Episode 330 - Grunchor on the Loose

Today on Power Rangers... I have no clue what I just watched. We start off with the Starship Troopers opening a big wooden crate. The Rangers rush in to tell them not to open it, that it's a trick. They are too late and there is an explosion and then a weird plant/bug/creature thing that shoots LASERS FROM IT'S EYEBALLS. It burrows underground because... well... I don't know why. It just does. It tears up roads and underground tunnels and... why does a spaceship have ground again? The rangers report that they saw slaves and the big pirate ship has no plans to help them, he just wants to enslave them all too. I had actually forgotten about that. Oh well. The military is running around telling people to evacuate and don't go underground and AGAIN I ASK. WHY DOES A SPACESHIP HAVE AN UNDERGROUND???? AND WHERE THE HECK ARE THESE PEOPLE EVEN EVACUATING TO? Whatever, the monster is in the underground highway. He apparently also spits purple poison on top of his laser eyes and I really hope he eats Nedry. Mutiny's goombas wear kilts. Well, skirts, but I think they're supposed to look like kilts. Or awkward pantaloons. Doesn't matter, I'm impressed either way! Deviot oversees them moving... something... and the rangers stop them and wonder how he managed to get to the Lost Galaxy as well. Because the show finally remembered it's title. I am still less than impressed with these space pirates. TSB and I agree that they aren't nearly as great as the Gokaigers. Maya has a chance to destroy Deviot and Leo stops her because... reasons? He thinks they can get information out of Deviot (oh Leo) and Maya really knew better. But of course nobody listens to her. Deviot feeds them false information and then runs away. The rangers then encounter Grunchor. Apparently we get two monsters this week? Or is the big guy Grunchor? It's really not clear to me. This is a lot of fighting. I'm trying to care about it, I really am, but I just can't be bothered. Grunchor shows up and the rangers combine powers to throw fire at him which really just serves to piss him off. Really guys? Did you actually think Deviot gave you reliable information on how to beat his side? REALLY? They have to call the fugzords. Nobody bothers to get this guys motive either. He could just be cranky. Maybe he has a cold. Maybe he wasn't allowed to get a good night's sleep. Heck, maybe he's confused and thinks he's helping. They just assume he's evil and wants to destroy them, so they fight him. The fight is not going well so the rangers have pulled out alllll the toys. Literally, all of them. Some I don't even remember seeing, but I'm sure were introduced at some point over this past season. Honestly, it's been kind of a rambly season to me, like it never really knew what it wanted to say or where it stood. It... meandered. And so not a lot of it stuck with me. Anyway, All-the-Toys seem to be doing the trick until Captain Mutiny decides to join the fight. Then they start to lose again. It's still pretty boring. I just... I don't quite get why this episode had so much fighting? I really would have liked to get some kind of back story for Grunchor or explanation for why there were two monsters this week or... something. Leo keeps trying to sacrifice himself. Then Mike keeps trying to sacrifice himself. Then Leo does it again. We keep expecting the Dragonzord to show up because this is such a Tommy episode. Tommy, this is not your season! Get out of this episode! Suddenly the others decide to jump in and sacrifice themselves too and this is apparently enough to destroy the poor unexplained monster. Later, the rangers discover Captain Mutiny's planet can just vanish off the radar. Because... reasons? They're in a lost galaxy I guess? Science still does not work that way. And never will. (random note: Curiosity lands tonight. I am incredibly excited about this) 5 fish. Because I don't know what I just watched. And I felt really bad for the poor unexplained monster.

174- Challenges

Last time on Power Rangers- the world is relying on Tommy's brainpower to save it. We're all DOOMED.

So in the Youth Center, now cleared of Native American works of art, Ernie has decided to bring in Lt. Stone, aka "The Rock", to give free boxing lessons. Adam is all "Free boxing? I'm there!" and Rocky is all "Boxing? Really? But your pretty pretty face?". But Adam goes to sign up anyway, with Tanya's encouragement. They start with the basics... jump rope. We now want a massive crossover with Jump In. We must wonder why he always wears sweatshirts (okay, TSB wonders... me, what do I know of fashion? He looks fine to me. :P) Is it because JYB did his own stunts and they were trying to cover the bruises? Such is the rumour...

Meanwhile, Tommy is on his spirit quest. He keeps trying to touch that flying falcon. Apparently nobody has told him they fly TOO HIGH for a person to touch from some rock outcrop. Oh well. He is also chasing the mysterious PRETTY PRETTY YOUNG MAN that appeared out of thin air on the MAGICAL HORSE. Have I mentioned lately how much I LOVE this show?

Adam is walking home by himself when he's accosted by the Monster of the Week. Prince Sproket has taken up boxing and they have now sent down a boxing monster... dressed entirely in blue, so clearly he's obsessed with Rocky. He attacks Adam to fight for Rocky's affection. Ranger Rule number 23, after all, applies to non-rangers after rangers too.

Adam calls for help and Rocky, Tanya, and Kat try to sneak off to go help him. Ernie passes them by with boxing gloves and gives them a look that says he clearly knows what they're going to do, but he's pretending otherwise for their sake. Aw, Ernie. Bless. So they join the fight but they still can't beat this guy. Boxing Monster and Sprocket turn Adam into an action figure sized Power Ranger trophy. Sprocket tells them if they win, they'll get Adam back unharmed in his normal size. If they lose, well. We all know what happens then.

They can't do this without Tommy (or rather, without Zords and Tommy has the only working Zord, so... yeah), so he has to leave his spirit quest to go help out. Tommy's Zord fights the Boxing Monster (who's name I cannot for the life of me remember, and I watched the episode all of five minutes ago). It's very Rock 'Em, Sock 'Em Robots. Ah, the memories of my childhood. Anyway, they win. Of course. And for some reason, Sprocket lets Adam go and he becomes actual size again.

Tommy goes back to his spirit quest where there is an earthquake. Oh, Tommy. Stop following your heart. He hears a cry for help and rushes to save the Mysterious Pretty Magical Stranger who is falling off a cliff. The falcon lands close enough to touch, but if he stops to touch the falcon, Pretty Stranger will leap to his doom fall to his death. I do love this about Tommy... he doesn't even hesitate. He doesn't angst. He doesn't question. He just dives and grabs hold of the Pretty Magical Man.

Pretty Magical Man knows all about Tommy. He shows Tommy his own half an arrowhead and, gasp, they match! The tinfoil arrowheads magically combine into one unbroken arrowhead as we learn that David is Tommy's brother. Dun dun dun!

We do not learn anything else about Adam and boxing, which this episode led me to believe it was about.

2 fish. This was also surprisingly low on fish for a Tommy episode!

Fic we want: that crossover, but also a Mystic Force crossover! Or an excerpt from Once a Ranger because... well... Adam and Xander! They can bond.

Episode 143 - Sound of Dischordia

We had a long debate about which episode we were on, before we decided to go to continue on with the Ranger Central episode guide. This may or may not have had something to do with us not wanting to watch I'm Dreaming of a White Ranger.

Not that this was much of an improvement. I mean, yay Aisha! But the song. And the FISH. And the singing! And this is coming from someone who likes the Zeo episode where Tommy and Tanya have to sing the whole time.

Honestly, the only thing I remembered about this episode was Catherine Sutherland complaining at Morphicon about how stupid this song is. And it is really stupid.

The episode begins with Aisha and Kat in some sort of music studio in Angel Grove High. Fancy! They're singing some awful song that Aisha wrote to enter the write the school song for Angel Grove contest. This fits in with my personal fanon that when Tanya goes on to be a famous singer, Aisha writes some of her songs and then Tanya makes all of the former Rangers who can sing go on tour with her. Anyway.

Kat is having trouble with the harmony, and she's losing her confidence. If I was writing this episode, she would be having a crisis of confidence and then placed under a spell where she doesn't think she's good enough and then she has to realize how awesome she is. But I'm not writing it. Instead, Bulk and Skull shatter some glass with their singing and Kat realizes she's not that bad, and they practice some more, while Tommy tells Kat how awesome she is.

Hey, Tommy, you remember Kim? Your girlfriend? God, no wonder she dumps him. (Oops, spoilers!)

Kat and Aisha show up at the Juice Bar, having bought out the mall, and the guys tease them about their shopping habits, clearly noticing that they're just nervous and that the shopping is stress relief. I totally know people who do this *stares at overflowing bookshelves* so yay for characterization! Also, adorable.

Up on the moon or Master Vile's ship or whatever, Master Vile decides he needs a singing monster. My poor eardrums. The monster then attacks Kat and Aisha, and it makes them dance. (Someone had better use the awesome icon of the dancing in the comments, or I will be sad)

The other Rangers show up, and there is more dancing, and the monster tries to make Tommy give up his power coin and Zord, because it is all about Tommy.

The Rangers manage to break the spell long enough to summon the sparklearmor, and then they dazzle the monster.

TSB: THEY DAZZLED HER
QR: OH GOD THIS IS WHERE SMEYER GOT HER IDEA ISN'T IT?
TSB: YES
QR: NOOOOOOOOOOO

Yes, this is exactly how we do the recap.

Then they power down and the monster grows and we are only ten minutes into the episode. CRAP. There's a six minute long zord fight where Ninjor shows up and only Tommy can save the day and there's a bunch of fish, and the only important thing is that the monster calls them Power Puffs! Oh, and they summon the toy version of Titanus and pasted on some fire.

After the defeat, Master Vile refuses to leave because that would mean admitting that Zedd didn't suck.

At the contest, some group is singing a song that has the power of rock, but has nothing to do with school spirit. Kat and Aisha sing their awful song, and they win. Then there are hugs. I am in favor of hugs!

Fish: 4. Seriously, long Zord fights are never a good idea.

Fic we want: All the female Rangers go on tour together! Make this happen!

Places you should all be going to - !

Episode 130- Changing of the Zords Part 1

Sorry it's been so long, guys. Vacations, illness, and family got in the way. But we are back! And we're back with... new zords? Already? Um... well... okay then! Let's spend the whole opening admiring the awesome PRETTY of the cast, shall we? Because that's pretty much what we do at the beginning of every episode.

So this episode starts with Kat, Kim, and Aisha in the Youth Center. Kat comments on their remarkable skill at shopping and we wonder if the mall in Angel Grove has any merchandise left. Kat heads home and gets all mooney over Tommy on the way. She's jealous (under a spell) and wants Kim out of the way so she can have Tommy for herself (did I mention under a spell?). I hate these infidelity subplots (but at least she's under a spell?)

Later, Kim invites Kat to the lake to hang out. Kat doesn't want to go, but then Tommy asks if she's going and suddenly she wants to. Kim is a bit suspicious (understandably so) but they head out anyway. Kat says she'll meet them there.

Finster, meanwhile, has found himself some old forgotten Zords. Or more to the point, he has found where he can find some zords. So he takes Squatt and Baboo and they go in search through dense jungle, making some awesomely hilarious quips on the way, until they sit down to rest and stumble upon the zords.

At the lake, Bulk and Skull have been put in charge of keeping the area clean and safe. Skull sees some kids who appear to be drowning and they rush to the rescue, shedding clothes as they run. I LOVE this sequence. The music, the running, the slow mo, the rush to rescue poor children in desperate need of help. Of course, then I want to smack the little shits for laughing at Bulk and Skull when they jump into the lake because the kids were faking it the whole time. Where are there parents? They ought to be punished for that.

Rita stops Kat in the park. She asks Kat to steal a power coin for her, which Kat gladly agrees to. At the lake, Rita sends down some Tenga warriors to create a diversion. Frankly, the diversion wasn't really necessary. The power coins were all in the bags which were all left carelessly lying about on a table for anybody to pillage. But the Tengas are there and they're wreaking havoc and Kat manages to steal Kim's coin. She also steals a picture of Kim and Tommy.

Kim, in fighting the Tengas, suddenly feels very weak. Her vision goes all blurry. She screams for Tommy (sigh) and he races to protect her by... putting his arm across her chest? Really? I can see the merit in doing so to prevent an airbag from exploding in her face, but I'm not quite sure how that will save her from the Tengas. Anyway, the Tengas run away since Kat has the coin, and the rangers go to morph. Kim can't find her coin and only NOW do they feel the need to contact Zordon. Who, of course, has no idea what's going on.

Zordon explains that Ninjor, when recharging the power coins, tied it into their life forces, so with Kim's coin gone, she's growing weaker and weaker. If they don't get it back, it could kill her. But that happens later, and I spend most of the episode wondering why in the world she's having all these side effects when that never happened in any of the multiple other episodes they lost their coins.

Goldar goes down to Earth and Tommy vows to fight him alone. Kat is told to steal the falcon zord and she's all too happy to comply. She's a very effective evil, I must say, far more so than any of the other rangers when put under an evil spell. She manages to zap Tommy and take the falcon zord (which then looks like an owl, but ends up being a real falcon on Zedd's arm? Okay...). Ninjor, in trying to help, gets trounced by Goldar and then captured. This is pretty bleak and Tommy is sure it's the end. He is upset that Zedd has beaten the power rangers, but really... uh... Zedd hasn't. Not yet. There are still FIVE OTHER RANGERS. FIVE. The Power Rangers is not a solo Tommy-only show here. Even if he wishes it were.

Anyway, Zordon then explains Kim could die as she faints because she's so weak and this would be a totally awesome ending!

Except it's not over yet. Instead we get Kat in a tree (and I really want to call a handsome fireman to come get her out of the tree, and then we want a follow up with Kat on a hot tin roof). She rips the picture of Kim and Tommy in half, throwing away the Kim part and proclaiming that Tommy will be hers. I hate infidelity subplots. *sigh*

2 fish. It wasn't that fishy, it was just bad in general.

Episode 129- A Ranger Catastrophe Part 2

Just to let you all know, there won't be any recaps next week, because I'm going to Disney World! Our regular schedule will resume when I get back.

Previously, on Power Rangers - Aisha and Kim are the worst cat owners ever, and is sad. Yes, the Kat era has begun, which means that Kim is leaving, and I'm going to pout, because Kim is made of total awesome. However, I like Kat, so it's all good.

So, Tommy and Kat are all kidnapped, and the other Rangers are watching in the viewing globe as he loses consciousness. Why he passes out, we don't know. Billy spouts some sort of technobabble that we didn't quite catch and didn't really qualify as Billy speak about how they need to increase something to penetrate the shield.

Up on the moon, Rita summons Kat back to her, and Rita with a kitty is the cutest thing ever. Rita is a much better cat owner than Kim and Aisha are. And cat!Kat is a very tolerant cat - most of my cats would not submit to being handled in that fashion.

Goldar wants permission to go fight Tommy, even though we know that Goldar is just using him as a poor substitute for Jason, and then Zedd and Rita argue over the cat, and then send Rito down to fight the Rangers.

Seriously, when there's a Zord fight this early, this is a sign that there are bad things to come. I mean, Billy gets to say the morphing call, which is awesome, and we get to see the individual zords fight again, and then the Rangers beat Rito without Tommy, proving that they are awesome and don't need him.

At the Command Center, the Rangers watch as Goldar and Tommy fight, and then Billy comes up with a plan to rescue Tommy, but they need to head to Billy's garage. (For fun sexy makeout times.) On the way there (and why they didn't teleport directly to Billy's garage, I have no idea. I guess the fish made them do it) they run into the Kat monster. The other Rangers are summoned, and they fight Kat, and then Billy and Adam go to the garage to finish doing something.

A conversation-
QR: does [Billy's] father never venture into the garage?
TSB: not after he caught Billy and Trini having sex on the couch in there, no
QR: AHAHHAHLADSKJF
TSB: see, I even said Billy and Trini instead of Billy and Kim, just for you :P

Back in whatever dimension it is, Rito has joined the fight. There's too much Tommy in this fight, and not enough bromance of evil. Billy figures out how to do something, and then the Rangers all hold hands and somehow this teleports Tommy out, and then they summon Zords again to fight the Kat monster. Ninjor shows up, but we guess he left his snark behind, because it's a really boring fight.

After the Kat monster is destroyed, the Rangers find Kat hanging out in the park. She tells them some sort of sob story about how scared she was, and everyone thinks she's really hot. Also, turns out that this episode takes place during summer vacation! That at least explains something.

There is no mention of Kat's car. I guess a fish ate it.

The episode ends with Aisha finding cat!Kat again, and ignoring her glowing green eyes of doom.

Fish: 2.5 It's not awful, but there were a few moments that just made us yell fish.