“Every race you've ever run, you always crash in the same place. It's because you were programmed to. You were programmed by the game to lose, but you don't have to. You can break the cycle. I've seen it done.”
Racer Seven is the tenth episode of the twelfth season of Ninjago and the 138th episode overall. It aired on April 18, 2020, in Asia and Australia, and was paired up with "One Step Forward, Two Steps Back." It aired in the US on August 9, 2020.
Extended: The ninja appeal to Scott for help in obtaining 5 race cars. Scott shows them his junkyard where he has 5 vehicles that may be repairable in time. Lloyd heads off to the racetrack and watches a live race, hoping to learn as much as he can about the brutal Speedway Five Billion. One driver in particular impresses Lloyd - a race car driver known as 'Racer Seven'.[2]
Plot[]
Scott shows them the vehicles the ninja can use, as well as his own. Nya then comments on the rusty, old vehicles and says that they need to be repaired. Scott replies saying that it's the best he has in his shop and it did well in the last race until the driver of that car made a reckless move and got cubed. Scott explains that's the reason he wouldn't drive and doesn't want to be a hero due to only having one life left. Jay then informs the rest of the ninja that he has spent a long time in the game.
While the ninja start to work on their repairs, Lloyd heads out to check out the track. He spots Red Visors approaching, so he uses his new avatar and heads to the stands. He witnesses the dangerous race and another competitor named Racer Seven. Unfortunately for her, she wipes out and is frustrated with herself, so she throws her helmet in the direction of Lloyd. Lloyd catches it off the deflection and stares at it. Suddenly, Red Visors yell freeze at Lloyd and he begins to run while using the helmet as a shield. Lloyd then climbs onto the racing pole still and backflips onto another race car before escaping through the pit stop.
Back at Scott's Garage, the rest of the ninja continue to fix their vehicles. Kai and Cole wonder what one of the levers does for the Mech Jet. Without warning, the engine Nya was fixing explodes and she gets upset over it. Now with only four cars and needing five, the ninja wonder what to do and Lloyd, having returned from earlier, talks about Racer Seven. However, Scott reveals that she is an NPC and is programmed to lose. Despite this, Lloyd believes she can break her programming just like Okino and asks where she typically hangs out. Scott tells Lloyd that she eats at a noodle shop, so Lloyd heads out to find her.
Lloyd and Racer Seven.
Over at the marketplace, Racer Seven is walking and appears somber. The rest of the shopkeepers congratulate for her effort, but she continues ahead. She stops at the noodle shop and argues with the chef on the portion side and settles for two. Lloyd then pops by and asks if she realizes why she keeps crashing at the same spot. Racer Seven recognizes Lloyd and demands for her helmet. Lloyd then tells Racer Seven that she lives in a virtual world and everything around her is not real. In addition, he tells Racer Seven that she is programmed to crash at the fourth-mile marker and offers her a chance to win. However, Racer Seven thinks Lloyd is talking nonsense and threatens to call the Red Visors if he doesn't leave. Lloyd does leave but tells her to meet at the empty parking lot if she changes her mind.
After reflecting, Racer Seven realizes that she does fail at the same place and decides to find Lloyd. Meanwhile, the ninja repaired all but one of the vehicles and are waiting for her. The ninja then hear her shouting and she touches the invisible shield. The ninja then reveal themselves and Lloyd asks if she would join.
The scene when Racer 7 argues about her food's portion with the chef, followed by the chef giving her 2 sushi and her sliding her two chopsticks against each other pays homage to the 1982 film Blade Runner.