The Morning Report (episode)

"The Morning Report" is the thirteenth episode of Season 2 of The Lion Guard, and the thirty-ninth episode of the series overall. It premiered on January 8, 2018.
==Official synopsis==
"When Scar has the hyenas trap and interrogate Zazu, the Guard must rescue him."
==Plot summary==
The Lion Guard gathers around Bupu the sable antelope, whose horns are stuck in the branches of a tree. Kion suggests breaking the branch off the tree, to which Bupu reluctantly agrees. However, as Bunga begins to bounce on the branch to weaken it, Nyuni the weaver angrily reveals his presence and explains that his nest lies at the end of the branch. Beshte questions Nyuni as to why he had moved his home, and Nyuni explains that he likes to see different parts of the Pride Lands.
Just then, Zazu arrives and comments that he will be including the commotion in his Morning Report to Simba. Kion then gets the idea to have the branch broken off at the end so that Bupu can carry the rest of the branch as well as Nyuni's nest in his horns. Nyuni is excited to be able to see more of the Pride Lands, despite Bupu's initial reluctance, and he is swiftly carried away alongside the rest of the herd.
After the departure of Bupu, Nyuni, and Zazu, Fuli critiques Zazu's nosiness, to which Kion reminds her that it is part of his job to know the business of the Pride Landers. He then reminds her of the time that Zazu had saved him and Bunga from crocodiles. When Bunga had foolishly challenged Makuu to a fight, Zazu had stepped in and offered himself in place of the cubs. This had caused Pua, the float leader, to back down and let the cubs walk away to safety. Beshte and Ono express awe over Zazu's bravery, though Fuli remains unimpressed.
Elsewhere in the Pride Lands, Janja and his cronies, Cheezi and Chungu, lie in wait for Zazu, as they have been commanded to do by Scar. As Zazu swoops by, continuing to monitor the kingdom for his Morning Report, the hyenas jump out of hiding and abduct him, bearing him straight to the Outlands.
At Pride Rock, Simba expresses concern that Zazu is late, as he has never exhibited such behavior before. This leads the Lion Guard to inquire about Zazu's whereabouts to Bupu and Nyuni, who have formed a partnership and are getting along famously. Both Pride Landers deny having seen Zazu since their earlier entanglement, and Kion orders his team to track Zazu through other methods.
In the Outlands, Cheezi and Chungu monitor Zazu, who is trapped in a bone cage, while Janja seeks an audience with Scar. Janja questions his master as to what they should do with Zazu, and Scar orders them to grill Zazu for information. Though Janja believes questioning to be a waste of time, Scar reminds him that as royal adviser, Zazu is privy to all of Simba's secrets and thus holds the key to taking over the Pride Lands. With this new understanding, Janja leaves to carry out Scar's orders.
Meanwhile, Ono has located some of Zazu's tail feathers, which still carry his scent. The Lion Guard spots hyena tracks nearby and takes off along the trail, following them to the Outlands.
At the same time, Zazu tries to trick Cheezi and Chungu into letting him go, but Janja arrives in time to stop his foolish minions. He demands that Zazu reveal the secrets of the Pride Lands to them, but Zazu refuses. Janja then backs the bone cage up to the edge of a vent, where steam burns the tips of Zazu's feathers, and Zazu fearfully gives in to their request. He sings "I Do Have a Great Deal to Say", in which he explains shallow, unhelpful information about Simba to the hyenas.
The Lion Guard happens to overhear Zazu's singing and rushes to the rescue. They arrive just in time to stop the hyenas from eating Zazu and begin to engage the clan in a fight. During the battle, Zazu manages to roll down a hill in order to save Fuli from a pair of hyenas, but in doing so, he begins to plummet toward the bottom of a volcano. Kion swiftly uses the Roar of the Elders to clear a patch of rock on the lava, where Zazu lands, breaks free of his cage, and is able to take to the air. With Zazu free, the hyenas give up and retreat farther into the Outlands.
Back at Pride Rock, Zazu delivers his Morning Report, despite it being nighttime. He laments being late for the first time, but the Lion Guard assures him that he is not to blame. Fuli adds that Zazu had saved her life, and Kion reminds Zazu of how he had saved him and Bunga from the crocodiles all those seasons ago. Zazu acknowledges his part in saving Kion, then carries on with delivering his Morning Report.
==Voice cast==
===Starring===
*Max Charles as Kion
*Joshua Rush as Bunga
*Diamond White as Fuli
*Atticus Shaffer as Ono
*Dusan Brown as Beshte
*Jeff Bennett as Zazu
*Rob Lowe as Simba
*Andrew Kishino as Janja
*Vargus Mason as Cheezi
*Kevin Schon as Chungu
===Guest Starring===
*David Oyelowo as Scar
*Blair Underwood as Makuu
*Michael Dorn as Bupu
*Gerald C. Rivers as Pua
*Nolan North as Nyuni
==Appearances==
==Trivia==
* This episode contained several references to The Lion King.
==Media==
The_Lion_Guard_Premiere_New_Episode_Promo_2018|A preview for "The Morning Report"
The_Lion_Guard_The_Morning_Report_-_Baby_Fuli_And_Baby_Kion_%26_Bunga_Meet_Pua%27s_Float_Scene_HD|Young Kion and young Bunga confront Pua's float
The_Lion_Guard_I_Do_Have_a_Great_Deal_to_Say_The_Morning_Report_Lyrics_Polish_lyrics|The "I Do Have a Great Deal to Say" sequence in "The Morning Report"
The_Lion_Guard_-_The_Morning_Report_Clip|The Lion Guard and Zazu battle Janja's clan
==References==
Category:Episodes
Category:The Lion Guard Episodes
Category:The Lion Guard: Season 2
Category:Real world