Episode 196 - King For A Day - Part 1

First, I'm really sorry we've been so long without recaps. I moved into a new apartment, and that's taken precedence over pretty much everything, including recapping. But I am moved in now, so recaps are back on schedule! (Err, for version of schedule that means we're still 3 months behind where we said we'd be.)

SO. Onto the recap.

Tommy has been kidnapped, and how much do I love that we get to use that tag again? A LOT, let me tell you.

The episode begins with Tommy's brainwashing, where he's fighting the white ranger version of himself, and some cogs. I maintain that this is one of the events that contributes to Tommy's MPD. But we'll discuss that when we get to Dino Thunder. Gasket is being all great and menacing and going on about how he's manipulating Tommy's mind and will brainwash him to destroy the Rangers, while also giving Tommy's powers to some monster.

This is... actually a great plan! Good job, Gasket!

Meanwhile, Rocky, Jason and Kat are at the Youth Center since there's nothing they can do at the moment, where they stumble upon Bulk and Skull insisting to a mocking crowd that they saw Zeo Ranger 5 at the lake, except they could see right through him. You would think that the people of Angel Grove would be way more tolerant of these things, considering they get attacked by monsters all the time, but nobody is willing to listen to Bulk and Skull. Probably because they have cried wolf a few too many times. They're dared to go get some proof (by some tiny children) and they agree. Meanwhile, the Rangers also decide to check it out.

With the brainwashing complete, Tommy's powers are transferred to some monster that they now claim has the power of 100 warriors. That is BULLSHIT. Maybe 100 putties or something. Then we get transferred to the arena, and I am not going to lie, I am absolutely craving a bad and wrong gladiator AU where the Rangers are all captured and forced to fight each other. *cough* I mean, seriously, we have a great setup for it! (We like torturing our favorites, WHAT?)

So it turns out that Tommy hasn't been brainwashed to be evil again, he just has amnesia and Gasket is telling him that the Rangers are the evil ones. This sucks, because frankly, Tommy is better when he's evil. Also, no evil laugh. BOO. On the other hand, amnesia is still pretty great for fic writing.

At the Power Chamber, the Rangers are all discussing what to do, and Jason and Kat are pretty much fighting over who gets to rescue Tommy. Seriously, they should just date each other instead of fighting over him. But Jason's hero complex is in full effect, and he goes on about how he can't fail Tommy again. Hey, continuity!

They head to the lake, and see holographic!Tommy, and Jason runs right to it while Kat realizes that It's a trap! Jason gets caught, and Kat does not. Bulk and Skull, who show up to investigate, also get caught. Walking chaos magnets, for real.

Gasket has convinced Tommy that the Rangers are evil by showing him three images of the Rangers shooting things and then things blowing up. Tommy decides that his best warrior will destroy the Rangers, starting with the Gold Ranger, who is now stuck in the arena. GLADIATOR AU. FOR REAL. For some reason, Tommy doesn't wonder why he is dressed as a Ranger.

Bulk and Skull are also being held captive in a cell, where some guy with a fish hat asks them if they want to argue with each other, or escape.

Back at the Power Chamber, Billy has returned and is scanning for Tommy's missing brainwaves, and they also manage to find Jason, and Bulk and Skull. Billy is so not surprised to see Bulk and Skull have been captured, because they are walking chaos magnets. He refers to them as a couple of hitchhikers, which explains so much. They're all freaked out because they don't know where their towel is! Oh, and the portal is now closed, so the rest of the Rangers can't get in.

Then they manage to get a picture, because Gasket is BROADCASTING THIS. Even Rito and Goldar pick it up on the moon! To be fair, if I was going to destroy a Ranger, I would probably also broadcast it. It would be great ratings. Except I'd do it timedelayed, since, you know, the Rangers aren't that easy to destroy.

Jason fights the monster, and then figures out that it has Tommy's powers because only Tommy can match him move for move, so he just calls the monster Tommy a lot and somehow that makes it lose Tommy's powers? That whole part makes no sense. He tries to get through to Tommy, but Tommy just says he will fight him instead.

Fish: 4.5. LOOK, that thing with the brainwaves makes NO SENSE. A good plan, but NO SENSE. If you cut out the whole thing with the monster using Tommy's powers, it would drop down a lot, but it made NO SENSE.

Fic we want: GLADIATOR AU.

Questions: Why are some of Rita and Zedd's monsters in the audience?