched two days ago?

-Sensei Garmadon's speech on balance is interesting. So far, he does a better job at being a wise mentor than Wu ever did.

-According to Sensei Garmadon, Lloyd still only scratched the surface of his potential. I am actually inclined to agree. So far, he has only used his golden power for energy blasts, and to conjure up a dragon, yet the power of Creation itself is so much more. And that's not even touching on the fact that Lloyd could also use the power of Destruction, he just doesn't learn that part until season 15. Actually, that also fits with Garmadon's views on balance. Creation without Destruction is endless growth. A cancer. The universe requires both in order to remain stable. Lloyd holds both these powers, yet he, and the writers of season 15, only see value in the power of Creation. I wonder how Crystalized would have changed if Garmadon were still free from the Devourer's evil.

-Apparently the cybernetic parts on Borg's face can just be taken off, but the rest are implants that can't just be removed so easily. I guess they wanted the viewers to be able to tell the difference just by looking at Borg's face, but it just makes me wonder what the point of his visor even was.  Why did the Overlord just give him a helmet?

-Oh, the worker that found Borg gives us a timeframe. Apparently they "have been without power for a few days". Yeah, that makes sense to me. 

-So Wu and the hard drive containing the Overlord are both gone, yet Borg doesn't think there might be a connection? Like, we know that Wu hasn't taken it, but as far as Cyrus Borg is aware, he might have taken it to destroy it. 

-Pythor established his evil lair in the basement of Borg Tower? That seems highly unwise. Surely the tower would be searched, now that Cyrus Borg is back, since he wants to find the hard drive?

-I like that we get to see the junkyard again, if I'm still unsure whether to be happy that Ed and Edna are also back. 

-I love that the piece the ninja are searching for doesn't have either of the names Kai remembers it having. 

-Wait, what even is the ninja's plan here? They want Zane's hovercopter to be solar powered so they can get back to New Ninjago City ... But the hovercopter was destroyed in the last episode alongside their other hacked vehicles, wasn't it? Wouldn't it make more sense to just use Ed and Edna's car? You know, the one that was the last to get eliminated during the Ninjaball Run? It even runs on fuel, so a lack of electricity isn't a problem.

-Aww, Zane giving half his heart to save PIXAL is sweet. I agree with Edna here! Just ... don't ask her for her opinion on Serpentine.

-And it seems PIXAL's software also deems Cole to be the perfect match for Nya, much to Edna and Zane's confusion. You know, I bet her less robotic self that occasionally pops up would pick up on the fact that Nya and Jay clearly love each other. 

-Ooookay, boundaries, Jay, boundaries. You don't get to assault your brother just because a robot whose personality is in flux claims him to be a better match for the girl you love. I'm not even sure you're dating at this point, and even if you are, this would still be a red flag.

-Oh, Garmadon also wants Lloyd to keep using the other elemental powers he has, rather than solely relying on Creation. Yeah, that makes sense for his character. Plus, it's always cool to see Lloyd use other elements.

-Oh, I do believe this is the first we've ever seen Lloyd truly use Creation, as he just created a bridge from nothing, yet he acts like he already did so before. I suppose he must have refined his powers between the seasons. At the same time, his control over elemental powers, such as earth, has suffered. I suppose he has neglected using them, and therefore lost his balance, just like Garmadon warned him.

-Garmadon's exasparation is amusing.

-Oh my god, I love that Jay isn't offended by Cole calling him a clown, but rather by the fact Cole even considers being a clown an insult. 

-Oh, Cole still has super strength. "Consistency? Consistency isn't a word where I come from!" 

-Hold up, why are Cryptor and Min-droid at the junkyard? They were at the power station when they were shut down! How'd their deactivatied bodies get here?

-Go on Nya, tell 'em off. Although, honestly, Cole probably doesn't even know what they're fighting over, he was just suddenly attacked by Jay, so I don't think it's macho stuff so much as it is self-defense in his case. 

-Now the Nindroid's lasers can blast apart steel? It feels like they get stronger with every appearance!

-I love that Ed and Edna just have jetpacks lying around in case they need them. It fits their kooky inventor parents vibe. I'm just not sure how I feel about them abandoning their son with killer robots.

-The bubble damaging Cryptor's laser eye is also kind of funny. 

-So Zane is actually impaired by losing half of his heart, as he is not strong enough anymore to use Spinjtzu. I guess that does make sense.

-Eh? Where'd Kai go? Why are only Jay and Cole rushing over to help Zane?

-Hey, um, Kai? Jay? Cole? If literally any of you hits the trash compactor with one of the Technoblades you are holding right this very moment, nobody'll get crushed. 

-I love Jay's quip about getting close with Cole.

-Nya. You have two wires. Cutting one will stop the machine. No clue how you know that, but sure. If you were still your season 1 self, you'd just cut both!

-Thanks, Jay! Don't think about this symbolically, Nya, you don't have to date the guy whose wire you cut, just cut one! Do you want Jay and Cole to die?

-There are even more Nindroids at the junkyard? Seriously? I'm starting the question the common sense of Jay's parents. Don't gather killer robots!

-Man, Cyborg!Wu absolutely curbstomps Kai! And this is the same guy that lost to Pythor? Well, I suppose the ninja may well be out of practice, and the cyborg parts might strengthen Wu.

-And PIXAL is back to switching between being emotional and not. She screamed "No!" and rushed in to save Zane, and then coldly analyzes the situation like she herself is confused what happened. She blames it on Zane's heart, but it seems more likely that this is her true personality, which has grown beyond her analytic pre-programmed one. 

-Cryptor's sexist now? Why would he even consider PIXAL to be "a little girl" when she is older than Cryptor himself?

-Er, Zane? It's not because of your "shared reflexes" that you and PIXAL can use Spinjitzu together, but because together you have enough energy. How would sharing reflexes help? 

-Nya Honey Darling Sweetie Gravy just cut. Both. Wires! It ain't that hard! You already have both on the blade, just move it up, and boom, nobody's gonna get crushed!

-Nya doesn't say which wire she cut, so I'll choose to believe that she made the sensible choice and cut both.

-Wha - Shut up, Jay! How does Cole deserve to get beaten up, when you're the one who started whaling on him for no reason? I want to like you, stop being a jealous bastard!

-And now Kai's the one to make a quip about Zane and PIXAL's relationship, when that line should go to Jay in any other episode.

-Huh, I didn't know Pythor had archery skills. That's cool, I myself have some modest skills in the field.

 -The Overlord will be pleased? Pythor, what are you talking about? You failed, why would the Overlord like to hear that?

-Jay, stop antagonizing your brother, or you'll lose your spot as my third-favorite ninja.

-Garmadon and Lloyd's back and forth is probably the best part of this episode, to be entirely honest with you.

-Lloyd getting himself and his father in trouble because he interfered with a baby bird's attempt at flying is very believable. He's not mature enough to know that his help was not only unneeded, but may actively make things worse for the little bird. 

-Garmadon deciding that extra arms would come in handy, after all, is funny to me. 

-Lloyd managing to move a mountain is a very triumphant moment. The music just makes it really epic.

-Why is Jay yelling Wu that had a black beard? Yeah, I guess he did, but why would anyone care about that part? Actually, come to think of it, why did his beard turn black? He's a cyborg, why would that bring color back to his hair?

-Yeah, see? The Overlord clearly isn't pleased with Pythor! No clue what he was on about earlier.

-Pythor put a tracker on the falcon? When? It left alongside Lloyd and Garmadon in the last episode, and that was way before Pythor found the Overlord and took the hard drive, given that we literally se him plug it in at the beginning of this episode, so when would he have been able to get his hands on the falcon?