Episode 60 - An Oyster Stew

You guys, we have reached the end of season 1. It's amazing! When we started this blog back in March, it was mostly just for fun and because we were hanging out. But since then it's become something more, and I'm thankful to each and every one of you who reads and comments, and of course my co-recapper, queenriley. We're planning on putting up a season discussion post (of some sort) later on this week, but for now, let's just talk about this episode. Which we have a guest recapper for - my roommate doctoraicha was in the room while I was watching, and her comments need to be included. (She's responsible for the subtitle. She's never really seen Power Rangers before.)

And after a string of disappointing episodes, we got an amazing one today. In fact, this episode necessitated a change in the livejournal setting to adult concepts, because um, this monster was vaguely NC-17 and the recap is going to reflect that. queenriley and I were cackling through the entire thing. Seriously. AMAZING.


Godzilla and Voltron vs the Peen Monster

First, we have a Zack episode today! We love Zack. We also love Angela. In no way am I writing a ridiculous AU where Angela ends up a Ranger. Plus, Bulk and Skull get to be awesome. When we first see them, they are practicing for an audition. Aww, Bulk and Skull have musical talent! And they just want to be famous! This is pleasing to us. Meanwhile, Kimberly makes fun of them, leading my roommate to ask why the girl in pink is being such a bitch to them.

Zack, meanwhile, is trying to figure out how to impress Angela for her birthday. Because his previous "dates" with her have gone so well. So Zack tries to come up with ways, and his first thought is to buy her pearl earrings. What? Oh, ZACK. Honey. That just... is not going to end well. He's also planning on getting her a singing telegram and going on a double date with Tommy and Kimberly to a french restaurant. Zack, she hasn't even agreed to go out with you yet, this is not going to end well. *pets him* Maybe he should ask Jason instead? Jason would say yes.

Zack manages to ask out Angela, and when she hears "French cafe" she agrees to go along. Zack trying to work up the courage to ask her out is really adorable. We just want to hug him.

Rita has nothing better to do than spy on them, and when she hears that Zack wants to buy pearls for Angela, she creates an oyster monster, who possible beat out both the Terror Toad and the Pudgy Pig as our favorite monster. Seriously, this thing is amazing. It... well, it has a vulva for a head and a giant phallic thing that shoots pink goo out of it. We started laughing at this point and just did not stop. Especially when this episode features such dialogue as "I can take it!" or "Feeling a bit tied up? Let me help you unwind" followed by the monster shooting off a load of pink goo. There are not enough words to describe how amazing this is.




Anyway, Zack tries to find pearls for Angela, but everything is out of his price range. As he runs through the park a shady looking guy stops him, and offers to sell him some jewelery out of his trench coat. Zack is all "it isn't stolen, is it?" and the guy is all "No! It will help whoever you give it to fall in love" and oh, Zack, you are such an idiot. But Zack buys them (and doesn't even try to negotiate on the price, he's just all "is this enough?" and gives money to the guy) and we find out that the guy was actually a putty, who skips away. Also, the pearls that he bought are actually magical pearls of stillness. I want some.

At the restaurant, the menu turns out to be all in French. Zack orders for everyone. Oh, Zack, don't you remember what happened last time there was French cooking on this show? And you know, the name of the restaurant translates to "Snail's Head" which is amazing. Zack ends up ordering frog's legs. Oh, Zack. Then Bulk and Skull show up. Apparently they nailed their audition and now they do singing telegrams. Tommy makes fun of them, but at least they have jobs! They're adorable, honestly.

Zack gives Angela the pearl earrings, and now that he's given her expensive stuff, she loves him. Just as they are about to kiss, Bulk and Skull get knocked over, and food falls all over Zack and Tommy, who go to clean up. Meanwhile, in the park, Trini, Billy and Jason get attacked by putties, and they find out about the Oysterizer and the pearls, and realize that Zack is being used. Instead of using their communicators, they run to the restaurant. While Zack and Tommy are cleaning up, Angela puts on the clip on pearl earrings (oh, Zack, so cheap.) which causes everyone to freeze.

Tommy and Zack (unaffected, because they were in the bathroom, making me wonder what the point of Rita's plan is) go to the Command Center only to discover that the monster is more powerful underwater, so really, they should just use the Dragonzord to fight it, since we KNOW that Zord works underwater.

And then they go fight the Oysterizer, and... our conversation deteriorated really fast.
queenriley: Does that look like a penis?
TSB: yes, that does look like a penis
queenriley: hehehehe
OMG IT EVEN SHOOTS OUT GOO
OMG OMG OMG OMG
TSB: AMAZING
queenriley: alsdjfasldfjalhgoiaewgh
I LOVE THIS MONSTER
TSB: ME TOO
queenriley: AND MORE GOO
OMG I'M FALLING OUT OVER HERE THIS IS WONDERFUL
TSB: IT HAS A VULVA ON ITS HEAD

At some point during the fight while we were busy mocking the monster, Zack ended up wearing Tommy's Shield of Cheap Bling. Which was awesome, and it looks better on him than it does on Tommy. Zack did something and then the monster fell in the water and this broke the spell. We don't know how.

Back at the restaurant, everyone unfreezes, and the earrings disintegrates. Angela yells at Zack and leaves. Apparently Zack left Tommy behind at the beach. We don't know why he does that either. Zack pays for their meal (amazing!) and then the Rangers all morph. They summon the Megazord underwater, and then there are amazingly bad special effects and epic 80s hair band music. We're in love. Then the megazord destroys the monster's pearl.

TSB: I AM INTERPRETING THE DESTROYED THE PEARL IN THE WORST WAY EVER YOU HAVE NO IDEA
queenriley: OH I THINK I DO, I THINK I DO
TSB: THIS IS GOING TO BE AN R RATED RECAP
queenriley: IT SO IS
TSB: WE WILL HAVE TO CUT IT
HA. CUT IT
queenriley: AL:SKJALSDJFSLDFJSDLG
YES

Anyway, then they summon Dragonzord, because that can fight, and my roommate asks why Godzilla and Voltron are fighting a peen monster, and I fell off the couch laughing. The megazord cleans all the goo off of the Dragonzord, and then they destroy the Oysterizer. With teamwork!

Back at the Youth Center, Zack talks about learning a lesson about not spending money or something, because he's broke, but we're not sure what lesson he actually learned. Because really, Angela was only interested when he bought her stuff. But then he sings to Angela with help from Bulk and Skull, and then Angela kisses him. Awwww.

Basically, this was the best episode ever.

Fish: ONE. BECAUSE AMAZING.

Covered in food: Bulk, Skull, Tommy and Zack. Plus everyone gets covered in goo. Shot from the phallic thing.

Episode 57- Fowl Play

To start with, TSB will be going on vacation next week, so there will be no recaps. Alas.

Finally we get the Zack episode I lamented at missing due to the mislabel! Even better than that, it's a Tommy-less Zack episode! Yay!

So we start off with Angela breaking up a fight between two kids while Zack, in a stunning display of actual continuity, puts on a magic show. He's pretty good. Bulk and Skull interrupt, however, and make fools of themselves in attempting to upstage him. All while Bulk has a Twinkie in his mouth. *sigh* Zack is then really mean and surprises them with some fake snakes. Snakes. I thought he was afraid of snakes. But I guess he got over it. Or they forgot.

So Angela tells him that was brilliant (really? Seemed more mean to me...) and then kisses him on the cheek. Okay, so that part was adorable. She walks off and the other rangers walk up and make fun of Zack for it. They're kind of mean about it, but it's borderline between playful and cruel, so I'll let it slide. Jason seems somewhat jealous and tells Zack not to do anything that he wouldn't do and we're left with the unsaid "Like kiss a girl" hanging in the air. They go to the park and Zack stays behind to hit on Angela. Meanwhile, Rita also seems to want to get in on the Zack action and swears she'll show him what a real peck on the cheek is like. Man, Zack is quite the hot commodity here!

In the park, Jason says something about putty and suddenly they are surrounded by putties. Kim poses a lot, Jason has very pretty arms, Trini is awesome, and David Yost is very pretty and obviously a gymnast.

Moving on, Angela asks Zack why he never told her he was so good with kids and Ernie's reaction to his response is PRICELESS. Zack says he doesn't like to brag and Ernie nearly chokes on his drink and walks away mumbling about how something has affected his hearing. Hehehhe. Angela tries to ask him out and Ernie keeps trying to get his attention. They finally look over and there is a news report about a giant monster bird thing attacking downtown. Ernie clearly knows Zack is a power ranger. The kids all gather 'round and Zack reassures them, but they don't look all that worried actually. One little girl says she's not worried because she knows the power rangers will save them. Awwwww.

So in order to get away, Zack has the brilliant (actually so, this time) plan to have Bulk make him disappear. It's awesome and works, except he's really mean and tells Bulk the magic words are "Iamag Oon" so when he says it, Bulk calls him a goon. Douchebag of the Day awarded to Zack! Grrr.

So Zack disappears and Zordon calls him with impeccable timing just as he reaches the hallway and is completely out of sight and earshot. He ends up having to fight the bird monster by himself because the others are tied up with the putties... still. We discover the monster's name is the Peckster. And I spend approximately five minutes giggling. The Peckster (teehee) runs away undefeated and Zack goes to the Command Center, where he discovers he must go back to the Youth Center because the (completely calm and not at all worried) children need him. Um... okay then.

So he gets back just in time for Bulk, who has up to this point refused to say "Zack" lest he bring him back from whence he sent him (where he saw lots of beans, I'm sure), get goaded into saying "Zack". One kid was very pouty. Everybody oohs and ahs as if it were real magic. Even the adults/teens. Mmkay.

At the part the putties disappear and the rangers go to the Command Center. They have to go fight the Peckster (teehee) and are told Zack will join them when he can and Tommy will not be called, lest his powers fail. And that is blissfully the only mention we get of him this episode.

So they're fighting, and the kids and Zack are watching on the tv, and Zack spies a bunch of balloons. Pouting Inappropriately Young Friend is sure the power rangers will save the day and Zack, in reassuring him (why? he was fine), spies some balloons. He sees Pouting Inappropriately Young Friend's black ball and gets an idea.

He teleports, morphed, into the fight and somehow talks the Peckster (teehee) into popping all the balloons in his hand. The last one, a black one, is really the ball in disguise (that looks nothing like a ball until the bird goes after it and then it looks nothing like a balloon) and the Peckster (teehee) gets his beak stuck. Oh show. I just. Okay, I'll be honest. I dissolved into audible fits of giggles and missed a lot of the ensuing fight. Because the Peckster gets his mouth stuck on a ball. I'm still giggling.

Basically, the Peckster grows (guffaw!), the zords are summoned, we see two things we've never seen before and will never see again (the Mammoth Shield and some laser that comes out of their head), and then the Power Sword Saves Them All. Again. Per usual. Whatever. Oh, and somewhere in there Zack gives a motivational speech about not giving up. I was still too busy laughing. Sorry.

Pouting Inappropriately Young Friend says the black power ranger used his head before his fists, JUST LIKE ZACK, and clearly this is a very smart Inappropriately Young Friend. Clearly he, like Ernie, knows Zack is the black ranger.

Later, Zack comes in all dressed up. He cleans up nice! It's a goofy suit and he even manages to make it look good! He's got grand plans to take Angela out for dinner and dancing, but she shows up with a gaggle of kids and tells him they're going to a 5 hour Woody Woodpecker review at the local cinema. Zack is upset, obviously, but goes along. We also discover I'm apparently the only person in the world who, as a tiny child, would have gladly sat through 5 hours of Woody Woodpecker. What? I loved him! And Underdog. Don't judge me!

List time!
4.5 fish. It was ridiculous, I'm sorry! It managed to both do a massive call back continuity nod AND ignore continuity altogether at the same time! But at least it was AWESOMELY ridiculous!

Billy speak: "What an effusive display of affection."

"Look at the abundance of feathers on that overstuffed ornith!"

Covered in food: Nobody!

Episode 43- Lions & Blizzards

Okay, I went into this episode incredibly angry from having watched the character assassination and intensely disturbing plot point from RPM not even an hour before this... and that has somewhat affected my recap. Apologies in advance.

We start this episode at the Oddball Games. We're not sure why they're called that, but okay. All five rangers are on the red team and we seriously couldn't tell Jason was wearing a jersey... it matched his shirt, shorts, shoes, and SHOELACES. Even his shoelaces are bright red.

On the blue team are Bulk, Skull, Angela, and other people we don't know. They end up in a tug of war to break the points tie and, of course, the rangers win and Bulk, Skull, Angela, and Principal Caplan (who was playing referee I guess) end up covered in mud. Zack, after previously trying to convince her to go to his "winning" team, offers to help Angela up and I was rooting for her to pull him into the mud with her, but she didn't.

So the rangers win the Noble Lion Trophy. They go to collect it only to discover that it's been taken. They immediately suspect Bulk and Skull. We get a little irritated but it turns out it was Bulk and Skull. They have it in the park. Rita turns it into a half lion, half goat monster, and it attacks Bulk and Skull, knocking them into the pond. The monster is named Goatan, but we spent the whole episode thinking it sounded just like a Dragonball Z character. So take that for what it's worth.

The rangers separate to go in search of Bulk and Skull and instead end up being attacked by putties. We have to commend Billy here. He has really improved. He holds his own against four putties on a playground. The putties then just randomly disappear. They decide they need to run off and meet up with Jason and Kim. Instead of using communicators, y'know, those things Billy designed to communicate with the others over long distances, yeah, instead of using those, they take off running. Oh show. Fail a little more, okay?

Later, at the Youth Center, Zack calls Angela a "babe-a-saurus" and I want to hit something (I told you I started this recap ANGRY). Angela then walks up to him wearing what looks like something you'd find a cheap hooker down on the street corner, and asks him on a date. What? Earlier, at the games, she turned him down and now she's asking him out? Make less sense, show, I DARE you.

They go to the movies and then Billy and Trini come into the Youth Center wearing bad weather gear... a mix of snow and rain type jackets and hats. Ernie announces they're under a tornado watch and everybody needs to get to the basement. Meanwhile, Zordon calls the rangers on the communicators and they teleport to the Command Center. From the middle of the Youth Center. And it's not like it had been awhile since people went to the basement either. Secret identities, guys, you're doing it WRONG! Zordon sends them out to fight Goatan, and we discuss DBZ again.

Zack, at the movies with Angela, tries to pull the "it's cold in here, let me wrap my arm around you" bit and we want to pound things because he's being sleazy (and hello, started the episode mad at power rangers already, sorry). Zordon tries to contact him but Zack doesn't hear it.

In battle, the rangers are kind of failing a whole lot. Goatan gets them in some tornado thingy and then Zack finally hears his communicator. Angela asks what it was and Zack says it's his popcorn alarm. Seriously, Zack? Popcorn alarm? What, pager, medication alarm, or needing to pee really not working for you or something? Wow, that was just... stupid.

So Zack joins the fight and apparently Goatan ruining his date is worse than his friends being in trouble. Mmkay. I could thwap him right now, I really could. They fight a little. An aside, here, because this fight is very boring and kind of fishy? But I stopped mid-fight and declared this episode would be ten times better if the lion part of the monster suddenly got very hungry and just nommed down on the goat's head right below him. That is the only thing that could have saved this episode. Alas, it didn't happen.

So they end up needing the Zords, of course, and they can't beat him and he freezes them. The controls are frozen as well, but Zack says the left tread isn't frozen and he can spin them. So he does. Despite the controls being frozen. We determined they must have included a "fish in the system" during building of the Zords, just for instances like this one. They beat Goatan really easily and then go back to the Command Center to talk for awhile. Zack then remembers he was on a date and needs to get back to it lest Angela get mad. Gee, you think?

He comes in at the end of the movie with two big buckets of popcorn and Angela, being the smart girl we knew she was in the first place, dumps her bucket on his head and walks out. Good girl.

Back at the Youth Center, Ernie is hanging a plant with help from Kim. Why, I don't know, he just is. A police officer walks in with Bulk and Skull, covered in mud, and Jason identifies them as swamp monsters. Way to sass the police, Jason! I'm sure that's going to go over well. Bulk flails a bit, knocks into Ernie, and gets covered in water. There was a frog in his shirt. Oh show.

2.5 fish. It really wasn't that bad, just the monster fight was weird and Angela asking Zack on a date totally contradicting previous canon.

Billy speak: "[something unintelligible] most effective against our adversaries."

"This is a decidedly large expanse to cover."

Covered in food: Zack gets covered in popcorn (and lots of people get covered in mud).

We have vowed to never watch this episode again.

Episode 39- Doomsday Part 1

This episode starts with the news that it's going to be Power Ranger Day! There is going to be a big celebration in the park and the Rangers are going to make an appearance, all in celebration of the fantastic wonderful things they do to save the city.

Bulk and Skull hide in a corner and decide they want to pretend to be superheroes. They devise a plan to dress up and go to the celebration to reveal themselves as superheroes too. It's a pretty neat idea, but it's not going to go well because as we all know, Bulk and Skull just can't catch a break.

The park is set up with some really awesome, really wacky balloons. Jason and Zack are looking around for Billy, Kim, and Trini. They stumble upon Angela first and Zack asks her to hang out but she, per usual, turns him down. She does say she'd go on a date with him in a heartbeat if he were a Power Ranger! Oh Angela, if only you knew! They meet up with the others and have very loud conversations about wondering if it's time to morph into costume now. Secret identity: you're doing it wrong.

Bulk and Skull show up, change in a small photo booth, and then awesomely jump on stage. They look fantastic in their costumes! They introduce themselves as Bulkster and Super Skull: Boy Wonderful. I'm madly in love with them right now, Skull in particular. TSB has determined that Skull would make a great Robin one day and is intrigued by Skull/Dick Grayson. Hey, Batman exists in this universe. It could totally happen!

Rita plans to transport everybody to an alternate dimension and then take over Angel Grove. It's actually a really good plan. She starts with Bulk and Skull and within minutes, she's managed to teleport every single person except the Rangers. They contact Zordon and she takes her entire palace from the moon all the way to Earth. The palace is much bigger than it looks because underneath all that moon rock is what appears to be a skyscraper. She settles right in the middle of downtown Angel Grove. A prime location, I do believe.

The Rangers morph and call their Zords just in time to meet up with Goldar and HIS shiny new Zord! Yes, Goldar gets a Zord in this episode! It's name is Cyclopsis and it's insanely powerful. It's more powerful than Goldar is, which actually fits in continuity of the show, what with Zords generally being pretty badass compared to non-Zord-wielding Rangers.

The Rangers just can't beat this Zord, so with the MegaZord running on back-up battery power, they call in DragonZord. He is awesome, but still not powerful enough. The awesomeness that is Titanus shows up and lays the smackdown on Cyclopsis. It essentially BEHEADS him and that's the end of that fight!

Or is it? It's not! Rita sinks Titanus! She opens up a big hole in the ground and Titanus goes down! The MegaDragonZord tries to save him by grabbing him 'round his head and tugging, but Rita zaps them with her wand and Titanus is engulfed. It's really really sad. Poor Titanus, his little head poking out of the dirt while he sinks, crying in terror. Oh I could cry myself!

Rita summons Lokar and they know they're in trouble now. The Rangers, out of power, teleport back to the Command Center. Zordon tells them the residents of Angel Grove are safe in the alternate dimension, but they will be trapped there forever. Jason gets very emo and temporarily turns into Captain Obvious, stating that the Rangers are the only hope left for the residents of Angel Grove, but he look so wooby when he says it, I can't fault him for stating the obvious. Oh Jason, I just want to take you home and feed you cookies when you look like that. Zordon then basically tells them if they lose, the world is lost, and their friends and family will be trapped forever. No pressure or anything, though, right Zordon? Uh-huh.

We end with a To be continued.

That, dear readers, was an AWESOME episode.

List:

1 fish! Two episodes in a row we get only 1 fish.

Billy speak: "We can't allow him to gain a strategic advantage!"

A moment of silence, if you will, for Titanus.

Episode 34 - The Green Candle - Part 1

I am back from Dragon*con! I'm sorry for missing Saturday's recap, but I was busy having a fabulous time at the con. I went to a lot of panels including one where I talked about writing power rangers porn, and I did some shopping including buying two seasons of Power Rangers and basically I had a wonderful time. But now I am home, and mostly recovered, and it is time for a recap!

I've got to say, watching Power Rangers on the tv is so much better than watching it on youtube. Anyway, we open with Tommy and Zack sparring. Tommy is wearing the universe's most ridiculous shirt, although it is way better than some of his other outfits, and Zack has on those purple pants again. For some reason, Zack is encouraging Tommy to ask out Kimberly. Doesn't he know what will happen to her personality? And also, wait, they seriously aren't dating yet? Huh. (Also, the board that Tommy breaks during this conversation was clearly already broken.)

Meanwhile, on the moon, Rita has a new plan to defeat the Power Rangers. Or at least get rid of Tommy. Apparently she has a candle made out of magic wax that will make him join her forever! She pulls out a tiny version of her wand and places it over a map of something that is definitely not California (seriously, Angel Grove is its own country) and tells it to locate Tommy.

While Rita is discussing her plans, Tommy is failing at sparring. Zack's cunning plan was to distract Tommy with thoughts of Kimberly! Tommy tells Zack that if it is so easy to ask someone out, why doesn't he try. Zack tries to impress Angela, and gets shot down, and I laugh a lot. Not that I'd be able to resist Zack. Oh, Zack, you can dance for me any time.

Bulk and Skull make fun of Tommy and Zack, reciting bad poetry about how no girl would ever go out with them. Then there is supposed wackiness that involves Bulk and Skull falling over and Zack and Tommy laugh at them, but seriously, why is it not season 2 yet so we can get some character development for those two?

Kimberly and Tommy are walking through the park. Tommy has changed shirts, but now the green of the shirt clashes with the green of his pants, so I'm not sure this is an improvement. Kim has a leotard on under her dress. (Look, there were some awesome cosplayers at the con, I am in a pay attention to the clothing type of place.) Tommy has just started to ask Kim a question, after a really awkward "Can I ask you a question?" "You can ask me anything, we're friends, right?" type conversation, when putties show up. Yay for cockblocking putties! As long as the one being cockblocked is Tommy, anyway.

There is a seriously awesome unmorphed fight scene, except somehow Kim's morpher gets dropped. Goldar shows up and takes Tommy to the dark dimension, and seriously, Kimberly is right there and has been separated from her morpher, and they just leave her? I know Rita is obsessed with Tommy, but I thought the point was to try and get rid of all the Rangers eventually. Evil is seriously dumb.

So Tommy is trapped in the Dark Dimension, with Kimberly still in the park screaming for Tommy, and Rita has apparently had Finster create a monster called Cyclops. I am really sad that it isn't Scott Summers. (You have no idea how badly I want the Power Rangers to fight the X-Men. I totally wrote a ridiculous AU fanfic where Billy and Kimberly turned out to be mutants when I was 11. It was awesome.) Instead the monster is a shape shifter with one eye. Not nearly as cool or as hardcore as Scott Summers.

After Tommy has been kidnapped, Zordon apparently managed to pay attention and the original five Rangers are in the Command Center, trying to locate the Dark Dimension. Seriously, didn't they manage to locate it during the Green With Evil Saga? Serious Zordon Fail.

Anyway, as they try to come up with a plan, the Dragon Zord starts attacking Angel Grove. Of course, since we were just told that Rita had a shape shifting monster 30 seconds ago, it is clearly not the Dragon Zord. Plus, Zordon says that it doesn't appear to be the Zord.

Tommy and Goldar are fighting, and there isn't nearly as much inappropriate Goldar/Tommy subtext as there is Goldar/Jason. Goldar has to go leave for some reason, so he uses the worst special effects ever to bind Tommy's hands, and Tommy just stands there, because apparently if your hands are in shackles you can't move at all or try to blow out the damn candle or whatever. (They keep stressing that when the candle burns down Tommy will work for Rita. Now, if they mean that the candle has to go out, that is one thing. But why not just blow out the damn candle so it doesn't burn down? Or else be more clear. Seriously, episode.) Tommy is seriously useless.

The other Rangers summon the Zords in the longest sequence ever, and my roommate walks into the room and says "Look! It's Voltron!" and then I miss most of the fight scene to try and explain the difference.

Goldar comes back and Tommy manages to steal his sword and teleport back to the park. Seriously? How does he know how to use that magic? I don't even know what is with that. Tommy tries to call his zord, but apparently his powers are weakening already or something. They don't quite defeat the Cyclops, because it will totally be back next episode. Whatever.

At the Command Center, Alpha is scanning Tommy, because apparently you can be damaged crossing dimensions. Did they scan Jason when he came back from the Dark Dimension? I'm pretty sure they did not. Jason remembers Rita's Dark Dimension as being a bad place, and I cannot stop giggling. There's a bullshit explanation for how the candle works, but basically Tommy touched the wax or something while he worked for Rita and that is how they are going to make him evil again. Everyone is very sad, and they're going to have to get the candle back.

To be continued, but not until tomorrow.


Fish: 3.5. It isn't quite as out there, but the logic about how the candle works, and leaving Kim behind like that is pretty bad.

Billy speak: "He's scanning Tommy for internal damage due to crossing dimensions."

Nobody gets covered in food, but Bulk nearly chokes on his own jacket. I don't even know.

Episode 25- Life's a Masquerade

We got the opening theme on this episode and I have to say, we get such a delight when we get the opening theme. Season 1 MMPR had the best opening theme in my opinion. Maybe it's just nostalgia talking, but I just get a warm fuzzy feeling when I hear the theme song and see those cheesy effects.

Apparently there is a costume party at the Youth Center and a rather large group of teenagers is helping set up. All the Rangers are there plus probably twenty other kids. Bulk and Skull are there too and Kim mocks their wardrobe without provocation. Way to be mean, Kim, way to be mean. Zack chases after Angela, Jason is left hanging, Tommy offers to help Kimberly and somehow a bucket of paint gets tossed on Bulk. Everybody laughs and we cut to Rita.

She wants a nasty monster to invade the costume party so Finster makes her a Frankenstein Monster. I'm a little sad at this fact. The Frankenstein Monster was really a pretty nice guy. He didn't want to hurt anybody, he just couldn't help it, and I hate that he's been turned into a bad guy... and given his creator's name. Anyway, my rant aside, Rita's Frankenstein Monster agrees to go attack the Power Rangers.

We then get to see all the Ranger costumes, except Tommy's. Billy is Sherlock Holmes, Kim is a princess, Trini is Pocahontas, Zack is King Tut, and Jason is Robin Hood... complete with tights. They actually look pretty good (Zack especially... that man is BUILT) and aside from Kim's entirely pink dress, nobody is decked out in entirely their Ranger colour! In fact, Jason isn't wearing any red AT ALL. We're impressed and wish we could see more of this.

In another house in another part of town we see Bulk and Skull. It appears to be Bulk's very messy bedroom and it is huge. They're trying to figure out what to use as their costumes, no doubt still stinging from Kim's thoughtless comment on their normal attire. First they try Skull as Captain Hook and Bulk as Peter Pan. Then they try Bulk as the back end of a horse and Skull as the front. The best costume idea comes last... Skull as young!Elvis and Bulk as older!Elvis. Bulk throws out his back, however, and they apparently do the same to the costume idea. Tis a pity. They both looked really good as Elvis.

Later, at the party, Zack tries to get Angela to dance with him and she flat out refuses. He laments that even a king isn't good enough for her and Jason comforts him affectionately. We discover Bulk and Skull decided to come as punks and Ernie shows up as a vampire. Alpha then shows up. Yes, Alpha. In public. At a party. At least it's a costume party and he can get away with it for now. The Frankenstein monster comes in right behind him and Billy theorizes it might be Tommy. Tommy hasn't shown up yet because his costume wasn't ready so, despite the very noticeable height and build difference, people just assume he's Tommy. Way to be bad friends, guys. In the meantime, girls swarm around Alpha and Zack again complains about his lack of luck with women. Seriously, Zack, stop hanging around your boyfriend and maybe the girls would look twice at you.

A girl drags the Frankenstein Monster on the floor to dance and he gets mad and lifts her high in the air. She screams and everybody basically just stares at them. Skull, however, jumps into action and shoots the monster with a suction cup dart. It was ineffective, but at least he did something about it! Good for you, Skull.

The monster leaves and Billy, realizing it may not actually be Tommy, chases after him. He is led into the now familiar Cave of Captivity. The only cave Rita ever uses for anything. In this cave we discover Rita (hanging out on Earth!) is having her henchmen build a Super Putty. It's going to be twice as strong and nearly invincible. They are building the Super Putties by making a very big ball of clay. No shape, no form, just a big ball of clay. Rita opens the Earth and flies the big ball of clay out of the ground and up into the air. She promises to come back and destroy all of humanity, cackling evilly the whole time.

Meanwhile, Billy is battling the Frankenstein Monster in the cave. The monster disappears and he runs back to the Youth Center. You have a communicator, Billy. Heck, you CREATED the communicators, Billy. USE THEM FOR THEIR INTENDED PURPOSE! Sorry for the all caps there but this really irritates me. To date Zack is the only Ranger who used the communicator in a time of need. Fail, Rangers!

Billy tells the others what is going on and they teleport to the Command Center to ask Zordon. He shows them the monster and they try to contact Tommy but are, as usual, unsuccessful. At least it's consistent for his character! They morph and go to fight the monster, but Rita makes him grow almost immediately. So they summon the Zords almost immediately.

Meanwhile, Tommy is attacked by a group of putties in front of the Youth Center. He beats them off and finally realizes he has a communicator. Zordon tells him to morph and go help the others. MegaZord has been knocked down, but Tommy shows up just in time to help. Rita flies away, thinking she's likely won at this point, and they form the MegaDragonZord. They beat the Frankenstein Monster relatively easy and it, as usual, gives poor Rita yet another headache.

Back at the party, they discover it's time to find out who won the costume contest. Tommy is in his regular clothes and tells them he'll be right back, he has to go put on his costume. Tommy shows up about 15 seconds after he leaves. He's managed to change clothes, put on a mask/hat, and paint the rest of his skin blue. He looks just like Rita's Frankenstein Monster, only considerably shorter and less bulky. Everybody jumps, Tommy removes the hat, and the whole bunch get a hearty laugh. Ernie then hands the blue ribbon to Alpha, who insists his identity must remain a mystery and leaves.

Overall, this is a pretty low fish episode! It's consistent, it's not too terribly ridiculous, and it even has foreshadowing for later episodes! The Rangers aren't glaringly obvious by wearing outfits consisting entirely of their designated colour. Rita is on Earth! And foretells of evil things to come in the future! Alpha is in public, but in the believable setting of a costume contest. And we get to see the Cave of Captivity again. All in all, we give it 2.5 fish.

Covered in food: Nobody, but Bulk gets covered in paint

Billy Speak: "My deductive reasoning tells me you're not Tommy."
"It's time for molecular transmutation!"

Episode 10 - Foul Play in the Sky

Honestly, until we started watching this episode, all I remembered was that this was the airplane episode. I thought it was going to be more like the Sweet Valley High book Crash Landing, which had not as wacky hijinks about someone losing control of a plane. (Although, that book would work really well as a Kimberly and Tommy story. I'm just saying.)

Anyway. Like all stories for tv where someone goes up in a tiny plane, the plot of this episode revolves around Kimberly having to fly a plane when the pilot passes out. In this case the pilot is her uncle Steve, who is actually fairly cute, and the reason he's passed out is because he's been given what we can only assume is liquid green iocane powder. We assume this because even though a giant vial of green liquid was poured into Steve's drink, he still drank the whole thing. Therefore it had to be odorless and tasteless. Coming along on the trip are Bulk and Skull, who are actually pretty awesome in this episode. The only reason they come along is... to yell a lot? Insert random commentary? Prove that her uncle is totally oblivious? (Okay, they are probably actually there to just make sure that Kimberly can't just teleport out.)

While flying, but before Uncle Steve passes out, we are introduced to Angel Grove's geography. First, let me make one thing clear - Angel Grove is not a city. Angel Grove is a suburb. That is not a city by any standard, and I'm not just saying that because I'm from New York. But seriously, they show a giant park and rows of houses and the youth center. Of course, it isn't like Angel Grove's geography has ever made any sense, considering that it is located by a rain forest, an ocean, a desert and a glacier. But we also get treated to a flashback of the series premiere when they fly over the mountains near the Command Center. (Zordon apparently stole a Romulan or Klingon Cloaking Device, and that's how nobody notices the Command Center. Or so we've decided.)

Uncle Steve finally succumbs to the green iocane drink, and he passes out. Bulk and Skull both faint as well, but it is pretty clear that Skull has only pretended to pass out because he still does whatever Bulk wants him to, so we can only assume that he hears what happens next. Instead of calling Air Traffic Control, Kimberly calls Zordon. Alpha talks her through landing the plane, which... well, mythbusters says it might be possible, but since Alpha didn't have a flight controller's view, we doubt it.

Moving back over to the rest of the Rangers, we get a very important character introduction this episode! Angela, aka the girl who keeps turning Zack down, because she is way too awesome for his bullshit. She is wearing a totally ridiculous outfit, but she's working two hula hoops at a time, which makes her way more awesome than anyone. (Zack's outfit is also ridiculous. Bulk and Skull have awesome boots, and Kimberly looks fabulous. Seriously, whoever picked out her outfit in this episode did a great job. She looks adorable.)

While Kimberly is attempting to not crash the plane, Rita sends down her most ridiculous monster yet - the Snizzard. Half snake, half lizard. Look, we don't make this stuff up, we just report it. For some reason, the monster is blue. Because apparently that's the color you think of when you think of snakes, clearly. The rangers are having lots of trouble beating the Snizzard (which sounds like a bad Harry Potter pairing name for Snape/Wizard) until Kimberly finally lands the plane. She runs away from the plane without offering any explanation, even though there are police and ambulances on their way. Nobody tries to chase or follow her or even get a statement or anything.

Kimberly morphs to join the battle, and then she then beats the monster all by herself, making the moral of this episode that Kimberly is amazing, and that girls kick a lot of ass. This is a moral that we both approve of. Kimberly is also the first Ranger to defeat a monster by herself, unless you count the Jason's Zord beating Bones way back in episode 2. (We don't. For the record.)

The episode ends with Kimberly flirting with a guy who is not Tommy (we approve of him too!) and bragging about how she landed the plane. Zack says to Jason, "'tell me more you big strong hunk of a man, you!" and then I demand that the entire internet (or at least QueenRiley) should write Jason/Zack fic. Okay, Zack was trying to mock Kimberly, but that actually makes no sense, because she was the one telling the story. And then Bulk and Skull get covered with food, ruining what could have been a decent ending to the episode.

Fish: We actually had a running commentary during the episode about how many fish this episode should get. At one point it was as low as 2, at another it was as high as 4. We ended up going for a middle ground of 3 fish, because Kimberly and Angela are awesome. Also, considering everything, this episode still isn't as ridiculous as Big Sister or Teamwork. I mean, the whole having to land a plane thing has a tv tropes entry and everything!

Billy speak: None! He's barely even in this episode! I can't even remember if he talks.

Covered in food: Bulk and Skull. Of course.

Oh my God, we are so old moment: Kimberly uses a pay phone to call Trini. Life before cell phones. WHAT.

Question: Okay, so Bulk and Skull were only in this episode to prevent Kimberly from just teleporting out. But since they were both unconscious, why didn't Kimberly teleport them all out anyway?

Extra bonus question: Where in California do you think Angel Grove is located? Make sure your answer is close to a volcano/mountain range, a rain forest, a desert, the beach, and a glacier!