1.15 Dark Warrior

Season 1, Episode 15
"Dark Warrior"
Writer: Ronnie Sperling, Jeff Deckman, Mark Hoffmeier
Director: Terence H. Winkless

Episode Summary:
We open on Jason teaching a karate class and Billy once again whining about how lame he is.  Trini's Uncle Howard is coming to visit and we find out that not only is he a scientist, but he's also a martial arts legend!  A karate scientist!  Billy decides he's tired of being picked on and decides to re-enroll in Jason's class.  Uncle Howard invents an invisibility formula and then humorously loses it at Ernie's!  Rita sends her Scarf Dark Warrior to create a plan to steal the forumula.

By this time Uncle Howard has taken Billy under his wing and is teaching him a little about science, a little about karate, and a lot about life.  While practicing martial arts with Billy, Uncle Howard is kidnapped by Putties and taken to a cave where he's tied to an explosive and threatened with his and Trini's life if he doesn't fork over the invisibility formula.  Dark Warrior sends a nastygram ransom note to Trini which prompts the Rangers to take action and find Uncle Howard.

Billy diffuses the bomb using his martial arts training he learned from Howard and we morph to kick some Dark Warrior behind.  Throw in a little Megazord and we've got ourselves a victory!  We end at the Youth Center where Billy earns his Yellow Belt in karate and Bulk and Skull still pick on him (cos only nerds do karate) and invisible Uncle Howard teaches them a lesson by beating them up.  Ha ha.

Facts:
-First line - Jason "1, 2, punch 3, punch 4"
-First on-screen Ranger - Jason
-Last line - Trini "Uncle Howard!"
-Focus character: Billy AND Trini
-Billy earns his Yellow Belt

Observations:
This episode is mostly about building Billy's confidence and proving my previous assertions wrong that he doesn't belong on the team.  He does have dedication (despite the fact that he initially quit Jason's class, pfft) and finally does have some martial arts know-how.  He just needed to learn it from a scientist and not a jock.

I dislike the ending of this because, yet again, it's awfully unfair to Bulk and Skull and very un-martial-arts like to beat someone up without them knowing it.  Especially since Skull is doing this cute little A Clockwork Orange thing with his hat.

Additionally, I misheard Rita call Dark Warrior the Scarf Warrior several times, understandably so since he wears a scarf.  It then dawned on me that he's probably the name-sake of the episode.  It struck me as odd that Rita let one of her minions take charge of something - but I guess she respects the Dark Warrior in some capacity.