1.35 Green Candle Part 2

Episode 35, Season 1

Green Candle Part 2

Writer: Gary Glasber & Stewart St John

Director: Robert Hughes

Episode Summary:

We pick up in the Command Center – the Rangers pondering if there’s a way to rescue Tommy’s powers.  Billy and Alpha chat a little bit and voila – a plan is born.  Billy is going to use these things that resemble giant crutches to build a portal to Rita’s dimension so Jason can go in, fight Goldar, and snatch up Tommy’s Green Candle so we can call it a day.  Jason’s the only Ranger who’s ever SEEN the dimension and he has the most visible biceps so it only makes sense to send him and only him.

The Cyclops monster is engaging in a bit of cosplay and dressing up like the Dragon Megazord and causing general chaos on the newly rebuilt downtown Angel Grove.  Tommy can’t stand to sit idly by and morphs into action.  He’s a bit weak losing his powers and all so he jumps in the Dragonzord cockpit and starts . . . losing the battle.  Zack decides to jump through Billy’s portal and ask Jason to come back and finish the battle with them – he points out that while Tommy may lose his powers, it’s not nearly as bad as him losing his life.

The Rangers morph, call on Megazord, Titanus and the gang to form Ultrazord and take down the monster.  Except uh-oh, the candle officially burned out.  At the Command Center Tommy gives his power coin to Jason so Rita can’t have the Dragonzord or his powers and we watch as Tommy slowly turns into a civilian again.  We cut to Tommy practicing a kata by the lake – Kimberly approaches him and informs him that the Rangers (and more specifically her) miss him.  Tommy *gasp* reaches for Kim’s hand and kisses her before asking her to the dance.  Kim turns away and makes Tommy’s little teenage heart panic before saying “k.” 

Facts:

-First on-screen – Tommy

-First line – “I don’t believe this.” - Tommy

-Focus – Tommy 

-Last Line – “YES! - Tommy

-Jason officially owns the Dragon Coin

-Kimberly and Tommy become the first Power Rangers couple

Observations:

Tommy’s gone and we get a pretty decent story out of it.  The great thing about the Green Ranger entering the scene is that we get more of a story arc that carries through the season rather than singular 30 minute episodes that don’t have a continuous story.  The Green Ranger loses his power and adds quite a bit of drama.  Kimberly and Tommy finally admit their feelings to each other and give us some adorable acting – it’s believable that they’re both nervous teenagers who are friends who like each other.

Again, I understand with the constraints of the Zyuranger footage why they needed to take away Tommy’s powers – it just seems like they could have set up the story of how Tommy came to touch this wax a little sooner.  Or perhaps given us a good reason why Jason is the only Ranger who could go and fight Goldar in Rita’s dimension – it seems to me that if Zack went with him the first time they could have double-teamed Goldar, gotten the candle, and been home in time for supper.

 

In terms of MMPR season 1 story-telling, this is as good as it gets.  The story moves the season along and sets the stage for more drama with Tommy.  The reason he was so popular at the time – and still amongst hardcore MMPR fans – is this curse he has to bear.  He’s allowed to show more character through his suffering.  He’s dark and mysterious and it makes his character so alluring – just like Burai in Zyuranger.  Without the appeal Burai brought to the table, the sixth Ranger would not be commonplace in Sentai/Power Rangers today. 

1.27 Wheel of Misfortune

Season 1, Episode 27
"Wheel of Misfortune"
Writer: Mark Ryan & Cheryl Saban
Director: Terence H. Winkless

Episode Summary:
We open with the rehearsal of Angel Grove High School's production of Rumpelstiltskin directed by Principal Caplan.  Our tragic heroine ordered to spin straw into gold is played by the only Ranger who can act so well that we can see her acting as her character "acting" - KIMBERLY!  We also see Jason break out of the jock-stereotype as another lead in the production.  Oddly enough, we also see Bulk and Skull taking part in their school's production.  The spinning wheel (trustingly donated by Kimberly's grandmother) is then broken when Bulk spins it too hard (that's what she said? reaching too much?)

Kimberly is extremely upset at the loss of her grandmother's prized spinning wheel that only Tommy can comfort her as he offers to fix the wheel for her.  Unknownst to our teens but knownst to us - Rita has stolen the wheel to turn it into her latest monster: The Wheel of Misfortune!  We learn the wheel will destroy anything it touches - watch out, Rangers!  Tommy is kidnapped by putties and tied to a tree while the other Rangers battle Scorpina and Goldar.  Rita asks us to watch her monsters grow and the Rangers must battle the villains AND the wheel WITHOUT DRAGONZORD!

Luckily Tommy is smart and fakes being sick to trick the putties and gets himself loose in time to morph and call on Dragonzord to bring all the Zords together to form ULTRAZORD (with Titanus)!  After their victory, the wheel is returned better than its original state as it's no longer broken.  The show goes on and someone tells Kimberly to "break a leg" - Tommy winks (swoon) and tells Kimberly "Don't you dare."  Bulk comically splits his pants and Kimberly closes the show.  Applause.

Facts:
-First on-screen - Billy
-First line - "And places everyone" - Billy
-Focus - Kimberly
-Last line - "The end." - Kimberly
-First time the Rangers use Ultrazord

Observations:
We see more of the flirtation between Kimberly and Tommy which is good for showing a developing a season-long story arc.  So that's a good, but we also see some writing that's just sloppy.  Bulk is starring in a school play directed by the Principal.  I get that we only have two faculty members in all of Angel Grove (Ms Applebee the English teacher and the Principal) but wouldn't Applebee have been the better choice?  Was she unavailable for this episode?  And let's say Bulk is in the show because of detention or something - why is he the lead?  Was there really no other student who could pull the role off?    And the school play takes place in Ernie's Gym and Juice Bar?  Does the school just not have an auditorium?  Has public school funding for the arts deteriorated that much?  However, I like that Jason's in the play, to me that says he's building up his extracurriculars to make his college application more marketable.  You go, Jason.

I enjoy any episode about Kimberly, naturally.  And naturally at this point in the show anything about Kimberly will also be about Tommy since they're meant to be - but his capture by the putties is just stupid.  I get why they had to get Tommy out of the picture - the Sentai footage doesn't allow for the Green Ranger to appear as frequently as the other Rangers due to his Green Candle dilemma (his candle in Sentai-world is counting down the hours he has left to live - so you understand why he's reluctant to fight in every battle).  I still think the putties tying him to a tree is stupid, and I think his plan to trick them by faking sick is even more stupid.  Why didn't the putties trap him to a different dimension or use something other than shoddy rope to tie him to the tree?  Sigh.  Henchmen.

Nothing else in the episode is really that statistically significant for the study - we see the introduction of Ultrazord since it's a new toy Zord for the show but as for characterization, nothing else is really all too different or significant. And Trini . . . Trini, you're slowly disappearing from statistical significance in my study!  Come back!