1.36 Birds of a Feather

Episode 36, Season 1

Birds of a Feather

Writer: Julianne Klemm

Director: Robert Hughes

Episode Summary:

We start off with Zack teaching a mixed martial arts class – apparently he became a certified instructor at Ernie’s Gym and Juice Bar at some point despite no formal martial arts training.  His students are practicing some hardcore striking drills when we get a motivational speech about the upcoming youth Martial Arts tournament to be held later that day! Zack’s protégé is then scurred by Bulk and Skull’s protégé, Biff.  As it turns out, Biff’s got some mad skills for a kid.

 

We skip to the tournament where Zack’s protégé, Cameron, learns a hard lesson that every MMPR kid eventually learns – you can never count on your Ranger to be there.  Ever.  We head to the Command Center where Zordon informs us that Rita sent the Hatchasaurus and Zordon sent the Dragonzord to take care of it . . . without a pilot?  Srsly. The Rangers morph and finish the job with Megazord.  But oh no, the Hatchasaurus is not dead!  Cardiotron (the heart of the monster) is still operating!  And he’s taken the Dragonzord hostage!  His Megareceptors just aren’t working!

Jason hops inside Cardiotron and uses the Dragonshield to take him down from the inside.  Something something something, summon Ultrazord, end of monster. We head back to the tournament just in time to watch Cameron win in the ultimate battle against Biff. 

Facts:

-First on-screen – Zack

-First line – “Ready one, two, three, four, five six . . .”- Zack

-Focus – Zack 

-Last Line – “Proud because you believed in yourself!” - Zack

-Jason uses Dragon Shield in battle

-Zack performs his kata to hip-hop music

Observations:

Pity Tommy didn’t get to be a part of the tournament – he loves martial arts competitions.  This is the first post-Green Ranger episode and it always baffled me that while Tommy is no longer a Ranger, why did they isolate him from hanging out with the team?  Exclusivity much?

It’s also about time we get a Zack themed episode.  The monster and the story don’t necessarily match up, but who really cares?  We get another canned episode about the Power Rangers helping out their community and caring for the local kids until something bigger comes along and then they abandon them.

After all the drama of the Green Candle two parter, you don’t necessarily expect too much from this episode – it’s good to get a breather in from a feel-good episode.  Also, the red looks so cool in the Dragon Shield.

1.32 A Star is Born

Episode 32, Season 1

A Star is Born

Writer: Cheryl Saban

Director: Terence H. Winkless

Episode Summary:

Kimberly and Zack are hanging out with Tommy in school when we find out that Tommy has his eye on stardom and is auditioning for a karate commercial.  What kind of commercial and what it has to do with karate remains unanswered until the end of the episode (dun dun dun).  Tommy’s hair amazingly stays in place as he shows off his martial arts skillz to Bulk and Skull and for the first time I’ve realized Tommy has a mullet.

We cut to the beach where the teens (minus Tommy) are enjoying a day in the sun playing with beach balls (unless you’re Jason and then you’re showing off your guns doing karate moves).  Bulk and Skull lather each other up with lotion/mayonnaise in quite a homoerotic display.  In an unprecedented act of bitchery, Scorpina and her pet worm attack this beautiful beach scene.

The Rangers morph and are trapped in a cocoon spun by her worm (yes, cocoons are for butterflies, I know this).  Tommy is in his audition when Zordon tries to contact him.  We hear his bag beeping because god forbid Tommy ever actually wear his wrist communicator.  Luckily, Jason and the Rangers shoot their way out of the cocoon and call on their Zords.

Bulk auditions for the commercial and hilarity ensues because fat people can’t do sports.  Tommy rocks his audition and then is called away by his Ranger duties.  For some reason a monster called Babe Ruthless appears and the Zords take him down.  We jump out of the Zords only to jump back in seconds later to take down Scorpina’s worm.  Dragonzord Battlemode and Megazord (respectively) win this battle and we find ourselves in Ernie’s gym watching telly.

The newscast on the TV mentions property damage is sustained but there are no human casualties thanks to the Power Rangers.  We then see Tommy’s commercial which seems to have been filmed unknowingly since it’s his audition footage.  Did he even see the contract before signing?  This is dispersed with footage of Bulk’s audition and we’re told that if we take karate lessons we can look like Tommy instead of Bulk.

Facts:

-First on-screen – Kim, Tommy, Zack

-First line – “So Tommy, are you gonna go to the beach with us tomorrow?” - Kim

-Focus - Tommy

-Last Line – “All right, Tommy!” - Zack

-Scorpina has a pet worm

-Zords called on twice

Observations:

The storyline for the episode is good enough in that we get to see the kids having fun at the beach and some hilarity from Bulk and Skull.  We also get to see Tommy do what Tommy does best – fancy kickin’.  The fight scene footage though is spliced to the point of incomprehensibility.  We’re in the Zords defeating Babe Ruthless and then jump out of them only to get back in them again to defeat Scorpina’s worm.  Obviously this is because the fight footage is from two different episodes.  Overall, the editing effort just looks sloppy.  As it does every time they put in two different villains from various episodes.

Also – why did Rita name her monster Babe Ruthless?  I mean, I appreciate the wit behind the name but it sounds like a Roller Derby chick’s name.  Since when does Rita appreciate human culture and history?  The monster comes out of nowhere – the focus of the episode should have been Scorpina’s Worm.  There could have been an entirely different episode with a baseball theme for Babe Ruthless.  The kids could have been coaching a Little League team when all of a sudden Tommy forgets the team’s batting equipment and on his way to retrieve it he realizes he left his communicator on the bench and is jumped by putties while Babe Ruthless attacks the kids on the baseball diamond.  And boom, you’re welcome Saban.

The US footage, yet again, is more pleasurable to watch and makes a lot more sense than the fight footage.  At least the teens’ storylines is coherent and seems somewhat plausible.  Unlike being caught in Scorpina’s worm’s cocoon.  I want a cookie for not making a single dirty joke about Scorpina’s worm or her worm’s cocoon for this entire blog.

1.31 Calamity Kimberly

Episode 31, Season 1

Calamity Kimberly

Writer: Tom Wyner and Julianne Klemm

Director: Terence H. Winkless

Episode Summary:

We open in Kimberly’s bedroom with her moaning that it’s morning already and literally getting out of bed on the wrong side.  We the viewers see Squatt spying on her as an earthquake breaks her mirror.  Her dry cleaning is burned through and a beautiful day suddenly thunderstorms.  Today is just not looking good for our dear Kimberly.

Rita and Finster are discussing their latest idea for a monster, Samurai Fanman, but are clearly looking at a mini-version of Bones.  Me thinks I’ve seen this footage before.  Very clever, MMPR.

Kimberly is drenched when she arrives at school, her pep rally plans are muddy, her umbrella broke, TOMMY SEES HER WITH HORRIBLE HAIR!  Kimberly then treats us to the staple 90s phrase of disbelief – NOT!  Tommy fends off Bulk and Skull tormenting her as he finds Kimberly’s bad luck adorable and asks if he can walk her home after school (aww).

Tommy does some sweeping romantic grab when Kimberly falls, and then Samurai Fanman knocks Tommy out and steals Kimberly.  Tommy’s down for the count and naps on a chaise lounge at the Command Center for the remainder of the episode.  Trini teaches Billy Tai Chi and then we see our bad guys eating dinner at the Putty Bowl restaurant (seriously, how did we miss this restaurant in Angel Grove before?).  The big battle begins when the Rangers arrive on their underused bikes.  They fight, nothing happens, Tommy wakes up and calls on Dragonzord and then the monster dies.  Finally.

Kimberly ends the episode by wearing a jaw-dropping dress (well, only Tommy’s jaw drops, she walked by Billy first but since he’s gay he probably didn’t even notice, sigh) and burning out Billy’s tv when news of their fight comes on.  Oh Kimberly.

Facts:-First on-screen – Kimberly
-First line - "Morning already?” - Kim
-Focus - Kimberly
-Last line - "Yeah!” – Trini
-Trini knows Tai Chi and tried to teach to Billy
-Tommy has his first injury that benches him for most of the episode

Observations:

We see more of the Tommy/Kimberly romance which I’m always good for.  We also get to see Kimberly the character stretch a little more.  Obviously Kimberly is supposed to be the popular pretty girl – but we get to see that the popular pretty girl still gets picked on (by Bulk and Skull) and that she is insecure about her looks just like everyone else in high school.  Her dislike of her wet hair and Tommy seeing it comes across as shallow in the episode, but borrowing from my own experience as a teenage girl, it’s not too far off.

I also like that in case we forgot Trini exists, we still get to see that she knows so much more than everyone else on this show as she teaches Billy Tai Chi.  Why wouldn’t Trini know Tai Chi?  Seriously.

There’s also a few continuity problems with the source footage and the English dubbing.  We see Rita looking at Bones (from way back in episode 2) but they’re talking about Samurai Fanman.  We also do not see Samurai Fanman coming out of Finster’s machine.  Why is that?  Because it didn’t happen on Zyuranger.  Simple as that.  We also see the issue of getting Tommy out of the way because the Green Ranger was not in the source footage (because he’s busy, you know, dying).