1.39 Doomsday Part 1

Episode 39, Season 1

Doomsday Part 1

Writer: Stewart St. John

Director: Terence H. Winkless

Episode Summary:

Kimberly reads in the local paper that the Mayor wants to honor Angel Grove’s heroes via Power Rangers Day and hopes they turn up at the park for the festival.  Wink wink nod nod our teens say they think the heroes can make it.  All the while Bulk and Skull reveal a tinge of jealousy in Angel Grove’s respect for the Power Rangers and want to steal their thunder just a bit by creating alter-egos the Incredible Bulkster and Super Skull.

Zack gets turned down yet again by Angela for a date because he’s not a Power Ranger – pfft, gold digger.  Kimberly wonders why Tommy isn’t at the festival – it’s suggested perhaps he feels left out – but seriously, what kind of best friend/boyfriend/etc doesn’t show up for his girlfriend’s holiday?  Rita decides to steal the Rangers thunder, but is far more successful thank Bulk and Skull – she makes the whole crowd disappear and resurrects her ages old Zord – CYCLOPSIS!  Through the help of Lokar the giant head they defeat the Power Rangers Megazord and send our teens crying to Zordon.

In the Command Center we learn the citizens of Angel Grove are trapped in Rita’s dimensional vortex, and once someone gets stuck in Rita’s vortex – they don’t come out.  Unless, you know, you defeat Lokar/Cyclopsis/etc.   Jason realizes they’re the only hope those people have.  Too bad they don’t have a history of saving people on record or those people might have reason to be afraid.

Facts:

-First on-screen – Kim

-First line – Kim - “And because of their contribution . . . “

-Focus – All

-Last Line – Zordon - “They will all be trapped in Rita’s vortex forever.”

-Angel Grove is progressive and has a female mayor – Mayor Kerrington

-Cyclopsis hasn’t been seen in 10,000 years

-Bulk and Skull create super hero alter-egos

Observations:

There’s very little Ranger combat in this episode as most of it’s done in the Zords – which makes sense, this is supposed to be the Rangers biggest and deadliest battle.  The stakes are high.  All in all, the episode does a good job getting the excitement level pretty high pretty early on.  Which, again, makes sense since this and Doomsday Pt 2 are essentially the mid-season finale.

It hit me how cool it was that Mayor Kerrington is a woman – this is 1993 and that’s pretty damn progressive for a kids show.  I like the message it sends – women can be more than teachers (sorry Mrs Applebee) – they really can do anything they put their minds to.  Saved by the Bell eat your heart out.

We also see a continuation of the Zack/Angela storyline which is sweet.  I can’t tell if she’s just busting his chops or if she really doesn’t like him and he’s just not getting the hint.  Either way, way to keep your chin up, bro.

Lastly, continuity error much?  Megazord battles in the dark when we learned in the Green with Evil story line that it runs on solar energy.  Maybe Zordon made some adjustments to their power source when we weren’t looking?  Also - maybe try some editing to make it look not so obvious that Rita's Palace says "Bandora's Palace" from the Zyuranger footage without telling us that she beat up someone named Bandora first.

1.34 Green Candle Part 1

Episode 34, Season 1

Green Candle Part 1

Writer: Mark McKain & Stewart St. John

Director: Robert Hughes

Episode Summary:

Everything is normal as per usual in Ranger world - Zack and Tommy are sparring at the Angel Grove Youth Center and talking about *blush* the dance.  We learn that Tommy has been sweet on Pink Ranger Kimberly and can't bring himself to ask her to the dance.  Zack realizes how ridiculous this is and gives him sass.

Tommy decides to man up and ask Kim during a walk through the park except, sigh, Goldar has to go and ruin the moment.  The Putties wreak some havoc and end up bringing Tommy back to his second home - Rita's layer.  It is here that we learn the dastardly scheme Rita has worked up this week - STEALING TOMMY'S POWERS!

Apparently while evil, he touched some of Rita's green paraffin wax and she made a candle out of it and BOOM his powers will be hers. Whatever will the Rangers do?  At the same time she also releases a Cyclops monster who can shape-shift.  Tommy decides that instead of saving his powers he'd rather help his friends and save the world.  But oh no . . . the candle is still burning

TO BE CONTINUED!

Facts:

-First on-screen – Tommy and Zack

-First line – “You okay, man?" - Tommy

-Focus – Tommy 

-Last Line – “The Green Ranger's . . . finished." - Tommy

-Tommy touched Rita's wax

Observations:

Well, Rita finally came up with a scheme that's actually not bad.  Given, the writers had to find a way to write in Burai's death on Zyuranger without actually killing Tommy.  The kiddies would have the sads.  So it's a good way to end the *SPOILER* first Green Ranger era without completely crushing the dreams and hopes and delusions of American children.  Apparently Japanese children can take it.  But - this wax business is out of nowhere.  Could we maybe have set up this plot point sooner?  It's not like they didn't know Burai dies.

We also see Tommy getting dating advice from Zack - which is a big ouch to Jason whom I thought was his best friend.  But clearly Zack's got some moves, as we see when Angela rejects him (again).  But seriously, who are you going to get girl advice from?  Jason the jock, Billy the closeted gay guy, or Zack the guy who invented his own form of martial arts based on his hot dance moves.  I think the answer is clear.  Plus, as I've pointed out several times - definitely something going on with Trini and him so I think he knows what he's talking about.

We're left on the edge of our seats to ponder:

1) will Tommy lose his powers?????

2) will Kim go to the dance with Tommy?????

3) can Tommy actually dance?

1.25 Life's a Masquerade

Season 1, Episode 25
"Life's a Masquerade"
Writer: Cheryl Saban
Director: Robert Hughes

Episode Summary:

We open with the Rangers helping Ernie set up the Gym and Juice Bar for a costume party that will be taking place later that afternoon.  Zack is helping Jason put up some party streamers while Tommy is helping Kimberly paint something on a ladder (SPOILER ALERT: Bulk will get pain in his face due to the paint being conveniently hilariously left on a ladder).  Zack chases after Angela (aka the only other black girl in Angel Grove) and she shuts him down.  Again.

Rita reveals to us that her Super Putty is ready and her team of villains spend the majority of the episode mining said Super Putty.  But how to distract the Power Rangers so they don't disrupt her evil plot?  Inspired by their Halloween-themed party, Rita decides to send a Frankenstein monster to wreak havoc on Angel Grove and busy the Rangers for a few hours.

After the commercial break, the Rangers are all dressed up in their costumes ready to go party!  The ever-perceptive Kimberly notices that Tommy isn't there.  Jason (aka Tommy's keeper) informs us (and Kim) that Tommy is putting the finishing touches on his costume and will meet up with them later.  Typical.  Alpha 5 recognizes the opportunity to mingle with the Rangers and comes to the party as a mysterious visitor that women seem to crawl all over.  I haven't seen this kind of woman-on-robot action since Short Circuit.  Frankenstein comes to the party and people mistake him for Tommy - but Billy (dressed as Sherlock Holmes) would like to investigate for more clues.

Billy follows the monster to Rita's cave where she's mining her Super Putty and a fight ensues after he carelessly trips a sensor.  Billy morphs ("it's time for molecular transmutation!") and then runs to the others.  Putties attack Tommy while he's by himself further preventing him from joining his friends.  But no worries, Tommy makes it to the battle just in time to call on Dragonzord to form MegaDragonzord!

We end at the party - but still no Tommy!  Alpha 5 wins the costume contest and makes a casual exit as Tommy shows off his new Frankenstein costume!  The Rangers chortle and Kimberly comments that Tommy looks, like, so cute in gray. 

Facts:

-First line - Kim "Hey guys, nice costumes."
-Last line - Kim "You look great in gray."
-First on-screen - Kim
-First hit - BILLY!
-Morphinominal Count : 1 - Kim says it
-Costumes: Jason - Robin Hood, Zack - King Tut, Billy - Sherlock Holmes, Trini - Pocahontas, Kimberly - Generic Princess, Tommy - Frankenstein

Observations:

I like how we introduce the Super Putty in this episode and set up the plot for "Gung Ho!" (the next episode), it gives the show a feeling of continuity and like there is some over-arching plot.  That said, we've established before that Kimberly likes Tommy.  It's fact.  Even earlier in the episode, he tries to help Kimberly do some painting.  Why then, do Kimberly and Trini accept dance offers from two random guys?  If I were Tommy's friend I'd totally tell him his girl's cheating on him (*omg* I just realized this is fore-shadowing for when she writes him a Dear John letter in Power Rangers Zeo!).

Going along with the romance aspect of this episode, (looking past the fact that Angela is the only black girl we've seen in Angel Grove and therefore the only girl Zack can be attracted to) I like that Angela turns down Zack repeatedly.  He's set himself up to be a really cool guy and when we see him crushed by a girl, we see a lot more to his character.  A whole two dimensions.  He likes to dance and rejection crushes him.  But again, I like the fact that they use a second-tier character that will continue to appear throughout the series.

Let's look at the monster.  Obviously when Megazord battles Frankenstein we're seeing the Sentai footage.  But I'm surprised at just how much original US footage was produced with the monster.  Given, the costume was probably not that expensive to recreate, but I like when they bring the costume to the US footage and bridge the gap between the Sentai footage and the un-morphed teens.  It makes it more difficult (as a child viewer) to realize you're really watching two different shows.

Lastly, I think I need to start tracking how many times this one piece of footage is re-used and count how many times Megazord crushes this office building.