Lego Ninjago
Is there anything that stands out in the series? Well... no, not exactly. Brutally, every season is built on a new set of rules. The group sets out to find something powerful and it seems like they always lose something equally so within the first couple episodes of the next season. I do like it when they introduce new settings to far off places. I just don't appeal to the focus to sell toys when their costumes change or they receive a whole new set of vehicles.
Then there is the giant problem of horrible coincidences that resides in nearly every episode. Think of it as the bad guy telling their master plan to the good guys only in reverse. The only reason the situation seems to get worse is because of the heroes own stupidity. The only reason they seem to win is because of the villain's own stupidity. And the cycle continues. So allow me to break-down some highlights I found in the seasons for ya'.
Seasons 1-2: The story actually develops at a good pace. The overall character development and lore builds up over time. Then every now and then you can see where the show just doesn't like something and instantly change it without reason. Every episode is part of a formula - 5 Snake Tribes, 4 Fangblades, 4 "Potential" Origin Stories, and then the final boss. The heroes get dragons and vehicles the 3rd episode, a mysterious Samurai character in the 5th episode, new armor in the 6th episode, and Evil returning with 4 arms in the 10th episode. Then they lose everything in the 13th episode. Eventually they gain everything back. Episode 18 Lloyd instantly gets older (I'm not kidding here), Episode 23 they get new weapons, new samurai, new tank and fight the final boss again in Episode 26.
Technology, Season 3: I'm always amused when they tack on a half-season. 8 episodes with New Ninjago City (they actually call it that), new armor, new weapons, and a new romance between Zane and P.I.X.E.L. Oh and they actually go into space! They really did an awesome job on changing up the settings in this season. The final episode sort of pulls this "fake" hero death with Zane supposedly dead but maybe not. He just gets a new paint job in Season 4.
Tournament, Season 4: I want to come out and say that I was in complete awe in Episode 35. The way that the boat comes out to greet the ninja was pretty cool. Then they had to introduce that stupid villain and his stupid plan to turn into snakes by setting up a tournament that everyone knows is just a facade. There is a mini-series of him figuring out his new chair that is purely comedic in nature. They also do this little fake-out by introducing a "Orange" Ninja, a potential love interest for Kai, but she just sort of does her own thing like all the other Elemental Masters after the season finale (until Season 9).
Ghosts, Season 5: I like to call this season a poor-man's Scooby-Doo episode. Ghosts from a different realm flood in and nothing stops them... oh wait, yes there is - water. Good thing they choose to summon them on a village built entirely on water, as if that isn't the worst idea ever! This is a good time to bring in a water ninja. And wait, what? Cole gets turned into a ghost? And you get the idea - new mechs, more vehicles, and Airjitzu (which is rarely ever seen after this season).
Genie, Season 6: My patience for these stories get pretty thin about now. There is a story about a gen (evil genie) from a different realm that returns with the assistance of his old pirate crew. There are a few 5-minute clips exploring the background of the crew that isn't required to watch but informative none-the-less. The comedy still holds together (Pirate Ninjas anyone?) but the plot gets so convoluted with the love story between Jay and Nya being the backbone of the whole season that my mind sort of blanked out somewhere around Episode 60. Episode 63's B-Team sort of helped me stay focused but everyone knew that Jay's final wish in the final episode was just going to reset everything. The Genie was all powerful, but not? The world was pretty much destroyed, but not? No one recalls the experience except Jay and Nya (this gets referenced later on)? And let us not forget that Cole is still a ghost this whole time.
Time, Season 7: The beginning of this season might be a bit confusing because there was actually a "movie" that came out to tie-up all the loose ends with the previous seasons. There are, you guessed it, new team vehicles to battle all the previous villains up to this point. Cole turns normal but also gains super-strength of some kind. It is kind of hard to argue whether this season is worth watching or not. There is a lot of backstory, retcon as it were, regarding the "Time Brothers" and Master Wu. There is a running gag regarding the name of the "Vermilion Warriors" and the way to stop them constantly changes every episode. You would think they would continue using the same methods every episode! The villain's motive to rule the world basically comes true, as if every bad guy's ridiculous plot has come true up to this point, and fails in the final episode. I must admit that I did enjoy seeing Jay and Nya's parents for a brief moment before the entire series decided to revolutionize in the following season. Oh well.
Season 8-9: I will admit that I did not know what would happen in the series at this point. Their "time changes things" subplot was their reasoning in completely changing the entire city and look of the ninjas. For a brief moment in the first episode, I thought we had more cooler, quieter ninjas than the previous seasons. I mean, they fail to be "stealthy" ninjas so many times beforehand that maybe this would be a better twist in the franchise. Nope! Then you have the return of Wu and Garmadon... somewhat. Season 9 splits the action between two realms - one fighting a resistance against an emperor and another trying to survive a desert wasteland eerily similar to Mad Max. The Elemental Masters return. Dragons return too, finally, but for real this time. And then the story sort of ends with this hint of the evil Oni returning in the next season.
Summary: There is a huge chance that Ninjago TV Series was formed just to sell toys and that is evident in how many times things change - vehicles, mechs, costumes, dragons, abilities. Most of the series requires you to turn your brain off and come to expect that everybody is a moron, both hero and villain alike. The story and characters will remain consistent, for the most part, and the humor is entertaining to say the least. Just don't try to invest in the lore too much.
11-4-2018