Episode 163 - The Puppet Blaster

This episode has a pretty old school feel to it, which I really enjoyed. Possibly because I watched a lot of Pee-Wee's Playhouse as a kid.

Anyway, the episode begins with Kat, Rocky and Tommy attending a kid's show held at the youth center. It's Captain Pete and Puppet Man! We spent a while debating whether Puppet Man was just a guy in a suit, which is what he should be, and then realized that no, apparently Angel Grove actually has robots. I'm impressed by the level of technology available to Angel Grove. (Also, he should be ROBOT Man, not Puppet Man.) Anyway, Captain Pete tells everyone that the secret word is Power Rangers!

I have no idea why the Rangers are watching this, because they are taking up seats that should be available to actual tiny children, so we're guessing that they were supposed to be bonding with an inappropriately young friend, but the writers forgot. Ernie is pleased to be giving back to the community, and aww, Ernie. We love you.

The kids are asked to name their favorite superhero, and they name the Power Rangers, so of course stuff gets thrown at them. The kid in front has an umbrella. That kid is smart. Meanwhile, Bulk and Skull are baby-sitting Lt. Stone's nephew, who is named Arnie, and has a horrible mullet. The kid is also a giant brat.

Somewhere else in Angel Grove, Adam and Tanya are off training together. Adam is clearly showing off for Tanya, since he's showing her stuff that's way too advanced for a beginner. However, Tanya picks up on it, and they are busy being ridiculously adorable, and my little shipper heart is pleased. We cut away from them, probably so they can go make out, and then return to the Youth Center, where King Mondo has sent down Cogs.

And this is where things get weird. Rocky is all ready to go fight the Cogs, or at least get the kids out of there, but Tommy is all "NO, we must not escalate a battle." Which, fine. That is one of the original rules and all, but I figure that maybe there could be an exception made so they can GET THE KIDS OUT OF POTENTIAL DANGER? You fail SO HARD, Tommy Oliver. Anyway, the Cogs don't actually attack the kids, but they instead plant a device on the puppet-robot, and vanish. As soon as they do, the three Rangers go contact Zordon, and the device on Puppet Man is activated, turning all of the kids into brats with glowing eyes of doom The other Rangers are summoned, and they all teleport in to try and stop the children, who are now being used as human zombie shields. The Rangers realize there's nothing they can do, and teleport to the Power Chamber, while the children run wild throughout the youth center, and then the puppet goes to the park, where it spreads its spell of brattiness. (If there was a person in the suit, they would totally have had a discussion about not hurting it, but that didn't happen, so clearly it is a robot.)

The Rangers + Billy figure out that the plan is to broadcast the signal that Puppet Man is putting out, brainwashing all the kids in the world. They go fight it, and then Zords are summoned, and then Billy comes up with a new toy for Tommy in the defender wheel. Which, ok, is pretty cool. Of course, then there are more Zords, and somehow it's figured out that the monster's weakness is in its nose, and we guess the writers got this puppet confused with another puppet with a big nose. Anyway, he's destroyed, and Alpha puts the robot back together again.

This time, all of the Rangers + Billy are taking up seats in the kids show. Ernie is disturbed by the mess, and Bulk and Skull have been tied up. Arnie remains a brat, and threatens to have Bulk and Skull kicked off the force by telling his uncle how much they failed, but as he's explaining to Lt. Stone what happened, he says Power Rangers, and gets hit in the face with a pie.

At least it wasn't Bulk this time.

Fish: 4. Everything about that puppet is wrong.

Covered in food: Arnie. What a brat.