Episode 161 - Rangers in the Outfield

I promised Queenriley that I wouldn't spend the whole recap going "ADAM/TANYA I SHIP THEM SO HARD" so let me get this out of my system now.

ADAM/TANYA OTP <33333333333333333333333333333333333333333

Um. Possibly I love this episode. It has my favorite things! Baseball! Adam being adorable! Tanya standing up for herself! Shawn getting what's coming to him! FAAAAAAAVORITES.

Pretty much, if there wasn't such a boring Zord fight, and if Adam's wardrobe didn't suck so hard, this might be my favorite episode.

Anyway, we open with a baseball practice. Adam and Rocky are on the team, and they are both very pretty. Tanya shows up to watch the practice because her asshat boyfriend Shawn is on the team. Adam tells Tanya that Shawn's nickname is the Sultan of Swat, because he's like Babe Ruth or something. Whatever. What Shawn actually is would be a grade A asshat.

A pitch comes towards them, and Tanya catches the ball and throws it back. She has never held a baseball before, but she is A++++ awesome at it. The coach sends his pitcher to take a shower, and then has Tanya pitch. She strikes out Shawn, because she is awesome. Especially considering the shoes she's pitching in. And the skirt.

Later, Shawn is being mocked by his friends for being struck out by his girlfriend. He comes over to Tanya, where the Rangers are all congratulating her for being so awesome. Shawn is all "Yeah, well, it was luck. I wasn't concentrating" and then there is RAAAAAAAAAGE. Everyone defends Tanya for being awesome, and she sticks up for herself, and if Adam wasn't wearing a ridiculously baggy sweatshirt, this would be the greatest ever. Adam invites Shawn to go to batting practice with them the next morning, and he admits that he needs the practice.

Meanwhile, Prince Sprocket comes up with a plan to use the batting cage thing so that if someone hits something, they'll be stuck in a monster. Bulk and Skull are supposed to be doing "refuse removal" but they try to bat, and fail to hit anything. Rocky, Adam and the asshat show up, but Shawn forgot his batting gloves, so he leaves. Rocky hits something, and is then trapped. Adam is very concerned.

Cue giant ridiculously boring fight scene. It took up half the episode, but it was just really boring. Tommy manages to get himself also captured, which means he's able to hand Rocky his zeonizers, and then they summon zords and use the stupid battle helmets, and blah blah blah, sword destroys robot. I don't really care.

Now, we get to the important part! The game! It's the bottom of the 9th, and Tanya is still pitching. A whole game? That is pretty damn impressive. She's clearly getting tired, though. She throws two strikes, but the guy manages to hit the last pitch, and it looks like it's going to be a home run, but Rocky manages to leap up and catch it! Because he's awesome!

I would have liked it if Tanya had managed to strike the guy out, but Queenriley had a good point - the next part wouldn't have been nearly as satisfying if she had. You see, Shawn shows up to yell at her for nearly blowing the game, but Adam defends Tanya, pointing out that it's a team sport, and she only had a 1 run lead, and you know, she did a great job overall. Shawn tells Tanya she's not good enough, and Tanya has had enough and dumps him. BECAUSE SHE IS AWESOME AND DESERVES BETTER. Like the guy in green standing next to her.

Adam tells her he's proud of her, and she's all "well, I guess I did ok with the game" and he's all "NO. For being awesome and realizing you deserve better!" Tanya is sad because she's lost a boyfriend, and Adam is so clearly going "Hi! RIGHT HERE" but sadly there is no smooching. :(

Possibly because Rocky shows up to cockblock them.

STILL. THIS EPISODE. HEARTS!

Fish: 2. The splicing in the fight scene was pretty ridiculous, and Tanya did learn baseball pretty fast. But you know, she's that awesome.

Fic we want: ALL THE ADAM/TANYA IN THE WORLD. ALL OF IT.