Stanks Like Teen Spirit

"Stanks Like Teen Spirit" is the twenty-seventh episode of the first season of Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja. It premiered on July 6, 2013.
==Synopsis==
When a robot disguised as a rival school's chess team member crushes Norrisville High's record - and their spirit, a mass Stanking breaks out.
==Plot==
The episode starts off with Randy expressing his boredom since he was unable to go Ninja because of the lack of evil activity happening, but is excited for the game that Norrisville High is competing in. Howard adds that even though they're excited, they have no clue what game they are competing in. It is revealed to be chess, which shocks them, but adds to their boredom.
The Sorcerer is seen to appear bored as well since everyone seems to be in a cheery mood and no one is there to stank, but assures himself (and the rat) that McFist had the idea to make the mood worse. While Randy seems to get more bored by the second, he notices Viceroy and McFist acting suspiciously, but he soon dismisses it when he sees them cheering for Norrisville High and laments on how even his enemies are boring. Howard, on the other hand, seems to be interested in the game, even to the point of predicting the next chess move that Bucky is supposed to do, which shocks and assumingly impresses Randy, who decides to go into the NinjaNomicon (disguised as his math textbook).
In the Nomicon, Randy expresses his joy and excitement when the Nomicon shows him new weapons to play with. He starts throwing new Ninja Elemental Balls at statues, which the Nomicon had produced for him to use as a target. The Nomicon warns Randy that he should not underestimate the enemy, otherwise that could lead to defeat. Randy quickly calls it off and starts testing his new weapons again.
Meanwhile, in the real world, Randy is shown to be knocked out and seemingly sleeping next to Howard. Dominator Debbie Kang, a master chess player in the chess club who is seemingly unbeatable, is beaten by a robot made by Viceroy that knows every advanced chess move known to man. One by one, each chess player from Norrisville High is beaten and eventually they lose. Everyone starts to get upset, leaving the opportunity for the Sorcerer to stank them into monsters.
In the Nomicon, Randy has a vision of the school being taken over by the Sorcerer, and the Sorcerer is trapping him, then eating him. Randy wakes up and is told by Howard that his vision is starting to come true, causing him to slightly panic. He goes Ninja while Howard laments that he should have come out of the Nomicon a long time ago. Randy appears and is quickly attacked by Stanked-Bucky and Stanked-Theresa, but he manages to evade them. Not long afterwards, he is attacked by the Stanked Dancing Fish and manages to fight them off by using the new weapons (Ninja Ice Ball) the Nomicon gave him. He decides that the trophy that the rival school chess players possess is the reason why and goes over to break it.
Howard, on the other hand, figures out what was the reason Norrisville lost was the Chess Player Bot that Viceroy had created. Randy breaks the trophy, but realizes it isn't the object stanked. Howard calls Randy and tells him that the McFist has purposely replaced a chess player with a robot in order to make Norrisvile upset. Randy soon figures out that they need to beat the Chess Player Bot, and he attempts to find someone to play, despite Howard claiming he knows the game. Randy is attacked by Stanked-Bucky and Howard challenges Chess Player Bot to chess. Slowly, the stanked monsters gather around to watch him play, with Randy joining in soon after (even if he does not understand how the game works). From outside, McFist and Viceroy are seen spying on Howard. Viceroy exclaims that Howard is playing crazy-chess and that the Chess Player Bot was not programmed to play it. Howard eventually beats the Chess Player Bot, which de-stanks everyone.
Enraged, Chess Player Bot turns into a full-out destroy bot and attempts to kill Howard, but Randy intervenes and saves the day. Howard exclaims sadly that he only got two seconds of fame while Randy got the rest. Randy comforts him and smoke-bombs off. Meanwhile, the Sorcerer expresses his anger since he was so close to freedom, frightening his rat in the process. Randy congratulates Howard for saving the day. Howard, though, shares the trophy he had broken earlier with Randy, giving Randy the head and himself the bigger piece. They exclaim their happiness since they saved the day together.
==Gallery==
==NinjaNomicon Lesson==
To Underestimate your Enemy is to Invite your Defeat.
==Trivia==
*The title is an allusion to Nirvana's song "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
*At one point in the episode, a character resembling Waldo from can be seen in the audience.
*Debbie Kang's stanked form, a hedgehog-like creature, appears for the first time.
**Debbie's Stanked form may be a reference to Sonic the Hedgehog.
*This is the third episode to have multiple people getting stanked. The first was "So U Think U Can Stank" and the second was "Der Monster Klub".
*Two identical students became stanked alligator-like monsters, but it is unknown who they are when destanked.
*Howard is revealed to be a skilled chess player, though he isn't a member of the Chess Club.
*This is the closest time the Sorcerer has been able to break out so far in his prison.
*This is the second episode where Randy sees the Sorcerer in the NinjaNomicon. The first was So U Think U Can Stank.
*When Howard says, "Aww, you took my pointy diagonal guy", there are two white bishops seen on the board.
*Randy makes a quote similar to Indiana Jones when he sees the fish people.
*This is the second time where Randy did not wear his normal outfit. The first was "Wave Slayers".
*When the camera zooms out to show everyone in the gym, Julian can be seen without his hat.
*This is the third time where Howard appear did not wear his normal outfit. The first was "Monster Drill" and the second was "Wave Slayers".
*When Randy goes into the Nomicon, statues of creatures found in Japanese folk-beliefs appear as targets, a dragon-"koi" fish or carp, an Asian-style dragon, a Hō-ō or Japanese phoenix, the Akkorokamui (a giant octopus), a Maneki-neko or "beckoning cat," a Hannya (a vengeful female spirit), and a Kappa, a kind of turtle-like water spirit.
*Running Gag:
**Everybody shushing Randy during the Chess Tournament.
==External links==
Category:Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja episodes