Episode 188 - A Golden Homecoming

Previously on Power Rangers - NO, SERIOUSLY, WHAT WAS THAT SHIT?

Seriously, the two of us are totally conflicted about this episode. On the one hand, yay Jason! On the other hand - NO SERIOUSLY, WHY IS IT NOT BILLY?

Anyway, the episode opens with Tommy off somewhere without his powers to go get the new candidate for Gold Ranger. It's Jason, in a trenchcoat! We're guessing that Jason stole the coat from his boss at Torchwood. The other Rangers can't track them because that will alert King Mondo, but somehow they'll still know exactly when they can teleport? Whatever, the fish are strong with this one.

And it doesn't matter anyway, because Tommy and Jason get attacked by Cogs, and we get one of the few unmorphed fight scenes of the season. Which, you know, is a thing that we approve of, but WHY IS EVERYTHING ABOUT TOMMY? On the bright side, we do get to see Tommy fall down when he tries to run, so that's pretty great.

Meanwhile, Goldar and Rito have dreams sent to them by Rita and Zedd, mocking them for cleaning house. Zedd returns Goldar's wings and sword, but only if they promise to never be nice again. It's GREAT. Then they antagonize Bulk and Skull, who quite frankly deserve it. I love them, but the slave!RitoandGoldar plot is REALLY AWFUL. Goldar and Rito head off to wherever it is that the dream told them to go, and Bulk and Skull chase after them in Lt. Stone's car.

Back at the Power Chamber, everyone is all "Jason!" Not that most of them have even really met them before. And you know, I really want fic about this episode. I want Tommy's phone call to Jason being all "Come be my boyfriend a Ranger again" and I want Jason and Billy to talk about whether Billy is ok with Jason having the power, and basically I want the emotional consequences of all of this and how it changes friendships.

The other Rangers go and fight some monster while the power is transferred to Jason, and then newly!Rangered Jason goes to help them, but the monsters are too strong. Billy pulls them back before they can summon zords with "sorry, monsters too powerful. LET ME BE USEFUL, OK?"

Then there's some nonsense from Trey about how there are super Zeo Gems that will turn into new Zords, and that fits with nothing we know about the Zeo Crystal, but since that's one of the least faily things about this episode, I'm just going to ignore it. Trey leaves, and Jason waves his staff over the gems (and oh god, that sounds so wrong) and they turn into the Zords, and the five main Rangers go beat up four monsters in them. Except while it's pretty awesome that Kat and Tanya get to beat up a monster together, all the boys can do it on their own, and I just sit there being very grumpy about it.

Rito and Goldar get picked up by Rita and Zedd, and the family is reunited. Awwww. Which is too bad for Goldar, because he's leaving just as Jason's coming back, and you know our feelings about Goldar/Jason. (Hint: It is bad and wrong but also awesome.)

At the youth center, Tommy is all "YES, MY BOYFRIEND IS BACK" and Jason is all "Leaving to join Torchwood was hard, but at least I knew the Rangers were in good hands, and by the way? Totally don't want to be leader again." And then they make out. Well, that would be how I would end it anyway.

Fish: FIVE. WHAT IS THIS NONSENSE ABOUT NO BILLY?

Fic we want: Seriously, emotional consequences of Jason coming back. Where is the conversation between Jason and Billy? Because frankly, that is WAY more important than the fact that Tommy clearly wants to make out with him.