Ninjago S8 E7

## Plot

First of all, please let the title be a reference to *Game of Thrones*. We also have a flashback this episode, but it's after the title card. It shows us how Harumi's biological parents died. It was the Day of the Great Devourer. Harumi was a little girl then, and she loved the ninja. The Great Devourer attacked, and went right by their building. Everyone was waiting for the elevator. They tried to take the stairs, but they had been destroyed. They went back to the elevator, but it was full. Harumi's parents put her in, and told her that they'd see her when they got down. She wanted to stay with them. The building collapsed, and her parents were killed. When she was being treated by paramedics, she heard them talking about the Great Devourer. They thought that Lord Garmadon was the real hero, because he killed the Devourer, and the ninja couldn't stop it. Harumi was given the name of the quiet one by a paramedic when she didn't answer any of their questions. In the present, she and Lloyd enter the temple. Similar to season 5's tomb, there's not much of a floor, and they have to jump on beams. They learn that they can't touch anything with a certain Oni symbol on it. Harumi does it on purpose, and the temple exit closes. The Sons of Garmadon have taken the Bounty. The ninja are tied up in vengestone chains. So where is Pixal during all of this? They're flying to the Oni temple. Nya lets the SoG know that they know that the Quiet One is Harumi. Zane and Jay point out that when bad guys unleash ancient evils, it never goes well for them: Pythor, Chen, Morro, and even Lord Garmadon himself. If they try to escape, Ultra Violet will hurt toddler Wu. They just have to hope that Lloyd discovers the truth before Harumi's help arrives. Speaking of which, they barely make it to another section of the temple. Lloyd uses his powers to light a torch. They see carvings on the wall. It's the story of the Oni in Ninjago. They came here and built this temple. They were looking for the First Spinjitzu Master to try and make him fight for them in their war with the dragons. Ninjago was a new world to them, so they holed up here, which explains all the traps. They find the same symbol. Harumi says that Lloyd can use his powers to break through one of the walls. Before he can blast the one without the symbol, he changes his mind. The Oni really wanted to protect the mask. They would've known that anyone who got this far would know to avoid the symbol. It's a trick. The wall with the symbol is the one they should break. If they pick the wrong one though, the temple will flood with water. Luckily, Lloyd made the right choice. They see the mask. Lloyd almost falls off the platform, and he loses the torch. Harumi tries to take the mask, but can't. It's like some sort of force is stopping her. She says that only someone with Oni blood can take the mask, like Lloyd. He takes the mask, and she asks if she can see it. He asks her how she knew. She says that it only makes sense for an Oni to be able to take an Oni mask. He meant how she knew about him being part Oni. She says that it's because he's related to the first spinjitzu master, but very few people know his origins, or that he was part Oni. Lloyd never told her that. He and Jay were alone when Mistaké told them. Harumi claims that Jay must've told her. Lloyd doesn't want to believe it, but he realizes that she's the Quiet One. "It all makes sense now. The greatest villain was the one you never knew was there in the first place." That was her. Harumi says that she loves him and tries to kiss him, but he tells her to stay back. He thinks that she only wanted him to get the mask she couldn't find. She says that she didn't need him to find it, and reveals that the baby is Wu. That's why they really needed him, because he's part Oni too. She's been leading Lloyd on this whole time, just in case things didn't go according to plan. He refuses to give her the mask. He won't let her bring his father back, not as an evil overlord again. She kicks him, causing him to drop the mask. It lands in between them. Harumi dives for it, but Lloyd hits it with his powers, sending it behind them. He asks her why. She never asked to be a princess, or an orphan. She blames the ninja for what happened to her. And technically, in a horrible, roundabout way, she's right. The Great Devourer was released by Pythor, who was released by Lloyd, who was picked on by the guys, and left alone to wander around in a blizzard, allowing him to find the first tomb. They couldn't defeat the Devourer, but Lord Garmadon could, which explains why Harumi idolizes him. He got revenge for her. She asks Lloyd if he's really naive enough to think that there were no casualties that day. He was just a kid back then, like she was, so yes, he really was. Lord Garmadon saved the day, but it was too late to save her family. She died that day too. Lloyd tries to destroy the mask, but Harumi gives him two reasons why he shouldn't. First, he wants to see his father again. And second, despite everything, he still loves her. Seriously? Yes, you guys had some sweet moments, but you only kissed once, on the cheek, and everything on Harumi's part was faked. Damn, she's good at manipulation. She takes out a knife and attacks him. She helped put the bug on the ship and caused the crash. It was a calculated risk. She couldn't let them discover the truth about her. Everything was an act. She probably dropped the Mask of Deception on purpose to let Ultra Violet get it. It also explains how and why she was uninjured by the explosion in the palace. She knew where the explosives would be, and when they'd go off. The damsel in distress thing that I complained about earlier was just an act. As for the emperor and empress, she yells that they were never her parents. She says that to protect Ninjago, she had to repress those feelings. She had to wear a mask until the time came for her to take control. Lloyd says that she just wants revenge. She points out that Ninjago has almost fallen multiple times on his watch, and considers the ninja failures, not protectors. Ninjago is her home too, and with Garmadon by her side, they can return it to glory and give it the leader it truly deserves. She runs for the mask, but Lloyd tackles her. They continue to fight, and Lloyd is able to get the mask. He throws it off the platform, and she jumps after it. She was able to grab it, and hung onto the rock side with her knife. She puts the Mask of Hatred on, and jumps back up to the platform. She says it's not going to be a fair fight, and gives Lloyd the knife. Her voice now has a demonic tone to it. The mask made her invincible. Sure enough, the knife breaks against her arm. The Sons of Garmadon have arrived at the temple. Nya notices the keys to their chains on a table. Killow can't break through the entrance. They just have to wait for Harumi to come out. Lloyd says that she can hurt him all she wants, but he'll never let her get away with this. She knows that physical pain can only hurt so much. She wants him to feel the emptiness that she does, when his father comes back and kills him in cold blood. Lloyd says that she's a monster, and he'll never feel what she does. She leaves him there and breaks the other wall, causing the temple to flood. So I guess she's okay with killing him in a slightly more conventional way too. Which makes zero sense, since the next episode reveals that she needs him alive in order to bring back his father. The resurrection ritual is ridiculously specific. Killow calls Ultra Violet over, leaving only one mook to guard the ninja and toddler Wu. Cole distracts him, and Nya tells Wu to get the keys. They're freed, and easily defeat the guard. Harumi makes it out of the temple and meets up with Killow. They're confronted by the ninja… who are then confronted by Ultra Violet, Mr. E, and more gang members. Lloyd comes out through a waterfall and lands in front of them. Before a fight breaks out, they're all attacked by the giant crab from earlier. A cool, yet sadly very short fight scene occurs with everyone working together to fight it. The bad guys escape on the Bounty when the ninja distract the crab with spinjitzu. Zane freezes it in water, and they see the Sons of Garmadon getting away. Nya and Zane use their powers to make a ramp for Lloyd. He makes it to the ship's anchor, and gets on board… only to be immediately captured, because despite being ninja, stealth isn't their usual cup of tea. To make matters worse, the others still have to deal with the crab monster, which has freed itself.

## Review

Oh my god. Someone get Britt McKillip and Sam Vincent some acting awards for that scene in the Oni temple. That was some of the best voice acting in the show, ever. I know I complained about all of the changes in the premiere, but tying it back to the very beginning of the show was a brilliant move. It makes it feel like everything is still connected, and has come full circle, a la Ouroboros. This episode was so dark, and I loved it.