Ninjago S15 E10

## Plot

The ninja are let out of the prison for work detail. They have to pick up trash along Route 22. Fugi-Dove talks to Jay in the back of the bus. He wonders what will happen to their "longstanding rivalry" now that Jay has turned to a life of crime. Meanwhile, the bus stops when it comes across a person in distress. It's Dareth in disguise, pretending that his car has broken down in the desert so he can distract the guards. Nya shows up in her new mech to break the guys out. And that's the only time we see or hear from Nya or any other member of the monastery crew until episode 14. And despite being seen by guards, Nya isn't arrested. Sure, maybe they don't know that it's her, but then wouldn't they assume that it's Pixal and try to arrest her instead? Then again, Samurai X seems to be treated more like a standard superhero with a secret identity than the ninja for some reason, at least by members of the public. The guys leave in Dareth's van, but it breaks down for real. Meanwhile, the mayor hears about them escaping, and when he learns that the commissioner's jurisdiction ends at the city limits, he decides to call in Hounddog McBrag, an investigator who is obsessed with overly complicated metaphors. Pixal made new ninja suits for the guys. They have no idea how she makes things so fast. They look… fine, I guess. It's revealed that Fugi-Dove was able to escape with them. The only place nearby is Twitchy's gas station. By that night, Hounddog McBrag and other police officers are looking for them, so they decide to split up. If anyone isn't there by noon tomorrow, it means they got caught, and the rest will have to continue on. Kai, Zane, and Dareth go one way, and Lloyd, Cole, Jay, and Fugi-Dove go another way. By the next day, Kai and Dareth are hot, tired, and thirsty, but Zane is no worse for wear due to being a nindroid, which has its benefits. They're picked up by a girl in a van. She has pink hair in pigtails and she's wearing glasses. Her name is Sally. Zane turns on his cloak to appear human. She still asks why they look like the ninja (we love observant characters with normal levels of self-awareness and common sense, and stories that don't require them to be stupid for the plot to happen the way it does). They claim that they were costume (cosplay) camping, but they got a little lost. She agrees to give them a ride and plays a song. She wrote and recorded it herself. *In this life Nothing's ever how you thought it would be Easy to some Harder for people like you and me But in this world Just when you're racin' through the eye of the storm There's always a calling A compass to lead you home When things are all dark and gray And nobody knows just what to say Dig deep inside And you will feel An inner strength An inner steel* She's moving to Ninjago City to become a singer. Kai and Dareth like the song, but since Zane turned off his emotions, he takes the lyrics literally, and says that humans aren't made of steel. Sally tells him that it's a song to make people feel better. Music can bring people together and help them find their way. That's what she wants her music to do. Zane says that's a worthy cause. However, when he notices a photo of her smiling with two older people and asks who they are, she suddenly starts crying hysterically and lets go of the wheel, making her lose control of the van. Zane stops the vehicle and they all get out. When the guys ask Sally what's wrong, she reveals that she ran away from home, stole her dad's van, and accidentally ran over a mailbox and damaged the front fender while leaving, because her father said she wasn't old enough to go to Ninjago City. She went anyway even though she knew it would hurt his feelings, and thinks she's a selfish person. A police helicopter shows up, and now Sally thinks her dad called the cops on her, so he must be super angry. She starts driving away, and the guys get back in. Also, I love that there's an LGBTQIA+ rainbow pride flag on the back of the van, and apparently there's also a bisexual pride flag on Sally's guitar case. Zane tells her that running from the police is irrational. The cops aren't even after her. Zane turns off his cloak, but Sally is too hysterical to listen. She thinks she can never go back home now. She loses control of the van again, and is barely able to stop before running into the helicopter. Two cars with Hounddog McBrag and the rest of his police force show up to block the way they came, so Sally goes off-road, but she winds up at the edge of a canyon. Hounddog McBrag tells them to give up and surrender. Sally finally realizes that the guys are ninja, and the police are after them, not her. She asks them what they did, and Kai reveals that they stole something. Part of the canyon breaks away, and gravity causes them to fall into the river. Hounddog McBrag goes after them in one of the cars, but Zane stops his pursuit (and his car) in their metaphorical (and literal) tracks with his powers. The van is pretty messed up after all of that though. Sally is excited after going on her first big adventure. She asks the others if they were as excited as she was, and Zane reveals that he turned off his emotions to avoid feeling the unpleasant ones. Sally blames herself and starts crying again when the front fender and the front doors fall off the van. She wishes she could turn off her emotions. Then she wouldn't miss her parents anymore. She could just run away and everything would be fine. One minor complaint I have is the unfortunate implications of three adult men having to deal with a "hysterical" and "overemotional" underage girl. It just feels a little too stereotyped, but maybe that's just me. I didn't even realize it could be seen that way until I rewatched the episode months later in early 2023. Zane tells Sally that his father and creator, Dr. Julien, once attempted to protect him from feelings of grief by turning off his memory switch, but now he sees that emotions serve a purpose, even unpleasant ones. I think that's why I hate that this appears to be Zane's arc this season. It would've made far more sense if it had happened much earlier, like in season 3 after losing Dr. Julien again. Or if his memory problems in early season 4 had actually led to anything, like having to relearn about his past, his friendships, and what happened to his father, himself, Pixal, etc. Sally's negative feelings of grief, guilt, sadness, and self-loathing are telling her to go home. She's worried that her parents won't forgive her, but Zane knows they will. It's obvious that her parents love her very much. Aw! Her family photo reminds me of the one with the ninja during the old intro, as well as the one with Zane, his father, and the falcon. *All this time Of blinders shut and not a thing to see They're blocking the view So grand, so rich, and beautiful But here I am Like a fearless shadow waitin' in the wings Can you hear me? Cuz I'm ready to come right home When things are all dark and gray And nobody knows just what to say Dig deep inside And you will feel Oh oh yeah There's always a trail to a better place Tomorrow's the first in so many ways Just search your heart And you will feel An inner strength An inner steel* She returns home, and even though the van is likely beyond repair, her parents are just glad to see her. Kai notices Zane smiling at the reunion, and he reveals that he turned on his emotions again, for good this time. He's realized that there is a benefit to them, even grief. Sally looks at the guys as they leave. I loved Sally's song, Inner Steel. The full version was released on June 17th, 2022. The vocals were done by Sally's VA, Ashleigh Ball. The music production and arrangement was done by Olle Markensten and Jeppe Riddervold, although Bragi Schut, one of the show's writers, is the one who came up with the "Inner Steel" concept. Mix and mastering was done by Tor Back Kristensen. The demo lead vocals and choir were done by Stella Ringdahl. Apologies if I butchered anyone's names. Sometimes I'm truly struck by just how wildly my interests vary. Cartoon shows aimed at kids from when I was 11, and violent, graphic video games, shows, and movies with blood, gore, harsh language, emotional and mental trauma, loss and grief, the loss of innocence, taking revenge, and so on, rated Teen or Mature, such as *A Plague Tale*, *The Last of Us*, *Blue Eye Samurai*, *Logan*, etc. Man, I'm weird. But I don't have to perceive that as a flaw or a bad thing or something about me that needs "fixing". That's just who I am. Also, as much as I adore Sally's song, the words "waiting in the wings" might forever remind me of Tangled, and more importantly, Cass in season 3. So, speaking of harsh language, fuck her. I'm moving onto the next episodes to detox from that, which is also the end of the second story arc of the season, and the end of part 1 of 2 of the sporadic, confusing, and constantly changing episode release dates.