Episode 121 - Passing the Lantern

Somehow we managed to arrange it (purely by accident, I swear) so that I get to recap one of our rare Adam-centric episodes, and Queenriley gets to recap the even rarer Rocky-centric one right after it! This is exciting!

Amazingly, this episode is actually about Adam, and not one of those secretly about Tommy ones that pop up more often later on!

The episode opens in the Youth Center, with Aisha and Billy discussing their boyfriend. Adam is off at a family reunion, and they hope it goes well, because they know how important family is to Adam, and how much he wants to make them proud.

Adam returns, with a gorgeous lantern (referred to in the show as an Oriental lantern - it is later mentioned that Adam is Korean-American, but that isn't for another seasson, and the garden has a sign on it saying that it's a Japanese garden, and anyway, I'm getting ahead of myself. For the purpose of the recap I am going to use the show's terminology. Which was my point) and we're told that he's been chosen as his generation's guardian of the lantern, which is supposed to have some sort of powers. This of course means that Rita and Zedd want to steal it.

There's an inscription on the lantern, but Adam can't read the language. Bulk and Skull overhear Adam say it's a mystery, and try to read it themselves, but all they can come up with is 'don't try to read something not in English.'

Billy takes Adam to Ko's Japanese garden, and explains that Ko is an old friend of his family. The garden really is gorgeous. Ko has a ton of lanterns, and Adam admires the collection. Ko shows Adam one and reads the inscription, which translates to "the dragon you fear is only as potent as your imagination" which Adam figures out means that fear is only as powerful as you make it. Aww, Adam is smart. *adores* Ko then translates Adam's lantern (and we never do find out what language it's in - which is a) problematic as they're just lumping all of Asia together under "The Orient" and b) annoying for my personal headcanon.) The inscription on Adam's lantern states "The lamp may light the path, but the soul must light the way." Adam finds this one harder to figure out.

The other Rangers (except Kimberly) wander through the paths of the garden and mention that Kim is starting up a garden at Aisha's house, but she's really busy preparing for a gymnastics competition. However, their lovely threesome walk in the park is ruined as Rito and some tengas show up, while Squatt and Babboo try to steal Adam's lantern. The five Rangers all morph into the ninja costumes, and there's a pretty good fight. Squatt and Babboo end up taking all the lanterns, and Adam is very sad. Adam does very sad really well.

Adam is concerned about how he let down his family! (There is a reason this boy is my favorite, for real) and Bulk and Skull say that they are on the case. This is... not comforting. But they do manage to see Rito going through the lanterns, and Rito throws Adam's lantern towards them before teleporting away, leading to them screaming, wondering why they're screaming, and then realizing that it's because a bunch of aliens just used their powers in front of them leading to them continuing screaming. Oh, BOYS. We also find out that the Junior Police Patrol has a handbook. You would think that "what do you do in a monster attack" would be on page one.

Rita and Zedd choose one of the lanterns to be their lantern monster, and then return the other ones so that it won't clutter up the moon. That's really considerate of them!

The Lanterra monster attacks Bulk and Skull (And we like this monster, it is hilarious) and the two soon run into Adam and Aisha, who are still searching for Adam's lantern. (By searching I mean that Aisha is clearly indulging Adam's crazy need to search himself, even thought he Command Center is also scanning for it. However, considering that the Command Center hasn't noticed the monster yet, I can totally get why Adam wants to search himself.) Adam asks the Command Center if they see anything unusual on the viewing globe, and look! A monster! Way to notice ANYTHING, Zordon.

Adam doesn't want to attack the lantern monster because he's afraid of damaging it. Which is adorable but... don't Rita and Zedd's monsters usually revert to whatever they're made out of after? But then Adam figures out that the inscription on the lantern meant that the power is inside of him, not the lantern, so he beats up the lantern monster. Because he is awesome. Then Rita and Zedd make it grow, and there are Zords summoned, and Ninjor shows up, because he actually pays attention to these things.

Back at the Youth Center, Adam is still trying to pretend that he's okay with destroying the lantern. Kim and Rocky try to comfort him, but then Bulk and Skull show up with Adam's lantern! Yay! They tell some ridiculous story about how they fought off the monster, and then they end up slipping where Ernie mopped. I didn't see any sign saying there was a wet floor, Ernie! You fail!

During the credits, Skull finds a fish in his shoe. THAT EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.

Fish: 2

Episode 90- Mirror of Regret

Today we see a rarity. Power Rangers, in it's natural habitat, performing the seldom observed Character Development. Come, let's observe.

So Adam and Rocky are showing off their pretty pretty talented selves. To a class of Small Children. Whom they are supposedly teaching martial arts to, except really they're just showing off and the kids do something completely different. I do like that they're all synchronized and matchy. It's cute. Anyway, one child is not so hot at the routine they're working on and he keeps bumping into the kid next to him. Despite being the same height, Slightly Chubby Boy (who is set up to look obviously chubby) insults Awkward Boy and calls him "shrimp" and "small fry". Adam and Rocky tell him to knock it off, that the kind of attitude Slightly Chubby Boy is demonstrating isn't a team attitude at all. Uh... since when is martial arts a team sport?

Adam offers to give Awkward Boy, aka Shawn, private tutelage in the park. They go off together and Adam gives him some useful advice like "feet apart". He then tells him not to let the bullies bother him, that he used to be small himself but then he grew. He really should have gone the route of there's nothing wrong with being small and then listed benefits to being small. Not all kids will grow and big and tall, and really there isn't anything wrong with being short. Anyway, there are about a million reasons NOT to pick on somebody and Adam addresses... um... none of them really.

So Awkward Boy does much better and then he heads off to the Youth Center by himself. Adam stays in the park for no discernible reason other than to be attacked by putties. You see, Zedd came up with a plan. He stalked Adam and realized he suffered from a lack of self confidence as a small child and he plans to make Adam relive all the teasing to wear him down and make him weak. So Zedd sent Goldar and a bunch of putties with the Mirror of Regret, a large mirror that shows Adam his past.

We see a terrible coach pick everybody for a team EXCEPT Tiny!Adam. We see him asking to play and other kids saying they don't want him on their team. Goldar brings Adam to his knees (and we figure it works since Jason is gone... he needed somebody to obsess over now...). We see Tiny!Adam being Emo. And so Big!Adam becomes Emo. And so it begins, the era of Emo Ranger! (not a knock, I love that Adam is Emo Ranger and he pulls it off SO WELL)

At the Youth Center, Bulk and Skull are tired from trying their martial arts from a book. They go to the bar and Ernie prompts young Shawn to abandon his homework and go show off his moves, thereby making Bulk and Skull feel like crap. They determine, however, that what they really need is MOAR SPACE. So off they go to practice.

Meanwhile, Zedd makes a monster that will laugh at all it's victims. He bases it off a laughing hyena, despite the fact that it looks nothing like a hyena, nor the skeletal structure of a hyena. It laughs like one though, and it's thematically appropriate, so I give her a pass. Zordon finally notices something is going on in Angel Grove, so he calls the other rangers, tells them what's going on with Adam, and then says they have to fight Skellerina without him. They go fight and lose horribly to... a group of putties.

Kim and Aisha manage to take out a putty together, but the rest of them seem to be doing pretty badly. Back in the park, Goldar is going to deliver the final blow to Adam by showing him Shawn and his lack of confidence. Instead, Adam sees Shawn proud of himself and sure he can do his routine. It gives Adam the strength the break the spell and regain his own confidence. He fights off the putties and then Goldar just vanishes.

Adam joins the others in the fight. Alpha has been working on a Plot Device Power Cannon and finishes it just in time for Adam to join the fight. Tommy tells him Skellerina is really powerful, yet they haven't fought her at all yet so I don't know where it came from. Alpha beams the Power Cannon to them, they all charge it up, they fire it, and it blows up Skellerina. Awesome! A non-Zord fight! We have too few of those. Zedd, pissed off his awesome plan failed so miserably, berates a groveling Goldar.

Back at the Youth Center, everyone is watching Adam and Rocky's class of Small Children do their routine. Only the class is all standing back and Shawn is the only one doing the routine. The others are in awe of his abilities and Slightly Chubby Boy apologizes for teasing him. They become friends (yeah, like THAT happens in real life). Shawn goes all doe-eyed and thanks Adam for all the help and encouragement. He's completely enamoured. Bulk and Skull come in from having practiced in the park and attempt to do their thing in the middle of the Youth Center. They knock each other over, however, and Shawn mocks them. Everybody laughs. Good job show, give an example of how bullying is bad and then turn around and bully people.

List time!
2 fish! It really was very consistent!

Billy speak: none, alas :(

Covered in food: nobody

Episode 89 - Goldar's Vice-Versa

Warning - potential triggers

Oh my God, you guys, I love this episode so much. I have so much fanon in regards to this episode, and I'm going to do my best to try and keep all of my ridiculous theories (Scorpina/Adam! Adam/Rocky/Aisha!poly relationship) to the point that they aren't entirely overwhelming the recap. Since you know, there's an actual plot. (Switching with wouldn't help, because I have just as much headcanon for Mirror of Regret.)

Anyway, we get a new opening, and there is much flailing as we take in the shots of the Stone Canyon Trio, and then some booing as we note that THAT SHOT of Kim is still in the opening. If I had any skill of editing vids, I would totally redo this opening so that the whole Kim fainting thing was not in there. But sadly I don't.

The actual episode begins, and apparently Rocky stole a pair of Jason's pants. Well, that isn't the important thing. The important thing is that Rocky and Adam are sparring, and I love them both so much. Seriously, so pretty. I would watch 22 minutes of them sparring.

Sadly, the demonstration is quickly over, and Billy shows up, and Adam and Rocky are disappointed that he missed their demonstration. Billy apologizes, saying he had a meeting with the vice-versa dance committee. Wait, Billy is on a dance committee? Really? Shouldn't that be Kim?

While we're boggling at that, Rocky explains the concept of a vice-versa dance, saying it's nice that the girls have to ask the guys. (Oh, honey, please stop trying to act. You're so lucky you're pretty.) We don't know why they didn't use the term Sadie Hawkins Dance.

Rocky says he's been invited to go by Jessica Peterson, who will never be mentioned again. Adam is sad, because nobody asked him to go to the dance and he doesn't expect anyone to. It is entirely possible that my response was "Oh honey, I would go to the dance with you." It is entirely possible that there were more caps involved. Billy tells him to cheer up, because nobody has asked him yet either. Cue an appearance of Laura from that really boring episode involving the Angelettes or whatever. We liked Marge much better. She asks Billy to the dance, and he is pleased. So tactless, Billy.

Bulk and Skull are hiding from the amazing female bullies, who want to ask them to the dance. We absolutely love the female bullies. Do they have names? Is there fic about them? We would like them a lot better if the show didn't show some fatphobia again, but we're going to ignore that, to go back to the drama about Adam's love life, which I find way more interesting.

Adam is still sulking about not having a date. But honestly, he just moved to Angel Grove a week before, so it isn't that unreasonable, especially since he's really shy. And since Aisha never has a date in this episode, I maintain that the only reason he doesn't ask her is because he and Rocky have both agreed not to, and Aisha seems really invested in finding him a date.

Up on the moon, Zedd has decided that HE will find a date for Adam. You know, Zedd's matchmaking service would actually be pretty awesome. I'm really not quite sure what his plan is, but in my head it basically goes "Have Adam hook up with Scorpina. Seduce Adam to dark side. Profit." Of course, the show fails in execution, but it is still so awesome that I don't even care.

The next day, Aisha (in a really adorable little yellow dress. The fashion is so much better this season) shows up at Adam's locker to ask Adam if he's found a date yet. He says no, and he'll probably just stay home and read. (I love that he's a bookworm. Also, so adorable. Also, they were so about to kiss.) Aisha tells him that is not acceptable, and asks if he knows Sarah Diaz. He says yes, she's on the volleyball team, and he is then instructed (Aisha is very good at bossing him around) to go to the park after school, and Sarah will ask him to the dance.

Meanwhile, over at Skull's locker, Bulk is all excited because someone slipped a note in his locker, telling him to meet after school, as the note writer has what he is looking for. Bulk asks Skull (who is inexplicably wearing an eyepatch) if he knows what this means, and Skull rightly says that someone has his locker combination. Bulk instead points out that it means that someone knows the true identities of the Power Rangers!

After school, Adam looks at Sarah from atop a hill, trying to work up the courage to talk to her. He starts listing things about her "pretty, smart, athletic" and he seems calm enough, until he gets to "female" and then he panics. Oh, Adam. We know, you wanted to go with Rocky. Zedd is horrified, because if Adam gets a date, it will ruin everything. So he sends down a giant group of putties, and man, JYB is really good at this. This was an awesome unmorphed fight scene. There should be more of these. By the time Adam is done dusting all the putties, Sarah is gone, and he is sad.

At the school, Bulk and Skull nervously look out the door of detention, only to see the female bullies are standing there. They are both terrified, and they decide that they would rather not know the true identities of the Power Rangers than face the girls. Instead, they go out the window.

Later, Adam is sitting at a table, bitching to Kim and Aisha about his girl problems. I would totally read an entire fic of the three of them gossiping about their boy problems, why doesn't this exist yet? Kim is sympathetic, but then leaves, and there's a minor commotion, because there is a martial artist who is doing something, and you know how Angel Grove feels about martial arts! Adam and Aisha both fail to recognize the girl, and therefore assume that she's new, even though they've only been in Angel Grove for a week or so.

After she's done performing, the girl walks directly to Adam, introduces herself as Sabrina, and then shoves her gym bag in Aisha's face. She says she's new, and then goes on to compliment Adam's martial arts skills, in a blatant attempt to get in his pants. However, she's made one fatal miscalculation, and she's annoyed Aisha. Really, Scorpina should know - if you Adam's lover, you gotta get with his friends. Adam is totally taken in by her. He makes plans to go on a hike with Sabrina, but since Aisha doesn't seem convinced that she's acceptable, Adam invites her to go along.

Look, the thing is, this is a date. Adam is going on a date with Sabrina. And he invites Aisha along. There are only four possibilities here. 1-Adam is unaware this is a date. 2-Adam is too clueless to see that bringing along Aisha on a date is completely unacceptable behavior. Possibly because he's new to the idea of dating girls 3-Adam and Aisha (and Rocky) are in an open relationship that has all sorts of rules, one of them being that Aisha and Rocky have to approve all other potential partners. #4 Adam and Rocky were dating, but are just too nervous to go to a dance together, and that Aisha just wants both of her boys to be happy. (I would totally read fic about ideas #3 and #4)

While this drama is going on, Ernie hands Bulk and Skull a note saying that "We still have what you've been looking for" and that instructs them to wait five minutes. But almost immediately, the female bullies come in, and Bulk and Skull hide behind the counter rather than talk to them. Bulk and Skull completely fail to put two and two together, but we do get to hear the thin female bully refer to Bulk as her "hunka-hunka-Bulky-love" and then I fall over laughing. That was amazing.

On the actual date, Sabrina is all pissy that Adam brought Aisha along, and I honestly can't blame her. But Adam basically tells her that he and Aisha are a package deal and Sabrina sulks. Zedd, however, is completely pleased, because he gets two Rangers for the price of one! So Goldar goes down to attack them, and while I'm discussing fish, why is this episode called Goldar's vice-versa anyway? I mean, seriously.

So Goldar shows up, and Adam tells Sabrina to run, but she refuses, and instead laughs and turns into Scorpina, mocking him. (Have I mentioned that I kinda ship Adam/Scorpina, in a bad and wrong type way? Because I do, in the same way I ship Goldar/Jason. It is entirely possible that I've got a 20,000 word fic in the works. I don't even know.) Adam and Aisha get tied up with the glowing rope of bondagey doom, and they are unable to reach their morphers! Oh noes! So they are both tied to a tree while Goldar and Scorpina stand laughing over them. (I am going to write bad and wrong fic about what happens next. Unless someone else wants to.)

Anyway, at the Youth Center, Kim and Billy are preparing for the dance. Ms. Applebee shsows up, and Kim tells her how excited she is that Adam is going to the dance with the new girl. Why is she talking to the teacher about this anyway? But apparently Ms. Applebee knows everyone in school, even though we've determined that Angel Grove is its own country. Apparently the last new girl in school was Aisha, and Kimberly and Billy are suspicious. A few seconds later, Rocky and Tommy show up, asking if they know where Adam is, since he was supposed to be sparring with them, and he's late. Um. How long have they been gone? How long as Adam expecting the date to be? How has Zordon not noticed? Why are the fish suddenly attacking my amazing episode?

So yeah, they go to the Command Center, and Zordon checks in on them, only to discover that oops, they've been tied to a tree. Zordon FAIL. Rocky doesn't know who Scorpina is, but he is very concerned about his girlfriend and boyfriend. Tommy explains Sscorpina as being "bad news" and just saying that he's glad that they haven't had to encounter her before. The SCT have been Rangers for like a day, when were they supposed to encounter her?

Anyway, there's a big rescue attempt, and Rocky is very concerned for Adam and Aisha. Tommy fights Goldar and Scorpina by himself since he's a glory hog, and Billy uses his mighty lance to cut Adam and Aisha free. Aisha is really pissed at Scorpina, and she gets to say the Morphin call, which pleases me.

Zedd has Goldar and Scorpina grow, and there's a long Zord summoning sequence, and I don't actually care about any of this part. Can we get back to Adam's love life? No? Fine. They summon Tor, and the combination of that Zord makes no sense at all, but I'm just going to ignore it. I mean, I fail to see how standing on top of Tor gives extra power or whatever. But Scorpina and Goldar teleport out, and I'm fairly sure this is the last time we see Scorpina, which is sad. I want so much more fic about her and Adam. Or her and Aisha. I'm just saying, make this happen, internet!

At the dance, Adam is all by himself, as is Aisha. They should be going together. Adam says it's not as bad as he thought, being here alone, and Tommy makes a joke about how he could have been here with Scorpina. Also, Tommy can't dance.

Sarah shows up, and Adam asks where her date is. She says that she doesn't have one, and Aisha pokes at Adam and demands that he ask her to dance, which he does, and he's really dorky and adorable and I kinda love him. (But um, the point of this was for the GIRL to ask the BOY. That is NOT HOW IT WORKS.)

Ernie goes over to Bulk and Skull, and hands them another note, and tells them that he's not their assistant. This time, the note says to turn around, and directly behind them are the female bullies! Bulk and Skull ask them what they could possibly have that they want (and at this point I fall over laughing again) and the girls reply "true love!" and begin to dance with Bulk and Skull.

Somehow while this is going on, Billy and Rocky have ditched their dates so that they could stand by the other Rangers and laugh at Bulk and Skull.

I love this episode SO MUCH.

Fish - 3. A few things made us pause and rant, but overall this was amazing.

Fic people should write us - SO MUCH ADAM/SCORPINA. Also, Adam/Rocky/Aisha discussing this episode. And the Adam/Kim/Aisha gossip hour.