Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dancing. Show all posts

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Episode 247- The Ranger Rivalry

Let me start by saying I HATE this trope. I HATE the "two people fight over the affections of one poor soul" thing. People are not prizes to be won and should not be literally fought over. Let the person decide who s/he wants to date, and accept that it might not be either of you!

So Ashley is teaching a group of little girls hip hop dancing. She ensures all the tiny children have a ride home and then Lt. Stone asks her if she's going to the dance later. She doesn't have tickets, nor a date, and really she should just ask Carlos! He'd definitely say yes and it would be romantic and fun. But instead she spies New Kid and Lt. Stone tells him New Kid (apparently Bobby) does not have a date. He is apparently Mandy's older brother, and Mandy is in Ashley's dance class. She is very obvious in her flirting, offering to teach him to dance.

But OH NOES! Bobby knows Cassie. And introduces them (ahhahahah), and they point out they're best friends. Both think he's totally cute. He's really not (or at least he's not my type). In school, all the girls go nuts over Bobby. He approaches Ashley and asks her to teach him how to dance. Bobby asks if tomorrow is okay because he's hanging out with Cassie that afternoon. Ashley says it's a date but she's totally not happy about Cassie having time with Bobby. So she recruits TJ to go play catch with her at the park. Where Cassie and Bobby are.

Cassie is playing guitar and Ashley throws a ball at Bobby. TJ apologizes and asks if they want to play and the girls are really violent with each other. I HATE THIS EPISODE. LET THE POOR MAN CHOOSE FOR HIMSELF! Fighting with each other will solve NOTHING. It's up to HIM if he wants to date either of them, not up to who wins the fights. TJ smartly suspects something is up.

Bobby has car trouble and Ashley jumps to the rescue. Bobby is very impressed and Ashley is all touchy feely while Cassie tries to ask Bobby to the dance. Carlos and Justin are in trouble and Cassie actually asks to stay behind with Bobby! REALLY CASSIE?!?!?!? Your FRIENDS NEED you and you're going to abandon them for a boy??? WHAT THE HELL SHOW? Major props to TJ for telling her off (in the nicest way possible, because this is Power Rangers). Cassie fights but when she gets back to the parking lot, Bobby is gone.

He approaches Ashley in school the next day. He asks if Cassie is okay and ASHLEY THROWS HER UNDER THE BUS! WHAT THE HELL ASHLEY?!?!??! She tells Bobby that Cassie is flaky and runs off all the time. SHUT UP! I HATE THIS EPISODE WITH A FIERY PASSION. Another girl ends up inviting herself to the dance lesson. Ashley asks Mandy about Bobby, and Mandy says Bobby likes a girl but she can't remember who it is.

Ashley flails a bit in front of Bobby and calls it dancing. They flirt a lot and suddenly by the end he's a Super Awesome Dancer (only not really). Her communicator beeps and she has to run off while he practices. She rushes off to fight Divatox, but she's really cranky and bitchy about it. And there is an underwater Zord fight and then BS shows up to save the day.

WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THEM THIS EPISODE?!?! Worst. Episode. EVER.

Carlos, TJ, and Justin buy tickets to the dance. Bobby comes up to ask for their advice about a girl he likes. Carlos tells him it's scarier to think about asking than actually asking. Ashley and Cassie come in and Bobby says he's going to go ask who he likes to the dance. He heads towards a large group of the girls. Ashley goes all giggly and weird but he walks right past her. Cassie goes all slick and weird and Bobby walks right past her. He ends up asking Glenda The Other Girl to the dance. GOOD FOR YOU, BOBBY! YOU ARE WORTH MORE THAN BEING SOME GIRL'S TROPHY! Glenda will appreciate you for who you are, which Cassie and Ashley were apparently incapable of.

Cassie and Ashley apologize to each other and all is well.

The girls now need dates. TJ already has one. Carlos apparently does as well. Justin holds his hands out and says he'll take them both! And they agree. AWWWWWW.

5 fish. This was a HORRIBLE episode and I never ever EVER want to see it again.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Episode 220 - Cars Attacks

In this episode, lots of people make lots of baseless assumptions!

Kat goes to the Youth Center off hours. She sees a girl doing what we think is supposed to be dancing. Dancing Girl stops when she notices Kat, packs her stuff, and leaves without saying a word. Kat complimented her dancing and she just kind of ran away. Kat assumes she has attitude. I assume she's shy and nervous around new people.

Turns out, Dancing Girl is Jenny, Lt. Stone's niece. Her mother felt she needed a firm hand of discipline before school started (so it's still summer vacation! But why is Justin in school then? He skipped two grades which means he tested academically higher than 9th... so he doesn't need summer school). Jenny doesn't know anybody, is very uncomfortable, and gets accused of everything bad that happens. Attitude problem? Sure, but it's not her attitude that needs adjusting.

ANYWAY! Kat is auditioning for the Royal Academy in London. This is a big deal! Turns out Jenny is dancing too. Kat does a lovely ballet. Jenny... doesn't, exactly. But they love her anyway. She gets a call back. So does Kat. Ooooo tension! Tanya is super supportive.

Meanwhile, Divatox gets a ring at her doorbell. Why a sub has a doorbell I'm not sure. Anyway, it's a monster who wants to work for her. He's a conductor and his music makes anything come to life. Divatox sends him to make all the cars of Angel Grove start flying around. It's... special and has very little to do with the plot of the episode.

Meanwhile, Lt. Stone discovers all the money is missing. He was trying to balance the books and wonders how Ernie did it (clue: he didn't... we have no idea how Ernie made his money, but he certainly never balanced any books). The money went missing right out from under his nose and instead of calling the police, he immediately accuses Jenny instead. Wow, way to jump to conclusions there Lt. Stone! That's just not right. She, of course, gets upset at being accused and his disbelief at her insistence that she didn't take the money, and then stomps off. I don't blame her! He confronted her in front of the ENTIRE Youth Center. There was a crowd! That's just not right.

So the rangers get called to go deal with this monster and the flying cars. They have a rough time of it and Blue Senturian shows up. There is some minimal fighting and then they blow up the monster and all is well with the world again. It was boring, but blissfully short.

The rangers rush into the callbacks because Elgar planted a detonator in the tape recorder (TAPES! OMG we are so OLD). Everybody is so used to the Power Rangers now that nobody seems to really bat an eye. Unfortunately, Jenny is in the middle of her audition when the rangers take the tape player and rush it outside so it can blow up without hurting anybody. Nobody seems to realize it was a bomb and everyone is confused at why the Pink Ranger rushed off with the music. Jenny is upset and rushes out the door.

Kat comes back just in time for her audition. She's good, but she's no Billy Elliot. I liked his Royal Academy audition much better. ;)

So it's down to Jenny and Kat. British Guy says Jenny is unique and he likes her style, but her attitude is holding her back and he won't accept her. He gives the spot to Kat instead.

Hold on a minute here. Because Jenny is very quiet. Because Jenny is not terribly social. Because Jenny was upset her audition was interrupted and her music destroyed so she couldn't finish. SHE has the attitude problem? She never said a rude word to ANYBODY. She didn't cart around as if she were better than the rest. In fact, she looked rather like she was lacking confidence in her abilities as a dancer. And SHE has the attitude problem that won't let her in the school???? W. T. F. show?!?!??!!

Kat goes outside and Jenny accurately predicts it's for the "let's all be friends, kumbaya" speech. Kat tells her she should be nicer and hello, she was never mean! She was just quiet. Jenny makes a good point that it's hard when you're new and starting over, that it's hard when you have one chance for a better life and instead of being given an honest chance, you're prejudged for EVERYTHING. Kat agrees, but then continues with telling Jenny she should get over it and she'll need all the friends she can get. I'm sorry, but NO. You don't tell the person who was wronged to get over it. And not everybody WANTS to be social.

Back at the Youth Center, Kat is considering not taking the position. She points out that Tanya gave up music for awhile to stay a ranger and Tanya makes our argument canon. She can always go back to music. Dancing is a very time-limited dream. If Kat is going to do it, she needs to do it NOW. Meanwhile, Chimpanzee Bulk and Skull come in with a wagon full of money. They'd tried to balance Lt. Stone's books for him, but had no luck either. Lt. Stone apologizes to Jenny and they share a familial hug.

4.5 fish. If you audition for a ballet school, you do BALLET. Also, what was up with that monster?

(if Kat gives up her dream spot at the Royal Academy only to give up her powers two episodes later? We're going to scream and throw things... we are left without an answer at the end of this episode)

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Episode 216 - Weight and See

TRIGGER WARNING FOR DISORDERED EATING

You guys, this is like the most frustrating run of episodes ever. Two rage inducing ones in a row. And this one, frankly, is seriously triggering and also not the episode you want to be watching right after eating probably too much pizza.

Last time we had an episode about food, it was about how if you eat junk food you are a bad person. This time we get Kat's brief brush with anorexia. And frankly, it does some things really well and some things REALLY BADLY.

So, Kat is auditioning for a ballet. Hey, continuity! I am impressed. They're doing The Nutcracker (I guess because they thought it was the only ballet that kids would know?) and Kat desperately wants to be Clara. Random bitchy girl makes some sarcastic comments to Kat about how Kat is a little too big for the part, and she should be in better shape. Random bitchy girl expects to get the part, but instead Kat impressed the director with her fresh take on the role and is cast as Clara. Random bitchy girl continues to bring up Kat's weight.

At the beach, Adam and Justin are planting tide markers. Adam gets distracted by a hot girl in a yellow bikini. (This is the part where I started all capsing at queenriley about how he's dating Tanya and he's being... well, a teenage boy.) Justin gets distracted by a younger girl in a bathing suit. Hey, if we're doing the "it isn't how you look on the outside" episode, could we get an objectification is bad moral? No? Also, Adam is totally grossed out by the fact that Justin is noticing girls.

Then they get attacked by Piranhatrons and we get an unmorphed fight. Yay! (Adam, your HAIR.)

Back at the Youth Center, Kat has apparently decided she isn't going to eat until after the show. We don't know how long it is until they perform the ballet. Tanya and Tommy try to encourage her to eat but she refuses and leaves. Tommy and Tanya follow her and Tommy actually pays for something. The world is ending.

Apparently Divatox's big plan is that she's going to turn Angel Grove into Atlantis. It's a shame Billy isn't there, because otherwise I would totally make a joke about my ridiculous DC comics crossover OTP of Billy/Garth (which BFF harmonyangel and I once mentioned to comics artist Steve Lieber. Look, Heroescon last year was awesome.)

So. Kat runs into the monster which makes her lighter? I feel that the show is not understanding how anorexia works. I guess they were trying to go for the she's getting so thin she's floating away idea? (And like, she skipped one meal.) But it would have made more sense if they'd made her think she weighed more than she did.

The Rangers all go to the Power Chamber (Kat is still floating) and everyone goes to fight the monster except for Kat. (The monster is like, a weird looking version of the Count) Everyone but Justin is made to feel like they weigh a ton, and Justin gets to float. Dimitria gives Kat some inspirational phrases that she pretends are questions, and Kat realizes that it's really about how she is on the inside, not on the outside, and she's miraculously broken free of the floating spell and I...

Look. I have friends and family who have struggled with eating disorders. Neither of us really wanted to be the one to recap this episode, but all I'm going to say is that this cannot be fixed by a simple inspirational speech. It just doesn't work like that. I'd like to applaud the show for *trying* but...

Anyway, let us instead talk about the AWESOME part. Kat beats up the monster by herself and it is amazing.

Then the monster grows and hits the Zord with a duck. (Well, a duck shaped blast, but I like the idea of the Zord being hit by a duck better.) Then the Rangers blow it up.

Sometime later, Kat is performing the ballet. She is awesome. Random bitchy girl is a rat. I'd have thought she'd have gotten Sugar Plum Fairy or something.

Fish: FIVE. ALSO, RAGE INDUCING.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Episode 193 - The Ranger Who Came in From the Gold

I'm sorry, but there are about 87 better gold based puns that they could have made. I am taking suggestions.

Anyway, this episode is notable for two things - Adam doesn't dance and Tanya thinks Patrick Swayze and Gene Kelly are hot. Tanya has great taste in men. (Seriously, half the point of this recap was to link to these three clips.)

So, Kat is late to her own ballet class because she's trying to find stuff for the ballet they're putting on. Because they're studying Greek Mythology and just read the King Midas story, and... somehow this translated into "Kat should choreograph a ballet." Sure. Right. Somehow Kat has blackmailed Jason and Adam into dancing in the ballet. Jason doesn't seem all that upset about it, but Adam is pretty horrified and constantly trying to get out of it. We're pretty sure he only agreed because Tanya told him he would look good in tights.

To deal with the villains quickly - Zedd and Rita's camper gets a flat, and they spend most of the episode trying to fix it. Zedd is handy like that! Meanwhile, Louie Kaboom takes over the Machine Empire because... he can. IDEK. He comes up with a plan to turn everything into gold, because it's time to pay way too much attention to the Rangers' lives again.

While Adam and Jason continue to suck at ballet, Bulk and Skull listen to Tanya talk about how dancers are wicked hot (she also mentions Mikhail Baryshnikov, but personally, I'm all about Gene Kelly and Patrick Swayze and Fred Astaire.) For some reason, Bulk and Skull bet Tanya that they can find everything she needs for the ballet. If they do, she and Kat pay them twice their going rate. If they don't, they agree to do anything. Boys, this is not going to end well for you.

Bulk and Skull go hit a bunch of garage sales, and they find the gold toy dog sent by the machine empire that turns stuff into gold. They're very excited about being rich, until the dog turns the hot dog into gold. What a waste of a good hot dog. Anyway, they run straight to Kat and Adam in the Youth Center, who go investigate. Cogs show up, and they have to morph while fighting, which was pretty great.

The other Rangers come help, and Jason gets turned to gold. Except even though he was morphed, he's suddenly demorphed? Look, nothing in this episode makes sense. Tommy continues to spy on the Machines while Billy tries to fix Jason. Then for some reason there's some nonsense about Adam having to go prepare the zord bay while everyone else summons their Zords which are all getting turned into gold? Jason gets fixed and more Zords are summoned, and frankly, it made no sense and we actually spent most of the fight discussing which Rangers had sex in the back of their Zords, which is frankly way more interesting.

Later at the ballet, since Bulk and Skull failed to get everything on the list, they have replaced Adam and Jason in the ballet. Personally, I think Adam is protesting way too much. Bulk and Skull are actually trying, which is great, except sadly they end up falling down. Of course.

Fish: 4. What the hell was Adam doing during the Zord fight? Seriously, why did he have to go and hang out in the Zord bay?

Fic we want: Apparently I'm writing Rangers playing I Never fic. IDEK.