Episode 23- Itsy Bitsy Spider

In celebration of the new livejournal community and my return from sporadic internet access during my week at a place not-my-home, we decided to do a Saturday update!

We start this episode with another petition run by Trini. This time she has Billy helping her attempt to get other teenagers interested in civic action. They're trying to get enough signitures to convince the city council to keep an old statue in the park. Apparently they want to tear it down and replace it with a grill. The statue isn't all that big and neither are park grills, so we're not sure why there is only one spot in the entirety of the park that could hold the pit and it's right where the statue happens to be. Apparently the statue had a myth behind it, a myth about a woman who protects humans from bad insects. She has a flower in her hair to remind humans that not all bugs are bad. It's really a rather ugly statue, actually. To illustrate this, they are standing in front of a table full of small containers holding bugs and spiders. Zack lets us know he's afraid of spiders. Good to know there, Zack. I'm sure that will prove very important information in an episode about you that's called Itsy Bitsy Spider.

Bulk and Skull, meanwhile, aren't sure why bugs would be helpful to humans and decide to be really mean by throwing all the bug containers on the ground. The bugs escape and pandemonium ensues in the hallway. Kids are running and screaming in all directions and poor Zack ends up with a tarantula on his shoulder. He freaks out and Tommy comes to his rescue. Does Tommy pick up the spider? No, of course not. He doesn't even brush it off. Instead, he waits until the spider jumps off Zack's shoulder (I didn't know tarantulas jumped... somebody correct me if I'm wrong here) and then hits him really hard with his binder. Way to be a friend, Tommy!

Later that day, after having changed clothes (we don't know why... nod and smile), the gang meets up to brainstorm a way to replace all the bugs that went missing. Billy introduces them to Jack, his lab mouse. We're not sure why and Jack is so cute we don't care that it makes no sense. Kim wants Jack to be her pet which is just so sweet and awesome I couldn't not mention it. Bulk and Skull, in rare form this episode, throw a notebook at Billy to get him to drop the mouse. Jack runs up Skull's pants leg and tickles his way up to Skull's collar. Billy rescues Jack and off they go to catch more bugs.

Meanwhile, Rita has made a replica of the statue Trini and Billy are trying to save. Inside her evil Spider Monster (which really looks more like an overstuffed tick... I know they're in the same family, spiders and ticks, but they don't look THAT much alike) will wait until called to leap forth and hand the Rangers their collective rear-ends. Or at least that's the plan. To aide him in his endeavor, Rita has placed spiders and moths all over the statue. Why moths? Because they are made of sleeping powder and make humans fall asleep of course! This is apparently supposed to be obvious, but it isn't, so we nod and smile and move on.

We then see Trini, Kim, Jason, and Billy in the middle of a field. They've gathered together to collect bugs. Jason looks rather handsome in a simple outfit and Kim and Trini are a little matchy, but adorable! Billy, however, is wearing the type of safari gear one would buy for a small child to play dress up. He's cute though, so we forgive him. We discover that Tommy has a martial arts class he couldn't miss and Zack is teaching Hip Hop Kido. Why they would even invite Zack is beyond me. The poor boy is afraid of bugs! That would be like inviting Billy to stay on an underwater planet populated entirely by fish! Oh... wait.

Meanwhile, at Zack's Hip Hop Kido class, we discover he's teaching a small group of young boys. He demonstrates some moves, asks some kid to copy him, and then tells him he did alright but needs some funkier music. We love Zack so much but that's really not the way to teach martial arts. He LEAVES THE KIDS ALONE and Rita unleashes her sleeping powder moths. They all fall asleep and Zack discovers them in a pile on the grass. He's unable to wake them so he contacts Zordon right away. First Ranger ever to use his head in a crisis! He doesn't run to the other Rangers; he uses his communicator to ask for help! Good for you, Zack. You may fail as a teacher and at your child minding responsibilities, but at least you know who to contact in case of emergency.

He won't leave the kids, but he does run to the statue and discovers it crawling with bugs. He's a little freaked out, but manages to look closely enough to realize it's not the same statue. The flower has been replaced with a snake. Zack morphs and it releases the Spider Monster. It is only here he suspects Rita is at fault. Seriously? A bunch of kids fall asleep under suspicious circumstances due to sleeping powder moths and you don't suspect Rita until a missing flower gives it away? Wow. He doesn't even get to battle the Spider Monster before Goldar shows up and fights. The other Rangers morph and join him in battle. Rita goes straight to growth mode and the Spider Monster becomes a giant.

We have to take a minute and appreciate Rita's ability to throw her staff FROM THE MOON and NEVER miss the target. She somehow manages to account for wind, velocity, distance, descent, and protects it from burning up in the atmosphere on it's way in. That is one amazing power.

So the Rangers call their Zords in what seems like the longest Zord summoning sequence in quite awhile. They form the MegaZord but immediately get electrocuted... by a spiderweb. They decide they can't do it alone without having really engaged in battle, and Zordon calls Tommy in. He's in the park, showing off again. Not in a class like they said, but rather just doing some moves all on his own. Okay then. The MegaZord somehow separates while Tommy is calling the DragonZord and they decide to fight with their individual Zords. Zacks promises to show the Spider Monster what Mastodon Power is all about. He doesn't get the chance though and we're left disappointed and wondering. The Zords come together again to form the Dragon MegaZord. They beat the Spider Monster and the kids magically wake up. Somehow the real statue returns and all is well again.

Back at school, we discover the petition was accepted by the city council and the statue has been saved. No word on where the bbq grill will go. Tommy then puts a fake spider on Zack's shoulder to trick him after Zack says he's over his fear of spiders. So thoughtful, Tommy. We'd just LOVE to have you as a friend.

List time!

Overall, 3.5 fish. It probably deserves 4, but it's a Zack episode (so much love!) and it features Hip Hop Kido and for once in the entire series, somebody uses their brain and calls for help immediately using the communicator Billy provided them for just that purpose.

Billy Speak: "The forest spirit provides a buffer against harmful arthropods."
Trini Translation: "It's to protect all of us against bad insects."

Covered in food: None! But just about everybody ends up covered in bugs.

Questions to ponder: Just what IS Mastodon Power all about, Zack?
Where was Kim and what was she doing during that entire battle? She summoned her Zord and then... nothing.