Sundays 6:30am PST/ 9:30am EST
Spoiler Alert
The finale to Ninjago: Seabound is not at an end. It’s merely a huge part two and there are still threads to tie up. “Nyad” and “Turn of the Tide” make up the finale and it’s a tearjerker. Nya is fighting Kalmaar mono a mono, and elsewhere, Jay’s combat vehicle gets damaged. He may well drown if he’s not rescued soon. Sadly, by the time help arrives, he slips into a coma. Nya can’t bear to see him this way and realizes sacrifices must be made for some good to happen.
The Water Ninja learns how the tale of Nyad ends and she’s ready for change. She opens her katras up to accept another entity (or energy) to enter. She’s doing something similar to Jean Grey in Marvel’s X-Men (Uncanny, #101-108) comics by accepting the Phoenix Force. An interesting parallel must be made though. As she rises out of the water, the whirlwind is like Nadakahn’s (the villain from season six) dust tail. However, she is aware of who she is despite what Wu said, “Whatever you’re hearing, whatever you’re experiencing. Fight it, Nya. Remember who you are. Remember.”
There’s no turning back in her metamorphosis. She regains her powers tri-fold and not even a squid can challenge that. The entire episode is a long fight–brothers against brothers, ninjas to a serpent (a familiar theme), and serpent to dragon. Kalmaar is too invested in ending the Ninjago team (especially Nya). I think he has more than simply world conquest in mind. After one crystal is destroyed, the serpentine dissipates.
Some interesting points should be noted. This season ends with a eulogy. But she’s not dead! I believe the energy from the wave crystal Nya shattered also merged with her. Only a few people saw this. Instead of giving false hope, Sensei Wu may have thought holding a funeral is best, but I’m doubtful that’s his intent. People will ask where the female member went, and it’d be tough to say she’s living the life as a true elemental. Because energy has no form, Nya found maintaining this shape as hard as how Qui Gon Jinn from Star Wars had difficulty with becoming a Force Ghost. Very few people can master this technique. They continue to exist as part of a greater whole instead of being gone forever.
If Cole can regain his physical form, then so can Nya. One problem may well be about finding a new body for her, and that can make up a subplot in the next season of the series. It’s doubtful the producers will do something similar to Possession (season 5), but to introduce another realm to explore what life means after death in a happier world is in the cards.
Next season is being worked on. Co-creator Tommy Andreasen said in a Twitter post (another reference here) that the next set of episodes will conclude this current arc. Not much is known beyond what’s been reported, and it’s safe to say some kind of huge “Gathering” is required to unite all the elemental forces in order to deal with the Vengestone buyer. Anyone who holds that much power needs to be caught. As for when fans will get to see it, my guess is that it won’t be until 2022 as production started this month.