174- Challenges

Last time on Power Rangers- the world is relying on Tommy's brainpower to save it. We're all DOOMED.

So in the Youth Center, now cleared of Native American works of art, Ernie has decided to bring in Lt. Stone, aka "The Rock", to give free boxing lessons. Adam is all "Free boxing? I'm there!" and Rocky is all "Boxing? Really? But your pretty pretty face?". But Adam goes to sign up anyway, with Tanya's encouragement. They start with the basics... jump rope. We now want a massive crossover with Jump In. We must wonder why he always wears sweatshirts (okay, TSB wonders... me, what do I know of fashion? He looks fine to me. :P) Is it because JYB did his own stunts and they were trying to cover the bruises? Such is the rumour...

Meanwhile, Tommy is on his spirit quest. He keeps trying to touch that flying falcon. Apparently nobody has told him they fly TOO HIGH for a person to touch from some rock outcrop. Oh well. He is also chasing the mysterious PRETTY PRETTY YOUNG MAN that appeared out of thin air on the MAGICAL HORSE. Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE this show?

Adam is walking home by himself when he's accosted by the Monster of the Week. Prince Sproket has taken up boxing and they have now sent down a boxing monster... dressed entirely in blue, so clearly he's obsessed with Rocky. He attacks Adam to fight for Rocky's affection. Ranger Rule number 23, after all, applies to non-rangers after rangers too.

Adam calls for help and Rocky, Tanya, and Kat try to sneak off to go help him. Ernie passes them by with boxing gloves and gives them a look that says he clearly knows what they're going to do, but he's pretending otherwise for their sake. Aw, Ernie. Bless. So they join the fight but they still can't beat this guy. Boxing Monster and Sprocket turn Adam into an action figure sized Power Ranger trophy. Sprocket tells them if they win, they'll get Adam back unharmed in his normal size. If they lose, well. We all know what happens then.

They can't do this without Tommy (or rather, without Zords and Tommy has the only working Zord, so... yeah), so he has to leave his spirit quest to go help out. Tommy's Zord fights the Boxing Monster (who's name I cannot for the life of me remember, and I watched the episode all of five minutes ago). It's very Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots. Ah, the memories of my childhood. Anyway, they win. Of course. And for some reason, Sprocket lets Adam go and he becomes actual size again.

Tommy goes back to his spirit quest where there is an earthquake. Oh, Tommy. Stop following your heart. He hears a cry for help and rushes to save the Mysterious Pretty Magical Stranger who is falling off a cliff. The falcon lands close enough to touch, but if he stops to touch the falcon, Pretty Stranger will leap to his doom fall to his death. I do love this about Tommy... he doesn't even hesitate. He doesn't angst. He doesn't question. He just dives and grabs hold of the Pretty Magical Man.

Pretty Magical Man knows all about Tommy. He shows Tommy his own half an arrowhead and, gasp, they match! The tinfoil arrowheads magically combine into one unbroken arrowhead as we learn that David is Tommy's brother. Dun dun dun!

We do not learn anything else about Adam and boxing, which this episode led me to believe it was about.

2 fish. This was also surprisingly low on fish for a Tommy episode!

Fic we want: that crossover, but also a Mystic Force crossover! Or an excerpt from Once a Ranger because... well... Adam and Xander! They can bond.