The Breaking Ground

It was all in our minds.
We were playing a game. Expect Monkey. He wanted to leave. He wanted to go back and find out the truth

**"The Breaking Ground"** is the fifth episode of the first season of *The New Legends of Monkey* and the fifth episode overall. This episode aired on 30 January 2018 and became available on Netflix on April 28, 2018.

## Plot synopsis

A shaman uses trance-like mind games to trick the gods into translating divine scrolls, sending Monkey dangerously far into his own subconscious.

## Summary

Raxion, master of the Guard, meets with the Shaman to inform him of three gods in the area. Raxion asks if he’s ready. The Shaman replies "Always."

Monkey informs Tripitaka that these scrolls are written in an ancient language. Demon can’t decode it, only gods. However, Tripitaka reveals that the scholar taught her how to read it.

While preparing a meal at their camp site, Sandy and Pigsy start to hear music.

As Monkey and Tripitaka return to camp with firewood, they hear music playing. Suddenly, Monkey freezes in place and becomes completely unresponsive. Tripitaka takes cover at the sound of men approaching. Raxion and his guards load Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy onto his cart and take them away.

Shaman takes a lock of hair from Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy as they remain unconscious in the "Breaking Ground." He tells them that they will translate the sacred scrolls. He explains that a God’s mind is a magnificent creation. The only way to get them to do as they’re told is to make them think it’s their own idea. He decides to place them in a familiar place — Monica’s tavern.

Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy awaken in Monica’s tavern. She tells them to eat up and get ready for the best night of their lives. Everything is on the house. Monica asks if they like games. Sandy and Pigsy admit that they do.

Tripitaka call out to Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy, but she gets no response. She suddenly bumps into an invisible barrier.

In the first round, Monica offers up two bags of gold and a wagon full of town goodies. Monica tells them that it’s a memory game; all they have to do is write down the things they remember. She tells them to translate the God’s language. Sandy and Pigsy are engulfed in the game, but Monkey remains suspicious and refuses to write.

Shaman and Raxion wonder why Monkey isn’t translating the scroll as the other two are. Shaman suspects that he needs to be pushed a little further.

Tripitaka hides as Raxion and two of his men exit the invisible barrier. Raxion informs them that they have a delivery to Jade Mountain. He needs them to return with a cart by dusk

Sandy and Pigsy continue to translate whilst Monkey watches. Monica informs them that there are prizes for accuracy and speed during the game, but Monkey remains uninteresting and skeptical. So he approaches the man sitting alone at a table and asks who taught him how to read the word of gods. He replies "The Master." Monkey then recognizes the man as Lior. They trained together at Jade Mountain. Lior then tries to convince Monkey to play the game and translate the sacred scrolls.

Shaman is impressed by Monkey's will and strong mind. Raxion reminds him that they either need results or to dispose of Monkey. Shaman resorts to a stronger method to force Monkey to play.

Tripitaka watches as Raxion exits the barrier and throws his knife in a fit. While he’s distracted, she sneaks inside.

Monica starts the next round. While Sandy and Pigsy translate the scrolls, Monkey tells Lior that he needs his help in getting back to Jade Mountain. Lior is sorry for what happened to Monkey, who asks Lior how long he has been at the tavern. Before he can reply, Monica tells Monkey to start translating scrolls. Lior offers to show Monkey. Sandy tries to encourage Monkey to play as she doesn’t want to lose. Lior on the other hand, seems to be aware that they aren’t in the real world and tells Monkey that playing along is the only way to survive.

Tripitaka finds Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy stuck behind a semi-transparent barrier translating the ancient language. She touches the barrier and is projected inside. She tries to pull Sandy’s hand off the barrier and pleads with them to wake up.

Shaman and Raxion put Lior, as well as several other gods, into a barrel with plans to send them to Jade Mountain. Raxion will be gone on the trip for two days, while Shaman stays behind to maintain the fantasy.

Monkey, Sandy, and Pigsy suddenly realize that Lior is gone, but then the fourth round commences. Monica claims that Lior went home and asks Monkey to step up. Monkey then reveals that he doesn’t know how to read the gods’ language. He never learned. Monkey realizes that no one had come or gone through the door since they arrived. He’s determined to see what’s beyond the tavern.

Tripitaka binds Pigsy’s hands, causing him to disappear from the table.

After realizing that Pigsy is missing, Monkey walks towards the door. He tells Sandy that he’s innocent and needs to go back and find him. Sandy asks who he is going back to find. She then hears Tripitaka telling her to wake up. And then Sandy disappears from the table.

Shaman loses his connection to both Pigsy and Sandy. He looks over and sees Tripitaka belongings lying on the ground, realizing that someone has infiltrated his fortress.

Raxion gets a message from the Shaman, which reveals the Breaking Ground’s been breached.

After successfully waking up Sandy and Pigsy, Tripitaka tries to wake Monkey up but he remains asleep. Sandy explains that they were all playing a game, except Monkey, who wanted to go back and find out the truth.

Monica tells Monkey to come back to eat and have fun. Monkey reaches the door, but then the Shaman appears to him. He warns Monkey that in opening that door, he’ll be going too deep into his own mind. And once that happens, there’s no going back. Instead, he asks Monkey to come back with him. Monkey refuses. Even as he hears Tripitaka calling out to him, Monkey opens the door to his past.

Monkey’s body collapses to the floor. Sandy and Pigsy check on him whilst Tripitaka demands to know what the Shaman did to Monkey. He reveals that Monkey did it to himself and that he went back to revisit his past.

## Cast

### Main

* Chai Hansen as Monkey
* Luciane Buchanan as Tripitaka
* Josh Thomson as Pigsy
* Emilie Cocquerel as Sandy

### Co-Starring

* Samson Chan Boon as Lior
* Rachel House as Monica
* Jordan Mooney as Raxion
* Daniel Watterson as Shaman

## Notes and Trivia

* The Breaking Ground refers to a prison of the mind that the Shaman uses to control gods.