We open at the Juice Bar, where Richie is working in Ernie's job. I miss Ernie, why is he not there today? Curtis shows up, and attempts to have a personality that isn't an exact clone of Zack by telling everyone that he's going to be performing in a jazz concert at the Youth Center that day, except he's worried that his trumpet won't show up in time since it's still on the moving van coming from St. Louis.
And that would be where the episode lost me. Look, my younger brother is a musician. He's at a conservatory for college. He plays the double bass which is freaking huge and it goes with him everywhere, because if you care that much about music then you do not go that long without practicing! And you certainly don't trust the instrument to a moving van. So, I'm already calling fish and we're not even two minutes into the episode.
Zack tells Curtis not to worry - maybe he could use their uncle's trumpet! Their uncle was apparently a famous musician, and for some reason the trumpet is at Zack's house. Really? Zack is a dancer, not a musician. Wouldn't the trumpet, you know, go to Curtis who actually plays the instrument? More fish!
Zack, Kimberly, and Billy go to Zack's house (which we sadly don't get to see) to retrieve the trumpet. Instead, they walk through the park, where Zack is just carrying the trumpet. It isn't in a case or anything. Cue music related rage - that is not how you handle an instrument. Especially when you are walking through Angel Grove Park and have a fairly high chance of getting jumped by putties that would require you to put the trumpet on the ground!
Which... well, guess what happens. Zedd has a plan to put a spell on the trumpet that will make the Rangers hallucinate their old foes, and then they will wear themselves out fighting the illusions. Okay, a few things about this plan. Not that it isn't a good plan, but why is Zedd using all of Rita's monsters? Why doesn't he just send out a bunch of real monsters of his own? They always have enough trouble taking on one monster, just make six or seven of them and send them down at the same time! And why are his illusions solid?
So, the three of them fight the Putties, and while they're fighting another Putty shows up to sprinkle magical fairy dust on the trumpet. Nice plan! Also, for some reason Zack isn't wearing any black - we guess he's the yellow Ranger this episode.
Meanwhile, Bulk and Skull have a plan to figure out who the Rangers are. They're going to make castings of their bootprints, and then have everyone in Angel Grove step in them. Nice plan! There is so much wrong with that plan I can't even figure out where to begin. Let's start with the obvious - the Rangers wear boots. I feel that I've said enough on that subject, so instead I will point out that Bulk came up with this plan because of Cinderella - the movie where the prince is surrounded by all the babes to try on a shoe. *DEAD* Then Bulk makes Skull do all the work, and we spend the next few minutes debating whether it should be Cinderskull or Skullerella. Oh, and then Bulk gets covered in concrete. I thought we'd moved passed this stage.
Back at the Youth Center, Curtis is performing with the magical trumpet, and the actors are really bad at pretending to play. The Rangers all seem to enjoy it, and as he plays they get covered in the fairy dust. After the concert, the best exchange ever occurs.
Billy: Your musical prowess far exceeded my expectations.
Trini: He means you were incredible.
Except that totally isn't what he meant. He meant that he thought that Curtis wasn't going to be that great. Oh, Billy, please continue to snark at people who can't understand you. ♥
Anyway, then the trumpet disappears, because it's been captured by Zedd. Instead, everyone figures that maybe someone walked off with it. I guess Angel Grove has a problem with kleptomaniacs or something. The five Rangers go walking through the park, and then they get attacked by a bunch of old monsters!
Roll call! Fighting Flea! Slippery Shark! Praying Mantis! Grumble Bee! Rhinoblaster! Soccadillo! Saliguana! Stag Beetle! (For the record, I object to this list. If it was going to be a best of their foes, why is the Terror Toad not on it?)
Anyway, so they have a long fight, and Bulk and Skull come and watch and make plans to capture the footprints after. Zordon finally notices what is going on and teleports them out. Kimberly says that the fighting was worse than the mall the day after Christmas. Kim, honey, we think you mean the day after Thanksgiving. (Not that the day after Christmas is a day we would go to the mall either. But then again, I try to avoid the mall during the entire holiday season.) Zordon tells them to go fight the real monster (which he had been previously insisting that there weren't any monsters on Earth, except this one was there the whole time) and then they go and there's a long Zord summoning, and they fight it and the world is safe again.
At the Youth Center, Billy returns the trumpet to Curtis, who is very pleased. Then Bulk and Skull show up with their concrete impressions of the Rangers's footprints. I'm really impressed that they're carrying it, but I guess if Bulk can do 1010 bench presses we shouldn't be that surprised. Zack arranges for a crowd of people to trample them so they drop it. Oh, Power Rangers, never change.
Fish: 3.5. We're being generous since we haven't watched an episode in two weeks.
Billy speak: "I've always been fascinated by the intricate rhythms in jazz."
"Your musical prowess far exceeded my expectations."
"How do you explain the phenomenon that just took place?"
Covered in concrete: Bulk.
