Episode 93 - Lights, Camera, Action

I've got a stomach virus or something, so I am at home with a lot of soup, but that doesn't stop me from recapping this completely ridiculous episode. There are so many questions that can only be answered by saying that the fish did it. Although I still encourage people to write fic.

So, the episode opens with Aisha giving a report on tv. I still want to know what class it is, since I'm assuming it's the same class that Adam did his report on kaleidoscopes. But besides pondering what class it is, we're both instantly struck with the need to all caps at each other about how OLD we are, because Aisha pulls out a VHS tape to show some footage about TV. Seriously, we are SO OLD.

Aisha finishes up her report, and Ms. Applebee asks the class if they know who the father of television is, and Bulk answers Captain Kangaroo. Seriously? Apparently Captain Kangaroo ended in 1993, but... would Bulk and Skull really have been watching? I'm 25 and I barely know who Captain Kangaroo is. Ms. Applebee basically calls Bulk an idiot, and Adam correctly answers the question.

This somehow leads into Ms. Applebee telling them about their homework - the Power Rangers are going to be on TV that night on a nationwide broadcast (Angel Grove is so its own country) promoting education, since they are apparently worldwide ambassadors of education. Everyone in class needs to watch the broadcast and then write a report on it. I have a few suggestions on things they could talk about - the need for some new teachers at Angel Grove High and replacing the curriculum with something that accurately reflects a high school being pretty high up there on the list.

But I keep getting distracted by the actual logistics of this. How was this arranged? Did the newsguy catch them after one of their fights and ask if they would be willing to be on TV? Did they just teleport into the studio and declare themselves proponents of education and say they wanted to be on primetime? Was there a giant press conference where the United Nations declared them worldwide ambassadors of education? These are the things that I think about! Also, I desperately want to read the Rangers' reports about themselves. I'm sure that Tommy's is all about how great the White Ranger is.

Out in the hall, Adam is all freaking out because he doesn't like cameras. He really doesn't want to be on tv! Rocky tries to tell him it will be okay, possibly because he's hoping to make a video of his own later. Billy gets all touchy feely with Adam, and they point out they'll still have their masks on (possibly in the video that Adam and Rocky make also)

Anyway, Zedd is all "Hmm, the Power Brats will be on TV? I should take advantage of this by kidnapping them and replacing them with Evil!Rangers who will spread my message of hate!" That is... actually not a bad plan! Although I'm fairly sure if Zedd showed up at a TV station and demanded that they hold a press conference, they would let him.

So, sometime before the broadcast the Rangers are wandering along the beach when Goldar and some putties show up. Adam is all "crap, Goldar!" because he is clearly terrified that Goldar will take him to Scorpina (or, you know, steal his self-esteem.) So they morph, and there's a fight, and the Rangers win, and Zedd is all "Well, Goldar screwed up, so no evil twins today!" Instead, he makes a camera monster.

At the Harvey Garvey show (yes, that is actually the name) the host is wearing the most ridiculously early 90s outfit, words will not do it justice. Also, the guy is pretty sleazy. The audience is all "We want the Power Rangers!" and I'm just hoping a riot doesn't break out. So the Power Rangers all come out, and there's a lot of martial arts and some ridiculous pyrotechnics, and then the host goes straight to commercial. Oh, and Bulk and Skull have a plan that will try and expose the Rangers identities on live television. This will obviously fail, and Bulk will get hit in the head a lot, and I'm not going to even bother to mention it again.

Harvey Garvey asks the Rangers if education has helped them. The answer is clearly not, since they go to Angel Grove. Also, the guy is making it sound like they're already out of school (of course, nobody suspects that it's a bunch of high school kids) and the Rangers encourage this, talking about how all of the monsters have a weakness, and they have to use their heads to figure it out. I'm sure that Tommy has a very hard head.

Also, Rocky is pretty much sitting on Adam and Aisha, and this is very important.

Anyway, Kimberly and Billy talk about the Pudgy Pig and we're all happy to see the old footage. Pudgy Pig is awesome!

The next question has absolutely nothing to do with education, and instead Harvey Garvey asks about how they do all those kicks, so Aisha and Rocky give him an impromptu lesson. (Points for involving Aisha in this, since they would usually do Tommy and Adam.) Of course, Harvey Garvey falls.

The next question is directed at Tommy, asking what happened to the Green Ranger. Which brings me to another question - how DO they explain these things? Do people just assume that the Green Ranger died? But Tommy is saved from having to answer this, because Zordon has noticed that Zedd sent down a monster. Alpha initially doesn't want to contact the Rangers, since they are on TV, but saving the world is more important. Tommy answers his communicator on the air, and then the group teleports out, just as Bulk stumbles onto the set to try and pull off their helmets.

The only notable thing about the conversation in the Command Center is that Tommy says "lights, camera, we're morphin into action." What the fuck.

Anyway, there's a fight, Zords are summoned,you know the drill. It was pretty boring.

The next day, Ms. Applebee is asking students about the broadcast. One guy (who appears to have a mullet) says that since the Rangers think education is cool, he does too. If the Rangers all jumped off a bridge, I bet he would. Then Ms. Applebee asks Rocky what he thought, and Rocky smirks and says that the Rangers reached out and touched him. I'm sure that Adam did all night long. :D

Ms. Applebee says that they really touched her (although hopefully not in the same way) and that they touched people all over the world. Really, I thought this was only a nationwide broadcast? Okay. And apparently Zack, Trini and Jason were all watching, since they faxed the school to say how great it was. I'm surprised that Torchwood let them contact everyone, and also amazed that they didn't directly contact the other Rangers. I guess they are all sad they weren't invited.

Bulk and Skull show up late, expecting to be treated like stars since they crashed the broadcast. Instead, they get more detention.

Fish: FIVE. The fish clearly arranged everything

Covered in: Bulk gets hit by a bunch of stuff. Apparently we're backsliding.

Billy speak: If there was any, we were too distracted by the fish to notice.

Episode 41- A Pig Surprise

First, I'd like to apologize for this not being up yesterday. We were both incredibly busy and there was inclement weather which made internet not possible. So you're getting it today. And it's a Pudgy Pig episode! I LOVE Pudgy Pig. No rational reason why, I just do.

We start the episode with the ranger teens working at a pet adoption fair. They adopt out a bunny and puppy to children with no parents present (I shudder at the thought). Just as they are about to close up, an elderly woman comes up with a pig on a leash. She can't keep the pig and hopes they can find him a good home. His name is Norman. Kim is grossed out by him, but I just think he's the most adorable piggy ever. Dawwwww Norman.

We cut to Zack running through the forest, stopping long enough to check his watch. He's apparently very late. We suspect he's been taking lessons from Tommy. He stumbles across the old woman from before and she dances around and turns into a putty. He goes to attack, but the putty splits multiple times and Zack complains it's not a fair fight. It's never been unfair before, him versus multiple putties, but we won't complain too much because it makes for one awesome solo fight! He wins, picks up a spinny thing that fell on the ground, and then runs off.

Meanwhile, Bulk and Skull come running up to the pet adoption booth. They want a pet too! They want something cool and different. Trini hands them Norman's leash and they happily take him home. At school the following day, they're showing him off. They are so proud! It's great. Bulk tries to get Norman to do some tricks but Norman basically ignores him, so he says "Stand there and ignore me" which Norman does. It's pretty clever, actually.

Billy and Trini are in Billy's garage trying to figure out the spinny device. Zack walks up and he can't offer much help, but he's curious how it's going. Billy suddenly remembers Zack said it was dropped by a putty that was disguised as an old woman, and it they FINALLY put two and two together. Maybe this device has something to do with Norman! Golly, you think?

They race to school, which is still in session by the way, so they were skipping. Jason and Kim haven't seen Bulk and Skull, so Billy and Trini go back to his garage and the other three look for the pig. Zack finds Bulk and Skull in the Youth Center with Norman just as the timer on the spinny thing counts down to zero. Norman turns into Pudgy Pig and everybody runs screaming. Skull tries to get him to remember that they are his parents, but he just wants to eat Bulk's sandwich. Zack, meanwhile, just kind of stands there. He doesn't call for help. He doesn't use the communicator. He doesn't run off and morph. He just... stands there.

Pudgy Pig has the munchies, which must mean it's 4:20, and he disappears from the Youth Center to who knows where, in hopes of finding food. Zack finally contacts Zordon and he says the other rangers are at the Command Center waiting for him. Zack AND Zordon!Fail.

The rangers all morph and run off to fight Pudgy Pig. Hey, look, it's the SAME sentai footage from Food Fight. Nice to see you there, familiar sentai footage. It is pretty cute how Pudgy Pig just kind of sits on the ledge of the roof though. He's just chilling, hanging out, still with the munchies. He teleports away, though, because the rangers are harshing his squee.

They find him at a pig farm. They hide expertly behind a pile of baled hay (because nothing says covert like bright red, yellow, blue, black, and pink spandex!) and discover he's dancing! Why is he dancing? Why, because he's trying to impress a lady pig, of course! Pudgy Pig is in love and it's the most ADORABLE THING EVER. No, seriously. I spent a few minutes just going "Daawwwwwww" and irritating TSB. The rangers think Pudgy Pig/Norman and Lady Pig would make beautiful bacon together (which is kind of morbid, when you think about it) and then say Pudgy Pig MUST be Norman because Rita's monsters can't fall in love. Way to stereotype, guys! Monsters can fall in love! *grumble grumble*

Zordon contacts them and we discover it was all a distraction. Rita really planned to send Goldar down to demolish the city. He's currently crushing things left and right in downtown Angel Grove. So the Rangers go fight him but end up being attacked by Scorpina instead. Goldar threatens to squish them like the little bugs he thinks they are and so they summon the zords in a really long sequence. Way to be out of sentai footage, guys!

We are then treated to a really long Goldar/MegaZord fight, with lots and lots of Rita reaction shots. Meanwhile, they call for the Mega Sword, which is supposed to be Power Sword, and it actually took me a minute to figure out they were saying Mega SWORD and not Mega ZORD and... yeah. Anyway. Goldar is pulled back by Rita just as the Rangers are about to slice him with the sword.

A short while later, they head back to the pig farm where Pudgy Pig/Norman is still trying to woo the lady pig. She seems rather unimpressed. Billy has fixed the spinny device and uses it to turn Pudgy Pig/Norman back into just Norman the pig. Lady Pig is duly impressed. Farmer agrees to adopt Norman so they can make beautiful (creepy and morbid) bacon together.

At school the following day, we discover Ms. Applebee is ill so Principal Caplan will be teaching her class. They're going to learn about farm animals and we have to remind ourselves this is supposed to be high school. Principal Caplan brings in a pig and poor Bulk and Skull, traumatized from what happened to the last pig they hung out with, freak out and run away. Poor Bulk and Skull.

List time!

Fish: 2.5 because it could have been worse, but it could have been better. And it's the most adorable episode.

Billy speak: "I was able to recalibrate the transformer so if my calculations are correct, it should reverse the process with no harm to Norman"

Question to ponder: Where did Rita get Norman from in the first place?

Fic we want: Angel Grove guidance counselors dealing with weird fears of the students due to Rita's wacky hijinks. "I was attacked by a rubber duck monster! Now I'm terrified to take a bath!" I nominate TSB to write it. Because I have too many fics in the works to add another "mundane daily life of Angel Grove residents" to my list.

Episode 6 - Food Fight

Okay, confession time. This is one of our favorite episodes, and Pudgy Pig is QueenRiley's favorite monster-of-the-week. TSB owns the novelization of this episode, and well... we are biased. It shows.

This episode is relatively low on fight, high on plot. If by plot we mean food. The only people who escape being covered with food are the Rangers. Everyone else ends up with lots of it all over them. Even the city! We are not sure why Bulk thought throwing food at the principal was a good idea (although we must compliment him on his aim - knocking off the toupee takes effort!) or why everyone would immediately participate in a food fight when they are supposed to be selling the food shortly after, but... well, logic has never been anyone in Angel Grove's strong point.

This is supposed to be a cultural food fair so that Angel Grove High can raise money to buy the pre-school playground equipment. Billy and Trini work at the Asian booth, Kimberly (doing a very bad impression of a cowgirl) and Jason (apparently Uncle Sam) work at the USA booth, and Zack works at a booth that we can't see the full title of, but we *think* is Mexican-American. Billy seems to want to charge everyone $20 for everything, even during the food fight itself. This is adorable, but not going to happen. (The only real thing to happen of note during the food fight is that Jason attempts to use hot dogs as nunchucks.) As usual, the Rangers get blamed for things and told to clean up, but they run off, since it isn't like they ever actually pay for anything anyway.

Of course, the reason the Rangers are running off is because Rita has released one of her best monsters EVER the Pudgy Pig. It is SO CUTE. And its TAIL. And it swallows the Rangers' weapons because the Rangers were clearly distracted by the PURE AWESOME that is this monster. But anyway, they lose their weapons and get demorphed and end up hanging around in the park while the Pudgy Pig goes to the Food Fair and eats... the food that wasn't destroyed during the food fight? When the team heads back to the food fair they realize that the Pudgy Pig doesn't like spicy food, showing them how to defeat it.

After feeding the poor pig a spicy... some sort of radish or albino carrot (google tells us it is a Chinese Daikon Radish), the Pudgy Pig gets a horrible case of indigestion and vomits up their weapons, allowing the Rangers to summon the power blaster with the correct calls this time, at which point they return to the food fair without cleaning anything up. Apparently, they are only $20 short to buy new playground equipment! We aren't really sure how this happened, since the food fair was destroyed twice (once before it had even officially opened) but they managed! Billy sells a very spicy sandwich (supplied by Alpha to fight Pudgy Pig) to the principal for $20, which is absolutely outrageous, by the way, and all is right with the world.

Lists!
Covered with food: The city, the principal, Ernie, Bulk and Skull, all of the extras. This was a very high food episode.

Quotes: Zack on Principal Caplan's likely reaction to the fair being trashed a second time: "He'll flip his wig... again!"

Rating: 2 fish. Pudgy Pig RULES.