Ninjago S3 E8

## Plot

The nindroids arrive at Borg Industries with the golden weapons. We see the Overlord again, and he looks cooler this time, with gold armor and a purple cape. They've melted down the golden weapons to create golden armor for the Overlord. They have no use for Borg now that Project Arcturus is done. They let him go so he can watch Ninjago fall. The guys are still stuck on Delta V, using their elemental powers to deal with the bugs. Lloyd thinks that his dad was right and that he shouldn't have given up his golden power. If he hadn't, he could've gotten them home by now. However, Garmadon admits that he was wrong, and Lloyd should trust his friends and himself. They can make their own rocket. Arcturus can't fly, but it'll give them all the metal they need. Zane knows the solar system better than anyone. Kai can weld the missing parts together. Cole's strength means that he could do the heavy lifting. Jay's electricity can power the ship. In case you're like me and you don't think Zane's contribution amounts to anything, he handles navigation and holds the whole thing together with his power source. So he's actually the most important one in this miracle operation. The Overlord attacks the city. He's really big now, and appears even larger thanks to him standing on a giant gold version of Borg's spider leg chair. So he's a *standing* Orcus on his throne? Also, now he looks *really* cool and menacing. Also squared, another statue of Borg falls. As the ninja enter the atmosphere, they discover that Zane's power source actually is limited. His heart is reaching critical mass, which means that it's gonna blow up. They can't disconnect it because it's the only thing holding the ship together. Since they're in the atmosphere, it means they have air. They use their elemental shields that I don't think have ever been mentioned or seen before to survive the rest of the way. The people cheer when they see them return. The Overlord decides to destroy them because they give the people hope. They all enter their vehicles and meet up with the others. The Overlord has reshaped the city into a fortress. They get a message from Borg, saying that he's found refuge inside the Temple of Fortitude in the city. It was from the Stone Wars. The Overlord used it as a stronghold against the first spinjitzu master. It has a seal of protection that can resist the golden power. Borg has a device that could defeat the Overlord. Nya and her mech suit are hit with a car, and she's knocked unconscious. The guys go back for her. Zane tries to warn them that if they go back, their probability of making it to the temple exponentially diminishes. However, Kai tells him that this isn't about numbers, it's about family. They're attacked by the Overlord. He can do spinjitzu now. Giant, golden spinjitzu, in his chair. Nya regains consciousness and fights Cryptor again. The guys make it to the temple, and the shield is activated. The Overlord starts battering it with lasers. Also, he says that they'll break and die easy. I only bring it up because he said the standard synonym destroy earlier in the episode. Plus it's just a really dark line. Borg's secret weapon is a nano pill. It can shrink things. Garmadon and Wu used to play baseball as kids, and they never lost. They're given the pill to hit into the Overlord's mouth. The others need to get them in close. Nya loses to Cryptor, but she's able to get him and one of his subordinates to fight each other. The ninja take armor from stone warriors to protect themselves from the Overlord's power. Zane tries to give his to Pixal, but she tells that he's vital to this mission, and to not worry about her. She knows that they'll each other again. The seal is broken by the nindroids, but Nya takes care of most of them in Cryptor's mech suit. The Overlord has created a web across the city. The armor is working, and they use it to take the heat off of Garmadon and Wu. Skales changes his mind and intervenes to save the citizens. Garmadon and Wu launch the pill, and it's a perfect hit… but *Pythor* intercepts and swallows it instead. He shrinks, and the falcon chases after him. Where *was* the falcon during all this craziness, or did it just take him this long to fly back? I bet he's thinking "This is what you get for using me as a beacon, snake! I always did love to eat worms, even though I'm a robot!" The Overlord ties them up in the golden web, and they wonder why the armor isn't working *now*. The Overlord says it's because their time is over, but that's not a real explanation. I'm just gonna assume that the golden power or the Overlord himself adapted, or whatever was so special about the armor that was protecting them ran out, like the seal at the temple. Nya, Pixal, and Borg get to the roof of a building to witness it. The Overlord ties up everyone but Zane, who flips away. He asks his friends to support him… one last time. He uses them as stepping stones to get to the Overlord and grab the armor. He starts glowing and even seems to be pulsating. It's because, as stated many times before, the power of the golden weapons is too much for normal people to handle. Half of his face plate falls off. The Overlord says that his survival chance is zero. Quoting Kai, Zane tells him that this isn't about numbers, it's about family. It drains the power from the web, setting the others free. However, Zane doesn't let go. His heart is reaching critical mass. If it overloads, he'll explode. He's protecting his family. Zane says that ninja never quit, and freezes the Overlord in ice. His powers have been supercharged thanks to the golden armor. The others have to leave now. Wu even has to physically pull Kai and Jay away so they don't get crushed by what is essentially giant hail. They're forced to hide under a manhole cover. Some of Zane's most cherished memories play, including his father telling him that he was built to protect those that cannot protect themselves. He flatlines, and he and the Overlord are destroyed. Everything is frozen in a flash freeze of ice and snow, including Cryptor and his subordinate, who are destroyed as well. The others, including Nya, Pixal, and Borg, come out of hiding. They find the half of Zane's face plate that fell off, seemingly confirming his death. A crying Nya hugs Cole instead of Jay for comfort, who was about to hug her from behind, but pulled back when he saw her hug Cole instead. A little while later, everyone holds a memorial/funeral for him. Cyrus says that he used to think technology could solve all their problems. But then he saw technology invent new problems, like the return of the Overlord. And then Zane saved them all. He was the perfect balance between them and technology. He taught them that life should be a balance. Technology can improve their lives, but so can people. If they focus on one at the expense of the other, that's when the balance is lost. Their city will find its way again, but this time, with Zane as their compass. Borg unveils his tribute to Zane: A statue of him as the titular Titanium Ninja. The falcon lands on it. Nya wonders what they'll do after this. No one knows, or cares, because today is about Zane. Kai also gives a eulogy. He doesn't think that anyone will ever know what actually powered Zane, but he thinks it was brotherhood. Because he powered them, and he'll still power them as his memory lives on. Ninja never quit, and ninja will never be forgotten. Wherever Zane is, he'll always be one of them. And then it starts snowing. One person is noticeably absent from the ceremony though: Pixal. She stayed at Borg Tower, having apparently been too upset to go. Suddenly, memories of her time with Zane start playing on the computer. Only they're not *her* memories of their time together. She rushes downstairs to the assembly line, and a very familiar voice asks her if they're compatible now.

## Review

I swear, the only reason I don't cry whenever I re-watch this is because I now have the knowledge of future seasons. And even then, everything is still so emotional in those last six to seven minutes. Literally everything is perfect: The acting, the animation, the music, everything. And don't think I still don't find new things to notice, like the "built to protect those who can't protect themselves" memory having Zane with a butterfly, and then one appears at the memorial scene. Or in a far more humorous sense, Borg building statues. At least this time it's not of himself. I could talk about this season and its themes for awhile. For the most part, at least in later seasons, they all have certain arc words or an overarching theme present, or focus on a specific character. In season 4, it's only one can remain. In season 5, it's brother sharpens brother. In season 7, it's control time, control everything. One of the major themes of this season to me is family, both biological and adoptive, and how they both have value. Garmadon and Lloyd bonded during their self imposed exile. Wu saved Garmadon from falling, and vice versa. Zane lost his technically biological father, but he still has his four adoptive brothers. His adoptive sister. His mentors, teachers, and father figures. He has Pixal and his falcon. He's still alive, just inside Borg's system like the Overlord once was. He was the focus character this season, just like Jay is the focus character of season 6, and so on. Ninja never quit, and neither will I. Here comes season 4.