Episode 25- Life's a Masquerade

We got the opening theme on this episode and I have to say, we get such a delight when we get the opening theme. Season 1 MMPR had the best opening theme in my opinion. Maybe it's just nostalgia talking, but I just get a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear the theme song and see those cheesy effects.

Apparently there is a costume party at the Youth Center and a rather large group of teenagers is helping set up. All the Rangers are there plus probably twenty other kids. Bulk and Skull are there too and Kim mocks their wardrobe without provocation. Way to be mean, Kim, way to be mean. Zack chases after Angela, Jason is left hanging, Tommy offers to help Kimberly and somehow a bucket of paint gets tossed on Bulk. Everybody laughs and we cut to Rita.

She wants a nasty monster to invade the costume party so Finster makes her a Frankenstein Monster. I'm a little sad at this fact. The Frankenstein Monster was really a pretty nice guy. He didn't want to hurt anybody, he just couldn't help it, and I hate that he's been turned into a bad guy... and given his creator's name. Anyway, my rant aside, Rita's Frankenstein Monster agrees to go attack the Power Rangers.

We then get to see all the Ranger costumes, except Tommy's. Billy is Sherlock Holmes, Kim is a princess, Trini is Pocahontas, Zack is King Tut, and Jason is Robin Hood... complete with tights. They actually look pretty good (Zack especially... that man is BUILT) and aside from Kim's entirely pink dress, nobody is decked out in entirely their Ranger colour! In fact, Jason isn't wearing any red AT ALL. We're impressed and wish we could see more of this.

In another house in another part of town we see Bulk and Skull. It appears to be Bulk's very messy bedroom and it is huge. They're trying to figure out what to use as their costumes, no doubt still stinging from Kim's thoughtless comment on their normal attire. First they try Skull as Captain Hook and Bulk as Peter Pan. Then they try Bulk as the back end of a horse and Skull as the front. The best costume idea comes last... Skull as young!Elvis and Bulk as older!Elvis. Bulk throws out his back, however, and they apparently do the same to the costume idea. Tis a pity. They both looked really good as Elvis.

Later, at the party, Zack tries to get Angela to dance with him and she flat out refuses. He laments that even a king isn't good enough for her and Jason comforts him affectionately. We discover Bulk and Skull decided to come as punks and Ernie shows up as a vampire. Alpha then shows up. Yes, Alpha. In public. At a party. At least it's a costume party and he can get away with it for now. The Frankenstein monster comes in right behind him and Billy theorizes it might be Tommy. Tommy hasn't shown up yet because his costume wasn't ready so, despite the very noticeable height and build difference, people just assume he's Tommy. Way to be bad friends, guys. In the meantime, girls swarm around Alpha and Zack again complains about his lack of luck with women. Seriously, Zack, stop hanging around your boyfriend and maybe the girls would look twice at you.

A girl drags the Frankenstein Monster on the floor to dance and he gets mad and lifts her high in the air. She screams and everybody basically just stares at them. Skull, however, jumps into action and shoots the monster with a suction cup dart. It was ineffective, but at least he did something about it! Good for you, Skull.

The monster leaves and Billy, realizing it may not actually be Tommy, chases after him. He is led into the now familiar Cave of Captivity. The only cave Rita ever uses for anything. In this cave we discover Rita (hanging out on Earth!) is having her henchmen build a Super Putty. It's going to be twice as strong and nearly invincible. They are building the Super Putties by making a very big ball of clay. No shape, no form, just a big ball of clay. Rita opens the Earth and flies the big ball of clay out of the ground and up into the air. She promises to come back and destroy all of humanity, cackling evilly the whole time.

Meanwhile, Billy is battling the Frankenstein Monster in the cave. The monster disappears and he runs back to the Youth Center. You have a communicator, Billy. Heck, you CREATED the communicators, Billy. USE THEM FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE! Sorry for the all caps there but this really irritates me. To date Zack is the only Ranger who used the communicator in a time of need. Fail, Rangers!

Billy tells the others what is going on and they teleport to the Command Center to ask Zordon. He shows them the monster and they try to contact Tommy but are, as usual, unsuccessful. At least it's consistent for his character! They morph and go to fight the monster, but Rita makes him grow almost immediately. So they summon the Zords almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Tommy is attacked by a group of putties in front of the Youth Center. He beats them off and finally realizes he has a communicator. Zordon tells him to morph and go help the others. MegaZord has been knocked down, but Tommy shows up just in time to help. Rita flies away, thinking she's likely won at this point, and they form the MegaDragonZord. They beat the Frankenstein Monster relatively easy and it, as usual, gives poor Rita yet another headache.

Back at the party, they discover it's time to find out who won the costume contest. Tommy is in his regular clothes and tells them he'll be right back, he has to go put on his costume. Tommy shows up about 15 seconds after he leaves. He's managed to change clothes, put on a mask/hat, and paint the rest of his skin blue. He looks just like Rita's Frankenstein Monster, only considerably shorter and less bulky. Everybody jumps, Tommy removes the hat, and the whole bunch get a hearty laugh. Ernie then hands the blue ribbon to Alpha, who insists his identity must remain a mystery and leaves.

Overall, this is a pretty low fish episode! It's consistent, it's not too terribly ridiculous, and it even has foreshadowing for later episodes! The Rangers aren't glaringly obvious by wearing outfits consisting entirely of their designated colour. Rita is on Earth! And foretells of evil things to come in the future! Alpha is in public, but in the believable setting of a costume contest. And we get to see the Cave of Captivity again. All in all, we give it 2.5 fish.

Covered in food: Nobody, but Bulk gets covered in paint

Billy Speak: "My deductive reasoning tells me you're not Tommy."
"It's time for molecular transmutation!"