Ninjago S15 E14

## Plot

Instead of the usual Weekend Whip theme song for episode 13, it plays audio of Harumi singing the Spider's in the House song. This episode is mostly just Harumi narrating to Lloyd as the audience is treated to flashbacks and exposition. It turns out that she really did die during season 9. However, sometimes endings are just new beginnings. Stop. Quoting. Mistaké! In a blank purplish-pinkish space, she met a familiar looking spirit orb that could talk. Yeah, it's obviously the Overlord. He's been watching her, and tells her that she put her faith in the wrong champion. So many callbacks and arc words and phrases back to back! She's been abandoned yet again. However, her skill and daring have impressed him, and he offers her a deal: If she agrees to serve him, he'll bring her back to life. He introduces himself as the Crystal King. She agrees to serve him, and he brings her back to life. She's buried underneath debris, with a crystal in her hand that she can use to talk to the Overlord. She's not strong enough to get out, so he gives her temporary strength so she can escape. He tells her to go to the place where she first showed who she really was: The Oni Temple in Primeval's Eye. She inserts the crystal into where the Mask of Hatred used to be. This changes the temple into how it looks now in season 15. She recognizes him as the Overlord. He's gone by many names, including Dark Lord, Golden Master, and Crystal King. She can't serve him. He'll destroy everything. However, he tells her that destruction is the result of the never-ending conflict between light and dark. He will only destroy the balance though, thus ending the fight forever, and then there will be peace in the dark. She agrees to serve him, and he orders her to build an army for him out of vengestone. Their enemies' weakness will be their strength. Vengestone is difficult to come by, but Harumi managed to find an endless supply of it in Shintaro. She met with King Vangelis and learned he was the Skull Sorcerer during season 13. He was also aware of the Crystal King during this time too. It was literally just before Hailmar arrived and introduced the ninja, and before Vania and other guards showed up. However, Vangelis was found out and defeated by the ninja, and his mining operation was shut down, forcing Harumi to turn to people like Miss Demeanor. It turns out that she was also disguised as a farmer in the beginning of season 14. Lloyd is chained up in the room where the Mask of Hatred used to be. Harumi has the key, and reminds him that the greatest villain is the one that got away. It's hard for him to tell when she's being serious sometimes. She has no idea how *he* ended up leading Ninjago's greatest heroes, since he's so gullible. He says he doesn't normally fall for things like that, but he's frustrated and confused right now. She reveals that the next part of her plan is breaking into the monastery and stealing the Golden Weapons of Spinjitzu. Lloyd tells her that their power is gone, but she reminds him that power is never really gone, which was also a theme in seasons 9 and 11. She points out that he and his friends have lost their elemental powers numerous times, but they always come back. He reminds her of when she told him that she never had any feelings for him. It may have been a trick on her part, but his feelings for her are real. For the love of God! Lloyd, she has tried to kill you and your friends multiple times, and your angst about her after so many seasons is annoying! Give up on her already! Like Morro said, you can only save people who *want* to be saved. She asks him why he didn't come for her if he still felt something for her. He reveals that he did. After the battle with his father, he went to the building she had been buried under earlier and cleared away the debris with his bare hands, but didn't find her. Wait, even though you didn't find a body or any remains at all, you still thought she was dead? Okay lover boy, that was your first mistake. Zane never left behind a body, and he was still alive. Harumi tells Lloyd that he didn't search long enough. Or maybe she had already made the deal with the Overlord and left, and even if she hadn't yet, Lloyd would've just found her body. He knows she hates him, and maybe he deserves it (he doesn't in my opinion), but either way, he can't let her take the Golden Weapons. He unlocks his chains. He took the key from her when she leaned in close to tell him that he didn't search long enough. Okay, that's clever. Using the enemy's own tactics of manipulation against them. He says he'll be going and apologizes, calling her Rumi again. She sarcastically says that she's the one who's sorry. Mister F is behind him. Lloyd stupidly tries to use his powers, even though he knows there's a metric shit ton of vengestone in the area. He surrenders. Meanwhile, Hounddog McBrag and two police officers show up at the monastery to take the Bounty away as evidence, similar to season 6, and Wu reluctantly lets them. McBrag asks him if he knows where the ninja are. Wu asks him if he's trying to put them back in jail. That's where criminals belong, but Wu says the guys aren't criminals; they're heroes. McBrag tells him that they used to be heroes, but now they're a problem for him to solve. Wu claims that he doesn't know where they are, and even if he did, he'd never tell McBrag. He leaves and tells Wu not to get caught helping the ninja, because then he'd be arrested too. Also, McBrag ran into the mailman offscreen and gives a letter to Wu, which contains a newspaper article. Wu goes to the HQ and asks Pixal where the guys are. They also have trackers in their suits, and they're in contact with them. They're following Lloyd's trail by exploring the unfinished subway line again. Wu tells them that McBrag has seized the Bounty. Jay geeks out over an old steam powered subway car that focused on strength and durability. Meanwhile, Lloyd wakes up inside a vengestone cage suspended over lava. When he tries to break out with his powers, Harumi tells him that the cage is vengestone too. He tells her that she doesn't have to go through with this evil plan. She can change her mind. She tells him that he's bound to lose because he's trusting, gullible, and weak. He knows he failed her and she's angry at him, but he begs her to direct that anger at him, not the innocent people of Ninjago. She doesn't want them to be hurt because of her own past/backstory. Her expression changes and looks sad, uncertain, or full of regret, but then her eyes briefly turn purple. It's possible that like with Garmadon many years ago, the Overlord is exercising some level of control over his servant. He is not. She knows there's a darkness in Lloyd, just like his father, because he's part Oni too. That's the strong part. He says he's nothing like his father. They see live footage of the other guys exploring the subway line. However, Harumi reveals that she expected and even planned for this. Unbeknownst to the guys, dozens or maybe even hundreds of spiders are following them. Harumi arms the spiders, but just before they go off, the guys notice them and hide in the old subway car. The monastery crew loses their signals, and they have no idea how to get out. Pixal says that sensors have detected an explosion in the area. Lloyd thinks they're dead, but his reaction is basically the exact opposite of how he reacted at the end of season 8. He starts crying. Harumi offers him the chance to join them, but he refuses and says he'll fight them for the rest of his life, just like Wu, Nya, and Pixal. And Skylor! However, Harumi plans to deal with them next. It's all part of her design. Lloyd unlocks his Oni powers, breaks out of the cage, and fights Harumi, who angers him further, which lets him unlock purple energy blasts. Before he can seriously injure or finally kill her though, he realizes what he's doing and stops, allowing Mister F to shoot him and knock him out yet again. Okay, that's already getting old. He refused to join you. Honestly, just lower his cage into the lava and kill him! What's the point of keeping him alive? You already have a bunch of vengestone warriors and other villains on your side, and you think the other guys are dead, which only leaves the ineffective police force, Wu, Pixal, Skylor, Nya, the other elemental masters and various allies, and possibly Garmadon left to oppose you! Maybe Harumi really does have feelings for Lloyd, and that's why she's keeping him alive? Or, similar to season 3, the Overlord needs him alive to steal his power, either elemental, Golden, or Oni; or wants him alive to possess him like he did to his father. It's the first one: Romantic plot tumor.