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A Rocky Start is the third episode of the eleventh season of Ninjago and the 101st episode overall. It aired in the United States on June 29, 2019, in Australia on July 29, 2019, and in Canada on August 17, 2019. It was paired up with "The Belly of the Beast."
Synopsis[]
The ninja have found their quest! Now they just have to get there, which involves a road trip through the Desert of Doom, a region supposedly inhabited by a giant scarab beetle.[1]
Extended: Excited by the promise of adventure, the ninja quickly pack and are ready to head off when they learn Pixal has a surprise for the group. They follow her to a secret freight elevator that descends deep into the monastery and learn that Pixal has, in secret, built a hidden base for them below the temple grounds filled with new vehicles and weapons. The ninja head off together... En route through the desert, this promising beginning comes crashing to a halt when the group is attacked by a giant scarab beetle. The beetle disables their new Land Bounty and the ninja are forced to take shelter on a small island of rocks where they hope to regroup and repair their vehicles.[2]
Plot[]
As soon as the ninja decide to visit the pyramid, they immediately start packing. However, most of the ninja don't know what to pack. Such as Kai suggesting that they pack boots, Cole wanting to bring his guzzler hat, and Jay wanted to bring his travel pillow. As a result, they pack too many supplies. This makes Master Wu question what the ninja are up to until P.I.X.A.L. proposes that they try out their new combat vehicles.
When the ninja return to the game room, P.I.X.A.L. throws three shurikens at a dartboard to reveal a secret button and eventually a secret elevator that leads to the hangar bay. As the ninja ride down the elevator, Kai wonders why nobody told him about the hangar bay and Jay wonders why he didn't notice the construction. P.I.X.A.L. tells Kai that she and Wu worked on the cave for six months and that Jay was too busy playing video games during the construction.
Inside the hangar bay, it is revealed that many vehicles are stored here such as Destiny's Bounty and the Samurai Mech. When the ninja enter, they express their excitement and begin exploring. Nya asks about one of the inventions which turns out to be the Land Bounty. Filled with joy, the ninja immediately head out with the Land Bounty and the two other vehicles despite leaving their luggage behind.
When the ninja enter the Desert of Doom, Jay shows excitement on their journey while Zane reads a guidebook on their new location. Zane talks about the origin of the name, which involved a giant scarab beetle named Beohernie who destroyed a local village because he thought he was getting little respect. Nevertheless, Jay thinks it's all a myth and even makes fun of the name. Before Lloyd could reply, Cole spots an oasis and suggests that they should have a lunch break.
Within the oasis, the ninja relaxed while Zane continued to gain more information on the Desert of Doom. He begins to explain that mirages can occur while traveling in a desert. While the ninja become fascinated with mirages, Cole heads to where the cooler is to get more food before it disappears under the sand.
Suddenly, the ground begins to shake and Beohernie appears on the surface. The ninja retreat to their vehicles, but Cole trips on a rock and is almost devoured before Beohernie disappears from the surface.
Facing uncertainty, the ninja decide to escape; however, Beohernie grabs the Land Bounty to prevent it from speeding away. Cole and Kai, who have their own vehicles, distract Beohernie and allow the Land Bounty to escape, but Beohernie pursues them instead. As Beohernie chases after Kai, Nya fires one of the weapons to attach to Beohernie, but the Land Bounty is unable to slow down, so Lloyd breaks free from Beohernie by cutting the rope which causes the beetle to drop below the surface.
Once again facing uncertainty, Lloyd decides they must get out of the sand and head for one of the rocks Lloyd spotted, so Beohernie can't attack them. As they head for the rocks, the rocks disappear as the ninja realize it's a mirage. Nya is able to spot rocks, but as the ninja head there, they realize it's another mirage; however, in the distance, they are able to spot real rocks and safely land, but it isn't at the cost of losing one of the compartments Beohernie stole.
As the ninja are relieved, they realize their work isn't done as they are surrounded by two other beetles waiting to attack.
Appearances[]
Characters[]
Cast[]
- Cole - Kirby Morrow
- Jay - Michael Adamthwaite
- Kai - Vincent Tong
- Lloyd Garmadon - Sam Vincent
- Nya - Kelly Metzger
- P.I.X.A.L. - Jennifer Hayward
- Wu - Paul Dobson
- Zane - Brent Miller
Miscellaneous[]
- Acronix (painting)
- Clouse (painting)
- Cyrus Borg (painting)
- Garmadon (painting)
- Harumi (painting)
- Iron Baron (painting)
- Krux (painting)
- Maya (painting)
- Misako (painting)
- Nadakhan (painting)
- Ray (painting)
Creatures[]
- Beohernie
- Colossus (painting)
- Firstbourne (painting)
- Fire Dragon (painting)
- Stormbringer (painting)
- Wu's chicken
Events[]
- Alternate timeline (painting)
- Battle for All of Time (painting)
- Fall of Ninjago (painting)
Items[]
- Desert of Doom
- Djinn Blade (painting)
- Dragon Armor (painting)
- Dragonbone Blade (painting)
- Gis
- Armor
- Deepstone (Nya; painting)
- Destiny (Cole, Jay, Kai, Lloyd and Zane; painting)
- Fusion (Kai and Nya; painting)
- Resistance (Lloyd; painting)
- Jay's travel pillow
- Lloyd's golden sword
- Manual of the Land Bounty
- Oni Mask of Hatred (painting)
- Realm Crystal (painting)
- Shurikens
- Soda guzzler
- Starfarer
- Teapot of Tyrahn (painting)
- Throwing stars
- Time Blades (painting)
Vehicles[]
- ATV
- Destiny's Bounty
- Golden Mech (painting)
- Iron Doom (painting)
- Land Bounty
- Misfortune's Keep (painting)
- Rock Cycle
- Samurai Mech
Locations[]
- Ninjago
- Mountains of Impossible Height
- Monastery of Spinjitzu
- Corridor
- Relaxation room
- Hangar bay
- Monastery of Spinjitzu
- Dark Island (painting)
- Desert of Doom
- Djinjago (painting)
- Ignacia (painting)
- Mountains of Impossible Height
- Realm of Oni and Dragons (painting)
Species[]
- Beetles
- Chickens
- Djinns (painting)
- Dragons (pictured)
- Ghosts (painting)
- Humans
- Nindroids
- Oni/Dragon hybrids
- Oni/Dragon/Human hybrids
- Shadow creatures (painting)
- Vermillion (painting)
Trivia[]
- Narrator: Cole
- This is the first episode since "Endings" where Cole reads the episode's title card.
- In the Brazilian version of the episode, the narrator is Kai instead of Cole.
- The title references to "get off to a rocky start," which means to start off badly, or begin with a bad start.
Cultural references[]
- Lloyd's line "This is not good. This is really, really not good." refers to a similar line in The Dark Knight.
- Cole's line "Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it." is a very common quote that many people have said.
Continuity[]
- This episode implies that the events of March of the Oni happened a little over six months ago.
Errors[]
- Although the ninja are able to see the same mirage, it would not be possible in real life.
- When Lloyd cuts the cable, the tassel on his sword isn't moving.
Videos[]
Translations[]
Language | Name |
---|---|
Dutch | Een pittige start |
French | Première attaque |
German | Ein sandiger Start |
Italian | Un inizio difficile |
Polish | Trudne początki |
Spanish | Un comienzo difícil |