The Upply Strike Back!

The Upply Strike Back! is the fifteenth episode of the thirteenth season of Ninjago and the 159th episode overall. It aired on July 23, 2020, in Australia. It aired in the US on October 25, 2020, paired up with "The Son of Lilly."
==Synopsis==
Cole and the Upply arrive at the Skull Sorcerer's Keep and find the ninja locked into cages. The Geckles and Munce have been put back to work in the chain-gang, mining Vengestone.https://www.cartoonnetworkasia.com/videos/ninjago-masters-of-spinjitzu-the-upply-strike-back
Extended: Cole and the Upply arrive at the Skull Sorcerer's Keep and find the ninja locked into cages. The Geckles and Munce have been put back to work in the chain-gang, mining Vengestone. While Jay is formulating a plan, he sees the Skull Sorcerer draw the two fabled Blades of Deliverance. Hoping to retrieve the blades, Cole sneaks into the Skull Keep while Wu and the Upply set about freeing the ninja.https://web.archive.org/web/20210330071826/https://www.foxtel.com.au/tv-guide/Ninjago/120532170
==Plot==
After being captured, all the Geckles and Munce are enslaved and forced to mine. The Re-Awakened show no mercy and whip anyone for slacking off. Meanwhile, the ninja (minus Cole) are encaged in Vengestone. Nya feels foolish for believing the Skull Sorcerer would let the two tribes free, and Kai also feels remorse for accomplishing nothing. However, Zane believes the Skull Sorcerer would kill everyone if they didn't surrender and Lloyd and Jay agree.
Without notice, the Skull Sorcerer and Hazza D'ur mock the ninja and in order to show his true power, he claims he will destroy the ninja using Grief-Bringer. This will allow him to take control of the Geckles and Munce who will lose any last hope of freedom. Before the Skull Sorcerer leaves the ninja, Lloyd reminds him of Cole who might be on his way to inform King Vangelis about the entire situation. The Skull Sorcerer laughs wickedly as he reveals himself to be Vangelis. He tells the ninja that he banished Cole and Wu into the bowels of the mountain.
While this is going on, the Upply and Cole sneak in and spots the ninja and Skull Sorcerer. Fungus wonders what he's saying, and Cole talks about the boring evil speeches each villain gives. Before the Skull Sorcerer leaves, Lloyd asks if he stole the Blades of Deliverance, so he shows them the blades. Cole realizes the blades and tries to go after them, but Plundar pulls Cole down knowing they must not be spotted. The Skull Sorcerer explains that he knew the Geckles and Munce were doltish tribes who would blame each other which would allow him to enslave them in the process.
Cole instructs Fungus and Korgran to free the Geckles and Munce and everyone enslaved but to wait for his signal. Meanwhile, he assigns himself, Plundar, and Adam to go after the blades.
Murtessa starts to get tired and an Awakened Warrior tries to whip her, but Korgran destroys the skeleton. Murt wonders who Korgran and Fungus are, and Fungus explains they are here to free the Geckles and Munce, but they must wait for a signal to liberate themselves. At the same time, two Awakened Warriors are carrying the Blades of Deliverance and are about to store it, but Cole and Plundar punch the two skeletons and take the blades. He then tells Plundar to free everyone while he would fight the Skull Sorcerer.
The Skull Sorcerer makes an announcement to the Geckles and Munce to execute the ninja. He demands Grief-Bringer to be released from his cage, but the cage slides shut after Cole throws a rock at the skeleton releasing him. The Skull Sorcerer realizes this and checks to see what's going on. That's when Cole jumps in and fights the Skull Sorcerer. Simultaneously, Korgran and Fungus show their faces and begin attacking the Awakened Warriors. Korgran gives the signal to the Geckles and Munce, so they free themselves and also attack the Awakened Warriors. Concurrently, Adam and Plundar help free the ninja so they could join the fight. However, Grief-Bringer spews green fire at his cage and is able to free himself.
While fighting the Skull Sorcerer, Cole mentions having the Blades of Deliverance, but the Skull Sorcerer laughs at Cole and claims that there’s no magic in the blades. Cole still has confidence in the blades and says the Skull Sorcerer talks too much before both sides charge at each other.
==Cast==
*Cole - Kirby Morrow
*Fungus - Ian James Corlett
*Gulch - Andrew McNee
*Hazza D'ur - Michael Adamthwaite
*Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
*Kai - Vincent Tong
*Korgran - Paul Dobson
*Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
*Murt - Michael Adamthwaite
*Murtessa - Tabitha St. Germain
*Nya - Kelly Metzger
*Plundar - Adam Trask
*Vangelis/Skull Sorcerer - Deven Mack
*Zane - Brent Miller
===Non-speaking===
*Gleck
*Re-Awakened
===Mentioned===
*Wu
===Events===
*Battle for Shintaro Mountain
===Items===
*Blades of Deliverance
**Ivory Blade of Deliverance
**Shadow Blade of Deliverance
*Korgran's axe
*Lilly's necklace
*Naginata
*Shield
*Shintaro wings
*Skull of Hazza D'ur
*Vengestone
**Vengestone spears
===Creatures===
*Adam
*Grief-Bringer
===Locations===
*Ninjago
**Shintaro Mountain
***Dungeons of Shintaro
****Skull Keep
*****Mines of Shintaro
****Rock-Bottom (mentioned)
===Species===
*Dragons
*Nindroids
*Geckles
*Giant spiders
*Humans
*Minos
*Munce
*Oni/Dragon/Human hybrids
*Sky Folk
==Transcript==
For the transcript of the episode, click here.
==Trivia==
*Narrator: Fungus
*This is the first episode since The Two Blades to have Cole be in the same episode as any of the other ninja.
===Cultural references===
*The episode name is a reference to Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back.
===Continuity===
*The conversation between the ninja and Vangelis is similar to the conversion between Vex and Lloyd in "A Fragile Hope." Both conversations have the villains saying there is no hope.
**The scene also resembles the ninja being trapped in a Vengestone cage in "All of Nothing," minus Cole in this episode and Lloyd in the former.
===Errors===
*In the extended synopsis, it was implied that Jay noticed Vangelis with the Blades of Deliverance while he was forming a plan. However, in the episode, it was Cole who was the one who was formatting the plan.
*Gulch was seen with his sash after Vangelis told an Awakened Warrior to sound the gong.
*Cole's scar, his Earth Punch and its energy pulse was seen during his fight despite he didn't use it.
==Gallery==
For the gallery of the episode, click here.
== Translations ==
==References==
de:Die Oblies schlagen zurück!
ru:Верхние наносят ответный удар!
Category:2020
Category:Episodes
Category:Episodes of Master of the Mountain
es:Los de Arriba Contra Atacan