Summary
“The Spider Web” was surprisingly the best chapter in the series so far, giving the second season a chance to end strongly.
This recap of Netflix series The New Legends of Monkey season 2, episode 9, “The Spider Web” contains significant spoilers.
Check out the archive for all episode recaps.
The opening of The New Legends of Monkey season 2, episode 9, “The Spider Web”
Dreglon tells Hagfish that the rebels have the Scroll of Creation — Hagfish learns that Dreglon has been tricked by the monk. Mothrax turns up and kicks Dreglon; Hagfish transfers him into a puppet. Episode 9 sees Hagfish truly leading now. Meanwhile, the Real Tripitaka has sent out 12 scouts to find Monkey King and he believes he will return for the battle. Suddenly, the Real Tripitaka is warned that Gorm and his army will be here by nightfall. The penultimate episode continues this notion that the Real Tripitaka has lost grip on strategy.
Infiltrating Demon Council
As for Monkey King and the group, they are infiltrating the Demon Council. Hagfish asks Mothrax to find the intruders and bring them to him. The Demon guards are walking in patterns so Monkey and co skirt around their pattern to get inside. Mothrax briefly appears to confront them but she’s scared of the fire that Pigsy creates. Meanwhile, Monica is preparing the soldiers but the Real Tripitaka is annoyed she’s planning a strategy without her — Monica insists that they ambush the demons with fire or they will lose. She gives Real Tripitaka a choice; to lead them or not.
This is a pivotal moment.
Confronting Hagfish
Monkey King approaches Hagfish and asks for the sacred scrolls. Hagfish tells Monkey King that he does not have any powers in a Demon temple. Monkey King offers a bargain — the sacred scrolls for the Scroll of Creation. He shows Hagfish the scrolls and everything is on a tense knife-edge. Monkey King agrees on rules of engagement to trade the scrolls with Hagfish — as they swap the scrolls Monkey King starts the fighting. Hagfish uses the scrolls to capture Monkey King and Tripitaka. Pigsy then walks in and mocks Hagfish as a distraction but he is also caught — Sandy also fails — the entire group has been captured by Hagfish. Tripitaka is annoyed at Monkey King for botching the whole plan. To be fair, it was a lame plan but what else can we expect from Monkey King.
The weapons do not work
As for the rebellion, Monica and the Real Tripitaka start their ambush with fires and arrows. However, as Tripitaka predicted, the weapons turn on themselves because they were made by the Shadow Scroll. Gorm and his men approach the rebellion and Monica tells the Real Tripitaka to run.
Hagfish takes a snip of Monkey King’s hair on both sides. He puts the hair on a puppet and then uses the Scroll of Creation while the puppet bubbles in a dark potion. Gorm then turns up and states that victory is upon him. Monkey King manages to kick Gorm to the floor and Monica starts removing the pins from him but he fights her off under Hagfish’s control — he kills her. Monica is dead.
The ending of The New Legends of Monkey season 2, episode 9, “The Spider Web”
The braindead Cranius takes the pin out of Gorm randomly; Gorm hits Hagfish and states he is going to break every bone in his body. But then a figure comes out of the bubbling dark potion — the man looks like an evil version of Monkey King — Hagfish has created a double of the God. The Monkey King double and Gorm fight while Hagfish approaches Cranius to put a pin in him. Episode 9 was surprisingly the best chapter in the series so far, giving the second season a chance to end strongly.
