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"Monster Drill" is the fourteenth episode of the first season of Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja. It premiered on October 18, 2012.
Synopsis[]
After a fight between Randy and Howard, a monster attacks during the school's annual routine "monster drill" where Howard is pretending to be the ninja. Randy must find a way to get to his mask and to apologize to his friend.
Plot[]
The episode starts with Randy practicing the Ninja Air Fist inside the NinjaNomicon, but fails due to not taking the instructions seriously on how "Respect is the key to open all doors", much to the Nomicon's chagrin. Suddenly, Principal Slimovitz orders the students to leave their locations because of a supposed monster attack, and Randy is forced to leave his backpack and thus the Nomicon and his mask behind due to Miss Wickwhacker's scolding.
After arriving at the hallway, it turns out it is the routine "monster drill" for the school, and to Randy's initial humor, Howard is chosen to be the stand-in Ninja, who is criticized by Morgan's snappy remarks. However, Howard isn't too happy with Randy's remarks about him, and leaves in a huff.
Meanwhile, Viceroy is taking his vacation via Otto's holographic beach, which keeps being interrupted by McFist, who wants to use the Slaying Mantis by himself but is already failing at operating the mantis robot.
Outside of the school, Slimovitz gives the students instructions on how to stay put via the acronym "NINJA", and tells Howard to stall the protesting students, due to the drill's fake monster, which consists of Bucky and Flute Girl, being stuck in the band room. During the stalling, Howard gets carried away and begins thinking him being the stand-in Ninja is a cinch, ranging from making fun of the Ninja Scarf, doing unnecessary flips, to bragging about the Ninja damaging the school more often than the monsters do and farting.
As for McFist, after so much difficulties he finally manages to make the Slaying Mantis arrive at the school. But due to his mechanical inexperience, the mantis robot, which Slimovitz mistakes as the practice monster made by Mr. Smith's metal shop class, keeps flopping and getting humiliated by Howard. But as remarked by Randy, the metal shop class can't even build a birdhouse, and then Randy, after being wrung by the robot mantis, remembers his mask is still in the library.
Throughout the whole mantis robot fight, Howard keeps thinking the robot is just Bucky not giving his all, until Viceroy, who has been begged by McFist to help under the condition of two weeks more of vacation, switches to control the robot, and everyone finally realizes the mantis robot is real. Fortunately, Randy, as he is taken by Miss Wickwhacker, finally understands that respect is important, and having gained Miss Wichkwhacker's respect despite almost spilling the beans, transforms into the Ninja to save the day. Despite Bash's mockery, Ninja finally pulls off the Air Fist that destroys the Slaying Mantis, despite a few hiccups that hit Howard and temporarily getting dazed by the mantis.
In the end, while McFist is furious that Viceroy is gonna have a two week vacation at a holographic mountain spot, Ninja and Howard make up with each other after Slimovitz dismisses the students. Suddenly, Bucky and Flute Girl arrive after finally leaving the band room, only to be hit by Ninja's Air Fist because he and Howard mistook them as a real monster, so he decides to bail per Howard's suggestion via a Smoke Bomb.
Characters[]
Main characters[]
Secondary characters[]
- Miss Wickwhacker
- Bash Johnson
- Morgan
- Principal Slimovitz
- Flute Girl
- Bucky Hensletter
- Julian
- Mick
- Jed Elinoff (Background Character)
- Nameless Boy with Glasses and Blue Shirt
- Nameless Girl with Green Hair & Dress
Background characters[]
- Cass Simonson
- Rachel
- Nameless Girl with Blue Sweater
- Nameless Girl with Green Shirt
- Nameless Tuba Player
Series Continuity[]
- This is the second time Viceroy takes a "vacation." The first time was at the end of "Monster Dump."
Trivia[]
- This is the first time Howard pretends to be the Ninja.
- Randy learns the new attack called the Air Fist.
- In this episode, Randy laughs when he says, "Free the chicken"; in "McFear Factor," however, it is revealed that chickens constitute his greatest fear.
- One of the background characters, representing creator Jed Elinoff, mocks Randy, saying, "Man, this guy's funnier than the real Ninja!"
- Nameless Girl with Green Hair & Dress has her only line of dialogue so far, exclaiming "The real Ninja!" after the real Ninja returns.
- This marks the first time Randy has cried.
- The Titmouse bird makes another cameo, attempting to use S. Ward Smith's student's birdhouse, but getting crushed.
- Howard is revealed to dislike sweating in this episode.
- Unlike in "McFear Factor", Randy isn't afraid of the Air Fist chicken. It is likely because to him, it isn't a real chicken.
- Nameless Girl with Big Eyelashes is seen in the scene where the Slaying Mantis breaks a fire hydrant, despite her being a student at Norrisville High in this episode.
- A hint of Randy's implied ADHD is mentioned by Morgan, which is when Randy as the Ninja ran on the ceiling for no apparent reason. This implies he has done unnecessary actions, like during missions, for multiple times. (See his trivia for more symptoms.)
Gallery
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