Ninjago S9 E2

## Plot

Picking up right where the last episode left off, Kai, Jay, and Zane meet the Dragon Hunters, who they initially mistake as oni. They say that no one else is with them, but they know they're lying. The hunters have mistaken them for oni too, and they're taken to the pit. We see the new intro, and it's okay I guess. There's just nothing about it that strikes me as interesting or super memorable, in either a visual or an auditory way. Also, the skull throne that the Iron Baron sits on? It's the now dead Ultra Dragon from seasons 1 and 2. No. Just no. That's over the line. Seriously writers, that's too far. The hunters' way of life is built around capturing dragons and using their elemental powers. They took the Bounty. Jay is still crazy, so he's useless for now. Cole and Wu have found them. Cole wants to wait it out and come up with a plan first. Wu, being a reckless little kid, and a bit of a brat, wants to jump right in. He decides to use disguises to sneak in, and Cole is forced to follow him. Back in Ninjago, the others arrive at their hiding place for the rest of the resistance: A garbage depot. They meet Neuro and Tox there. I don't know why Skylor is introducing everyone, since Lloyd already met them all during season 4. Let me guess: To help potential new viewers? How adorable! And by adorable, I mean annoying and grating. Lloyd asks Skylor if she got her powers back after what happened to her during season 4, and she says yes, she has, and she believes his will return too. Mr. Pale is also there. When they heard what happened to the ninja, they knew they had to help. Misako tells them that they've just found reason to believe they're still alive. Also, Kai said dead earlier in the episode. There's lots of scrap metal, and Nya can use it to build whatever she wants. Lloyd asks Skylor how she knew where to find them. Mistaké told them. She can answer all of their questions about where the guys and Wu are. Atop Borg Tower, Garmadon has asked to see Harumi and her generals. He asks which one of them is responsible for letting Lloyd escape. After a tense moment, Mr. E steps forward. Harumi says that he did everything he could. They didn't expect the elemental masters to help Lloyd. Despite Harumi's pleas, Garmadon uses his powers to tear Mr. E apart, killing him. This appears to horrify Harumi. He tells her to bring Lloyd to him, or he'll tear her to pieces next. Okay, Mark Oliver is back to making Garmadon sound terrifying again, and not like he's being given bad directions or phoning it in again. Lloyd learns from Mistaké that his friends are in the realm of oni and dragons. There's no way to bring them back from here. They have to find a way back from the other side, which confirms that this season will be part isekai, like *Amphibia* and *The Owl House*. The way to help his friends is to endure. He's the hunted, and has to live long enough to see them return. He finally asks her who she is. She says she's an old woman who's made a lot of mistakes, which is how she got her name. He's not sure she's as wise as Master Wu. Wisdom comes in many places, but it comes in spades with mistakes. She says wisdom is being wise enough not to make the same mistakes twice. Actually, being wise means showing experience, knowledge, or good judgment. Wisdom is just the quality of that. Lord Garmadon has a destructive power that she's never seen before. Lloyd asks her if his powers will ever return. She says that true power is never lost, only given away when you think you have nothing. But he has good friends, and she tells him to lead them, and endure. Kai, Jay, and Zane have to fight an earth dragon, since oni are their mortal enemies. Cole and Wu sneak in. They talk to Zane. He tells them to leave if they want to help. Wu is part oni, so his presence is just making things worse. But he's also part dragon. Before they leave, they drop a chain down into the arena for them. They use it to tie up the dragon. Zane, against his own advice to not use their elemental powers, uses his to trap the dragon's head in ice. The Iron Baron realizes that they're not oni, since they have elemental powers. He orders the hunters to lock them down, and they all approach menacingly.