Ninjago S10 E1

Okay, so those of you that know me probably know that despite having never seen it, I despise the LEGO Ninjago movie for throwing out years of lore and story and characters and development, and influencing the TV show from season 8 onwards. Sure, I liked seasons 8 and 9, but every time I watch them, I have to get used to the new designs and Lloyd's new voice all over again, especially if I just came back from watching an earlier season. Apparently, the creators of the show felt the same way that I did. Tommy Andreasen even threw shade at the movie by saying that this 88 minute TV movie was the one that fans of the show really deserved. It's technically not even a season, but the fans consider it one. Heck, even Ninjago: Decoded, a ten episode miniseries meant to catch new viewers up before season 8, was 22 minutes longer. Despite the obvious stock footage, I actually kind of liked it. The set up is unique, and I could totally buy it being canon, since it takes place sometime during the one year time skip between season 7 and 8. If you count the unnumbered pilots as episodes, then the one-hundredth episode was produced during this "mini-season." Appropriately enough, it's the final episode, called "Endings."

## Plot

Cole gives the recap and reads the title cards this time, which makes me wonder if they'll keep switching it up whenever there's a new season. Also, I just like it when the focus is on Cole, because he's my second favorite character after Zane, and because it took until season 13 to give him an actual focus season. Lloyd visits his father inside the maximum security holding cell in prison. It reminds me of Magneto's prison in X-Men 2. I love that movie. Garmadon offers to help Lloyd fight the Oni if he lets him out, but he refuses. The new opening is amazing. It's stylized murals depicting the events of the previous seasons. Although I don't know why it ends with Harumi saying Lloyd's name. Also, is it possible to die of nostalgia? Because that just might happen to me if season 11 is anything like this. Meanwhile, Ninjago City is being rebuilt. Cole, Zane, and Pixal are late for an event at the harbor because they're stuck in traffic, so they decide to just parkour their way there, and they get a ride from someone. The mayor, who is confirmed to be a woman, has decided to give them another Destiny's Bounty for their years of service, presented to them by the police commissioner and Cyrus Borg. It's revealed that the old monastery is also being rebuilt. The others are there, and Jay is practicing with Kai. He's basically going to propose to Nya and ask her to be his Yang, assuming he can ever summon up the courage to ask her. She shows up wearing a blue kimono. Master Wu and Misako are in the courtyard, supervising the new mural. It's paintings of all the ninjas' accomplishments, including the Dark Island graphic novels, which took place between season 6 and Day of the Departed, due to Jay altering time with his wish, which led to Clouse coming up with a new plan. So I guess that's canon. Kai and Jay ask Wu if he really wants to commemorate the first time they did the Tornado of Creation, since they've done way more impressive stuff. Wu tells them that it's a moment of their history. When all hope seemed lost, they confronted destruction with creation, and balance was restored. That is the power of spinjitzu. Before he can continue, a portal opens, and the Firstbourne dragon comes out and crashes into the ground. Faith is with her. She tells Wu that a darkness is coming, and passes out. He gives her and Firstbourne a powerful healing potion, but it will take time for them to recover. She said that a darkness swept over the first realm. She tried to avoid it, but it moved and grew, consuming all in its path. Those who were touched by it were frozen like statues. Lloyd says his dad said something similar about a darkness coming. They find a picture of an Oni in a book. The first spinjitzu master called them the bringers of doom. He feared that they would one day spread beyond their realm, and cover all the lands of creation in darkness. They head to Ninjago City to warn everyone. Underneath Borg Tower, it's revealed that they've transferred the dangerous objects kept in Hiroshi's Labyrinth there, like the realm crystal… which turns black as smoke comes out of it. The new Bounty is great, except that the switch for the thrusters has been wired wrong. Forwards is now backwards, and vice versa. By the time they get there, the darkness has already consumed a good chunk of the city, and some people along with it. They save the commissioner and his officers. The guys shoot their elemental powers into the cloud, but nothing happens. They head back up to the Bounty, but a tendril grabs Cole's foot. Lloyd is able to save him before he's pulled into the darkness. He's freaked out by it, saying it was colder than anything he'd ever felt before in his life, and there was something inside it. He thinks it was an Oni. Lloyd agrees to release Garmadon so he can help them defeat the darkness.