Episode 8 - Switching Places

Before we begin, I need to admit that I was really not looking forward to this episode. It isn't that I don't like body switching episodes - Out of Their Minds is one of my favorite Farscape episodes ever - it's that I remembered this episode as being bad and cringeworthy, and would probably set off my embarrassment squick. QueenRiley even offered to watch this by herself, but I made the effort. I only covered my eyes briefly, I swear.

This episode takes what could be a really awesome premise - Squat messes up one of Billy's inventions, and then Billy and Kimberly end up switching bodies - and... well, fails on the execution. Both of us would desperately like to read fanfic dealing with the fallout of this episode, or fic that handles it better. We're just saying.

Anyway. Billy has apparently invented a mind reading device, and apparently if you just switch some wires around it will make you switch bodies instead. Billy demonstrates this with Kimberly, and then Bulk and Skull who were spying on them end up switching bodies as well. For some reason the cutouts (yes, cutouts) are sized exactly to Kimberly and Billy's bodies, making me wonder if Billy came up with this invention so he could read Kimberly's mind and find out if Trini liked him or something, since they're the only ones who would fit.

There is some fairly decent acting in this for Power Rangers, and David Yost's valley girl impression is never going to stop being funny. EVER. Speaking of the actor, he looks so much better without his glasses, and because for some reason the writers of this episode decided that if they switch bodies, apparently the eyesight switches as well, so BillyinKimberly needs glasses while KimberlyinBilly's eyes are totally fine. (We also think that there should be a scene where Kimberly takes Billy for a makeover after this episode, possibly because of this episode.) Of course, we don't watch Power Rangers for the science, so we probably shouldn't complain, but pointing it out was important.

Kimberly and Billy have clearly never heard of a minor concept called 'calling in sick' when something like this happens, because they both go to school the next day. In fact, they apparently never even bothered to call Zordon or the other Rangers to tell them what happened. It makes you wonder what they did in the hours between the body switch and school the next day. There's some seriously stereotypical problems in the school scenes - BillyinKimberly can't put on makeup or cook! KimberlyinBilly makes a computer explode! (Why BillyinKimberly even tried wearing makeup is beyond us.) There's a lot of unnecessary yelling and Jason wears possibly the most ridiculous outfit so far! (Disclaimer: We are torn on the outfit. I love it, QueenRiley does not. Have a picture.)



We also need to point out that KimberlyinBilly somehow managed to find some snazzy clothes to wear while she's in Billy. These things are also important.

While the body switching hijinks are going on, Rita apparently has a very cunning plan! She's going to send down a genie in a bottle and have Squat rub it the right way, because that is totally thematically relevant with this episode, and somehow this monster is going to destroy the Morphin Grid. Or something. We aren't really sure. It was handwaved in about two seconds.

Zordon has clearly been paying even less attention than usual, because he first sends the Rangers to fight one group, and then teleports them to fight the actual Genie, and then brings them right back to the Command Center. Why? Because he's the worst mentor ever, clearly. (This isn't true, but we'll talk about Dimitria MUCH later.)

Anyway, they go back to the fight, and Rita makes the Genie grow, and then the giant!Genie attacks the megazord with a really phallic hand-powered drill, and then Zordon and Alpha destroy the lamp which destroys the Genie, so the Rangers don't actually even win the battle. Massive fail!

BillyinKimberly figures out how to switch them back, and then has to ask Trini whether he should switch Bulk and Skull back or just leave them like that. Which is just incredibly mean, and the Rangers are still going for the Worst Rolemodels Ever award. He does agree to switch them back, and Skull immediately asks Billy if he's willing to switch places for the math test on Monday. Oh, Skull. Don't worry, you'll get some actual character development soon!


Lists!
Important things of note that didn't quite make the recap: Skull's crush on Kimberly is totally adorable and in a not-sketchy way this episode! We have 87,000 fic bunnies that we would like people to write! Trini's concern over KimberlyinBilly is really sweet. And KimberlyinBilly not being sure which name to answer to during the megazord calling sequence is pretty funny. The home-ec teacher really should have stopped BillyinKimberly as soon as it showed signs of being a disaster. BillyinKimberly refused to wear pink! And most importantly - KimberlyinBilly still felt the need to wear makeup. Oh, Kim. *adores*

Covered in food: BillyinKimberly's entire home-ec class, because apparently BillyinKimberly is that talented at ruining cheese soufle! (It is also neon orange. We suspect silly string was involved.)

Billy speak:
-Facilitate direct thought transfer.
-Parameters are within the specified range.
-Are you feeling nominal?
-The generator experience diothermic overload.
-We've undergone spatial personality displacement.
-I trusted you with an elementary processing tutorial and you turned my transmission decoders into a synaptic nightmare.
-my synaptic interlock generators malfunctioned and I'm unable to reverse the personality displacement until I can rebuild it
-By networking our maximum energy linkage.
-I appear to have regained control over my synaptic neurons.

KimberlyinBilly speak:
-Like, I think so (response to "Are you feeling nominal?")
-Like, what happened?
-Will you please, like, speak English?
-Push shift F4, then this grungy button
-No, no, I think we can get this (computer tutoring)
-Like, what's the big deal?
-People think I've gone totally [?]. My hair, my make up, YUCK (We can't figure this one out. Any takers?)
-Obviously somebody who doesn't know how to put on make up
-'Fraid so (response to "Kimberly, are you in there?")
-You're right. Like, major muscle.
-For sure. Like, that genie's done for, okay?
-Kimberly, I mean, like, Billy, I mean...
-Are you, like, sure this is going to work?

Appearances: The Radbug. Briefly. We do love the Radbug.

Rating: 4 fish. From Billy trying to invent a mind reading device to the fail total embarrassment and Rita's genie having absolutely nothing to do with the theme of this episode.... 4 fish. Yes.