The Belly of the Beast is the fourth episode of the eleventh season of Ninjago and the 102nd episode overall. It aired on June 29, 2019, in the United States, on July 29, 2019, in Australia and on August 17, 2019, in Canada. It was paired up with "A Rocky Start."
Extended: The ninja are hard at work trying to repair the Land-Bounty when they make an unpleasant discovery. A critical engine component is missing. Zane surmises that the component was ingested by Beohernie during the attack and proposes a startling course of action: one of them must volunteer to be ingested, in order to retrieve the engine component from the belly of the beast. This sets off a round of heated debate as the ninja argue over who should be ingested. Ultimately, Zane volunteers since A) it's his plan, and B) being a nindroid, he will be slower to digest. In a frightening sequence, Zane allows himself to be swallowed, retrieves the engine component, and is pulled out by the other ninja, who have rigged up Cole's Dirt Bike like an enormous fishing spool to reel Zane back out...[2]
Plot[]
Back on the rock, Beohernie had trapped the ninja. To make matters worse, Zane realized they were missing the main component that is needed to drive the Land Bounty. While the ninja tried to come up with a plan, Jay began to complain that the situation was hopeless, kicking rocks down the slope in annoyance. What Jay didn't know was that he was walking straight into Beohernie, who had been busy burrowing beneath the sand. Jay was almost devoured by Beohernie, but the rest of the ninja were able to save him.
During the evening, Zane remarked how Beohernie had slow digestion and suggested that someone should purposely be eaten by Beohernie, so as to retrieve the component. Cole, Jay, and Nya thought the plan was ridiculous, but Lloyd believed it was the only way to retrieve the component. After arguing for some time about who should go, they finally decided to do a game of rock-paper-scissors. In the end, Zane was chosen.
The next day, Zane set out onto the sand, with a rope wrapped tightly around his waist. He clattered loudly on purpose so that Beohernie would sense his presence. Sure enough, Beohernie rose quickly from the sand and consumed Zane. Inside Beohernie, Zane survived to have another nightmare about a fiery Serpentine and an ice dragon. Waking up, Zane found himself in the belly of the beast; surrounded by deadly acid. He was able to find the component and contacted the ninja telling them he was ready to be pulled out.
Back on the surface, the ninja began pulling Zane out using the rope, but Beohernie resisted by pulling down on Cole's Dirt Bike. The force exerted by Beohernie caused Cole to fall out of his vehicle and onto the sand, where two more beetles surfaced and began to attack, but they were swiftly repelled by the ninja. Eventually, Kai shot fireballs at Beohernie's belly, causing him to vomit and allow Zane to escape the belly of the beast.
With the component recovered, the ninja quickly escaped the rock, outrunning the other scarab beetles to their long-awaited destination, the pyramid.
The episode is titled "Enter the Beetle" for the audiobook version, which may have been a working title.
The title of the episode is a reference to the phrase, "Belly of the beast", which means being in the middle of a bad situation.
The title was previously said by Garmadon in "Curseworld, Part II," when he told Lloyd, "Son, you're in the belly of the beast."
Using the Ninjago alphabet, the first word Jay carved was "ninja."
Jay's scream for help was previously used in "The Snake King."
This is the first episode where Jay says that he loves Nya.
Continuity[]
This is the first episode of the series where Zane narrates the title card, though he also narrated the Ninjago: Decoded title cards.
This episode shows that Kai thinks Jay is expendable, and that he thinks Zane and Lloyd are valuable to the team.
However, Kai was probably just messing with Jay.
When the ninja argue after Kai says Jay is expendable, audio from the ninja arguing early in "Can of Worms" is reused, specifically the part where Cole says, "I am naturally the born leader."
Lloyd's line, "Let's settle this like adults" only for the ninja to play rock-paper-scissors to decide who was to venture inside of Beohernie is a reference to "The Stone Army," where a similar situation plays out to decide who would have to clean up the Ultra Dragon's mess, as well as later having to deal with the Giant Stone Warrior.
However, instead of playing "rock-paper-clamp", they play rock-paper-scissors.
This also shows how they play the game despite their lack of fingers: a rock is a closed hand, paper is an opened hand and scissors is similar to rock but the hand is turned sideways.
This episode marks the first time of the Teapot of Tyrahn appears as an easter egg in the WildBrain seasons. It can be seen in within Beohernie's stomach, and is later seen being spat out by the beast when Zane escapes.
On a side note, the Blade Cup can also be seen in Beohernie's stomach.
Errors[]
In the first shot of Zane inside Beohernie's stomach, his shoulder armor is temporarily missing.
Videos[]
LEGO Ninjago The Belly Of the Beast
Stranded in the Desert of Doom Ninjago Cartoon Network
LEGO NINJAGO - Season 1 Episode 4- The Belly of the Beast
